Canon City area birding 11-29-05

After the very cold night, the weather was slow to warm this morning so I looked first for signs of Williamson's or Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers since I can do a lot of it from my car. The Canon City area has had several of each of these sapsucker species in the past few winters and about 10 days ago I had seen some probable fresh sapsucker holes in one of Canon City parks that has hosted both species in the past. When sapsuckers have been working a tree, there are fresh "sap wells" (distinctive holes in a tree) which tend to be horizontal rows (often several rows run parallel to each other).
Today I found a good number of sap wells in 3 different trees in one park, but could not locate the sapsucker. This is not unusual as I have found that I don't find sapsuckers I go looking for on every occasion.

Sell's Lake at the west end of the Canon City Riverwalk produced 1 Redhead Duck, several male and female Hooded Mergansers, Gadwalls, Ring-necked Ducks and American Wigeon.

The prob 1st winter Surf Scoter continues at Brush Hollow. Today it floated in the company of a pair of Mallards until disturbed by 3 Ring-billed Gulls. Later a female Common Merganser joined them. There were still 3 female Common Mergansers were present and diving frequently. A loose flock of over 50 Mountain Bluebirds (including the one in the picture), accompanied by a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, an American Tree Sparrow and some Dark-eyed Juncos flew in and out of the juniper trees.

Towards dusk as I finished my fitness walk just east of Canon City I found a Marsh Wren, a species not very common here in the winter. It scolded me severely for daring to trespass in its territory.