Monday, June 18, 2018

Mt. Evans & Genesee Mountain Park

June 18, 2018

Richard Stevens:

James and Mark Oh from New Jersey and I drove up Mt Evans Byway (Clear Creek County) this morning.  What a fantastic one it was.  Clear skies and little wind over the mountain was a picturesque sight.

Two Barrow's Goldeneyes were swimming on Echo Lake.  The lake was like a mirror in the early morning.

Two Brown-capped Rosy Finches were on the Shore of Summit Lake, northwest corner.  Several times, they landed on the northwest hillside.

From the large pullover, we scoped the field east of the Summit Lake parking area.  Mark spotted a White-tailed Ptarmigan that hopped up on a granite rock.  No additional Ptarmigan were at the top of the road.  Many tourists eventually filled the parking area.

Down below, a walk to the Mt Captain Trail at the Echo Lake Campgrounds added a male American Three-toed Woodpecker to our trip list.  His drumming was quite distinctive.

The hike along the west side of Echo Lake added a Green-tailed Towhee, Lincoln's Sparrows, Pine Grosbeak and another American Three-toed Woodpecker.

We stopped at Genesee Mountain Park (Jefferson) on the way back to Denver.  A male Williamson's Sapsucker was found at the group picnic pavilion.  He was drumming on the telephone at the northwest corner of the building.  I find his drumming is also distinctive, easily separating him from the "Picoides" woodpeckers.

Other birds observed included Pine Siskins, Red-breasted, White-breasted and Pygmy Nuthatches.

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