51st Pueblo Reservoir CBC on 20 December

[Brandon]

Pueblo Reservoir CBC update. At the end of the compilation party in downtown Pueblo at Mark Yaeger's art gallery on Saturday evening, we were at least 113 species of birds today (maybe a feeder watcher added something else) and at least three other count week birds so far. Much less species than last year's 130 species (less rarities around this year, less juniper berries around, it seems).  It has been warm, probably more birds lingering further north.

Two new birds for the count: a BARN SWALLOW (flew by a bunch of us mid-day at Snakeskin Picnic Area at Lake Pueblo State Park) and a SANDHILL CRANE seen early in the morning at the Gravel Pit! Maybe more interesting, no Mountain Bluebirds (or any other bluebird) at all today (not a lot juniper berries around this year), we have had the National Christmas Bird Count high count of Mountain Bluebirds one time on this count, no Rock Wren, Prairie Falcon, Mourning Dove, Juniper Titmouse, Lesser Goldfinch, Western Screech-Owl. 

Other goodies: two Rufous-crowned Sparrows (only the 3rd time for the count), Red-throated Loon, Great Black-backed Gull, Short-billed Gull (count week), Lesser Black-backed Gull, Iceland (Thayer's Gull), American White Pelican (count week), Red-necked and Clark's Grebe, Snow Goose, Greater Scaup, Barrow's Goldeneye, Double-crested Cormorant, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Pygmy Nuthatch, Sage Thrasher, Swamp, White-throated and Lincoln's Sparrows, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, 2 Brewer's Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird (count week), only Warblers found were a few Yellow-rumpeds, 3 Greater Roadrunners, I believe more White-winged Doves than Eurasian Collared Doves. Only 1 Loggerhead Shrike and 1 Northern Shrike, also only one Western Scrub-Jay, two Pine Siskins, certainly low totals for some birds. Interesting day, a HUGE thanks to our excellent team of counters today, many coming from out of town to help. The weather was less than ideal, with the strong winds in the morning, it was like 62 degrees at sunrise, strong west winds, then later in the morning, winds switched to the east, and the temperature dropped to like 44 degrees quickly and didn't warm up much after that, and still breezy to windy, then it calmed down after mid-day, and more birds appeared.

Next year's, Pueblo Reservoir CBC is Saturday, 19 December 2026.  We typically only have around 20-25 participants each year, so always looking for more helpers.

We have a few more local Christmas Bird Counts left.  Come join us down here, if you can.

Lake Isabel CBC (southern Pueblo County) : Saturday, Dec 27th

Pueblo CBC (southeast of Pueblo): Friday, Jan 2nd

Spanish Peaks CBC (La Veta): Saturday 3rd

Brandon K Percival