[cobirds] Parking on June 23-24

Here is a belated report from an outing to Park County June 23-24, but for under-reported Park I figure it is better late than never.

June 23

In the morning many stops along County Roads 61, 98, 403, 100, 71, 411 at the southeast corner of Park found Red Crossbills (Type 2) pretty much everywhere there were Ponderosa Pines, including one building a nest along CR 61. Pinyon Jays were also plentiful, but less frequently encountered. An area with sparse pinyon pines along CR 71 had a Gray Flycatcher, a Virginia Warbler, and some Spotted Towhees. Another Spotted at Canyon Drive off CR 411 was on a slope with mountain mahogany and currant, but no oaks (Gambel oak scrub is the primary association for SPTO in Park). CR 71 also had 2 Band-tailed Pigeons, and another Band-tailed was along Canyon Drive off CR 411. An Evening Grosbeak posed nicely along CR 100. I never quite know when or where I might find that grosbeak in the nesting season. In this case I glanced up and it was perched silently right overhead.

I checked Lake George and all the main reservoirs in South Park. Pretty dull. Antero was the only one with any real shorebird habitat, but no shorebirds except avocets (61) and a Killdeer... still early, I know. Antero also had Lesser Scaup (12), Ruddy Duck (146) and Gadwall (42), in addition to the South Park early summer standard Canada Goose, Mallard, and Common Merganser. Spinney was the least interesting of all. Eleven Mile had the basic few waterfowl spp. The nesting island off Witchers Cove had 700+ California Gulls with medium to small young in many nests, and large young in Double-crested Cormorant nests. A Clark's Grebe was among many Westerns. Lake George had little of interest except a male Wood Duck. Buffalo Creek Reservoir had 4 Wilson's Phalaropes, 10 Redhead and 3 Lesser Scaup.

Mid-afternoon up Salt Creek Road (CR 435) west of Antero had Northern Goshawk, American Three-toed Woodpeckers, Pine Grosbeak, and more Red Crossbills (but not Type 2).

Late afternoon up to Weston Pass (CR 22) had White-tailed Ptarmigan, Brown-capped Rosy-Finch, Gray Jay, and American Three-toed Woodpecker. After dark there were two Boreal Owls in the upper watershed of the South Fork of the South Platte.

June 24

Early Morning at Salt Creek (CRs 436 and 436) had a male Rufous Hummingbird (my 1^st of the season), Gray Jay, Northern Goshawk, Am. Three-toed Woodpeckers.

Weston Pass Road (CR 22) has some sage scrub habitat of moderate height, which seems to be rather local in Park. Here I found the expected-for-habitat but local-in-Park Sage Thrasher (3) and Brewer's Sparrow (8).  The best area for the sage habitat was 2 to 3 miles from Hwy 285. Another Brewer's Sparrow was along CR 5, but CR 22 has better habitat. Further up the canyon along CR 22, past the entry to Weston Pass Ranch, I heard a singing Veery in expansive willows along the South Fork South Platte. A Gray Catbird was along CR 5.

Salt Creek Road and Weston Pass Road offer a nice assortment of sparrows if one samples the mix of habitats. I encountered 9 species: Chipping, Brewer's, Vesper, Savannah, Lincoln's, Fox, Song, White-crowned, and Dark-eyed Junco.

Lastly, Lesser Scaup were at the pond near Fairplay, ponds near CR 7 x Hwy 285, and Kenosha Pass.

David Suddjian

Littleton, CO

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