Successful Day On Mt Evans

August 29, 2018

Richard Stevens:

What a difference the mountains make. High temperature in Idaho Springs was 53 degrees.  It was quite windy as expected on Mt. Evans.  Winds 17-18 mph with gusts to 25 mph.  Still a pleasant day we enjoyed the break from the heat.

Chicago birder Gary Pierce and I headed up to Mt. Evans before sunrise.   A Dusky Grouse crossed the Mt. Evans road at 0.2 miles south of the entrance station.

Nothing uncommon was found at the top and we returned to Summit Lake.  Two Brown-capped Rosy Finches again circled around the northwest corner of the Lake.

It took almost two hours to locate a White-tailed Ptarmigan several hundred yards southeast of the Summit Lake parking area.

An American Three-toed Woodpecker search fortunately only lasted ten minutes before we saw one drumming along the Mt. Captain trail at the Echo Lakes Campgrounds.  Broad-tailed Hummingbirds were the only birds of their family found.

On the way out four Barrow's Goldeneyes were observed somewhat hidden in the northeast corner of Echo Lake.  While a hike along the west side of the lake added a Green-tailed Towhee, Lincoln's Sparrows and a male Pine Grosbeak to our trip list.

Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays, Mountain Chickadees and a Spotted Towhee fluttered around behind the Red Rocks Park Trading Post.  We missed the Barn Owls but did see two White-throated Swifts and a Canyon Wren at the Park.