[cobirds] Winter Wren in Fort Collins (Larimer) on 24Jan2014

The Winter Wren first reported last December by Rob Sparks, and independently found and reported to me by Janet Hardin, showed itself today nw of Martinez Park along the south side of the Poudre River in northern Fort Collins (Larimer).  If one heads north on the bike trail leading out of the Martinez Park lot (there is a tennis court and portapotty next to this parking lot), keep bearing to the left at trail intersections and end up going west on the main bike trail.  Eventually (few tenths of a mile), there is a bridge that goes north over the river.  Do not cross the river but continue west about 150 feet along the paved trail until you see a social trail that angles off to the right that roughly parallels the bike trail between the bike trail and the river.  Today in the snow, there were lots of people, dog and bike tracks along the social trail.  There is a large concrete structure (headgate aftermath?) at the point where the bike trail and the social trail intersect.  Go west on the social trail for about a tenth of a mile, continually looking and listening to the area north of the social trail.  This is all good wren habitat and I would not be surprised if it uses all of it.  Listen for chittering.  Watch for a little dark flying mouse.  Particularly pay attention to jumbles of woody debris piled against tree trunks by last summer's flood.  Today the wren was about a tenth of a mile west of the concrete structure, which would make it about 1/2 mile e of Shields Street (which is exactly how Rob described the location in his December post).  There are marker posts along the trail that are useful in gauging these distances.

Based on the paleness of the throat, call notes, extent of flank barring, shade of brown, and white speckling (albeit limited) on the back, and large pale spots along the leading edge of the wing, I certainly agree with Rob's ID of Winter Wren.

Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins