Mexican Whip-poor-will was reliably present at East Bear Trailhead, East Bear Gulch, Fremont County. (Park at 38° 18.327'N, 105° 15.330'W) at 8:34PM on August 1st. This bird is 12 miles south of Canon City off Oak Creek Grade road. The road is passable by any passenger car, though understand there are steep grades and drop-offs with no guard rails. The road is wide and very well graded with only a few spots of minor washboard. Recommend driving it before sunset. The views are incredible. The canyon "Gulch" is spectacular. Mary and I arrived at 6:30PM to collapsing afternoon storms with light rain. By 7:45PM the rain had stopped to party cloudy skies. Bring a jacket. It was 50 degrees by 8:00PM. Christine Alexander and Renee Casias joined us in the parking area at 7:30PM. We waited patiently until the sunset, before the near-full moon rose keeping an eye on a Peregrine Falcon high on the cliff face to the NW. At 8:34PM we heard a spontaneous single call note behind us on the same side of the road as the parking lot. At first I thought it was Common Poorwill, but analysis of the recording shows it was the Mexican Whip-poor-will. Then seconds later, from a different perch, it went into full three-note song from several different perches. By 8:39PM it had stopped, presumably off to hunt, we did not hear it again. Excellent recordings. Horrible photos only of a blob and some eye-shine. Afterwards, Mary and I investigated the canyon for previously observed Flammulated Owl and/or Saw-whet. We had no luck with either.
Rick Taylor, Broomfield (a few months of the year), Cumming, Georgia most of the time.
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