Our BlackForest count tallied 45 species, 2,202 individual birds.
We had moreobservers than any other count since Dick Beidleman
started it in the 1960’s(or 1950’s). As a result, we put more parties in the
field than ever before (10)– but with a lousy cone crop, we found low numbers
of cone-dependent species. Ponderosa Pines had no cones. I don’t think any of
the parties saw cones on asingle ponderosa. A few spruces in the count circle
(mostly planted) did have somecones. The lack of ponderosa cones explains the
dearth of chickadees,nuthatches, finches, crossbills, and the like. In a good
year, we should counthundreds of Mountain Chickadees, Pygmy Nuthatches, and
crossbills.
Aaron Shipetook very fine pictures of Common Redpolls. And Doug
Kibbe has a splendid photo of a Great Horned Owl that hisgroup and our group
both saw, perched in a barn window – and I have picturesof an owl (same one?)
perched in the same barn window on the Jan. 10, 2010Christmas count!
I suppose the most notable observation was 26 Rough-legged Hawks
among nine raptor species.
Hugh Kingery
Franktown, CO
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