I spent the past two days seeking ptarmigan in Rocky Mountains NP with no luck. I am so incredibly tired of chasing down and examining rocks, Pika, and Marmots while dodging elk, Harley Davidsons, and high-heeled, short-skirted/sleeved tourists.
One consolation was getting my lifer Brown-capped Rosy-finches on the north side of Sundance Mountain. There were somewhere between 80-100 in a flock, and they were chased off by a juveline Red-tailed Hawk. One bird stayed behind, calling, and, a few minutes later, I saw two juveniles begging for food from an adult with another adult actually singing nearby. Cool enough. I saw two juvenile Red-tails up top both days and no other raptors besides a kestrel. This makes me wonder if the Prairie Falcons have already abandoned the higher elevations. When I happened to dip into the coniferous fringes, Townsend’s Warblers were everywhere, followed by Yellow-rumps and Wilson’s. I wish I had spent more time there. I believe that every single forest-fringe sparrow today was a juvenile (Chipping, Brewer’s, Lincoln’s, White-crowned). Two Pine Grosbeaks were north of Poudre Lake. I can’t remember anything else of interest right now, but there were plenty of rocks. Steve Ritt San Diego, CA -- 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.
