Clear Creek & Summit Counties

December 9, 2019

Richard Stevens:

High temperature in Georgetown was 34 degrees.  It was at least 10 degrees colder at Loveland Pass and Silverthorne. 

Rob Baker and I searched for White-tailed Ptarmigan on Loveland Pass (Clear Creek/Summit Counties) this morning.  Two and a half hours passed before we finally turned up one along the western trail.  

The Ptarmigan was a good 0.7 miles uphill, south of the trail.  The climb from the parking area (11990 feet) to the Ptarmigan location (12414 feet) was only 424 feet in elevation.  However, starting from 11990 feet, the thin air makes the hike effortful.

We had first checked more likely and easier locations 1. east of hwy 9 at first pullover south of the Summit, 2. west side of hwy 9, 2nd pullover south of Summit, 3. eastern side of Summit, then the strenuous hike up the western trail!

Later we dropped in on a friend in Silverton (Summit County).  We stood around in a cold 26 degrees for over an hour.  Birds encountered included three species of Rosy Finches, a Clark's Nutcracker, two Canada Jays, four Pine Grosbeaks, seven Evening Grosbeaks, Pygmy Nuthatches, Mountain Chickadees and Pine Siskins.  

A stop at the Georgetown Park (Clear Creek) added four Red Crossbills to our day list!  No Rosy Finches were found during a drive around Town.

On the way back to Denver, we detoured up hwy 103 to Echo Lake (Clear Creek).  Birds were scarce around the Lake.  Eventually we found an American Three-toed Woodpecker at the southeast corner of the Campgrounds.

Then we stopped at Red Rocks Park (Jefferson).  No uncommon birds were found; we missed the Barn Owls also.  Mountain Chickadees, Pine Siskins, Western Scrub-Jays, Dark-eyed Juncos and a Spotted Towhee were observed behind the Trading Center.