NW Park County 5/23

[David Suddjian]

Saturday morning (5/23) I visited areas of Park County in the northwest corner of Park County in the watershed of the North Fork of the South Platte. Indeed, the most interesting birding was right along the North Fork near the town of Shawnee where clumps of willows and cottonwoods amid grassland attracted many migrants, including a number species that are rare to encounter in Park. Along the river here I focused on two areas, one open to public access (Pike NF Rocky Mountain Regional Specialty Packstring) and one area of private land upstream of that accessed with permission (Boxwood Gulch). Access to the former is from Hwy 285 immediately past CR 64. Watch for the sign on the right. Follow the short road down over the river, park in the lot, and work upstream and downstream via little pedestrian only "gates", and along the entry road.

These two areas collectively had the following. The species rare or rather uncommon for Park included 1 Ovenbird (Packstring site), 1 Gray Flycatcher, 1 Cassin's Vireo, 3 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, 1 Nashville Warbler, 1 Yellow-breasted Chat, and 1 Lazuli Bunting. Other migrants included Olive-sided Flycatcher (1), Western Wood-Pewee (2), Dusky Flycatcher (10), Willow Flycatcher (3), Warbling Vireo (5), Swainson's Thrush (5), Gray Catbird (1), Orange-crowned Warbler (1), Yellow Warbler (13), Myrtle Warbler (3), Wilson's Warbler (51!), MacGillivray's Warbler (4), Common Yellowthroat (3), Mountain White-crowned Sparrow (18), and more. These areas had over 60 species, which is pretty high for a small area in Park at sites with few waterbirds. 

A Bullock's Oriole along CR 68 was also a species rarely noted in Park. Moderate numbers of Type 2 Red Crossbills in some areas, several encounters with Evening Grosbeak.

Always fun in Park,

David Suddjian

Littleton, CO