Chukar etc (Delta County)

[Nicholas Komar]

This afternoon while counting birds for the eBird Global Big Day Walter Wehtje, Irene Fortune and I visited Escalante Canyon in Delta County. Walter will be leading a field trip there for the CFO convention, which will be held June 13-19, so we were scouting as well. The highlights in the canyon included a silent Black Phoebe at the Gunnison River boat launch, and a calling Chukar about 4 miles from US50, north of the road opposite the west edge of a series of alfalfa fields. A mile further west, at the old cabin (Escalante Canyon SWA), we encountered a quiet flock of Warblers and Vireos in the Cottonwoods. One of these may have been a Lucy’s Warbler, but our view of it was too brief to be sure.

Nick Komar
Fort Collins CO