Park County Nov 9

[David Suddjian]

It was back up to Park County today, visiting most of the notable bodies of water in the county. Most of the smaller to mid-size waters were iced over, but Spinney Mountain and Eleven Mile Reservoirs were open (iced margins on the former), Tarryall was mostly open, Lake George had a few open holes but was mostly ice-covered, and Plamman Lake was open.

Spinney Mountain Reservoir had a late juv. Sabine's Gull, 2 Common Loons, 2 Greater Scaup, and a tardy (for Park) Am. White Pelican (maybe not flight-worthy), Double-crested Cormorant, and Great Blue Heron. Numbers of some ducks had increased somewhat, but no major changes. About 3,800 Bufflehead, 520 Redhead, 34 Canvasback, 400+ Gadwall, and 6,700 Am. Coots. A female Northern Harrier there was my only one for the day, as was a Mountain Bluebird.

Eleven Mile Reservoir had a Red-necked Grebe, 3 Hooded Mergansers, 1 male Barrow's Goldeneye, 6 Common Loons, 5,000+ Am. Coots, 1,500+ Bufflehead, and two deer that swam all the way across the lake (they went across the narrow length, but still a mighty long deer paddle.)

Non-lake highlights were 8 Brown-capped Rosy-Finches that flew in at the town of Jefferson before the sunlight hit the town, Northern Shrikes there and near Hartsel, a Rough-legged Hawk at Michigan Hill, a Ferruginous Hawk along CR 59 northeast of Spinney Mountain Reservoir, Am. Three-toed Woodpeckers at CR 22 and CR 98, Northern Goshawk, Gray Jays and Pine Grosbeaks at Pike NF Road 431. There was just a smattering of Type 2 and Type 5 Red Crossbills here and there in appropriate forests habitats.

David Suddjian

Littleton, CO