Highlights from Crow Valley Campground at Briggsdale (Weld) for Friday 15October2010 from 9:30a-3:30p:
GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW (1, probably an immature) - Seen about 11am associating with many Gambel's White-crowned Sparrows out north of the Mourning Dove Trail. If you take the MDTrail thru the gate ne of the Group Picnic Area and walk east, you will eventually come to the primitive campsites. At Site 2 is a sprawling Peachleaf Willow. If you are standing on the north side of this tree, look northwest to a lone Siberian Elm out on the prairie about 100 yards away. In between Site 2 and the lone elm are two fence posts with a cross-piece (looks like a set of chopped off goalposts that deer get 3 points for leaping). The GCSparrow and associated flock of about 20 White-crowns was usually somewhere in the vicinity of these fence posts, especially to the northwest and northeast (in the willow thicket). I was flat lucky to get a glimpse of the Golden-crown at fairly close range or never would have picked it out. Face is plainer (no strong eyeline) than immature White-crowns, and the small patch of yellow on top of the head more intense in the right view, head doesn't have that "flat-top" look, tail seems a bit longer. My other dates for this species at Crow Valley are 1Oct(1999) and 19Oct(2003), so this date fits that pattern. Met a sharp young birder named Skyler Bol and his mother (Cree). Skyler saw an Eastern Screech-Owl (a gray one near the goofy sign depicting the red one (has anybody ever seen a true red phase in CO?) west of the main Picnic Shelter) and a Spotted Towhee. He also saw the Golden-crown briefly. Sandhill Crane (several flocks seen today during mid-morning, total of 600-750 birds) FOS for me Dark-eyed Junco (probably at least 15 birds, including 1 White-winged (FOS for this subsp.)) Yellow-rumped Warbler (at least 10, all in cottonwoods, all apparently getting some type of aphid from bark and leaf surfaces) Chipping Sparrow (3) Sharp-shinned Hawk (1m) Cooper's Hawk (1, probable m) Pine Siskin (few flyovers (less than 5)) Brown Thrasher (1 unhealthy bird (nervous tick, tail hanging oddly, strange call note)) Lesser Goldfinch (1, unusual for Crow Valley and at this date) Savannah Sparrow (1, flushed from sunflower field way out north) Spotted Towhee (1 heard) Longspur (heard one, think it was the "teeeuw" flight call of Lapland) Mountain Bluebird (2 flyovers) Common Grackle (4 flyovers) Total of 32 species Dave Leatherman Fort Collins -- 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.
