July, 190S ANNOTATED UST OF THE BTRD.S OF MESA COUNTY, COLORADO 



155 



territory, is largely a rough, broken, arid country consisting of sandstone ledges 

 and canyons, cedar and pinyon covered hills, adobe buttes, and sage-brush and 

 greasewood covered flats, and thru this greater part of the County practically no 

 ornithological work has been done. This general type of topography is prevalent 

 thruout the County, with the exception of the narrow eastern part, and the valleys 

 of the Grand, Gunnison and Dolores Rivers. 



The eastern end of the County is a remarkably well-watered and timbered 

 section, and includes a portion of the Grand Mesa which in many places attains an 

 altitude of 10,500 feet. This mesa is rolling and smooth in outline and is covered 

 with a luxuriant growth of spruce, pine and balsam of several varieties, quaking- 

 asp, scrub-oak and service berry, interspersed with a great varietj^ of shrubs, flow- 

 ering plants and grasses. Along the numerous creeks which drain this section 

 mountain birch, cottonwood and willows grow in profusion. There is probably no 



BALtANTlNE AND ROCKWELL RANCH, HEAD OF PLATEAU VALLEY, MESA COUNTY, 

 WHERE MUCH OF THE INFORMATION IN THIS LIST WAS COMPILED 



place in the Rocky Mountains which affords such a variety of food and cover, and 

 to this fact, coupled with a remarkable abundance of insect life, may l)e attributed 

 the abundance and variety of bird life occurring there. 



The cultivated areas of the County are closely confined to the courses of the 

 streams, with the exception of Plateau Valley where the smaller streams flowing 

 into Plateau Creek at right angles, afford abundant water supply for a territory 

 ranging in width from 10 to 20 miles and about 35 miles long. Nearly all of this 

 land that is irrigable is under cultivation, and a vast amount of hay and grain is 

 produced, while along the Grand and Gunnison river is located one of the greatest 

 fruit raising districts in the west. 



Practically all of the observations contained in this list come from the eastern, 

 northern and central portions of the. County thus practically ignoring the great 



