My sis Lauren and I spent the better part of yesterday exploring Castlewood Canyon in wonderful weather. While we didn't find any "birds of note" the place was filled with them. The Canyon rim hosted a slew of Townsend's Solitaires singing nearly non-stop. Spotted Towhees mewing from every bush. We came upon a flock of 30 or so Pine Siskins up there feasting on fir cones and doing spiral wing- dances above the rim. I expected Ponderosa Pines, but was surprised at all the Fir trees there. Many Juncos on the rim also, Oregon, Gray-headed and Pink-sided. The views were spectacular and we avoided the weather to the north.
The canyon bottom was busy as well. We found one Canyon Wren near the dam and heard one 'seet' note from, we think, a White-crowned Sparrow, our only sparrow of the day. The canyon was full of Steller's Jays, Juncos, the above 3 and Slate-colored, both Mountain and Black-capped Chickadees, several Brown Creepers, scads of Red- breasted Nuthatches with much to talk about. A few Pygmy Nuthatches and about a basketful of White-breasted. We also had a few unusually quiet Scrub-Jays and a couple of handfuls of Downy Woodpeckers. Spotted Towhees filled the brushy areas down here too. Just as we were about to reach our car, in the scrub oak near the Westside trailhead, we were surrounded by a flood of birds. Seriously, we stood with our jaws hanging open, (not a pretty sight and we quickly got ourselves under control lest a chickadee cache seeds under our tongues.) All the same species as listed, both chickadees, all 3 nuthatches, downys, juncos, 1 robin, creepers and towhees, feedingfeedingfeeding and talking with their mouths full and stashing seeds and chasing one another and peeking at us from behind tree trunks. It was an amazing and glorious sight and we felt privileged to be a part of it. Connie Kogler Twitter @lefthanddbirder Loveland, CO. BirdsOTheMorning.com -- Colorado Field Ornithologists: http://www.cfo-link.org/ Colorado County Birding: http://www.coloradocountybirding.com/ 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
