The Winter Wren first reported last December by Rob Sparks, and independently
found and reported to me by Janet Hardin, showed itself today nw of Martinez
Park along the south side of the Poudre River in northern Fort Collins
(Larimer). If one heads north on the bike trail leading out of the Martinez
Park lot (there is a tennis court and portapotty next to this parking lot),
keep bearing to the left at trail intersections and end up going west on the
main bike trail. Eventually (few tenths of a mile), there is a bridge that
goes north over the river. Do not cross the river but continue west about 150
feet along the paved trail until you see a social trail that angles off to the
right that roughly parallels the bike trail between the bike trail and the
river. Today in the snow, there were lots of people, dog and bike tracks along
the social trail. There is a large concrete structure (headgate aftermath?) at
the point where the bike trail and the social trail intersect. Go west on the
social trail for about a tenth of a mile, continually looking and listening to
the area north of the social trail. This is all good wren habitat and I would
not be surprised if it uses all of it. Listen for chittering. Watch for a
little dark flying mouse. Particularly pay attention to jumbles of woody
debris piled against tree trunks by last summer's flood. Today the wren was
about a tenth of a mile west of the concrete structure, which would make it
about 1/2 mile e of Shields Street (which is exactly how Rob described the
location in his December post). There are marker posts along the trail that
are useful in gauging these distances.
Based on the paleness of the throat, call notes, extent of flank barring, shade
of brown, and white speckling (albeit limited) on the back, and large pale
spots along the leading edge of the wing, I certainly agree with Rob's ID of
Winter Wren.
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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