A Pleasant Day In Clear Creek County

August 7, 2019

Richard Stevens:

Temperature 55 degrees in Idaho Springs with winds 14-15 mph.

I decided to celebrate my birthday (I forget which one :-) by returning to the mountains and Mt. Evans (Clear Creek County).

Just before sunrise, I was one of the first cars on the upper parking area.  What a fantastic view to start the day!  A White-tailed Ptarmigan was observed walking the steep hillside at the eastern side of the parking area.

Next, I walked to the western side of Summit Lake where two Brown-capped Rosy Finches circled overhead.  Over the next thirty minutes, they would land on the rocky hillside to the north for a brief time and then circle overhead again.

Then I hiked the field east of Summit Lake.  After about an hour, a White-tailed Ptarmigan was observed when he jumped on top of a granite rock.  He called quite often; however, I could not discover the reason or focus of his effort.

While circling Echo Lake Campgrounds I found a male American Three-toed Woodpecker just east of the Mt Captain trailhead.  His distinctive drumming gave his position away.

Many Broad-tailed Hummingbirds and one Rufous Hummingbird were seen around the northwest corner of Echo Lake.  I scoped the lake and eventually found one Barrow's Goldeneye swimming along the eastern side.

A Barrow's Goldeneye has only been reported one other time this summer.  Perhaps the female did not return this year after several years of successfully producing offspring?

Guanella Pass Road (Clear Creek County Road 318) was the next stop.  A thunderstorm blew through, even dropped a little snow.  Perhaps that was the reason no White-tailed Ptarmigan were found when I scoped the hill southeast of the parking area.  

I was not up to hiking up the mountain either side of Guanella Pass Road today.  One Brewer's Sparrow and one Wilson's Warbler were observed through my scope.  The Brewer's Sparrow did not sing; there was no way to identify it as a Timberline Sparrow.

Photos and audio recordings I sent to Dr. Jim Rising ten years ago concluded that Timberline Brewer's Sparrows have been on the mountain in the past.

No Three-toed Woodpeckers appeared at the Guanella Pass Campgrounds.  A lone male Pine Grosbeak flew through the Campgrounds, while a Wilson's Warbler fluttered about the willows along South Clear Creek.

No owls were heard during the drive back down to Georgetown after dark.