Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Snowy Owl in El Paso County

January 12, 2010

Richard Stevens:

I took Donna Fortney down to Colorado Springs (El Paso County). Along the way, we detoured over to Peyton and saw the beautiful Snowy Owl southeast of Elbert Road and Highway 24. It stood on a rooftop near McKittrick and Prairie View Roads for most of the morning.

Afterwards, I drove over to Fountain Creek Regional Park. Along the way, my route took me by Big Johnson Reservoir. The only gulls were 9 Ring-billed Gulls standing on the ice at the northern end of the lake.

At Fountain Creek Regional Park, I parked at the Willow Springs parking area and walked south to North Rice Pond. The previously reported Winter Wren was not near the kiosk (gazebo) on the west side of the pond. I searched the tall grasses north of the gazebo to the sewage pond; without success.

Then I walked to the east side of N. Rice's Pond and played a Winter Wren recording. In less than 5 seconds, the Winter Wren came out of the cattails and walked the swallow drainage at the northeast corner of the Pond!

I drove over to the main entrance of Fountain Creek Regional Park and walked the "warbler alley" and South Rice's Pond areas. The few birds found were Northern Flickers, Black-capped Chickadees, and House Sparrows.

Later near sunset, I met up with Bryan and Sue Ehlmann and we went owling at Beaver Creek Wildlife Area (Fremont County). We heard 2 Northern Pygmy-Owls while hiking around in the dark. Neither bird was seen.

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