For the Journal

The Ute Mountain-Mesa Verde Birding Festival offers a tour of the RSL Ranch on Summit Ridge between Mancos and Dolores on Saturday, May 14.

The RSL Ranch, a Colorado Centennial Farm, provides a variety of wildlife habitats including irrigated agricultural land, Lost Canyon Creek, Ponderosa forests, and Gambel oak woodlands.

Protected by a Montezuma Land Conservancy conservation easement, the RSL Ranch is home to several species on the State Wildlife Action Plan such as Olive-sided Flycatcher, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Lazuli Bunting, and Pygmy Nuthatch.

The 2015 RSL Ranch tour recorded 65 species. Tour participants travel by van with seating filled on a first-come, pre-registration basis.

Visit www.utemountainmesaverdebirdingfestival.com to register for the tour or call the Cortez Cultural Center, 970-565-1151, for more information.