COBirders,
I drove an unexpected circuit today just to see what I could find. Started at McIntosh Lake to see if I could find the Bohemian Waxwings that have been seen there and photograph them. No luck with them (three strikes on these guys at this location, so I struck out and decided to forget about Bohemian Waxwings for the rest of the drive). Did find a small flock of CEDAR WAXWINGS in the neighborhood.
On to Pella Crossing, where the water is opening up even more but the numbers of fowl are falling probably due to other water bodies opening and migration beginning for fowl. Prominent was AMERICAN WIGEON and AMERICAN COOT.
Drove around Pella Crossing to Crane Hollow Road to see if those ponds were open yet. They were not open yet. But the huge consolation prize was a flock of 45 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS near the house butted up against the ridge/hill. This could be part of the flock from Lake McIntosh as Marcel and Joel Such noted the flock from there heading west toward Hygiene. I stopped to photograph the Waxwings as they were behaving and the light was okay. While there I heard a call I didn't recognize. High pitched, short, and harsh. I don't think I have ever heard it before. It ended up being a flock of HARRIS'S SPARROWS (5). Got some photos of them as well and had all five in view at once. A high count in my experience and ties the eBird record high count for Boulder county. Both the Waxwings and the Sparrows were at the house at the bottom of the hill when driving Crane Hollow Road from the south/east.
Next stop was every crossing of the St Vrain I could find. Not much of note. Was trying for Winter/Pacific Wren, but not luck on that front. Did get a "herd" of dead racoons (5) under the Crane Hollow Road bridge over the St Vrain.
Checked out some marshes north of Highway 66 for Marsh Wren or Sora, but that didn't pan out either. Was happy enough with my ventures out west of Longmont, so I rounded up the cattle and happily drove 'em home.
I drove an unexpected circuit today just to see what I could find. Started at McIntosh Lake to see if I could find the Bohemian Waxwings that have been seen there and photograph them. No luck with them (three strikes on these guys at this location, so I struck out and decided to forget about Bohemian Waxwings for the rest of the drive). Did find a small flock of CEDAR WAXWINGS in the neighborhood.
On to Pella Crossing, where the water is opening up even more but the numbers of fowl are falling probably due to other water bodies opening and migration beginning for fowl. Prominent was AMERICAN WIGEON and AMERICAN COOT.
Drove around Pella Crossing to Crane Hollow Road to see if those ponds were open yet. They were not open yet. But the huge consolation prize was a flock of 45 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS near the house butted up against the ridge/hill. This could be part of the flock from Lake McIntosh as Marcel and Joel Such noted the flock from there heading west toward Hygiene. I stopped to photograph the Waxwings as they were behaving and the light was okay. While there I heard a call I didn't recognize. High pitched, short, and harsh. I don't think I have ever heard it before. It ended up being a flock of HARRIS'S SPARROWS (5). Got some photos of them as well and had all five in view at once. A high count in my experience and ties the eBird record high count for Boulder county. Both the Waxwings and the Sparrows were at the house at the bottom of the hill when driving Crane Hollow Road from the south/east.
Next stop was every crossing of the St Vrain I could find. Not much of note. Was trying for Winter/Pacific Wren, but not luck on that front. Did get a "herd" of dead racoons (5) under the Crane Hollow Road bridge over the St Vrain.
Checked out some marshes north of Highway 66 for Marsh Wren or Sora, but that didn't pan out either. Was happy enough with my ventures out west of Longmont, so I rounded up the cattle and happily drove 'em home.
eBird checklist links:
McIntosh Reservoir: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13097624
Pella Crossing: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13097707
Crane Hollow Road: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13099053
Hygiene Road at the St Vrain: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13098942
63rd St at the St Vrain: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13098915
75th Street Marsh: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13099545
Bryan Guarente
Instructional Designer
The COMET Program
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Boulder, CO
Instructional Designer
The COMET Program
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Boulder, CO
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