Townsend's warber, Cassin's Vireo - Gunnison and Chaffe Counties

[JohnT]

Cobirds:

           Some more stuff migrating through Gunnison and Chaffe counties:

 

WE = West Elk Wilderness, Mill Creek Basin and vicinity

BV = near or at Buena Vista

CT = Colorado Trail at Chalk Creek and vicinity

SE = Saint Elmo and Vicinity

MP = Mt. Princeton Hot Springs and vicinity

 

Mud-fest 2013 up in the West Elks this weekend (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday) and rain, rain, rain.  But I got some lucky sightings in.  Along with thousands of mushrooms fruiting everywhere up in the Elks.  Ran into a mixed migratory flock on the Colorado Trail about 1 mile above (south) of Chalk Creek.  Highlights:

 

Cooper's hawk - 1 - WE

Dusky grouse - 2 - immature in dense aspen forest - WE

Gray jay - 12 - WE

Pine siskin - 20 - WE

White throated swift - 2 - WE

Great horned owl - 2 mated pair - WE

Red tailed hawk - 6 - WE

Wilson's warbler - 12 - WE - males still in bright breeding plumage and some still singing

Chipping sparrow - 300+  - WE and Gunnison basin - coming through in the hundreds

House wren - 2 - WE - still present in the Elk Range

Mountain bluebird - 2 - WE - down in Mill Creek drainage

Hermit thrush - 4 - WE - adults and immatures still present

Yellow rumped warbler - 4 - WE

 

Black headed grosbeak - 1 female - WE - in Mills Creek drainage

Broad tailed hummingbird - 2 - WE - a couple at lower elevation

And.....  a pine martin hunting in the trees

 

Turkey vulture - 14 - BV

White throated swift - 3 - CT at Chalk Creek

Broad tailed hummingbird - 30 at SE - at feeders in the ghost town

Western wood pewee - 1 - CT above Chalk Creek

Clark's nutcracker - 12 - MP, CT, SE

Red crossbill - 4 - SE

Mountain bluebird - 90+ - BV and vicinity

Pinyon jay - 150+ - in ponderosa forests near MP

Orange crowned warbler -  1 - CT part of group

Wilson's warbler 4 - CT - part of group

Yellow rumped warbler - 6 - CT part of group

Virginia's warbler - 1 - CT part of group

TOWNSEND's WARBLER - 2 - CT - part of group

CASSIN's VIREO - 2 - CT - part of group

Plumbeous vireo - 2 - CT - part of group

Green tailed towhee - 4 - CT part of group

Gray headed junco - 100+ - part of group

Bushtit - 12 -  BV, MP

Western tanager - 2 - females - BV and WE

Chipping sparrow - 600+  -  swarming through the flatlands west and south of Buena Vista

Vesper sparrow - 20+  -  BV - same as above

And...... one little bull snake rescued from attempting to take a hot plunge in the pool at MP

And...... the largest chipmunk congregation I've ever seen at St. Elmo - the "Chipmunk Feed" across from the store - about 65+ !

 

Bow hunters are out now.  As well as yahoos with semi-automatics shoot'n fer fun.  Be careful out there.

 

To get to Colorado Trail at Chalk Creek, drive approximately 2 miles west of Mount Princeton Hot Springs to a CT trailhead sign.  The trail goes north and south in both directions.  I went south about 1 mile uphill when I found the migratory group. 

 

John T (Tumasonis)  of Louisville, CO