This day I focused on roads generally south of Eleven Mile Canyon, also checking Lake George, Eleven Mile Reservoir and Spinney Mountain Reservoir.
-- Lake George did have a Sora and 2 Common Yellowthroats, both probably on the late side of the spectrum for Park Co. Also an amalgamation of black birds in the cattails included about 110 Eur. Starlings, a high count for the county, I think. Who ever takes a moment to delight in such a factoid?
Coverage of CR 61, 98 and NF Roads 244 and 393 had some rather birdy areas, with flocks of bluebirds widespread, lots of Audubon's Warblers in association with those, and locally large flocks of Dark-eyed Juncos (Gray-headed, Pink-sided quite common, Oregon uncommon, and 1 Slate-colored). Red Crossbill has finally largely abandoned the pine forests of this region of Park, with just a couple Type 2 birds noted, making for my least crossbill-filled day in Park in 1.5 years. Uncommon to tardy migrants for the date and area included 1 Williamson's Sapsucker, 3 Plumbeous Vireos, 1 Gray Catbird, 5 Sage Thrashers, 2 Townsend's Warblers, 1 MacGilivray's Warbler, and 9 Green-tailed Towhees. Among a moderate sprinkling of gray-headed Orange-crowned Warblers.I also saw one showing characters of the lutescens form (CR 98). A tardy for Park (?) Band-tailed Pigeon was flying near CR 98 x Road 244. A Lewis's Woodpecker was in the forest at Road 244, and 3 Evening Grosbeaks. A Grasshopper Sparrow along CR 98 was unexpected appearing at a small wet grassy swale that bordered a willow patch along a minor stream. It was sort of out of context in an area lacking in moderate or better grassy areas, and threw me for a bit as it perched up in a willow. Not far off there was an Am. Three-toed Woodpecker...
Eleven Mile and Spinney reservoirs were decidedly dull, despite an increasing variety of waterfowl and burgeoning numbers of Am. Coots (about 10,800 between both lakes). Eleven Mile did have a tight flock of 5 Horned Grebes and 3 Red-necked Phalaropes (plus 2 too far to ID). The most interesting observation at Eleven Mile was actually of a Mountain Chickadee out of place in an isolated willow patch along the wide open lake shore at Howbert Point. Usually the only passerines in this area are Brewer's Blackbirds, Horned Larks, Vesper Sparrows and crows. I watched as it launched confidently from the willows for a solo flight over the big lake toward the opposite shore, just a little bit like Limbergh or maybe Earhart. Another amusing sighting there was a red fox intent on reaching a tiny islet (just a rock, really) off of the lake's largest island. It waded out gingerly, careful to hold its tail above the water, until there was nothing for it and it had to swim with tail immersed. A party of Gadwalls trailed close behind in a line. I'm not sure why the fox wanted to reach the rock, which seemed to be just a cormorant white-washed bump with little to encourage a visit, but having gotten there it nosed about and considered its next move.
The best bird of the day came at night. Well after sunset a Barn Owl flew over CR 59 north of Spinney Mountain Reservoir, and then I heard the bird calling in the distance over the pastures.
David Suddjian
Littleton, CO
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