Sunday, July 26, 2009

Western Slope Birding Trip (part 3)

Bryan Ehlmann: Hello cobirders,

Over the next three weeks I will be leading the CoBus summer birding tour. Sue and I are the core of the group and we will be joined at times by up to 7 other birders including Richard Stevens, Rebecca Kosten, Gary Weston, Jerry Petrosky, a few other Colorado birders and a couple of out of state birders.

Unfortunately the format of this blog doesn't allow chronological order of our trip. See Part 1 and 2 below.

July 21

Another afternoon start, as one group we wanted to be on Slumgullion Pass at dark tonight. The plan was to meet at North Clear Creek Campgrounds at 7:00 PM.

Ehlmann group:

We took Brown Lakes Wildlife Area, Hermit Lakes, Campgrounds: South Creek and South Creek Falls.

Highlights include a singing Fox Sparrow at Brown Lakes WLA. Five species of ducks but no grebes. At Spring Creek Pass Sue pointed out an Olive-sided Flycatcher. We had to visit North Creek Falls just for the view. Beautiful site, but no Black Swifts.

Weston group:

Our route included Rita Hondo and Continental Reservoirs. We hiked the 2 miles between the reservoir which helped to find 2 American Three-toed Woodpeckers, Olive-sided Flycatchers, and Broad-tailed Hummingbirds.

We met up around 6:30 PM at North Clear Creek Campgrounds. The Ehlmann group was lucky enough to see a Dusky Grouse just outside of the entrance. They called us (radios) but the grouse disappeared before our arrival. Later while walking around the campgrounds we saw a Black Swift fly overhead!

Slumgullion Pass Campgrounds added a family of White-winged Crossbills to our trip list. After dark we found Boreal Owls at 2 locations. One of them being a spot that was GPS-ed last year.

The highlight of the morning (7/22) was a Long-eared Owl at the Campgrounds. While this is not a county record, the Campgrounds are farther south than previous sightings. At 11,239 feet it might be the highest Long-eared Owl record in Colorado. Cameron Pass, 10,272 feet in Larimer County has at least two Long-eared Owl records and might be the next highest sightings.

July 22

We backtracked from Lake City today and didn't plan to return until well into tomorrow morning.

Ehlmann group:

We took the eastern route from Slumgullion Pass. Campgrounds birded included Deer Creek, Spruce, and Cebolla. Cebolla Creek Wildlife Area. We were still in Hinsdale County, extreme northeastern section.

Cebolla Creek WLA added several mountain species to our day list. A couple of Gray Jays begged for food. The highlight was certainly a Northern Pygmy-Owl that answered our recordings.

An hour before sunset we drove to Los Pinos Pass which is back in Saguache County. A pair of White-winged Crossbills caught our attention near the summit. We played various owl recordings and hoped for a Flammulated or Boreal Owl but settled for another Northern Pygmy-Owl.

Weston group:

Our route was the western route below Slumgullion Pass. Hinsdale County Road 30 follows the Lake Fork Gunnison River and passes by Lake San Cristobal and Castle Lakes. It also passes by Mill Creek and Williams Creek Campgrounds.

Highlights for us included a Grace's Warbler at Mill Creek Campgrounds.

Owling included a Northern Pygmy-Owl at the Cuba Gulch Trailhead. A Northern Saw-whet Owl answered our recordings near the Cascade Gulch trailhead. This "sighting" argues the point that birds can't read birds. The habitat was not what a Northern Saw-whet Owl is expected to be found around. But we definitely had one! The habitat is similar to elevation and coniferous forest where Northern Saw-whet Owls have been found on the Grand Mesa in Mesa County. Again demonstrating that birds can't read books and don't know they are not supposed to be where they are!

A couple of Great Horned Owls called along Hinsdale County Road 30 about 0.5 north of Lake San Cristobal.

July 23

The itinerary today was to bird west of Lake City. However we woke up to a report of Alder Flycatchers near Gunnison. Since our trek would lead us up there tomorrow, we decided to reverse the trips and go search for the Alder Flycatchers.

Note: we found "Empidonax" flycatchers where the directions indicated. One of them was even singing and did sound like an Alder Flycatcher. So at least one of them is out of range.

We only planned on taking two days to count birds in Gunnison County. As this was not much time, we had many places to go. Today we birded eastern county; tomorrow will be the northern sections.

Ehlmann group;

My group headed up highway 135 and Taylor Canyon. There are numerous campgrounds in Taylor Canyon and Taylor Park and Spring Creek Reservoirs.

During daylight our best birds were Band-tailed Pigeons at several campgrounds and a pair of American Three-toed Woodpeckers at Lakeview Campgrounds directly east of Taylor Park Reservoir.

Surprisingly we couldn't find an American Dipper when we stopped to overlook the Taylor River. Both Taylor Reservoir and Spring Creek Reservoir were visited during the day. Both held few birds; they did have half a dozen ducks.

