Thursday, January 27, 2011

Another White-tailed Ptarmigan Search

January 25, 2011

Richard Stevens: Posted on "cobirders" by Bryan Ehlmann:

Bryan Ehlmann:

Gail Gross, Richard Stevens and I went looking for Ptarmigan at Loveland Pass, Clear Creek Tuesday. We eventually found one but it took two trips. The early morning trip was a bust as we only checked along highway 6. Then we dropped down to Silverthorne, Summit County and saw 21 Barrow's Goldeneyes on the Blue River Water Treatment Plant.

Our second search on Loveland Pass was successful but strenuous. We had to hike 0.7 miles up the trail/hill/mountain west of the Loveland Pass Summit. Finally, a Ptarmigan was found at the "flat area" south of the trail.

After dropping Gail off at DIA, Rich and I stopped at Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Adams County. Two Harris's Sparrows were reported Monday. One of them visited under the western Visitor's Center feeder.

At sunset, we were at Cherry Creek State Park, Arapahoe County. The Ross's Goose was with several hundred White-cheeked Geese at Greenwood Village Park. That's the park at the southwest corner of the Cherry Creek Reservoir dam. No Short-eared Owls flew around the cattails west of where Cherry Creek goes under the main road.

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