Date: 24 June 2014 Time: 05:00 am - 08:30 am Location: Echo Lake, Colorado
Main Notes: I took a quick trip up to Echo Lake today. The birds there were what you'd expect to find at this time of the year. Notable birds: Barrow's Goldeneye, Lincoln's Sparrow, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Pine Siskin, Pine Grosbeak, Wilson's Warbler, Cordilleran Flycatcher, Brown Creeper, Clark's Nutcracker. About a mile south of the lake, at Juniper Pass Picnic Area, I parked and found a Band-tailed Pigeon along with 9 or so more nutcrackers. Notes not worth reading: There were quite a few Cordilleran Flycatchers at the picnic area on the north side of the lake by the road. One was building a nest on the side of one of the shelters. I didn't want to get too close and I was using a tree as a blind when one of the Red Squirrels (Pine Squirrel) decided I might have food. He or she came over, climbed the tree I was leaning on, and stared at me from a matter of inches. I told it that unless it wanted to bite my nose, I had no food and it should just move on, which it did. Good choice for me. Over the lake, I saw a slow falling, spiralling something....which upon closer inspection turned out to be mating Tree Swallows. Very interesting to watch, but since I was trying to figure out what I was seeing, I was looking with my binoculars and not my camera, so no photos of that. The Wilson's Warblers, Lincoln Sparrows, Pine Siskins, and kinglets were in abundance, as were the Broad-tailed Hummingbirds. The Pine Grosbeaks up there are fairly tame, so if you can spot them, you can usually approach fairly close. That is it. I didn't bother to go up Mt Evans road. I was on the DFO trip to RMNP on Sunday where I got my tundra birds, including a ptarmigan which Lynn spotted (Lynn, email me if you want your list. I can't find your address). I dipped on the Gray Jay, so it looks as if I'll be taking a trip to Park county in the near future. John Breitsch Denver, Colorado https://www.flickr.com/photos/breitschbirding/ -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/93b01b9e-67dd-4901-a4a5-615ca50199dd%40googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
