Elbert region of Elbert Co 1/13

[David Suddjian]

Today I visited Elbert County, focusing on the portion of the county in the greater vicinity of the town of Elbert. I found a Red Crossbill (Type 2) nest in a pine along West Kiowa Creek Road, with the adults bringing food to young. Red Crossbills were encountered in smallish numbers at about 40% of my stops in appropriate habitat. Other highlights included White-throated Sparrow, Long-eared Owl, 4 Nor. Shrikes, 6 Mountain Bluebirds, 2 Lesser Goldfinches, and two flocks of Bushtits. 

A few ponds had some open water and West Kiowa Creek was mostly open and flowing well. Waterbirds included a male Wood Duck, 3 Gadwall, 28 Mallards, 36 Canada Geese, and 1 Great Blue Heron. 

Daytime raptors included 1 Cooper's Hawk (oddly --it seems-- treated as a rarity by the eBird filter), 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 2 Northern Harriers, 11 Red-tailed Hawks, 2 Ferruginous Hawks, 1 Rough-legged Hawk, 3 Golden Eagles, 7 Bald Eagles, 1 Prairie Falcon, 1 Merlin and 5 American Kestrels. Along West Kiowa Creek near CR 17 2 adult Golden Eagles were perched in the same cottonwood as 3 adult Balds (with two imm. Balds in an adjacent tree)!

David Suddjian

Ken Caryl Valley

Littleton, CO