Tuesday 3 September 2013

[cobirds] Townsend's warber, Cassin's Vireo - Gunnison and Chaffe Counties

Cobirds:
           Some more stuff migrating through Gunnison and Chaffe counties:
 
WE = West Elk Wilderness, Mill Creek Basin and vicinity
BV = near or at Buena Vista
CT = Colorado Trail at Chalk Creek and vicinity
SE = Saint Elmo and Vicinity
MP = Mt. Princeton Hot Springs and vicinity
 
Mud-fest 2013 up in the West Elks this weekend (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday) and rain, rain, rain.  But I got some lucky sightings in.  Along with thousands of mushrooms fruiting everywhere up in the Elks.  Ran into a mixed migratory flock on the Colorado Trail about 1 mile above (south) of Chalk Creek.  Highlights:
 
Cooper's hawk - 1 - WE
Dusky grouse - 2 - immature in dense aspen forest - WE
Gray jay - 12 - WE
Pine siskin - 20 - WE
White throated swift - 2 - WE
Great horned owl - 2 mated pair - WE
Red tailed hawk - 6 - WE
Wilson's warbler - 12 - WE - males still in bright breeding plumage and some still singing
Chipping sparrow - 300+  - WE and Gunnison basin - coming through in the hundreds
House wren - 2 - WE - still present in the Elk Range
Mountain bluebird - 2 - WE - down in Mill Creek drainage
Hermit thrush - 4 - WE - adults and immatures still present
Yellow rumped warbler - 4 - WE
 
Black headed grosbeak - 1 female - WE - in Mills Creek drainage
Broad tailed hummingbird - 2 - WE - a couple at lower elevation
And.....  a pine martin hunting in the trees
 
Turkey vulture - 14 - BV
White throated swift - 3 - CT at Chalk Creek
Broad tailed hummingbird - 30 at SE - at feeders in the ghost town
Western wood pewee - 1 - CT above Chalk Creek
Clark's nutcracker - 12 - MP, CT, SE
Red crossbill - 4 - SE
Mountain bluebird - 90+ - BV and vicinity
Pinyon jay - 150+ - in ponderosa forests near MP
Orange crowned warbler -  1 - CT part of group
Wilson's warbler 4 - CT - part of group
Yellow rumped warbler - 6 - CT part of group
Virginia's warbler - 1 - CT part of group
TOWNSEND's WARBLER - 2 - CT - part of group
CASSIN's VIREO - 2 - CT - part of group
Plumbeous vireo - 2 - CT - part of group
Green tailed towhee - 4 - CT part of group
Gray headed junco - 100+ - part of group
Bushtit - 12 -  BV, MP
Western tanager - 2 - females - BV and WE
Chipping sparrow - 600+  -  swarming through the flatlands west and south of Buena Vista
Vesper sparrow - 20+  -  BV - same as above
And...... one little bull snake rescued from attempting to take a hot plunge in the pool at MP
And...... the largest chipmunk congregation I've ever seen at St. Elmo - the "Chipmunk Feed" across from the store - about 65+ !
 
Bow hunters are out now.  As well as yahoos with semi-automatics shoot'n fer fun.  Be careful out there.
 
To get to Colorado Trail at Chalk Creek, drive approximately 2 miles west of Mount Princeton Hot Springs to a CT trailhead sign.  The trail goes north and south in both directions.  I went south about 1 mile uphill when I found the migratory group. 
 
John T (Tumasonis)  of Louisville, CO  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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