…South Park, that is. Yesterday (Sept 2) I made another full day trip to Park County, focusing this time on the margin of the Puma Hills at the east side of South Park and visiting the county's large reservoirs.
Just before sunrise an American Three-toed Woodpecker was calling at Timberline Campground in Pike NF, off County Road (CR) 58, on the east side of Kenosha Pass.
The day's journey in South Park began at sunrise with a flight of 6 Sandhill Cranes passing south quite high over the Jefferson area, and passing over my position along County Road (CR) 34. They must have just crossed over the Park Range on their journey south with their trajectory suggesting a passage near Georgia Pass. A pond along CR 34 had quite a few ducks that included an American Wigeon that has been present a couple weeks now, a summering Ring-necked Duck, and 8 Long-billed Dowitchers. This pond supported successful nesting by Eared Grebes, with a number of nearly full-grown broods still present. A juv. Ferruginous Hawk along CR 77 north of Tarryall Reservoir was my first migrant of the season.
Tarryall Reservoir had continuing summering Common Goldeneye and Ring-necked Duck males, both in eclipse. Also 8 Baird's Sandpipers, 3 Least Sandpipers, 6 Spotteds, an Osprey and a Sora.
Working south with many stops down very scenic CR 23 I found 4 Lewis's Woodpeckers (three places), Am. Three-toed Woodpecker, 4 American Pipits (at 8,950' my first this season down off the high peaks), 7 Sage Thrashers, 2 Gray Jays (maybe unexpected down around 9250'), 7 Townsend's Warblers, 2 Evening Grosbeaks, and both Type 2 and Type 5 Red Crossbills.
Between CR 23 and Hwy 24 I found a Burrowing Owl in a small erosion gully off Park Road, with my 1st Park County Loggerhead Shrike since spring perched nearby. Both were migrants, I'm sure.
Antero Reservoir's highlight was an early Pacific Loon close to two Common Loons. Shorebirds at Antero and at habitat below the dam included 172 Baird's Sandpipers, 4 Lesser Yellowlegs, 4 Western Sandpipers, 7 Marbled Godwits, 3 Willets, and the usual summer species (AMAV, WIPH, KILL). Ducks were the seasonally expected species, except for 1 Lesser Scaup (likely summering). Many were too far away to enjoy. Also noted were 1 Clark's Grebe and 1 adult Ferruginous Hawk.
12 more Baird's Sandpipers were at a pond along CR 59 on the way to Spinney Mountain Reservoir. Spinney itself was hardly worth the drive in. There 22 more Baird's in one group along the shore, but that was nearly it. More shorebirds might have been at the inlet of the South Platte into the lake, but I'm not sure how to get there without a very long hike.
Eleven Mile Reservoir was more interesting. The South Platte Inlet there had 4 Common Terns, a female Bufflehead (summering?), a flock of 17 dowitchers that flew around with calls of both Short-billed (at least 2) and Long-billed heard, 12 Baird's and 2 Marbled Godwits. Good numbers of ducks (but low variety) plus evidence that Eared Grebes nested at that end of the reservoir. Then I looked from the North Shore Campground and saw 5 more Common Terns, 2 Forster's Terns, two unidentified terns that were likely of those species, 1 Common Loon, and 20 more Baird's. Pairs of Western Grebes had half grown young and lots to talk about; Eleven Mile is the only Park location where I noted nesting by this species this year.
Brief stops along CRs 92 and 90 between Eleven Mile and Lake George added 2 more Lewis's Woodpeckers, and 1 Townsend's Warbler. Lake George itself did not have much of note, except for a Bank Swallow below the lake and a family of 5 brand new Ruddy Ducklings. These were the first and only young of that species I've seen in Park County this season, and they struck me as late for being so new. For some reason baby Ruddies always remind me of little motorboats. Diving motorboats.
Lastly, I'd wager that there are upwards of 10,000 Mountain Bluebirds in Park Co now, and that is down from a post-breeding peak at the beginning of August. Some 70% are young of the year. Horned Lark numbers are picking up, as are numbers of migrant Vesper and Brewer's Sparrows, while Chipping Sparrows, already abundant, remain so.
David Suddjian
Littleton, CO
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