January 9, 2008
At first light, I sat at Fawnbrook Inn, Allenspark. A flock of about 280 Rosy Finches came by four times between 7:20 am and 9:00 am. They only landed once (7:20). I could see 80 percent Gray-crowned, 19+ percent Brown-capped, and an adult and immature Black Rosy Finch. The other three times they just circled 3 or 4 times and left. To the person with the Wyoming license plates who parked next to the feeders and kept their headlights on for an hour, it's probably not the best technique if you want to get the birds to land and get better looks.
I was surprised by the lack of birds (or maybe it was the headlights?). Bird count was 7 Black-capped Chickadees, 2 Mountain Chickadees, 1 female Downy Woodpecker, 1 Clark's Nutcracker, 3 Black-billed Magpies, 1 White-breasted Nuthatch. No Pine Siskins was a surprise.
Afterwards I drove north on Hwy 7 (2.3 miles) to Wild Basin area of Rocky Mountain National Park (still Boulder County). I mainly wanted photos of Copeland Lake and GPS coordinates, however decided to drive west up the road. I stopped and found an American Three-toed Woodpecker at 1.0 miles west of the entrance station. Not much else was moving about. Note to 2 wheel passenger car drivers, I did get stuck in the snow, sliding around the road trying to drive uphill out of the place. I was fortunate to get out without calling for a tow truck.
I stopped and walked the road at Olive Ridge Campgrounds (along Hwy 7 about halfway between Wild Basin & Allenspark). I thought I briefly heard an owl, or was it an echo in the wind?
A flock of 300 Rosy Finches were atop the fir trees about 0.6 miles north of Allenspark. I could only identify Gray-crowned & a few Brown-capped. Then I continued east on Hwy 7 back toward Lyons. I took several detours off Hwy 7 and walked a bit listening for owls. Obviously, I was playing a recording and listening for a response, not just listening for an owl.
At the small town of Raymond, I parked at the store and walked a mile up both ends of Boulder County Road 103. At 0.7 miles east of the store, I heard a Northern Pygmy-Owl. The area has great potential and is worth a return in the spring. Note: I actually saw a Northern Pygmy-Owl and heard a third during the hike. Think I will keep the exact locations to myself on this one.
On the drive south out of town, a Northern Goshawk flew across CR 103 at 1.8 miles east of the Raymond Store.
My next stop was Old St Vrain Road (south end of Lyons). Found quite a few Mountain Chickadees, no owls or Lewis's Woodpeckers.
At Meadow Park in Lyons, a Golden Eagle circled overhead. I had to walk all the way down to the bridge at Hwy 7 to see an American Dipper.
At Apple Valley Road (0.4 miles north of Lyons, Hwy 36) I again walked about a mile up the road (from south end). Northern Pygmy-Owls have been found in the tall cottonwoods here; none today however. Again many Mountain Chickadees and a flock of 7 Pine Siskins were about all found.
Up Larimer CR 37E (also called Boulder County Road 71N; Apple Valley Road, east of Hwy 36) I stopped just west of the Wildlife Sign (where actually is the wildlife area? I believe they call the whole subdivision a wildlife area?). A flock of 11 Pinyon Jays flew to the north. I was at the Larimer/Boulder County line and got them for both counties, 2008!
In Lyons, I walked the St Vrain River Restoration Area in search of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers which have been reported in many past years. None found today. Does D.W. King still live in Lyons? He was the birder who reported Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers almost every year.
I sat watching feeders at Highline Drive (east of Lyons) where a Harris's Sparrow was reported on the Christmas Count. It did not show up for me. Forty three Dark-eyed Juncos, 5 Song Sparrows, and a White-crowned Sparrow did visit the feeder on the ground. I met the landowner, a nice old codger. Interesting stories of life in Lyons.
Next I drove to Rabbit Mountain Open Space. No Harris's Sparrow at the feeders near the entrance road (perhaps a half dozen White-crowned Sparrows). Once at Rabbit Mountain, I hiked about 0.5 miles up the trail (listening for Pinyon Jays). Three Bushtits fluttered about some short willows. About this time, it started to snow quite rapidly. By the time I returned to my car, visibility was poor.
My plan was to end the day back at Wellington Wildlife Area north of Fort Collins and possibly look for Gary Lefko's Short-eared Owl at Weld County Roads 100 & 23. The snowstorm convinced me to change my mind and head back toward Denver.
I drove the Longmont Area around Hwy 66 & S. Hover Street and also S. Fordham Street & Cover Basin Drive hoping to run into the previously reported 1500-2000 flock of Bohemian Waxwings; without success. There are plenty of crabapple trees with apples along Cover Basin Drive; no Bohemian Waxwings.
Being only a few miles from Golden Ponds Park, I stopped there. A flock of White-crowned Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos were on the ground, just south of the most eastern parking area (east side of lake). Among the flock was the adult White-throated Sparrow reported a few days earlier by Scott Severs; thanks Scott! When I departed the flock was below the blue park boundary sign.
My birding day ended at Greenlee Preserve in Lafayette where I searched for the Swamp Sparrow reported 2 days earlier by Ted Floyd. The only sparrows I found were 7 Song, 1 American Tree, 1 White-crowned and one Ted Floyd. A Spotted Towhee scurried about the yard south of the trail. Many Dark-eyed Juncos were around.
It started snowing again by the time I reached the Boulder Turnpike and McCaslin Blvd, so I headed for home. I had entertained the idea to go back to Mesa Trail, south Boulder and look for owls up Shadow Canyon; again the snow changed those plans.
