Friday, October 25, 2013

Birding Around Buena Vista

October 21-22, 2013

Richard Stevens:

October 21, 2013

We camped along County Road 162 near the trailhead to Mt Princeton with the plan to climb it in the morning.  It was Jerry's last 14,000 foot mountain to claim all 54.

When we rose, Bryan heard a strange warbler in some pines near our campsite.  Further inspection found it to be a Grace's Warbler.  It turned out to be only the second one reported in Chaffee County.

Later Jerry Petrosky, Bryan Ehlmann and I walked around Buena Vista to rest our legs.  The walk around Buena Vista found a Lewis's Woodpecker along West Brookdale Avenue, south of North Pleasant Street.

Bushtits and two Juniper Titmice flew around the Buena Vista Overlook.

Four or five Pinyon Jays around the Ruby Mountain parking area.  Half a dozen Mountain Bluebirds were between Ruby Mountain and the Buena Vista Overlook.

Tonight, Alex B caught two Northern Saw-whet Owls and we put a spotlight on a third.

October 22

After another late start (trying to catch up on sleep), we decided to drive up Cottonwood Pass (Chaffee to Gunnison County).

Winds were again quite strong during the day; however, they died down after sunset.

A pair of Barrow's Goldeneyes swam around Taylor Park Reservoir (Gunnison).  A walk around the Lake View Campgrounds (across the highway from the Reservoir) found an adult male American Three-toed Woodpecker.

Clark's Nutcrackers and Gray Jays were encountered on our return to Buena Vista.

We drove south to check on the lakes and Wildlife Areas around Salida.  Twenty+ Pinyon Jays were along the west side of Highway 285 (about 1.5 miles south of Buena Vista).  Nothing uncommon was found around Salida.  Although we did find one Great-tailed Grackle at Franz Lake Wildlife Area (Chaffee).

Tonight, Alex B caught three Northern Saw-whet Owls (one after midnight).

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