SE Colorado Birding: Late Common Goldeneye in Canon City area

Saturday, June 03, 2006

Late Common Goldeneye in Canon City area

A female Common Goldeneye I had seen a week or so ago is still present on the Arkansas River in the Canon City area. Common Goldeneye breed in Canada and Alaska with the closest breeding territories in northern and northwestern Montana and most move out of Colorado by now. Just over five years ago I watched a female Common Goldeneye and a male Barrow's Goldeneye that spent the summer on this same section of the Arkansas River.

There was also a female Common Merganser in the same location last week but I didn't see her today. Though most of this species breed on the west slope and the San Luis Valley, I have seen adults with fledglings in Fremont and Pueblo counties in past years indicating they do breed in this area.

SeEtta

Why bird southeast Colorado?

From our high montane areas to the riparian areas along the Arkansas River as it exits Colorado, southeast Colorado offers birding opportunities for beginners to those serious birders who seek out the less common species. We have great shortgrass and sandsage prairie birding including public areas on the Comanche National Grasslands. We have wetlands including playa lakes (playas are important shallow, depressional wetlands that provide essential habitat for waterfowl and many other bird species). We have small lakes (such as Lake Cheraw north of La Junta)and large lakes (such as John Martin Reservoir that encompasses 35 square miles) that host an impressive diversity of bird species. And we have large expanses of pinyon-juniper woodlands with their special birding opportunities.

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SE Colorado Birding

Saturday, June 03, 2006

Late Common Goldeneye in Canon City area

Why bird southeast Colorado?

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