cobirds colorado rare bird: [cobirds] Park County 11/22

Tuesday, 22 November 2016

[cobirds] Park County 11/22

My son and I made a trip to Park County on 11/22, focused on the reservoirs at and near South Park. Lake George was mostly iced over, but Eleven Mile and Spinney were ice free. Most of the smaller reservoirs and ponds were frozen, or if there was open water there were no waterbirds. Most areas of open habitats and forests had no birds in evidence. In fact, birding in upland habitats was slower than on any other outing I've had in Park County. But Spinney and Eleven Mile were worth it, along with the wide open scenery, and a visit to a geopolitical highlight unique to Park County (see the end of this report).

Spinney Mountain Reservoir had the most waterbirds. Highlights were a Pacific Loon (distant photo below), a female type White-winged Scoter, 4 Common Loons, 14 Bonaparte's Gulls, and a Red-breasted Merganser. Nice counts of selected other waterbirds included 1030 Am. Wigeon, 50 Nor. Pintails, 860 Mallards, 371 Green-winged Teal, 16 Greater Scaup,and 4200 Bufflehead, and 9100 Am. Coots.

Eleven Mile Reservoir had 1 female type Surf Scoter and 1 Common Loon, 2 Barrow's Goldeneye, 1 Red-breasted Merganser, 6 Hooded Mergansers, and 1 Thayer's Gull and 2 Bonaparte's Gulls. 12 Sandhill Cranes flew south high over. Counts of selected other waterbirds included 755 Common Goldeneyes and 4100 American Coots.

2 female Great-tailed Grackles along the South Platte downstream of Lake George were unseasonable for Park (but the Lake George area is the best spot for the species in the county). An American Dipper was there, too, and other were at Jefferson Creek at Jefferson and along the North Fork of the S. Platte art Shawnee. Raptors were scarce for the day: 2 Nor. Harriers, 5 Bald Eagles, 2 Red-tailed Hawks, 1 Rough-legged Hawk, and 2 Prairie Falcons.

So, the geopolitical highlight unique to Park Co. was our visit to the Geographic Center of Colorado - located along Stoll Mountain Road, about 2 miles NNW of the head of Eleven Mile Reservoir. I had been there before and I told my son that there really was "no there there." But he really wanted to go anyway, hoping the visit would earn extra credit in his human geography class at school. It is very much like a myriad of other spots along the southeast margin of South Park. I've included a photo below, along with the helpful interpretive sign posted there. Enjoy.