SE Colorado Birding

Birding and discussion: A conservation-oriented birding blog that emphasizes low-impact birding and sustainable birding practices together with the enjoyment of birds. Southeast Colorado offers a diversity of habitats which provide premiere birding opportunities. Save Sabal Palm

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Pinyon Jays and Bonaparte's Gull

Today I was delighted to see a well good sized flock of 70-80 Pinyon Jays at Brush Hollow State Wildlife Area/Reservoir near Penrose. Pinyon Jays are on Audubon's WatchList and they are considered a "priority species" by Partners In Flight in all Intermountain West states. This species is a pinyon and juniper habitat obligate, and they are indicators of the health of pinyon-juniper woodlands. Although Fremont County has a significant amount of pinyon-juniper woodland, it is not often that I get to see such a good size flock such as this one.

At the pond at Sumo Golf Course just south of Florence, I saw an adult Bonaparte's Gull in basic plumage-it looked like this one. My gull id skills are not the sharpest in my birding toolshed (we don't get a lot of gulls around Canon City)- but gulls are starting to make a little sense to me (and I got photos that, though not what I would want to post, allowed me to check and recheck my identification). This bird had a smallish, thin and blackish bill, a postocular/ear spot, light grey upperwings with black trailing edge to white outer primaries (and visible underneath), whitish tail.
SeEtta

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