June 19-28, 2014
Richard Stevens (catching up on Blog after having almost no electrical outlets for the past week or so:
June 19
Rebecca Kosten and I started on a week or two birding trip to northwestern Colorado. We stopped at Zimmerman Lake Loop Trail (Larimer) on the way up to Cameron Pass.
No White-winged Crossbills were found. However, a pair of American Three-toed Woodpeckers worked the trees near the fork in the Trail. A third Three-toed Woodpecker was heard farther up the trail (south of the intersection). The trek was quite hot in spite of being in the mountains.
After dark, we listened for Boreal Owls near Cameron Pass (Jackson). None made a sound this night.
June 20
Rebecca Kosten and I were up about two hours before sunrise and drove the gravel roads west of Coalmont in search of Greater Sage-Grouse. None appeared this morning. Plenty of Horned Larks flew around.
Later we drove the few roads in Walden without running into any uncommon birds.
One of the Red-necked Grebes was swimming around the southwest side of Lake John Wildlife Area (Jackson). Presumably, the other is sitting on a nest; however, we did not see her.
Late in the afternoon, we drove up Ruby Jewell Road in the Colorado State Forest (Jackson). An American Three-toed Woodpecker was near the intersection with the main road (Michigan River Road).
Be sure to study the calls of Wilson's Snipes and Boreal Owls. We ran into many Wilson's Snipes especially up Ruby Jewell Road. Eventually we did find a Boreal Owl about 0.4 miles up the road (this was after hiking about two miles up the road from Michigan Road).
On the way back, a Flammulated Owl responded to our recordings (about 0.2 miles from the main road, near the small clearing where we use to camp when still using a tent).
June 21
We rested most of today. While watching the hummingbird feeders at the Colorado State Forest Visitor's Center we observed many Broad-tailed Hummingbirds and two Rufous Hummingbirds. Two additional Rufous Hummingbirds were found at the Store in Gould and the KOA Campgrounds. No Calliope Hummingbirds have shown up yet.
The male American Three-toed Woodpecker was again found in the trees just north of Hwy 14 and the Colorado State Forest Visitor's Center.
After dark, we walked around a bit from the top of Cameron Pass to about a mile east (Larimer). There was no wind, which is unusual. We could hear a pin drop, unfortunately, no owls.
June 22
We drove up Laramie River Road (Larimer County) today to check the Campgrounds for uncommon birds. Magnificent Hummingbirds have been found at Tunnel Campgrounds (8/2010, 7/2011, 7/2012). Unfortunately, none was found today. We did see a male Calliope Hummingbird!
While we could not find any owls, we did see an American Three-toed Woodpecker, Townsend's Warbler, Olive-sided Flycatchers, Warbling Vireos and Williamson's Sapsucker.
On the way back to Gould, we stopped and made the leisure walk down to the Crags Campgrounds. A Boreal Owl called somewhere south of the camping area.
June 23
We started our birding day about two hours before sunrise at Delaney Buttes Wildlife Area (Jackson). Scoping the grouse lek was quite useful. Two Greater Sage-Grouse were seen walking around eating from the sagebrush.
Later we drove back to Lake John Wildlife Area in hopes of seeing both the Red-necked Grebes attempting to nest there. Again only one of the grebes was found.
While looking unsuccessfully for shorebirds at Walden Reservoir a Caspian Tern flew by twice. Then it appeared to head toward the Lake John/Delaney Buttes Wildlife Areas.
An afternoon drive down the Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge Self driving tour found only a couple of Willets. Half a dozen Sage Thrashers, dozens of sparrows (Vesper, Chipping Sparrow, one Savannah Sparrow), and flyover Golden Eagle were interesting.
No Greater Sage-Grouse were found along the Loop or behind the Visitor's Center. A Prairie Falcon stood on a fence post at the entrance road to the Visitor's Center.
