Hi all,
Whilst most of the household went skiing/boarding yesterday, I enjoyed a few hours birding with some of our house guests visiting from "out east" (escaping their blizzard back home). An imm Bald Eagle (Pitkin Co) in a tree above the Roaring Fork valley opposite the turn off Hwy82 to the Watson Divide was the first of at least five we saw (the others, 2 adults and 2 imms, were all around Carbondale - Garfield Co - later in the day, as was a single adult Golden Eagle). A Rough-legged Hawk sat on a fence along Brush Creek Road (Pitkin Co) - the first R-leg I have seen in Pitkin this winter. The feeders at Al Levantin's house were visited by Mountain and Black-capped Chickadees and a single Downy Woodpecker. We surmised that his regular Cooper's Hawk has probably been hanging out there quite a bit recently as the seed is lasting a very long time.... Around Carbondale ducks provided the highlights.. A single drake Wood Duck rested on the ice on the "northwestern pond" at Ranch at Roaring Fork, where there was also a single female Barrow's Goldeneye, a few Buffleheads, Ring-necked Ducks and Lesser Scaup, but no sign of the Hooded Mergansers. Nearby however was the treat of the day, at 5pm, when we watched Coryell Ranch Pond from CR109 with our telescopes as usual (altho' I have access to this private ranch I do not want to disturb this small pond which is only visible from inside the ranch at extremely close range). The treat?? It was a massive flock at least 192 Barrow's Goldeneyes that had come into roost, along with just a few other ducks (6 Ring-necked Ducks, 8 Mallard and 10 Common Goldeneye).. Does anyone know of a bigger gathering in Colorado, ever? NB: This pond is only being used as a roost site and not every day. The birds, when present at all, arrive late and leave early. Indeed most evenings there are no birds there before dark. We looked long and hard for a Northern Pygmy Owl in almost every location that I have ever encountered them hereabout before, but as has been my luck for the past two winters.. came up with none all day! Good birding -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds". 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.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en Visit the CFO Website at: www.cfo-link.org
