Common Redpolls present El Paso County

[David Tønnessen]

Hi all,

This chilly morning of 11/18, a vocal redpoll flew over me while I was birding the El Paso county section of Chico Basin Ranch, adding to other reports of the species in the state and supporting the notion that this winter could be a good one for the species. Other birds of note in the El Paso section of the ranch included a late Lincoln's Sparrow, a late Chestnut-collared Longspur flying over, and plenty of Lapland Longspurs in the area (as flyovers).

I stopped at Memorial Park and Prospect Lake on my way home and discovered that a Snow Goose youngster as well as a Ross's X Cackling Goose hybrid are continuing with the many Cackling Geese.

On Thursday there was a Winter Wren at Fountain Creek Regional Park in the beaver dam on Rice's pond.

Good birding,

David Tonnessen

Colorado Springs, CO