Pueblo birding

I took the opportunity to do a little birding in Pueblo on 1-19-06 while in town for an appointment. Though it was afternoon, I had some good finds for this area. I birded the former Valco ponds on just off of H96 and a few miles west of Pueblo Blvd. This series of former cement ponds have mostly been taken over by Colorado State Parks so a parks sticker is required.

These Valco ponds (not to be confused with Valco ponds in other towns in SE Colo) are adjacent to the Arkansas River just downstream of the Pueblo Reservoir dam. This provides the opportunities to bird both the river and pond areas while walking the trail that runs between them.

I saw a Black Phoebe, pictured here, feeding along the river. Black Phoebes, though still rare in Colo (there are small populations in western Colo) east of the Rockies, appear to be expanding their range into SE Colo with 5-10 birds seen each year and breeding documented in SW Pueblo County, and several locations in Fremont County. However, winter Black Phoebes are still quite unusual here with only a few former winter records in Fremont County. As is most often the case, I heard the "sip" calls before I saw the bird.

Other unusual birds for winter were an American Pipit and a Spotted Sandpiper, both working along the river shore. On the ponds were 40+ Common Goldeneye, about 5 Common Mergansers, hundreds of Buffleheads and other assorted common waterfowl and gulls.
SeEtta