Black-throated Sparrows, Pueblo West
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Chris Knight
Jul 5, 2014, 10:54:42 PM7/5/14
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Hello All,
While trying for Common Poorwills at Liberty Point around Sunset, I stumbled into (3) Black-throated Sparrows. The sparrows are found by parking at Liberty Point in Pueblo West at the end of Purcell Blvd. The rest involves a hike that isn't for those who are out of shape. Take the trail off to the right before the flag pole and memorial. Proceed to the bottom of the cliff keeping to your right. You will pass a cement "well" just before merging with a now unused dirt road which heads WNW to a distant pass in the cliff. The first arroyo with slab rocks is where the sparrows were.
After noting the sparrows, I continued on to see where the road would go. It continued after the "pass" and I continued beyond that turning around two arroyos later. This looked like excellent southwestern type habitat. There were many of the Pueblo specialty species here including Northern Mockingbird, Curve-billed Thrashers, Canyon Towhees and Scaled Quail.
Yesterday, I hiked the Goodnight River Trail which is along the south side of the Arkansas River. Noted were Orchard Oriole, Green Heron and at least one soaring Mississippi Kite.
Good birding,
Chris Knight
Longmont, CO
While trying for Common Poorwills at Liberty Point around Sunset, I stumbled into (3) Black-throated Sparrows. The sparrows are found by parking at Liberty Point in Pueblo West at the end of Purcell Blvd. The rest involves a hike that isn't for those who are out of shape. Take the trail off to the right before the flag pole and memorial. Proceed to the bottom of the cliff keeping to your right. You will pass a cement "well" just before merging with a now unused dirt road which heads WNW to a distant pass in the cliff. The first arroyo with slab rocks is where the sparrows were.
After noting the sparrows, I continued on to see where the road would go. It continued after the "pass" and I continued beyond that turning around two arroyos later. This looked like excellent southwestern type habitat. There were many of the Pueblo specialty species here including Northern Mockingbird, Curve-billed Thrashers, Canyon Towhees and Scaled Quail.
Yesterday, I hiked the Goodnight River Trail which is along the south side of the Arkansas River. Noted were Orchard Oriole, Green Heron and at least one soaring Mississippi Kite.
Good birding,
Chris Knight
Longmont, CO
Brandon
Jul 8, 2014, 2:37:14 PM7/8/14
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A big thanks, and great find to Chris Knight on the Black-throated Sparrows in Pueblo West (Pueblo County), below Liberty Point parking lot. I just came back from there, it is overcast today, so a mid-day visit was okay, though I wouldn't go there mid-day normally (if it is hot and sunny). I saw two of them, and got photos. I walked down on the trail, thinking this isn't too bad. I found the two sparrows, got a couple of photos in a cholla cactus, and then walked back up to the parking lot. It was a slow process, as I'm obviously not
in shape, as I was breathing heavily, and stopping frequently all the way back to the parking lot. There might be another way to try for these birds, so you don't have a heart attack getting back to the parking lot. If a different way is figured out, we'll let you know.
These were my first Black-throated Sparrows in Pueblo County, since like 1984 (when Van Truan banded one in my backyard in Pueblo West). I hadn't seen this species since that one bird (so 30 years, between sightings for me in Pueblo
County)!
Brandon Percival
Pueblo West, CO
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