While driving through the Yampa River Valley on Friday, 20 March 2009, I noticed one Trumpeter Swan about a mile south of Craig (Moffat County) on Highway 13 (in a large pond on the west side, below an scenic overlook pullout). The swan was distant, but through a scope I could see that the eye formed part of the black face, and the contour of the base of the bill was sloped back towards the eye, rather than vertical, as in Tundra Swan.
Further east, two unidentified swans were flying westward along US 40 a few miles east of Hayden (Routt County), headed downriver, (towards Hayden). They were headed towards a power plant. Perhaps they have a cooling pond that attracts waterfowl?? Also of note, 4 pairs of Sandhill Cranes were on territories along Hwy 13 between Meeker and Hamilton in Rio Blanco County. Ths is apparently a traditional satellite breeding population, somewhat remote from the population center along the Yampa River between Craig and Steamboat Springs. Confirmed breeding near Meeker is indicated in the published Colorado Breeding Atlas (1998) and Colorado Birds (1992). Nick Komar Fort Collins CO --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Join us at the 2009 Convention in Alamosa: http://cfo-link.org/convention/index.php You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.as/group/cobirds?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
