In retrospect, maybe I should have stayed home, as the best two species at Crow
Valley Campground at Briggsdale (Weld) I also had today in my east Fort Collins
(Larimer) apartment courtyard: Evening Grosbeak and Red-naped Sapsucker.
Either there is one crazed Evening Grosbeak zooming around the northern
Colorado plains, or I have seen 6 individuals in the last few weeks between
Estes Park and Crow Valley (once at Lake Estes, twice at Grandview Cemetery in
Fort Collins, once in a spruce next to 612 Stover in Fort Collins, and twice at
Crow Valley). If it is the latter, something is going on with this species
(probably a combination of western spruce budworm population buildups in the
mountains AND typical early-autumn
dispersal/scouting-for-winter-food-resource-flights.
Both sapsuckers were females in Siberian Elms.
Besides the grosbeak and sapsucker, Crow Valley Campground was fairly quiet.
Thinking back, only the grosbeak was vocal, so it was really quiet. There were
several Ruby-crowned Kinglets, a few Hermit Thrushes, several Yellow-rumped
Warblers, a few Wilson's Warblers, one Mac Warbler (female), at least 10
Red-breasted Nuthatches, an interior White-breasted Nuthatch, a few passover
Barn Swallows, an eastern Hairy Woodpecker, a late Dusky Flycatcher, flyover
Pine Siskins, a female Spotted Towhee, a Lincoln's Sparrow, only a few
White-crowned Sparrows, only one junco, a lingering family of Northern
Mockingbirds, and one immature Sharp-shinned Hawk. Altogether 39 species,
after having 52 each of the last two visits over the last two weeks. No
White-throated Sparrows, Golden-crowned Kinglets, or Palm Warblers. With a
potential 4-6 more weeks of decent camping weather (and landbird migration),
inexplicably the water everywhere in the campground except for maybe the host's
site is turned off. In essence, the place is very dry and not all that
conducive to holding birds, should they chose to land there.
In contrast, Crom Lake (Weld CR 31 just w of Pierce) had high water, a few
coots, a Western Grebe, a few Redheads, and a procrastinating flock of Barn
Swallows.
The Lewis's Woodpecker persists at Roselawn Cemetery in east Fort Collins
(exactly 1 mile west of I-25 on the north side of Mulberry, accessed off the
frontage road between the Amish Showroom and the Sundance Saloon). The bird
continues to feast on Russian-Olives atop a telephone pole near two big olive
trees and due west of the extreme nw corner of the cemetery property.
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 https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
