A cloudy day in the Park, 5/13

[David Suddjian]

Park County, that is. Cloudy, but a good birding day. I focused on the Lake George Region in the southeastern part of the county and the large reservoirs of South Park, with the afternoon birding shortened by rain showers. Some of the breeding migrants are back or pushing through. Broad-tailed Hummers, various swallows, Chipping and Vesper Sparrows have been back for a while, and are now joined by Mourning Dove, Dusky Flycatcher, Plumbeous Vireo, House Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, Audubon's Warbler, Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak and more. Just the overture, so far. 

County Road 94 and Pike NF Road 200 had a calling Band-tailed Pigeon (my 1st in Park this season), Townsend's Warbler, Bushtit (2), Northern Pygmy-Owl, Evening Grosbeak (3) and a pile of Red Crossbills. Suffice it to say that Red Crossbill remains numerous in the Ponderosa forests of this region of the county, and there is a new cone crop opening. Today I had only Type 2 birds, I think the first visit I've had only Type 2 birds since last summer.

I stopped along the South Platte just below Lake George at the Hwy 24 crossing and was delighted with a male Bobolink, a county first for me. This area also had some Bank Swallows, a species that seems to be a local spring migrant in the county with this spot and the adjacent lake maybe the best spots. Also uncommon here were a Western Kingbird (relatively sparse migrant in Park) and a Loggerhead Shrike (one of two this day). Lake George itself (the lake, not the town) had a decent cross section of waterfowl, plus 3 Great-tailed Grackles, 4 Sora and 3 Virginia Rails (all three are local Park spp.). 2 Hooded Mergansers were late, and 2 Franklin's Gulls were the only ones I saw this day. Two White-crowned Sparrows included one Gambel's and 1 Mountain (the latter my first this season). 3 Common Yellowthroats were also a local specialty for Park. 

CR 61 had an unexpected American Three-toed Woodpecker. This was the first I've had in that vicinity, but I noticed there were many snags in the forest. Another Northern Pygmy-Owl was at a very reliable spot.

CR 98 had 10 Evening Grosbeaks, a Northern Goshawk, and 2 Gray Jays (my first along that road). Plamann Reservoir had a Forster's Tern, 6 Western Grebes and a handful of duck species.

Approaching Eleven Mile Reservoir on CR 59 I spied a Solitary Sandpiper in a flooded section of field.

The best highlight at Eleven Mile was a flock of 46 Black Terns! They were feeding low over the water with a large number of mixed swallows swallows, surely catching insects of some sort. I never once saw one dive to the water. The nesting island in the south part of the reservoir had its nesting California Gulls (many nests) and Double-crested  Cormorants (at least 61 nests). I saw Great Blue Herons there, but could not spot any nests; distance may have been a factor. Numbers of these species at this lake were 1400+ California Gulls, 173 DC Cormorants, and 4 GB Herons. Shorebirds were scarce. Best was 3 Least Sandpipers. A Great Egret on the nesting island was good for Park. An Osprey flew over. A Sage Thrasher was at Witcher Cove campground, and a Canyon Wren was calling out of place on a rock slope near Cross Creek campground. A Bald Eagle flew over.

Birding at Spinney Reservoir was not too exciting. The only highlight was 3 Common Loons. A saline pond along CR 59 north of Spinney had a Semipalmated Plover. The same pond had a hybrid Mallard x Gadwall. A flooded field nearby had another Solitary Sandpiper. The CR 59 crossing of the South Fork of the South Platte had an Eastern Kingbird (one I rarely find in Park), and a Yellow Warbler and Lincoln's Sparrow. A Clay-colored Sparrow here was just the third I've seen in Park (two in May, 1 in Sept). 

At Antero Reservoir I only viewed from the south side with rain arguing against a visit to the north side. (** see below for a note on closure)/ There was lots of shore, but a disappointing showing of shorebirds (6 species). Still, a Black-necked Stilt was a good bird for Park. An immature Snow Goose on the island southeast of the south boat launch provided a good May record for the county. There were 12 Forster's Terns that I could identify and 5 other terns that were likely this species. And one Bonaparte's Gull.

For the record, here is a run down on waterfowl totals from the main water sites I visited (Lake Geo., Plamann, Eleven Mile, Spinney, Antero, and Buffalo Creek Res.): 1 Snow Goose, 233 Canada Goose, 701 Gadwall, 3 Am. Wigeon, 44 Mallard, 6 Blue-winged Teal, 15 Cinnamon, 104 Nor. Shoveler, 194 Green-winged Teal, 16 Redhead, 2 Ring-necked Duck, 109 Lesser Scaup, 122 Bufflehead, 3 Comon Goldeneye, 11 Common Merganser, 2 Hooded Merganser, and 252 Ruddy ducks. Plus another 200 unidentified ducks. 

And a few other totals: 268 Eared Grebes, 234 Am. White Pelicans, 68 Am. Avocets and 71 Wilson's Phalaropes.

Lastly, Antero Reservoir will be closing to all access on June 1 due to a dam rehabilitation project. There is no end date advertised on the signs there, but I'd guess the closure will extend through the fall at least. 

David Suddjian

Littleton, CO