Yesterday, I completed the Uncompahgre Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) route which surveys the Divide Road in Mesa and Montrose Counties. The Uncompahgre Plateau is a very nice place with a variety of high elevation habitat types (ponderosa pine, high elevation riparian, mixed conifer, aspen, montane shrubland, high elevation grasslands).
Highlights/interesting birds were: Northern Pygmy-Owl (one calling at the first stop at 5:15 am) Common Poorwill (on the first and second stops) Olive-sided Flycatcher (just one at second stop) Brewer's Sparrow (many at high elevation - possible "Timberline" subspecies. Sagebrush was present.) Western Meadowlark (odd at 9000 feet elevation - probably breeding?) Grace's Warbler (a few still singing in the ponderosa pines) Fox Sparrow (in willows along route) Purple Martin (probably breeding near one stop and flying over vocalizing at many stops) Lewis's Woodpecker (one active nest at one stop and detected at many stops) Red Crossbill (a few groups flew over) Western Kingbird (also unusual at this elevation? one was riding the back of a raven!) MacGillivray's Warbler (many! - one of the more abundant species on route) *one Eurasian Collared-Dove was detected in aspen habitat! I have never encountered this species in such a remote place. Could this species expand into the "wilds" of Colorado and start breeding? I hope not! **one American Three-toed Woodpecker was found on the drive out after the route was completed in Montrose County along the Divide Road. An active Williamson's Sapsucker nest was in an apsen in the same location (begging nestlings). On one downed douglas fir log there the three-toed, a Williamsons' Sapsucker, and a flicker were actively foraging very close together. Must have been many beetles/bugs in the bark! Good birding! -- Jason Beason Special Monitoring Projects Coordinator Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory -- 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.com/group/cobirds?hl=en.
