November 20-22, 2013
Richard Stevens:
Richard Stevens:
November 20, 2013
Jack Sheridan (distant relative of General Sheridan), Marty Wright and I headed up to the mountains for a few days of owling and White-winged Crossbill searching.
A stop along the eastern side of Chambers Lake found a male American Three-toed Woodpecker. We tramped partially along the Zimmerman Lake Trail without finding any crossbills (White-winged or Red).
No Rosy Finches appeared at the Colorado State Forest Visitor's Center.
After dark, we heard a Boreal Owl just west of Cameron Pass. No Boreal Owls were found up Ruby Jewell Road and we backtracked to highway 14. Then we "hiked" down to the Crags Campgrounds. A cooperative Boreal Owl allowed us nice views!
Jack Sheridan (distant relative of General Sheridan), Marty Wright and I headed up to the mountains for a few days of owling and White-winged Crossbill searching.
A stop along the eastern side of Chambers Lake found a male American Three-toed Woodpecker. We tramped partially along the Zimmerman Lake Trail without finding any crossbills (White-winged or Red).
No Rosy Finches appeared at the Colorado State Forest Visitor's Center.
After dark, we heard a Boreal Owl just west of Cameron Pass. No Boreal Owls were found up Ruby Jewell Road and we backtracked to highway 14. Then we "hiked" down to the Crags Campgrounds. A cooperative Boreal Owl allowed us nice views!
November 21, 2013
At first light, Jack Sheridan, Marty Wright and I planned to drive Jackson County Road 26 in search of a Greater Sage-Grouse. Fortune was kind to us. As we drove west off of highway 14, a Greater Sage-Grouse was walking along the east side of County Road 26 (only about 200 yards off hwy 14).
We continued into Steamboat Springs (Routt) and searched several fields were Sharp-tailed Grouse are sometimes reported. None was found today.
On the trip back over Rabbit Ears Pass (Grand), we did not find any White-winged Crossbills. We heard the drumming of an American Three-toed Woodpecker (along the road to the maintenance shed), however never did see the bird.
We checked the Colorado State Forest Visitor's Center feeders twice during the day; no Rosy Finches came by. A Pine Grosbeak pair, Mountain Chickadees and Pine Siskins did show.
At first light, Jack Sheridan, Marty Wright and I planned to drive Jackson County Road 26 in search of a Greater Sage-Grouse. Fortune was kind to us. As we drove west off of highway 14, a Greater Sage-Grouse was walking along the east side of County Road 26 (only about 200 yards off hwy 14).
We continued into Steamboat Springs (Routt) and searched several fields were Sharp-tailed Grouse are sometimes reported. None was found today.
On the trip back over Rabbit Ears Pass (Grand), we did not find any White-winged Crossbills. We heard the drumming of an American Three-toed Woodpecker (along the road to the maintenance shed), however never did see the bird.
We checked the Colorado State Forest Visitor's Center feeders twice during the day; no Rosy Finches came by. A Pine Grosbeak pair, Mountain Chickadees and Pine Siskins did show.
November 22, 2013
After retiring early last night, our day started about two hours before sunrise. Fog and snow covered roads made our trip quite treacherous. We skipped highway 125, which would have passed Windy Gap Reservoir and took highway 40 to Kremmling (Grand County).
A dozen or so Rosy Finches (no Blacks) flew around this small North Park town. Unfortunately, no Common Redpolls appear to be with them yet this winter.
At a friend's home in Summit County, we found 110 Rosy Finches (three species, only 2 Black) and 2 Common Redpolls!
Our next stop was Loveland Pass (Clear Creek County). Again, someone in our group carried good luck. A White-tailed Ptarmigan was observed walking the hillside on the west side of Highway 6 (across from the second pullover, east of hwy 6, south of Loveland Pass).
I am always grateful when the Ptarmigan search is successful (especially when it was less than 30 minutes old)!
After dropping my birding partners off at their motel, I drove over to Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe) to search for the Long-tailed Duck reported earlier by Glenn Walbek. A scope was needed, but I did eventually find the Long-tailed Duck near a raft of American Coots (in the southeastern corner of the reservoir).
Two Bonaparte's Gulls flew over while I was scoping the lake. Eventually three Common Loons caught my attention. They were examined for quite awhile; none was a Yellow-billed Loon.
Many Western Grebes and Ring-billed Gulls swam near the center of the lake. A couple of California Gulls and at least two Herring Gulls were also identified.
After retiring early last night, our day started about two hours before sunrise. Fog and snow covered roads made our trip quite treacherous. We skipped highway 125, which would have passed Windy Gap Reservoir and took highway 40 to Kremmling (Grand County).
A dozen or so Rosy Finches (no Blacks) flew around this small North Park town. Unfortunately, no Common Redpolls appear to be with them yet this winter.
At a friend's home in Summit County, we found 110 Rosy Finches (three species, only 2 Black) and 2 Common Redpolls!
Our next stop was Loveland Pass (Clear Creek County). Again, someone in our group carried good luck. A White-tailed Ptarmigan was observed walking the hillside on the west side of Highway 6 (across from the second pullover, east of hwy 6, south of Loveland Pass).
I am always grateful when the Ptarmigan search is successful (especially when it was less than 30 minutes old)!
After dropping my birding partners off at their motel, I drove over to Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe) to search for the Long-tailed Duck reported earlier by Glenn Walbek. A scope was needed, but I did eventually find the Long-tailed Duck near a raft of American Coots (in the southeastern corner of the reservoir).
Two Bonaparte's Gulls flew over while I was scoping the lake. Eventually three Common Loons caught my attention. They were examined for quite awhile; none was a Yellow-billed Loon.
Many Western Grebes and Ring-billed Gulls swam near the center of the lake. A couple of California Gulls and at least two Herring Gulls were also identified.
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