It was a lovely day to be in Park County yesterday, although the winds and heat waves picked up by late morning and made birding challenging. I visited most of the significant water bodies, although Antero remains closed and I skipped Spinney due to wind and too much heat distortion... the white pelicans were vague blobs of white, so I figured anything smaller (which is everything else), would be nothing but a frustration.
-- Various forested and riparian stops heading up Highway 285 through the watershed of the North Fork of the South Platte found most of the expected migrants back in their places. Of note were 2 Fox Sparrows (relatively rarely encountered in Park down from higher mountain breeding sites), 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Rim Rock Road), and 17 Cedar Waxwings (Wandcrest Road; only my second time for this species in Park). A Blue Jay at Cline Road northeast of Shawnee was my 5th for Park County. The riparian at the Rocky Mountain Regional Pack String station near Shawnee concentrates migrants, which this time included 16 Wilson's Warblers, 8 Yellow, 2 MacGilivray's, and 1 Orange-crowned, 2 Dusky Flycatchers, Fox sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrow, and Gray Catbird. A male Wood Duck flew by here, notable for Park. A Northern Goshawk was at Cline Road. Beaver Ponds at CR 84 also had migrant landbirds, plus 2 Virginia Rails and 1 Sora, and a Sora was at the pond at Kenosha Pass. A pair of Peregrine Falcons was soaring to the north of Kenosha Pass, viewed with a spectacular array of snowy peaks as a backdrop.
The large pond on CR 34 had 72 Eared Grebes, but the emergent vegetation they like for nesting has not yet emerged. Also 6 Least Sandpipers, 2 Baird's Sandpipers, 2 Long-billed Dowitchers, 12 Wilson's Phalaropes and 2 Red-necked Phalaropes. As far as shorebirds go, this was the day's most diverse spot, and Am. Avocet, Wilson's Phalarope and Spotted Sandpiper were the only shorebirds noted at multiple spots.. An Osprey was the lone highlight for Tarryall Reservoir.
I made a short detour up CR 211 north of Lake George to revisit an area where I found Virginia's Warblers nesting last year. I heard two singing at about 3.5 miles up the road, in a burned area with regrowing aspen, sparse Douglas-fir and Ponderosa. This area is disjunct from the species' other area of occurrence in Park, which is south of Guffey in association with Gambel oak.
Along the Platte downstream of Lake George at Hwy 24 a pair of American Dippers has a nest under the highway bridge, and 2 Soras called there. There is an old bridge immediately adjacent to the wy 24 bridge that is closed to vehicles, and while I moved across this bridge I flushed what seemed to be an Eastern Phoebe. But I saw the bird only with the naked eye for just about 4 seconds as it flew up to a shrub, then down across the river and I lost it and could not refind it. I think that is what it was but I am not certain. This would be an exceptional find for Park, so if anyone is going to the Lake George area, take a look. I can provide more detailed instructions. Nothing out of the ordinary at Lake George itself, but I saw Great-tailed Grackles, and this seems to be maybe the only regular spot for the species in Park.
Plamman Lake on CR 98 had 2 tardy Buffleheads. Feeders at a residence there had my only Evening Grosbeaks (2) and Cassin's Finches (8) for the day.
Eleven Mile Reservoir had a Common Loon in partial alternate, a male Red-breasted Merganser, 6 Black Terns, 2-4 Forster's Terns, and a Great Egret. The nesting island off Witcher's Cove campground had several Am. White Pelicans that appeared to be sitting on nests by posture and setting. However, with the distance and heat waves it was hard to see confirming details. I think this would be a new nesting location... at least they did not nest there these past 2 years that I noticed. California Gulls, Double-crested Cormorants and Great Blue Herons were all nesting there, too, as usual. I counted and estimated about 1,900 California Gulls at the island and elsewhere on the reservoir (99% adults). Only spotted 1 Ring-billed Gull (adult). An adult Bald Eagle was flying near Cross Creek Campground near the lake's NW corner. I had a pair of adults in the same spot at the beginning of June in 2015. The species seems to be rare in Park in the summer. I suppose there is a chance for a nest, but I have not had any real leads yet.
The South Platte crossing of Hwy 59 near Hartsel had another tardy Bufflehead and a Western Kingbird (pretty uncommon migrant in Park). A Mountain Plover was in private grassland south of Antero Reservoir (south of Hwy 24).
For the record, ducks noted for the day, other than the above mentioned Wood Duck, Buffleheads and Red-br. Merg, included Gadwall, Am. Wigeon, Mallard, Blue-winged, Cinnamon and Green-winged Teal, Nor. Shoveler, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Common Merganser and Ruddy Duck.
David Suddjian
Littleton, CO
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