Echo Lake - Clear Creek County

[JBreitsch - Denver]

Date:  24 June 2014

Time:  05:00 am - 08:30 am

Location:  Echo Lake, Colorado 

Main Notes:  I took a quick trip up to Echo Lake today.  The birds there were what you'd expect to find at this time of the year.  Notable birds:

Barrow's Goldeneye, Lincoln's Sparrow, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Pine Siskin, Pine Grosbeak, Wilson's Warbler, Cordilleran Flycatcher, Brown Creeper, Clark's Nutcracker.

About a mile south of the lake, at Juniper Pass Picnic Area, I parked and found a Band-tailed Pigeon along with 9 or so more nutcrackers.

Notes not worth reading:  There were quite a few Cordilleran Flycatchers at the picnic area on the north side of the lake by the road.  One was building a nest on the side of one of the shelters.  I didn't want to get too close and I was using a tree as a blind when one of the Red Squirrels (Pine Squirrel) decided I might have food.  He or she came over, climbed the tree I was leaning on, and stared at me from a matter of inches.  I told it that unless it wanted to bite my nose, I had no food and it should just move on, which it did.  Good choice for me.  Over the lake, I saw a slow falling, spiralling something....which upon closer inspection turned out to be mating Tree Swallows.  Very interesting to watch, but since I was trying to figure out what I was seeing, I was looking with my binoculars and not my camera, so no photos of that.  The Wilson's Warblers, Lincoln Sparrows, Pine Siskins, and kinglets were in abundance, as were the Broad-tailed Hummingbirds.  The Pine Grosbeaks up there are fairly tame, so if you can spot them, you can usually approach fairly close.  

That is it.  I didn't bother to go up Mt Evans road. I was on the DFO trip to RMNP on Sunday where I got my tundra birds, including a ptarmigan which Lynn spotted (Lynn, email me if you want your list.  I can't find your address).

I dipped on the Gray Jay, so it looks as if I'll be taking a trip to Park county in the near future.

John Breitsch

Denver, Colorado

https://www.flickr.com/photos/breitschbirding/