Recent upper Arkansas River watershed birding

I didn't get a chance to do any birding today so will take the opportunity to discuss some birding opportunities in the upper Arkansas Valley in Chaffee County. I did some of this higher elevation birding on Oct 15 with the following results (common generalist birds like Robins excluded):

From Mt Princeton Hot Springs to Buenva Vista (elevation around 8,000 feet)with both pinyon-juniper, mixed pine (ponderosa and pinyon) and ponderosa pine habitats, I saw the following :

Scrub and Stellar's Jays; Mountain Chickadee; Pygmy (flocks of 5+) and White-breasted Nuthatch; Mountain Bluebirds and requisite Townsend's Solitairs.

In Buena Vista, a small town at 8,000 feet elevation, with a small lake and mixed wooded semi-urban habitat produced the following:

--Lewis' Woodpecker-2+ birds
--Hairy Woodpecker-1
--Pinyon Jay-flock of 35-40 with great close looks of them feasting on pinyon nuts (and great to see a reasonable size flock as this is a species of special concern)

Cottonwood Lake area (elevation around 9,600 feet)netted the following:

--Golden-crowned Kinglets-small flock of 4-6 beauties
--Brown Creepers-2 (1 with the kinglets)
--Lincoln's Sparrow-1 in marshy area (a little late at this elevation)
--California Gull-1 at Rainbow Lake (around 9,600 feet)
--Gray Jays-2+ just under 10,000 feet near Cottonwood Pass


Back down in Salida at only 7,000 feet at Sand Lake (which has been drained):

--Wilson's Snipe-7-8 enjoying the mud in the now drained lake


There is great birding in all parts of the Arkansas River wateshed.

SeEtta