At first light, I sat at Fawnbrook Inn, Allenspark. A flock of about 280 Rosy Finches came by four times between 7:20 am and 9:00 am. They only landed once (7:20). I could see 80 percent Gray-crowned, 19+ percent Brown-capped, and an adult and immature Black Rosy Finch. The other three times they just circled 3 or 4 times and left. To the person with the Wyoming license plates who parked next to the feeders and kept their headlights on for an hour, it's probably not the best technique if you want to get the birds to land and get better looks.
I was surprised by the lack of birds (or maybe it was the headlights?). Bird count was 7 Black-capped Chickadees, 2 Mountain Chickadees, 1 female Downy Woodpecker, 1 Clark's Nutcracker, 3 Black-billed Magpies, 1 White-breasted Nuthatch. No Pine Siskins was a surprise.
Afterwards I drove north on Hwy 7 (2.3 miles) to Wild Basin area of Rocky Mountain National Park (still Boulder County). I mainly wanted photos of Copeland Lake and GPS coordinates, however decided to drive west up the road. I stopped and found an American Three-toed Woodpecker at 1.0 miles west of the entrance station. Not much else was moving about. Note to 2 wheel passenger car drivers, I did get stuck in the snow, sliding around the road trying to drive uphill out of the place. I was fortunate to get out without calling for a tow truck.
I stopped and walked the road at Olive Ridge Campgrounds (along Hwy 7 about halfway between Wild Basin & Allenspark). I thought I briefly heard an owl, or was it an echo in the wind?
A flock of 300 Rosy Finches were atop the fir trees about 0.6 miles north of Allenspark. I could only identify Gray-crowned & a few Brown-capped. Then I continued east on Hwy 7 back toward Lyons. I took several detours off Hwy 7 and walked a bit listening for owls. Obviously, I was playing a recording and listening for a response, not just listening for an owl.
At the small town of Raymond, I parked at the store and walked a mile up both ends of Boulder County Road 103. At 0.7 miles east of the store, I heard a Northern Pygmy-Owl. The area has great potential and is worth a return in the spring. Note: I actually saw a Northern Pygmy-Owl and heard a third during the hike. Think I will keep the exact locations to myself on this one.
On the drive south out of town, a Northern Goshawk flew across CR 103 at 1.8 miles east of the Raymond Store.
My next stop was Old St Vrain Road (south end of Lyons). Found quite a few Mountain Chickadees, no owls or Lewis's Woodpeckers.
At Meadow Park in Lyons, a Golden Eagle circled overhead. I had to walk all the way down to the bridge at Hwy 7 to see an American Dipper.
At Apple Valley Road (0.4 miles north of Lyons, Hwy 36) I again walked about a mile up the road (from south end). Northern Pygmy-Owls have been found in the tall cottonwoods here; none today however. Again many Mountain Chickadees and a flock of 7 Pine Siskins were about all found.
Up Larimer CR 37E (also called Boulder County Road 71N; Apple Valley Road, east of Hwy 36) I stopped just west of the Wildlife Sign (where actually is the wildlife area? I believe they call the whole subdivision a wildlife area?). A flock of 11 Pinyon Jays flew to the north. I was at the Larimer/Boulder County line and got them for both counties, 2008!
In Lyons, I walked the St Vrain River Restoration Area in search of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers which have been reported in many past years. None found today. Does D.W. King still live in Lyons? He was the birder who reported Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers almost every year.
I sat watching feeders at Highline Drive (east of Lyons) where a Harris's Sparrow was reported on the Christmas Count. It did not show up for me. Forty three Dark-eyed Juncos, 5 Song Sparrows, and a White-crowned Sparrow did visit the feeder on the ground. I met the landowner, a nice old codger. Interesting stories of life in Lyons.
Next I drove to Rabbit Mountain Open Space. No Harris's Sparrow at the feeders near the entrance road (perhaps a half dozen White-crowned Sparrows). Once at Rabbit Mountain, I hiked about 0.5 miles up the trail (listening for Pinyon Jays). Three Bushtits fluttered about some short willows. About this time, it started to snow quite rapidly. By the time I returned to my car, visibility was poor.
My plan was to end the day back at Wellington Wildlife Area north of Fort Collins and possibly look for Gary Lefko's Short-eared Owl at Weld County Roads 100 & 23. The snowstorm convinced me to change my mind and head back toward Denver.
I drove the Longmont Area around Hwy 66 & S. Hover Street and also S. Fordham Street & Cover Basin Drive hoping to run into the previously reported 1500-2000 flock of Bohemian Waxwings; without success. There are plenty of crabapple trees with apples along Cover Basin Drive; no Bohemian Waxwings.
Being only a few miles from Golden Ponds Park, I stopped there. A flock of White-crowned Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos were on the ground, just south of the most eastern parking area (east side of lake). Among the flock was the adult White-throated Sparrow reported a few days earlier by Scott Severs; thanks Scott! When I departed the flock was below the blue park boundary sign.
My birding day ended at Greenlee Preserve in Lafayette where I searched for the Swamp Sparrow reported 2 days earlier by Ted Floyd. The only sparrows I found were 7 Song, 1 American Tree, 1 White-crowned and one Ted Floyd. A Spotted Towhee scurried about the yard south of the trail. Many Dark-eyed Juncos were around.
It started snowing again by the time I reached the Boulder Turnpike and McCaslin Blvd, so I headed for home. I had entertained the idea to go back to Mesa Trail, south Boulder and look for owls up Shadow Canyon; again the snow changed those plans.
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