A dry winter heralds a dry summer for Utah, which may enhance whitewater birdwatching as liquid scarcity makes rivers an even more essential avian gathering place. The best way to know is to go.
From July 21-26, birdwatchers have a chance to join Salt Lake City’s Tracy Aviary on an 84-mile whitewater rafting trip on the Green River through Desolation and Gray Canyons guided by Colorado River and Trail Expeditions (CRATE). Sixty rapids churn along the route, and 60 bird species have been reported in the area. Tracy Aviary members receive a $100 discount on the all-inclusive $1,895 adult and $995 child rates, with a portion of the cost funding the aviary.
This is the collaborative trip’s 10th year. With binoculars in one hand and a paddle in the other, Tim Brown, the president and CEO of Tracy Aviary for the past 22 years, has floated each voyage.
“Desolation Canyon is a phenomenal place,” Brown said. “Birds are a great window into the natural world around us, but we don’t just talk about birds. We talk about plants, insects and what’s going on in the environment. It’s one of the few places that you’ll really get great looks at yellow-breasted chats. If we’re lucky, we’ll see things like Lucy’s warblers, which are pretty unusual. We do a night hike towards a Mexican spotted owl nest.”…