Great Birding Day on Mt Evans

May 30, 2018

Richard Stevens:

Today Terry Michaels and I led four other birders on a trip to Mt Evans (Clear Creek County).  Temperatures reached 82 degrees in Evergreen.  Winds were a mild 3-4 mph until afternoon storms with gusts to 22 mph.  It was at least twenty degrees colder on Mt Evans.

One Barrow's Goldeneye was relocated on Echo Lake on our trip to Mt Evans.  We drove to the top and Jake found a White-tailed Ptarmigan east of the upper parking area.

We returned to Summit Lake and walked to the northwest corner.  Within 20 minutes, three Brown-capped Rosy Finches circled overhead.  They landed several times on the rocky hillside at the northwest corner.

Next, we parked at the pullover at the east side of Summit Lake.  I used the cars as a windbreak as the rest of the group wandered east of the road.  My trusty scope found two White-tailed Ptarmigans when they jumped on top of a rock about 200 yards east.

The situation reminded me of the times I met Don Beltz at Crow Valley Campgrounds.  He would sit in a chair under shade while I walked around all day.  Don would see almost the same number of birds as I.

I radioed the news and the wandering birders approached a little closer and received nice looks of their Ptarmigan lifebirds.

On the drive back to Denver, we stopped briefly at Echo Campgrounds.  A male American Three-toed Woodpecker drummed on pines about 20 yards east of the Mt Captain trail.

Our final stop was Genesee Mountain Park (Jefferson).  A male Williamson's Sapsucker drummed on the telephone pole west of the group picnic pavilion.  Three species of nuthatches, two Red Crossbills, Pine Siskins, Yellow-rumped Warblers and a Townsend's Solitaire were also added to our trip list.

I would have enjoyed chasing some owls (Northern Pygmy & Northern Saw-whet) around Tiny Town; unfortunately we raced back to Denver just ahead of a thunderstorm.