Beaver Creek State Wildlife Area/N.Saw-whet Owl

Yesterday I drove out to Beaver Creek State Wildlife Area (SWA). Though located due north of Penrose, it is accessed via CR132 near CR67. This SWA is adjacent to the BLM's Beaver Creek Wilderness Study Area (WSA), so there is a lot of good wildlife habitat in the area even though there several of those habitat-fragmenting 35-acre sprawlettes in the area. There are also great opportunities for long hikes through the WSA.

Beaver Creek stream, which has perennial flows, cuts through the SWA so there is a lot of cottonwood trees as well as willow trees and shrubs. These are surrounded by pinyon-juniper habitat at the lower elevation and mixed pines at the upper elevations. Scrub(Gambel)oak is intersperced throughout the area.

I saw at least 30 Northern Flickers (including a dozen that were flushed by 3 low flying helicopters from the nearby Ft Carson Army property), several Downey Woodpeckers, 2 Hairy Woodpeckers, a few Spotted Towhees and Stellars Jays, as well as lots of Dark-eyed Juncos and Robins. The highlight of the visit was at least one (though possibly two) Northern Saw-whet Owl calling as I left the area around dusk. I was listening for owls, so I drove slowly with my windows down some (and the heater on as it was chilly due to continuing winds). Actually I was lucky to hear this owl calling close enough to the road to hear it as the winds that had been blowing all afternoon had not died down at dusk as I had hoped. I stopped and listened to this little owl for about 15 minutes as it made its "advertising call" (whistled notes, about 2/second, at same pitch) on & on & on & on with only very brief interludes (lasting only seconds). It was still calling as I drove away. I heard more of these whistled calls a ways down the road and think it was a second owl, but with the wind there is the chance I was just hearing the same one.
SeEtta