Thursday, May 29, 2014

Mt. Evans Byway

May 27, 2014

Richard Stevens:

We heard about the opening of Mt. Evans Byway (Clear Creek County); Bryan Ehlmann and I decided to search for White-tailed Ptarmigan and other birds.  However, when we arrived at the Park, winds blowing snow and ice over the road closed Mt. Evans Road at Summit Lake.

Eventually two Brown-capped Rosy Finches were seen flying over the rocky hillside at the northwest corner of Summit Lake.  We scoped around Summit Lake and the field east of the parking area searching for White-tailed Ptarmigan.  None was found.  We decided not to walk around the snow landscape and limited the search from the main road.

On the trip back down to I70, we scoped Echo Lake and found two Barrow's Goldeneyes swimming around.  They had been previously reported by Karen Tillou, thanks!

At Genesee Mountain Park (Jefferson), we found a male Williamson's Sapsucker around the group picnic pavilion.  A pair of Williamson's Sapsuckers was observed around the flagpole at the top of the mountain.

Continuing east, we made a brief stop at Belmar Historic Park (Jefferson).  The Worm-eating Warbler previously reported was quite cooperative.  It was fluttering about the tall cottonwood tree just south of the ornamental pond, east of Kountze Lake!

Burrowing Owls continue at the prairie dog village at 3.4 miles east of Tower Road and 96th avenue.  No Short-eared Owls could be found along the DIA Owl Loop (Adams).

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