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 The Big Thompson River riparian corridor continues
for over a mile through the main Ranch grounds and
into a small canyon. Dippers dive in and out of the
water as Spotted Sandpipers bob along the banks. The
surrounding willow trees are homes for of nesting Wilson's
and Yellow and Virginia's Warblers, as well as the
elusive Yellow-Breasted Chat, Spotted Towhee and numerous
other song birds. In the canyon are found Cliff Swallows
and Canyon Wrens.
Mount Alexander and Green Ridge are Ponderosa Pine
forest habitats within a 20-minute walk to the west
and north. There Western Tanagers flaunt their colors,
Steller's Jays sound their warnings, and rarer species
occasionally show themselves, including the MacGillivray's
Warblers Cordilleran Flycatchers, Dusky Flycatchers,
and Say's Phoebes Saddle up for the high country to
explore meadow areas with Mountain and Western Bluebirds,
Townsend's Solitaires, Mountain Chickadees, Pygmy Nuthatch's
and Gray-headed Juncos, and if your lucky, Flammulated
Owls and Northern Saw-Whet Owls.
 Eagle
Ridge and Red Ridge are sandstone "hogbacks"
east of the Jessup Lodge. These arid ridges are the
crusty remnants of an ancient sea bed tilted up when
the mighty Rocky Mountains arose 60 million years ago.
They are covered with Mountain Mahogany and other shrubs,
and are populated by Scrub Jays, Spotted and Green-tailed
Towhees, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Virginia's Warblers,
Blue Grosbeaks Lazuli Buntings, and an occasional Golden
Eagle.
The Big Valley, two miles from the main Ranch, is home
to waterfowl in abundance, including Cinnamon Teal
and nesting Wood Ducks. Shorebirds abound around the
spring-fed ponds (where birders who are also anglers
may wish to test their skills)!. Western Meadowlarks,
Western Kingbirds, Brewer's Sparrows and other grassland
birds frequent the prairie dog town.
 The Foothills Flyway. In the spring and fall, the foothills
become a migration flyway of astonishing variety. Glaucous
Gulls, Glaucous Winged Gulls, Pomarine Jaegers and
other seabirds pass through, along with Western and
Clark's Grebes, White-faced Ibis', Ospreys, Bald Eagles,
Audubon's Black and White, and Blackpoll Warblers along
with numerous other species. In the spring, these travelers
are resplendent in their full breeding plumage.
Outside the Ranch boundaries there are several excursions
well worth taking:
- Pawnee National Grassland,
a native prairie habitat, is an hour and a half drive
from the Ranch. It is the area celebrated in James
Michener's Centennial. Species include: Mountain
Plover, Long-billed Curlew, Lark Bunting, Ferruginous
Hawk, Prairie Falcon, Horned Lark, Cassin's Sparrow,
Grasshopper Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow,
Chestnut-collared and McCowen's Longspurs, and Burrowing
Owl.
- Rocky Mountain National Park. Only
20 miles west of the Ranch, this craggy tundra paradise
includes White-tailed Ptarmigan, Clark's Nutcracker,
Three-toed Woodpecker, Williamson's Sapsucker, Northern
Pygmy Owl, Prairie Falcon, and many other species.
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