I visited Jackson County Tuesday through today for early arrivals. At the Moose Visitor Center, most entertaining was a singing Fox Sparrow. Snipe were also present in the willows and a Red-naped Sapsucker was persistently drumming. A single male Pine Grosbeak was at the feeders along with many of the usual suspects. Dipped on rosy-finches.
-- The vicinity of the Aspen Campground (Lodgepole and Aspen, live and dead) had a good bit of woodpecker activity including at least 6 Red-naped Sapsuckers as well as Hairy and Downy Woodpecker and flickers.
The Arapaho NWR tour loop has good water with reasonable shore. Along with 29 avocets, there were 2 Marbled Godwits (also present at several other lakes in North Park), 3 Lesser Yellowlegs, 2 Long-billed Dowitchers and 5 Wilson's Phalaropes (also present at several other locations). 19 Eared Grebes, 3 Franklin's Gulls, and 2 Swainson's Hawks were observed. A single Vesper Sparrow was singing.
The area just west of the Jackson Lions Club Wetland was interesting. An old Bald Eagle nest in a cottonwood there has been occupied by a Canada Goose. In a cottonwood adjacent to this tree, six or so Great Blue Herons were beginning to build nests, though it was hard to see if there was much of a start Tuesday. By Wednesday evening, the nests were well along. On Thursday, a pair of crows had begun building a nest in the same tree. Winnowing snipe in the same area.
On Wednesday, Walden Reservoir was teaming. The usual ducks were present. Among them were 371 Eared Grebes and 219 Western Grebes with some desultory courtship in both species. Double-crested Cormorants and American White Pelicans were on nests as were a few of the 385 California Gulls. 2 of 8 Black-crowned Night Herons were at nests and one Snowy Egret was in the heronry. 4 other Snowies were along the Illinois River. 13 Western Willets were back as were 4 Forster's Terns. Marsh Wrens and Vesper Sparrows were singing. Migrants included 6 Marbled Godwits and 5 Lopng-billed Dowitchers.
A lone Common Loon was on Cowdrey Res, where a Sandhill Crane was also heard overhead.
Most interesting at Lake John were three rafts of Eared Grebes totaling 187 birds. Eared Grebes don't generally nest on Lake John proper, but on the adjacent Lake John Annex which offers the emergent vegetation they nest for anchoring nests. So either these birds are migrants making a stopover or newly arrived breeding birds resting before moving to the Annex. 81 Western Grebes were also present.
Another 32 Eared Grebes were present on the Annex as were 29 Western Grebes. Most spectacular was a flock of about 45 Marbled Godwits. Two Western Willets were heard.
Pole Mountain Lake this morning produced the sole White-faced Ibis of the trip.
--
Chuck Hundertmark
2546 Lake Meadow Drive
Lafayette, CO 80026
303-604-0531
Cell: 720-771-8659
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