On June 23 I made a run over the Front Range from Park Co north of Lake George into Jefferson Co via the Hayman Burn and Stoney Pass mostly along Pike NF Roads 211 and 560. I began with some time at Lake George. This location is the best or one of the best for a few breeding species in Park, such as
Great-tailed Grackle (6; nesting confirmation),
Common Yellowthroat (5), and
Nor. Rough-winged Swallow (2). Ducks were few, but included a rare summering male
Bufflehead, and
Ruddy Ducks,
Gadwall and
Mallards. A
Sora and
Pied-billed Grebe were also noted.
The beginning 6 miles of Road 211 in Park were very birdy with a mix of intact and burned forest, before entering into many miles of mostly burned forest. Among the birds in this first part were a singing Virginia's Warbler, out of its expected Park County range and Gambel oak habitat which is limited to a small area at the extreme south edge of the county. This bird was singing from scattered Douglas-fir amid small aspens and shrubs. A Bushtit family in a willow thicket was a good breeding confirmation for Park, with a singing Gray Catbird there, too. Also two Band-tailed Pigeons, a Canyon Wren, families of Dusky Grouse and Wild Turkey, Red Crossbills (Type 2) and an early male Rufous Hummingbird feeding at paintbrush blooms.
Moving on past 6 miles on Road 211 (still in Park) into fully burn dominated areas with islands of trees I encountered a pair of Sharp-shinned Hawks (rare in Park), a singing male Lazuli Bunting (rare in Park), and another Canyon Wren.
The 12 miles-long Jeffco portion of Road 211 that I sampled had pleasant birding and great scenery, but few unexpected species. Three widely spaced Lewis's Woodpeckers were enjoyed.
Along NF Road 560 I found one Red-headed Woodpecker in the same spot where a pair had been reported in recent years. This was 1.0 mile from the junction with Road 211. It was on the creek side of the road focusing its activity at and near a large four-trunk pine snag. It was carrying food in its bill, suggesting an active nest, but I could not confirm breeding beyond that. Other birds in that immediate area included another Lewis's Woodpecker, Lazuli Buntings, Common Nighthawk, and Band-tailed Pigeon (4). The drive onwards along Road 560 over Stoney Pass had lovely forest, great flower displays and lots of flies. A Northern Goshawk was a highlight. Feeders at the Windy Peak Outdoor Education facility past Lake Wellington had another early male Rufous Hummingbird amid a swarm of Broad-taileds.
David Suddjian
Littleton, CO
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to
cobirds+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to
cobirds@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAGj6Ropx7_HeSOQqNUzcHZST4-ETBO22Jn3r3H17uSUqEQ4p1Q%40mail.gmail.com.
For more options, visit
https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
