Friday, December 20, 2013

First Summit County Christmas Count

December 15, 2013

Richard Stevens:

Today, Bryan & Sue Ehlmann, Rebecca Kosten, Jerry Petrosky, Jacob Washburn, Ray Simmons, Gary Zeeto and I conducted the first Summit County Christmas Count.  Weather conditions were good for the mountains.  Partly sunny skies and temperatures in the 30s were pleasant.

We also managed to recruit fourteen feeder watchers who will likely add to our final count (which will be published in a future issue of "Colorado Field Notes".

Highlights included:

Jacob and Ray relocated a dozen Barrow's Goldeneyes on the Blue River Water Treatment Plant.  All of us watched 200+ Rosy Finches (three species, only two Black Rosy Finches) at a private feeder.

Jerry, Jacob and Ray cross country skied up the Argentine Trail and found a Northern Pygmy-Owl around 3:00 pm.

Meanwhile Bryan and I timed our ski trip up the Saints John Trail to be there at dusk.  After dark, we managed to get a Boreal Owl to respond to our recordings!

An American Three-toed Woodpecker was found at a private residence in Silverthorne (rare during winter as most access roads are closed due to snow).

Results so far were 59 species.

Cackling Goose  (rare for this county)
Canada Goose
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
Ring-necked Duck
Common Goldeneye
Barrow's Goldeneye
Bald Eagle
Cooper's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Golden Eagle
Prairie Falcon
Ring-billed Gull
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Northern Pygmy-Owl
Boreal Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
American Three-toed Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Northern Shrike
Gray Jay
Steller's Jay
Clark's Nutcracker
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch
American Dipper
Townsend's Solitaire
American Robin
European Starling
American Pipit
American Tree Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch
Black Rosy-Finch
Brown-capped Rosy-Finch
Pine Grosbeak
Cassin's Finch
House Finch
Red Crossbill
Common Redpoll
Pine Siskin
Evening Grosbeak
House Sparrow

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