[cobirds] South of South Park Jan 16

Friday Jan 16 I focused mostly on the southern tier of Park County, making stops along various roads, especially county roads 61, 98, 100, 71, 104, and Highway 9. 

Three White-winged Crossbills were along CR 98 near CR 61. Red Crossbills were frequently encountered along CRs 61, 98 and 100. Type 2 birds were numerous and widespread, with Type 4 and Type 5 birds here and there (mostly there). I've been interested to see how CO's Red Crossbills are so attracted to Pygmy-Owls and imitations of these gnomes. I didn't note such a consistent and attentive response in my long birding in CA. CR 98 and CR 100 also had 3 and 8 Pine Grosbeaks, respectively, maybe a decent bird for the southern margin of Park county or perhaps regular there in winter. A Gray Jay along CR 98 was also good for southern Park. Evening Grosbeaks, Pinyon Jays, and a Northern Goshawk were also noted.

I was interested to find a few (3) Western Scrub-Jays in both Park and Fremont, within spitting distance of the county line along CR 104 (Park) / 275A (Fremont), and nearby Highway 9. Scrub-Jays nest in small numbers this area, where there there are Gambel oaks, but they seemed to mostly leave Park after the nesting season and I wondered if they might occur at all in the winter. The Spotted Towhee, which shares this border country with the jays in nesting season, was not evident.

I have found open water in only two spots in Park County recently, not counting frigid flowing strips in places along the forks of the South Platte. Plamman Reservoir along CR 98 has a hole kept open by aerators, and yesterday it held a female Ring-necked Duck and a female Common Goldeneye. The little ranch pond along Highway 285 just north of the parking lot for 63 Ranch SWA seems to stay open always. It had 22 Mallards, 2 Green-winged Teal, and 2 Gadwall. Big deal, right? But this may be the sum total occurrence of ducks in Park County right now.

Late afternoon checks of feeders at Fairplay found them empty, and feeders at Jefferson had fragments of seed and just 12 Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches at that time.

Stepping out of the Park, there was a small flock (50ish) Rosy-Finches at Florrisant in Teller Co. Mostly Gray-crowned with at least a couple Brown-capped.

Yesterday was an 8-species corvid day for me in Park.

David Suddjian

Littleton, CO

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