Got my 200th Teller County species (#166 for Manitou Lake) today from a species that I have expected for some time! Actually was pretty sure I had these same two birds last Feb/Mar, but each time the weather was bad and the birds were not cooperative – so I didn’t count them.
And again today, even though the weather was good, they were very non-cooperative. Eventually, they flew up out of some cattails and landed in some willows only 20 ft from me, with the sun behind me and shining directly on them. Two Rusty Blackbirds. Complete with bright eye and rusty edgings to their tertials. They appeared to be one female and one male.
These two birds were hanging out 200-300 yards north (downstream) from the Manitou Lake dam.
Also, an unidentified Shrike was seen south of the lake about 400 yards, on the west side of Hwy 67. I have encountered Northern Shrikes in this area at this time in the past. This one was seen on a telephone line about 100 yards west of Hwy 67. And for the 30 seconds that I got looks at it, it gave me the overall impression of a Loggerhead, instead of Northern – but I can’t be sure as it soon flew down into the willows/alders and did not reappear before I became disinterested and moved on. In the past I would never have considered Loggerhead up here in winter, but it seems that these are being reported more and more further north in the winter in Colorado, so…
Otherwise very dead along Trout Creek and Manitou Lake (completely frozen except for spots along the creek).
· Red-tailed Hawk
· Dark-eyed Juncos
· Mountain Chickadees
And that was it!
Jeff J Jones
Teller County - 8500' - Montane Woodlands
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