Wild Basin - RMNP

[John Tumasonis]

All:

        Some birding and wildflowers at Wild Basin in Rocky Mountain National Park, over the last couple weeks.  Compiled from three visits in June.   Note:  requires a Timed Entry Permit between the hours of 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.  If you get there before 9 a.m. you don't need a timed permit, but you will still need your "regular" pass, or pay at gate.  The road is bumpy with some potholes, but a a passenger car can make it to the trailhead if going slowly.  I broke this down into three sections:   the "willow marshes" from Copeland Lake to the Winter Gate;  the Ponderosa \ Lodgepole pine forests from the Winter Gate to the main trailhead;  and the main trailhead up past Calypso Cascades.  Got my boots and feet muddy trudging through marshes.  

Pardon my spelling and grammar.  

Great Blue Heron - 2 -  one at Copeland Lake, the other in the willow marshes\

Spotted Sandpiper - 4 - at two separate ponds. 

Wilson's Snipe - 8 -  willow marshes;  several winnowing displays, alarm calls, and one doing the "broken wing trick" to lure me away from a nest site.

Mallard - 2 at Copeland Lake

MacGillivray's Warbler - 6

Audubon's Warbler - 21 males and females

Wilson's Warbler - 11

Williamson's Sapsucker - 1 male, foraging on a huge ponderosa pine (dead) snag

Northern Flicker - 2

Red Napped Sapsucker - 1 male

Three Toed Woodpecker - 1 male chased off a Douglas fir by a red napped sapsucker

Dusky Flycatcher - 8 - in willow thickets and marsh habitats - one being attacked by a broad tailed hummingbird

Cordilleran Flycatcher - only 1 at the entrance station

Hammond's Flycatcher - 4 in mixed evergreen habitat

Broad Tailed Hummingbird - 14

Brown Creeper - 1

White Breasted Nuthatch - 2

Red Breasted Nuthatch - 6

Pygmy Nuthatch - 6

American Robin - 40+  -  the predominant species

Townsend's Solitaire -2

Clark's Nutcracker - 2 flyovers, calling

American Dipper - 4 - at footbridge crossing and at Copeland Falls

Black Headed Grosbeak - 4 - males and females;  one nest site found

Western Tanager - 10 - males and females collecting insects

Lincoln's Sparrow - 12 - songs, chases;  in willow marshes

Song Sparrow - 12 singing, foraging in willow marshes

Fox Sparrow - 2 singing - in marshes

Violet Green Swallow - 16

Pine Siskin  -  15 - flyovers, calling

Mountain Chickadee - 6

Black Capped Chickadee - 4

Gray Headed Junco - 15 - nesting, foraging, songs, calls

Chipping Sparrow - 2

Warbling Vireo - 15

Note:  At the winter parking area and road-creek crossing there were dozens of robins, warbling vireos, Audubon's warblers, and Western Tanagers, all flycatching insects over the creek and surrounding forests. 

Mammals:  

Moose - 2

Pine Squirrel - 6

Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel - 2

Chipmunk spp:  2

Mule Deer - 1

Flowers were scant, but many species:  Stonecrop, Blue Columbine, Baneberry, Sulphurflower, Heart Leaf Arnica, Globeflower, Marsh Marigold, Shooting Star, Elephantshead, Spotted Coralroot, Geyer's Onion, Yarrow, Mouse-Ear, Dandelion, Boulder Raspberry, Wild Rose, Wild Strawberry, Ninebark, Chokecherry, Cinquifoil spp;  Wild Geranium, Goldenbanner, Mountain Lupine, Groundsel spp;  Mountain Violet, Pussytoes, Pearlyeverlasting, Mountain Ash, Red Elderberry, Blue Clementis,  and dozens of others. 

John T (Tumasonis)

"I'm not a real birder.  I only pretend to be one on CoBirds."  

[Buzz Schaumberg]

Love it!

Sent from the all new Aol app for iOS

Buzz Schaumberg 

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[Jon Webb]

Hey John, great list… thanks for posting. Surprised no Kinglets!?

Jon Webb
Lyons, CO

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/773414659.2021382.1782406992170%40mail.yahoo.com.

[John Tumasonis]

Ack!  Of course there were kinglets - 18 of them.  And 4 red winged blackbirds.  And 4 cedar waxwings.  And 1 hermit thrush.   -   I lost my notebook, and then I lost my mind.    :)    !    

John T