I began at the southeast corner of the county visiting a spot along Fourmile Creek off CR 102 that I had not been to before. It looked interesting on the Google Earth image and I could see a parking area along CR 102 with a trail leading down along the creek. Indeed there is a parking area (about 0.5 mile west of the Teller Co line), but no signage about the place. But reading the fine print on some signs posting access rules gave the name of "Guffey Gorge." It is a small gorge, but had some birds that are good for Park, and was a very pretty place to explore. There are good sized rock walls, nice willows and rushing creek habitat, and even a patch of Gambel oaks, which are generally pretty limited in Park Co. Unlike the main area of this tree's occurrence in Park on the slopes south of Guffey itself, where the oaks are essentially large shrubs, the patch in Guffey Gorge had attained tree size. Spotted Towhee, essentially restricted to areas with oaks in Park, was here, represented by a female and juvenile. A male Virginia's Warbler, also mostly associated with the oaks in its small Park distribution, was also present. A family of Canyon Wrens was still in its nest in a rock crevice overlooking the stream, with another singer downstream. A Lazuli Bunting and 2 Gray Catbirds were in the willows, an Am. Dipper along the stream, and 2 White-throated Swifts flew over. The latter species is not easy to find in Park away from Eleven Mile Canyon.
-- A Grasshopper Sparrow (likely migrant) was nearby at CR 71 x CR 102. Further up CR 71 and its spur Doe Valley road I heard some Pinyon Jays, and Type 2 Red Crossbills were fairly common in this region of the county and a new Ponderosa cone crop is coming on strong. A male Evening Grosbeak was along CR 100, and several attending a feeding station at Plamann Lake included some fresh juvies.
Nesting activity on the island off Witcher Cove at Eleven Mile Reservoir had concluded, with a dramatic change in California Gull numbers (total of about 60 on 8/3 vs. an estimate of 3,500 adults and young with nesting going full bore on 7/1). In contrast, Western Grebes were still sitting on nests on veg mat off the Platte inlet. Birds of some note at Eleven Mile reservoir were 1 Osprey, 1 Snowy Egret (good in Park), 1 Greater Yellowlegs, 2 Willets, 2 Wilson's Phalaropes, 13+ White-faced Ibis, 3 summering Northern Pintails, and a small tern (likely Forster's, but too far away). A juv. Ferruginous Hawk along CR 59 near the mid-section of the reservoir was just my third sighting in Park Co this nesting season. Spinney Mountain Reservoir was dullsville.
A Lark Bunting along CR 59 north of Spinney Mountain Res. was my second encounter with that species since I began birding Park.
Stops at three productive ponds in the great Hartsel - Fairplay - Jefferson region had a nice cross section of ducks, including a number of new broods. Most ducks other than Mallards seem to hatch fairly late in the season in Park (like late July onwards). A summering Common Goldeneye was the most notable among the suite of species. Sora is presently fairly frequent at ponds in Park with marshy margins.
A male Black-chinned Hummingbird was along the North Fork of the South Platte at the Rocky Mountain Specialty Pack String Station -- my 2nd for Park Co.
Migrant landbirds encountered during the day included many Chipping Sparrows, Sage Thrashers fairly common away from the county's limited nesting range, numerous Lark Sparrows, and 2 Brewer's Sparrows away from nesting habitat. Turkey Vultures were widespread and included some kettles of clear migrants. One group at Jefferson had 38 vultures.
David Suddjian
Littleton, CO
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