East and southeast from Auarora Res. 12/26 - Arapahoe and Elbert

[David Suddjian]

Funny Chris Rurik should mention birding Elbert County, as I found myself there yesterday. I had decided to explore the open country east and southeast of Aurora Reservoir, and just drove and picked roads and made a series of 5 min stops at varying intervals. Most of them were in Elbert County, although I did not even know there *was* an Elbert County before yesterday. (I'm still pretty new here in Colorado). Now I know. And simply based on eBird data for Elbert it looks like it is not too often birded (or at least eBirded).

I think one of the better finds was a SHORT-EARED OWL in Arapahoe flying east of the rest stop that is along I-70 a short way north of Arapahoe's southern border. A MERLIN was in Agate, Elbert Co.

I encountered TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRES at several spots in the wide open where there were plantings of junipers near houses, and several in some natural juniper / ponderosa pine habitat in Elbert. I had one LAPLAND LONGSPUR in Arapahoe (Kiowa-Bennett Road), and two in Elbert Co (CR 53 and CR 162), and two NORTHERN SHRIKES in Elbert Co. Other than those mentioned above, raptors included 7 FERRUGINOUS HAWKS, 1 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, 1 HARLAN'S RED-TAILED HAWK, and 1 GOLDEN EAGLE. 

David Suddjian

Littleton