One day outside count week for the FC CBC, a juvenile YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER is present along the south edge of Grandview Cemetery, Fort Collins (west end of Mountain Avenue) on 21December2011. The bird was actively moving around but I think is most interested in a small group of Austrian Pines that has been a traditional haunt of this species over the years. The location of the Austrian Pine grove is just barely out on City Park Nine golf course south of the junction of the boundary road between Sections 7 and 2 with the south boundary road. There are 8 Austrian Pines in this grove (plus some Colorado Blue Spruce that all black belt birders should know are not pines). The tree I think this bird is going to like best is the first one west of the black security light pole at this intersection. The bird is very skittish and likes to stay in the upper half of the crowns where the trunks are fairly narrow. It was calling quite a bit, which is helpful, and probably an indicator that it is a fresh arrival. In fact I think what it communicated is, "Na nana na na, I didn't want to be on your CBC this year". (Arvind Punjabi did observe a sapsucker of undetermined species on the FC CBC (17Dec) near the mouth of Poudre Canyon, which more than likely was a Yellow-bellied.)
FYI, there is a map of the cemetery on a big rock slab at the bridge over the ditch at the entrance by the office on Mountain Avenue. Other birds of interest at Grandview today: Common Raven (1 flyover) Red-breasted Nuthatch (10+) Mountain Chickadee (3+) Total of 20 spp. Have not seen the odd Red Crossbill (Type 4?) since 14December. 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.
