All: Over the last few days of hiking and birding it's been a real challenge on some of the trails due to wet conditions. Four days ago Boulder Mountain Parks trails turned into a morass of mud and rivulets. Ditto Rocky Mountain National Park - in some areas the trails turned into creeks. Check trail conditions below.
These notes are all for Boulder County (Rocky Mt National Park (RMNP) side and Boulder Mountain Parks (BMP) and Boulder County neighborhoods) Great horned owl nest sites - 6 - owlets coming off the nests fast Bald eagle - 4 nest sites being monitored - chicks being fed Coopers hawks - lots - plus one (undisclosed) nest site Sharp shinned hawks - several in Boulder Mountain park Red Tailed hawks - dozens of nest sites throughout Boulder County Swainson's hawks - dozens have arrived - nest building has begun Osprey - at least a dozen - at nest platforms throughout Boulder County Prairie falcon - active nest site in Bear Creek Canyon - traditional nest site that can be observed through a scope Turkey Vulture - throughout Boulder County and BMP Mountain bluebirds - investigating cavity nest sites - RMNP and BMP Ruby crowned kinglets - lower and upper elevations up to 10,000 feet - dozens singing Blue gray gnatcatchers - BMP Mourning doves - numbers increasing Rock wren - BMP House wren - everywhere Canyon wren - BMP defending territories THREE TOED WOODPECKER - 3 locations in RMNP above and below Ouzel Falls \ Wild Basin trails Red napped sapsucker - RNNP - two breeding plumage males in territorial dispute - Wild Basin - gorgeous! Spotted towhees - large numbers in BMP Broad tailed hummingbirds - BMP - dozens, males in display flights Lazuli bunting - large numbers in the Bear Creek complex BMP American white pelican - Walden \ Sawhills - up to 100 some days White faced ibis - Sawhills Virginia rail - Sawhills American avocets - Sawhills Pied billed grebe - Sawhills - staking out nesting areas Great Blue Heron - 4 know rookeries observed including: Boulder Valley Ranch \ Crane Hollow Road \ Sawhills Ponds \ Kenosha - Boulder Creek Audubon's warblers - both low and high elevations. High elevation birds (above 9,000') are already singing and staking out territories. RMNP \ BMP Empid. ssp: - two seen in BMP. Either Dusky's or Hammands. No song. EASTERN PHOEBE - nesting under bridge at 75th and Jay road BLACK PHOEBE - still at 75th and Jay road bridge Black billed magpie - of note: with the massacre of hundreds of cottontail rabbits on the roads the magpies and other corvids are coming down to the roads in droves. Common raven - carrying food items - BMP Chipping sparrows - at high and low elevations - singing WHITE WINGED DOVE - song heard on Cottontail Trail last week; there are two birds in Park Lane Road vicinity in Gunbarrel Bushtit - three locations in Louisville CO Trails: Boulder Mt Park: Gregory Canyon Road is under construction and blocked off from both directions, including the restrooms for 6 weeks of repairs. Gregory Canyon footbridge is still out. Access from Chatauqua Park is possible, but you'll have to cross the creek without a bridge. Bear Creek footbridge in upper Bear Creek is still gone and no signs of repair yet. The creek can be crossed, with care and hiking poles. Upper Bear Creek Canyon footbridge is still gone - it can be crossed on a small plank. South-East portion of Shannahan Ridge Trail is closed for repairs. Trails: Rocky Mt national Park The Calypso Cascades bridges are intact. The Bridge at Ouzel Falls is gone - no signs of repairs. North St. Vrain River is reaching spring runoff heights. It would be fool-hardy to try and cross here. Primitive Trail above Ouzel Falls (backcountry campsite side) is doable but you will need ski poles, spikes, and gators. Tons of snow and water coming down the trail. Blooms: pasque flower; spring beauties; wild plum (past peak); hawthorn; chokecherry (starting); mustard ssp; vetch ssp; Oregon grape; wild iris; bluebell; bladderrpod; death camas: sand lilly; townsendia ssp; mouse-eared chickweed; wallflower; pussytoes (early); goldenbanner; and dozens more. Happy wet-birding, John T (Tumasonis) of Louisville CO -- 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 cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/1551d9f8-ce94-4e38-9f3a-6aa160f47388%40googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.