June 24
We received a lead on a Northern Saw-whet Owl at a private ranch in Jackson County and of course headed that way. Sure enough, the owl called most of the morning. It was a good start to our birding day: making a couple of new friends and a bonus: Northern Saw-whet Owl.
Most of our day was spent wandering the gravel roads north of Lake John & Delaney Buttes Wildlife Areas. The most common birds were Vesper Sparrows. We also ran across Brewer's Sparrows, Sage Thrashers, and one Clay-colored Sparrow!
Returning to Walden, we had to pass Lake John Wildlife Area and once again tried to see two Red-necked Grebes. Our luck continued, only one grebe was found.
The usual hummingbirds appeared back at the Colorado State Forest Visitor's Center (still no Calliope Hummingbird). A slate colored Fox Sparrow popped out of the willows behind the Visitor's Center. The male American Three-toed Woodpecker could be heard drumming to the north, across Hwy 14.
After dark, we investigated Ranger Lakes and relocated the Boreal Owl reported a few days earlier. Then we called it an early evening.
June 25
Bryan & Sue Ehlmann joined up this morning and we headed to the Teller Ghost Town (Jackson). If Burrowing Owls are nesting again this year along Jackson County Road 21, we could not find them.
I always enjoy a walk around the self-guiding tour at the Teller Ghost Town. There is great history about this old silver mining town. Now and then, an interesting bird is encountered.
An American Three-toed Woodpecker was again found at the northwest corner of the trail. A Northern Pygmy-Owl called at the southwest corner.
At dusk, a Dusky Grouse was observed running across the road near the entrance.
We did wandered south down Jackson County Road 21 toward Owl Mountain. Forest Roads 792 & 771 were still not passable.
Bryan and I set up our three "owl listening stations", then walked up the closed Forest Road 792. We found a Flammulated Owl and Boreal Owl within a mile hike before turning around (muddy and snow drifts).
Later Northern Pygmy-Owl responded to our recordings back on CR 21. Our owl listening stations picked up another Northern Pygmy-Owl.
Note: a 4-wheel drive vehicle is highly recommended for exploring this area.
June 26
Our group enjoyed a late day after owling all of last night. After some great barbecue, we walked around Gould and the Campgrounds to the south. An American Three-toed Woodpecker was drumming at the Aspen Campgrounds. A couple of Olive-sided Flycatchers and an American Dipper (South Fork of Michigan River) were also found.
Bryan and I went out owling at the northwest end of Michigan River Road (Jackson CR 41). Four Boreal Owls were encountered. This included a juvenile at one of our nesting boxes along the North Fork of the Canadian River!
June 27
Today, Bryan & Sue Ehlmann, Rebecca Kosten and I went to the northern border of Colorado above Steamboat Springs.
We drove around Forest Road 550 (Routt County) and found a pair of White-winged Crossbills 2.1 miles northeast of CR 129.
A female and two young Dusky Grouse were along Forest Road 550 near the intersection of Trail 1149.1B.
Bryan
and I hung around until dark while the others went back to Steamboat
Springs for dinner. We found no owls this night. Our three owl
listening stations did not pick up any owl sounds either.
Note: Use of "others", I seem to get in trouble if I use "ladies", "girls" or "women" (have run out of synonyms)?
June 28
Another all night owling trip today started after Noon for us. We wandered around Steamboat Springs (Routt County), Steamboat Lake State Park, Pearl State Park and Catamount Lake. Few uncommon birds were found.
A couple of pairs of Sandhill Cranes were found at Steamboat Lake State Park. I believe they nest on the property. A Lesser Yellowlegs and Least Sandpiper were probably early migrants.
The highlights at Pearl Lake State Park were a Long-eared Owl, American Three-toed Woodpecker & Williamson's Sapsucker.
A few Yellow-headed Blackbirds at Catamount Reservoir were our only Routt County sightings this trip. Shorebirds were non-existent.
The plan was to drive Buffalo Pass Road tomorrow. A Family emergency forced me back to Denver.
