Grace's Warblers, Custer County

[David Dowell]

Motivated by reports by Mark Peterson, Glenn Walbek, Loch Kilpatrick, and Steve Mlodinow, I spent some time this past weekend looking for Grace's Warblers on the eastern slopes of the Spanish Peaks (Huerfano and Las Animas Counties) and the Wet Mountains (Pueblo and Custer Counties).  I did not find any in the southern counties (Huerfano and Las Animas), although I see on ebird that Glenn and Loch found one there.  Included in my unsuccessful search was the area south of Gulnare where Tony Leukering found Grace's Warblers in 2007.  Still, I feel like I covered < 1% of the suitable habitat.

I did find two singing Grace's Warblers at the location reported Thursday by Glenn and Loch in Custer County.  My guess is that the birds will be there for the summer and that this will be one of the more reliable locations to find them east of the Divide this year.  The location is several miles south of Greenwood and Wetmore.  The specific location is just north of the intersection of County/Forest Roads 386 and 387 (along Hardscrabble Creek).  Heading north from this intersection, one sees a yellow "hidden drive" sign then mile marker 3.  The Grace's warblers were in the pine trees just west of Road 387, roughly between these two signs.  The birds are on private property so must be heard, and with a little luck seen, from the road.

Thanks to Mark, Glenn, Loch, and Steve for excellent finding and reporting!  It takes me several days to find the birds they find in one day.

David Dowell

Longmont, CO