Park County Dec 16

[David Suddjian]

But before even getting to Park I parked before sunrise at the margin of Conifer (JeffCo) at a spot with a big view of the sky in hopes of learning more about a roost of American Crows that I had deduced to be in that area. I’ve been watching the crows pass over my home at Ken Caryl Valley from a mountain roost located well west-southwest. This and other observations indicated there is a large roost in the Conifer region. And indeed over 30 minutes before sunrise the roosting crows were in the air in big swirling clouds, dim against the still dark blue sky. I was unable to pinpoint the roost location, but I was in the right area. The fast moving dense flocks were hard to count, but I estimated 3,000 to 4,000 crows, which soon began breaking off and heading in various directions. I think this roost hosts crows that spend their daytime over a broad region in the mountains and in the Metro area encompassing several counties.

A short while later I was at the Park/JeffCo line at Pine Junction and Am. Crows were flying west from the direction of the Conifer roost to populate the forests and fields of Park. Nearly 200 passed over in 10 minutes. 

In the Pine Junction / Bailey region I encountered many Red Crossbills (Types 2 and 4). A group of pines along Meadow Drive has been especially good for crossbills in the last few weeks, with at least 85 there yesterday, plus a large gathering of 25 Cassin’s Finches. A Belted Kingfisher along Deer Creek at County Road 72 x Chickadee Road was fairly uncommon for Park Co in winter, but especially interesting since the creek there is but a small stream without much open area for kingfishers to forage. Another Belted Kingfisher flew downstream along the frigid North Fork of the South Platte at Bailey.

A birdy area at Shawnee had 3 Brown-capped Rosy Finches and 2 White-winged Juncos with a large group of Gray-headed Juncos and House Finches. Driving some streets in Fairplay I found a spot at the east end of Front Street where three adjacent yards had multiple feeders visible from the road. Other than a rare-for-winter Am. Robin (esp. at nearly 10,000 elev.), I saw no unusual birds, but I mention it in case anyone is passing through there. Stops along County Road 18 were nearly bird-free, but at one I had an Am. Three-toed Woodpecker working on a snag and a Gray Jay nearby.

The big lakes are all frozen (Eleven Mile had been mostly open through Dec 9). The only pond or lake I know of with any appreciable open water in Park  is a small pond right along Hwy 285 just north of the mobile home community “Campground of the Rockies”, adjacent to 63 Ranch SWA. I noticed this pond was open in mid-winter last year, too. This was nearly the only place with ducks on this outing (Mallard, Am. Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, and Nor. Shoveler). As a bonus, a flock of Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches was coming into to drink at the pond!

County Road 59 between Hartsel and CR 23 was the only area where I encountered Horned Larks, and there were quite a few of them in large flocks. One flock had a Snow Bunting, which I first saw in flight as the flock passed over the road, and then I heard it calling amid the flying larks, and finally had decent views as it was on the ground for a time. This was in the area where there are large piles of dirt along the north side of the road, separated from the road by a berm, west of the crossing of the South Platte. A cow carcass nearby attracted 5 Bald Eagles and a crowd of about 70 Common Ravens. A flock of Gray-crowned Rosy Finches were along CR 59 near CR 23.

More Red Crossbills and a small number of Evening Grosbeaks were along CR 90 and Pike NF Roads near Round Mountain Campground. A few Pine Grosbeaks were along NF Road 225 near Round Mountain Campground, too.  

I was interested to note that of the many Type 2 Red Crossbills I observed in various places, about 85% were red adult males. And they sure respond well to imitations of Nor. Pygmy-Owl…

David Suddjian

Littleton, CO