I ended up at Crow Valley Campground today, after first checking Douglas Reservoir north of Fort Collins (Larimer) and, along with Rachel Hopper, North Poudre #3 (also Larimer).
Douglas Reservoir: Clark's Grebe (1) White Pelican (2) Pied-billed Grebe (1) Red-breasted Merganser (1f) Harlan's Hawk (1) California Gull (1a) Herring Gull (1a) Eared Grebe (7) Horned Grebe (2) American Coot (3) Ring-billed Gull (275+) Western Grebe (100) The place must have shad and is worth monitoring for rarer species in the coming weeks before it freezes over. North Poudre #3: nothing unusual, influx of Buffleheads Crow Valley Campground: Red-bellied Woodpecker (1f) previously reported, caching Russian-olives, south of the Main Picnic Shelter south of the dry creek bed Eastern Bluebird (5) eating olives (southwest part) Mountain Bluebird (2) eating olives (southwest part) Townsend's Solitaire (at least 6) higher than normal number for this time of year, no doubt due to the bumper olive crop American Tree Sparrow (3-4) out north, FOS for me, 1 in an olive with two flickers Golden-crowned Kinglet (1f) FOS down low in northern CO, in the southwest corner junipers, apparently eating lacewings Northern Bobwhite (9) out north of the Group Area, no doubt released by someone, but fun to see just the same Lapland Longspur (1) flyover Common Grackle (1) with a much-elongated, downcurved upper mandible, with two Red-winged Blackbirds in Briggsdale Mourning Dove (3) hanging out with dozens of hardier Eurasian Collared-Doves in Briggsdale (why do our Mourning Doves mostly depart in winter, while they overwinter in the East?) N. Flicker (several, associated with olives, one with yellow shafts and a black mustache trimmed in red: a R-s costumed tonight as a Y-s?) Total of 25 species (a nice set of birds, really) Storm damage at Crow Valley was not bad, especially considering the number of cottonwoods and Siberian elms it has. The place had quite a year: drought, fire, human vandalism, and now a serious early snow storm. May it rest in peace for 6 months. I didn't make it up to BYO Playa. 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.
