I began with a exploration with many stops out Lost Park Road (CR 56) with some side trips out NF roads. The beginning two miles of the road - passing through South Park prairie on the wet side of the spectrum - had the largest number of *Savannah Sparrows* I've yet encountered in park, with over a 120 seen near the road. This species is a fairly numerous breeder in this wet area and there were many young seen, so I suspect these are largely or wholly the local breeders. Along with them were 3 *Lark Buntings* and 2 *Grasshopper Sparrows* (both good for Park), a good number of *Vesper Sparrows*, some *Lark Sparrows*, and a flock of 8 *American Pipits*. The latter were the first I've seen in the "lowlands" (9,000') of Park County this season, down from the mountain heights. Working further in I encountered 13 *Gray Jays* along Lost Park Road (including 2 at the campground at the end of the road). A very good area for this species is in the spruce/fir with lodgepole forest from 13-15 miles in from Hwy 285. There were also *Am. Three-toed Woodpeckers* (including a family group, 1 *Townsend's Warbler*, 1 *Veery*, and frequent detections of Type 5 *Red Crossbills*. Wet Lost Park with its low willows and some yellow-flowered shrub had a great abundance of *Lincoln's Sparrows* (the local breeders with many fledged young). Some *Pine Grosbeaks* and *Gray Jays* were at the end of NF Road 134 (a much too rocky route). An *American White Pelican* circling to gain height over CR 39 was interesting over the spruce/fir and bristlecone pines. It looked extra lovely all by itself against the blue sky as I was listening to crossbills, RB Nuthatches and such.
The upstream end of Tarryall Reservoir had 2 *Baird's Sandpipers*, and 1 *Western Sandpiper*. A family of *Common Mergansers* had 7 small young. The species is not a common breeder in Park (based on my observation so far), and it seemed late to me for such small young. But this fits the pattern of new broods appearing in late summer in Park. Indeed, visiting other water sites later this day there were many broods of dabblers and divers that were new and not present on checks 10 days earlier. Working down CR 77 with just a few stops, Twin Eagles Campground had an *Orange-crowned Warbler* (good for Park) and some *Gray Catbirds*. Near the junction with NF Road 213 there I saw 4 Type 2 *Red Crossbills* eating currents from the shrubs there. Saw the same thing near by last year. The currents in general are a big draw right now for robins, solitaires, Sage Thrashers, and bluebirds, so why shouldn't the crossbills join in? Lake George had a low diversity of waterbirds, but a *Sora* and *Virginia Rail* both called from the cattails, and the marsh upstream of the lake had a *Marsh Wren*. Highlights at Eleven Mile Reservoir included a *Black Tern* and *Lesser Yellowlegs*. Also present were *American Avocets*, *Wilson's Phalaropes*, *Northern Pintail*, and *White-faced Ibis*. The *Western Grebes* are nesting off the Platte inlet on a large mat of floating vegetation (polygonum?). They seem to all be sitting still, with no young evident yet. CR 59 at the South Platte crossing near Hartsel had a *Western Kingbird* (a very uncommon migrant in Park), and 4 *Soras *were calling from the sedge marsh. One strolled out into view. The pond at Trout Creek Ranch northwest of Hartsel had a challenging-to-ID cross section of duck families. The most interesting for me was a new brood of *Ring-necked Ducks*, as this was the first breeding evidence for this species that I've encountered on my visits to Park. Two *Soras* piped up. The pond along Hwy 285 near Fairplay had the same birds as recently minus the Common Goldeneye. It was a delight to have close views of a new brood of *Eared Grebes* peaking out from the feathers atop one parent, with the other offering bits of food to the young riders. This is the third location where I've seen nesting Eareds in Park this season, all in the region easterly from Fairplay. They nested at Eleven Mile Reservoir last year, but don't seem to be doing so this year. A *Solitary Sandpiper *was at the pond along Hwy 285 south of Como. Over at the pond along CR 34 at 4.3 miles in from Hwy 285 about half of the *Eared Grebes* have finished nesting and the numbers of adults have dropped, and other adults are tending broods of young over half grown. A number of new *Ruddy Ducks *were here, mostly males, indicating some movement, and 4 *Northern Pintails* were also new here. David Suddjian Littleton, 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 [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/CAGj6Rop-Cg%2B2Cfpw1gu%2BudHXXHfb06f5tu3eiA0mrnXWzL1YWA%40mail.gmail.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
