[cobirds] Fox, Golden-crowned Sparrows+ - Red Rocks - Jeffco

Hi All,

Greg Witt and I spent about an hour early this morning at the feeders
behind the Red Rocks Trading Post and were rewarded with good looks at
the scruffy adult Golden-crowned Sparrow, adult Slate-colored Fox
Sparrow, the clean-cut adult White-crowned Sparrow, and a FOS at Red
Rocks Lincoln Sparrow (also very clean and neat in appearance). All
of these sparrows seemed to prefer the shady area directly below and
right around the platform feeder. All the regulars are still there
including at least 3 Spotted Towhees, several Song Sparrows, all the
junco's except White-winged and Cassiar, the Scrub Jays and magpies,
Black-capped Chickadees, and plenty of House Finches. A very vocal
Mountain White-breasted Nuthatch made several appearances as well.

As far as the Falcons are concerned, quick stops produced one
Peregrine sitting on top of Ship Rock and one Prairie with a full crop
perched on a ledge on Park Cave Rock.

After 9 am Michael Kiessig and I did some exploring in Bear Creek Lake
Park looking primarily for nesting raptors. We had one pair of Red-
tailed Hawks building a new nest after their first one blew down and
another pair with the female sitting on the nest. We found a pair of
Cooper's Hawks (the male was very vocal) and the female was perched on
a horizontal tree branch eating some prey (perhaps brought by the male
as a gift???). We also had a pair of Great Horned Owls (somewhat
surprising to see a pair and not have one sitting on a nest at this
time of year). There were numerous Osprey around Bear Creek Lake
(yesterday there were at least 4). Migrants of note included mixed
flocks of Western and Mountain Bluebirds, a Hermit Thrush, several FOS
Myrtle's Warblers, and a number of Ruby-crowned Kinglets in a mixed
flock with Black-capped Chickadees. We also saw 2 Black-crowned Night
Herons and 5 Great Blue Herons along Bear Creek. All in all a very
pleasant morning!

Mike Henwood
Morrison
Jefferson County

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