Campgrounds visited included Spring Creek, Mosca, Taylor Canyon, One Mile, Rosy Lane, North Bank, Lodgepole, Cold Springs, Lottis Creek, Lakeview, Rivers End, Dinner Station, and Dorchester. For the most part, similar birds were found at most of them.

After sunset we started playing recordings at Dorchester Campgrounds. Taylor Pass Trail (summit 11,928 feet) is a little too challenging for our jeep. A Northern Pygmy-Owl answered our recordings at the campgrounds. Shortly thereafter a second owl joined us!

We heard another 3 Northern Pygmy-Owls along Forest Road 742 on the trip back to Taylor Park Reservoir. The highlight of our night was hearing Boreal Owls at two locations along Cottonwood Pass Road. Both were calling when we stepped out of our jeep.

Weston group:

Our route went through Parlin up CR 76 to Cumberland Pass and Tincup. It was very ambitious as we planned to drive two high elevation roads after dark. One definitely wants and needs a good 4 wheel drive in this area.

Campgrounds birded included Comanche, Gold Creek, Roosevelt, Pitkin, Middle Quartz, and Mirror.

Tincup is always a good place to look for hummingbirds in the second half of summer. Besides the nesting Broad-tailed Hummingbirds we saw 2 Rufous Hummingbirds and a male Calliope Hummingbird! If one visits, be sure to stop at Boot Hill, Tincup's cemetery!

We continued east to Mirror Lake and got a Northern Pygmy-Owl to respond to our recordings. We turned around at Tincup Pass (12,154 feet) no owls.

We had to walk around for an hour and a half before finding a White-tailed Ptarmigan on Cumberland Pass (12,015) We zigzagged back and forth with radios in hand wishing the other birder would find one first. I was the lucky one! (Check up about 1.0 miles on the miner's road to leads northeast from the pass.)

After dark we had a Boreal Owl answer our recordings at the tree line north of Cumberland Pass's summit.

The rest of our night was spent up Alpine Tunnel Road which is actually lower than Cumberland at 11,460 feet. We stopped at The Palisades, the Williams Pass Trailhead, and Hancock Pass Trailhead. No additional Boreal Owls were found, but we did add a Northern Pygmy-Owl at both trailheads!

July 24

Our itinerary lead us north of Gunnison today. Again the Weston group took the more strenuous route with longer hikes and more difficult roads.

Ehlmann group:

Kebler Pass and Ohio Pass are some of the most beautiful in fall with its Aspen stands. We planned to drive the road both during the day and after dark.

Daylight birding was much better than after dark.

An American Dipper was seen at Roaring Judy Wildlife Area. Campgrounds birded included: Almont, Roaring Judy, Beaver Ponds and Lake Irwin.

We found an American Three-toed Woodpecker short of Kebler Pass' summit. Two Purple Martins were found along Kebler Pass Road near mile 10 (traditional location). Twice Dusky Grouse walked across Kebler Road.

Owling after sunset was slow. Our only owl was a Northern Pygmy-Owl near Ohio Pass. Even then we settled for only hearing the bird, never able to get a glimpse of it.

Weston group:

We took on Schofield Pass, not sure if we could make it all the way to Marble. Even though the summit is only 10,707 feet, it is considered one of the toughest 4 wheel drive roads in Colorado. We stopped driving long before reaching the "Devil's Punch Bowl" on the west side of Schofield Pass.

Having heard the reputation of the road we decided not to drive it. There is a point of no return where the road offers no place to turn around.

Instead we hiked about 5 miles to Crystal. Probably a once in a lifetime walk, but we were able to count some nice birds which included: Rufous Hummingbirds, a male Calliope Hummingbird, MacGillivray's Warbler, and flycatchers.

On the return trip, we scattered along the road and found White-tailed Ptarmigan at two locations. Not sure how to explain where to find them if it is possible to relocate them. Best suggestion is to just go for a walk along the road.

Campgrounds birded included: Gothic, Avery Park, and Clement Creek. One of our most interesting detours was Copper Creek Trail. We hiked from Gothic past Judd Falls for about a mile. A Northern Pygmy-Owl answered our recordings up here.

Our only owl south of Crested Butte was a Northern Pygmy-Owl near Clement Creek. Not quite true, we heard a Great Horned Owl at Roaring Judy Wildlife Area.

July 25

Today was a planned day of rest. Of course for birders that doesn't mean staying inside. Before getting some shut eye, we guys drove up Gunnison County Road 38 to the intersection with 38A and beyond. Three Gunnison Sage-Grouse were found near the intersection. For some reason, females like to bring them young around here!

In the afternoon, we couldn't resist driving Gold Basin Creek road (CR 38) into Saguache. A great bonus, while we walked around at the end of CR 38A Jerry Petrosky found a Gunnison Sage-Grouse in Saguache County!!!

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