Wild Turkeys, Boulder County

[Tom Wilberding]

Hello birders,

Barb and I headed to the mountains today in search of winter birds. Didn’t see much in Ward, but in Allenspark at the Fawn Brook Inn we enjoyed seeing a flock of about 30 Evening Grosbeaks. Also present were Steller’s Jays, Clark’s Nutcracker, nuthatches, chickadees, house finch, and a murder of crows. Thought I heard rosy-finch at one point but could not find them. Then in strolled a group of eight Wild Turkeys to eat bird seed in a wooden tub set out by Hermann and Mieke Goicher, owners of the inn. Turkeys are not known for their intelligence, but to stroll up to a restaurant five days before Thanksgiving—come on guys! We said hello to Hermann and donated to his generous bird seed and hummer sugar-water budget. http://www.fawnbrookinn.com/

The road from Boulder to Ward is finally open after the September flood, but one lane dirt in spots—they’re still repairing it. We saw a couple of old school buses tossed helter-skelter next to a creek-side cabin, one of many ruined structures. On our way home we drove down the Big Thompson road between Estes Park and Loveland, just opened Thursday. (More vulture tourism.) The devastation was extensive. Many condemned houses by the river--tilting, undermined, collapsed, all marked by a red x.

One minute slideshow here: http://bit.ly/1bLDTA4

A safe and happy Thanksgiving to all!

Tom Wilberding
Boulder County