Pueblo CBC Results on Dec 19th

[Brandon]

Today, I believe at least 15 people helped with the Pueblo Christmas Bird Count (the circle includes hot spots of Lake Minnequa, Runyon Lake, Huerfano Lake, South Road Pond, Roselawn Cemetery, and private property locations (only accessible on count day) .  Our species total appears to be at 97 species (which is pretty good total for this count), plus at least one count week species.  A few rare ones, that have been around since last week, continued today (and were all photographed).

White-winged Scoter - 1 female/immature was new for the count

American White Pelican - 1 (2nd time for the count)

Barrow's Goldeneye - 1 male

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 1

Greater Scaup - 4

Some other nice finds on Count Day

Greater White-fronted Goose

Snow and Ross's Goose

Cinnamon Teal (a pair, new for the count, and totally not expected)

Double-crested Cormorant

Sora

Iceland Gull (Thayer's Gull)

Lesser Black-backed Gull

White-winged Dove

Western Screech-Owl

Say's Phoebe

Golden-crowned Kinglet (count week)

Eastern and Mountain Bluebird

Vesper Sparrow (very unexpected, 2nd time for the count)

Swamp Sparrow

Common Grackle

Brown-headed Cowbird

Some species we didn't find today, that I don't think are on the Count Week list yet (Dec 16-18, and Dec 20-22) : Canvasback, Scaled Quail, Wild Turkey, Golden Eagle, Rough-legged Hawk, Lewis's Woodpecker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Merlin, Northern Shrike, Chihuahuan Raven, American Pipit, Lapland Longspur, Great-tailed Grackle, Pine Siskin.

Thanks to the excellent helpers, for counting birds on a pretty windy day east of Pueblo.  I compile all the numbers and get them entered into the CBC Website, as soon as I can.

For anyone interested, I've heard from compiler Mark Yaeger, that the Pueblo Reservoir CBC total for Dec 15th found 120 species.

I've now gone on five Christmas Bird Counts, five days in a row.  Now a CBC break for me, for at least a few days.  On yesterday's (18 December) Rocky Ford CBC, Duane Nelson and I found a Williamson's Sapsucker, and a Pygmy Nuthatch in the town of Rocky Ford, Otero County, since not too many mountain birds are wandering out on the plains, these two were quite surprising that far east.

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Brandon Percival

Pueblo CBC Compiler
Pueblo West, CO