Correction on Golden-crowned Sparrow

I was incorrect in stating that the Golden-crowned Sparrow was found this year by a local birder, Rich. He found it last year (likely the same bird) and a birder from north of Colorado Springs, David, found the bird this year. SeEtta

More Golden-crowned Sparrow pics

These pics show upper parts and nape of the Golden-crowned Sparrow that is spending the winter near the parking area below the Tunnel Drive trail in the far west part of Canon City. The dark stripes and lack of white on it's nape are distinctive and make this bird appear darker (at least to me)when seen from the rear or side. Clearly these views are less distinctive than a view showing the head with the yellow medial fore-crown. I think it's a rather attractive bird, even with it's more muted winter plumage.

Golden-crowned Sparrows normally winter along the west coast, from northern Baja, Mexico to Canada with a sliver going up the lower Colorado River along western border of Arizona to Nevada. So one on the eastern slope of Colorado is far out of range. SeEtta

Golden-crowned Sparrow in Canon City

As I noted below a Golden-crowned Sparrow, found by another local birder Rich, has been seen around the parking area for the Tunnel Driver trail. I saw it the other day, but of all the dumb things, did not have my camera with me (and I had a great opportunity for good shot, darn). I returned today with a friend to help them find the bird and was able to get this pic. It's golden crown is quite prominent as seen in the pic. It's bi-colored bill can be seen, though not as well (wouldn't you know, my best shot was with the bird behind some weeds.

No sign of the Ladder-back Woodpecker I saw there earlier this week. Before we left a Sharp-shinned Hawk flew in after the juncos and sparrows, scattering the birds everywhere. I will post some pics of it tomorrow. SeEtta

Lesser Prairie-Chicken public viewing site closed this year

I just got word that due to a serious decline in the population of Lesser Prairie-Chickens on the Comanche National Grassland. I strongly support appropriate restrictions to protect this very small population of a species listed as Threatened by the State of Colorado. SeEtta Here is the official notice:

COLORADO NATIONAL GRASSLAND LESSER PRAIRIE-CHICKEN
VIEWING AREA TEMPORARILY CLOSING THIS SPRING

Springfield, Colo., January 9, 2008 – The U.S. Forest Service, Comanche National Grassland will be closing the Lesser Prairie-Chicken Viewing Area during March through May, 2008. This is a temporary closure because the bird’s population has declined significantly in Baca County. The 2007 Baca County lek count showed 22 individual birds, down from 48 the year before.
The U.S. Forest Service will not allow the public, including bird tour groups, to utilize the site during March through May, 2008. The area of closure is along FS Road 545, between County Road C through G, approximately 12 miles east of Campo, Colorado.
The viewing area is typically open for the public to watch the mating dances of the male prairie chicken on the lek (displaying, courtship area) each spring. Because the number of Lesser prairie-chickens was down significantly during the 2007 mating season, U.S. Forest Service biologists made the recommendation to temporarily close the site. The hotter, drier spring and winter storms of 2006-2007 likely caused the estimated 46% drop in prairie-chicken numbers in Baca County.
According to Comanche Ranger Jeff Stoney, “While we have no evidence that the viewing area is contributing to the bird’s decline, this move will decrease the amount of disturbance on a population that is already at a critically low level.” The effort to increase bird numbers is supported by the Division of Wildlife and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Cimarron National Grassland near Elkhart, Kansas plans to have two Lesser Prairie-Chicken Viewing Areas open to the public where more birds survived the winter storm. For more information on the Kansas sites visit: http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/psicc/cim/cim_lpc.shtml

Tunnel Drive area of Canon City

There have been reports of a Golden-crowned Sparrow, a rare species here, being seen the Tunnel Drive area on the far west end of Canon City. There was a Golden-crowned Sparrow in the same location last year and I saw it then by the parking area. I didn't have much opportunity to look for it or for the Rufous-crowned Sparrows that are resident there as a city employee who knows who I am stopped me to complain about birders accessing the trail which is closed for repairs. I did however find the Ladder-backed Woodpecker in this poor quality pic (the bird was almost a 100 feet away and had an overcast sky behind it). The black & white barring over its upperparts, plus the black facial stripes that are field marks can be seen in the pic when it's enlarged and I believe there is red on it's forehead designating it as a male. Ladder-backed Woodpeckers are rarely seen here, usually not every year and usually only one in a year's time. This species has been found in two other areas of this county, Fremont County, are at best uncommon. They can be found in other parts of southeast Colorado more often (such as Cottonwood Canyon in far SE Colorado).

At the Tunnel Drive area I heard a Rock Wren, a species not found in many parts of Colorado in winter but there is at least one bird most winters at this location. I saw 2 American Dippers in the nearby Arkansas River and Canon Towhees, a species common in this location. I was surprised to see a Northern Harrier working up and down the area (it was working up the mountain which is fairly rugged and no real fields west of here for some miles). This seemed strange to me as there aren't really any large expanses of fields anywhere in this area. It did scatter a few birds when it dipped down toward a rocky slope where they were. SeEtta

Tunnel Drive Canon Towhee

Today I really got out to do some birding before another big cold front comes through and drops the temps again. I stopped at Tunnel Drive on the west end of Canon City. Though it is closed for repairs, I found this Canon Towhee by the parking area. Canon Towhees are fairly common in this rocky, pinyon-juniper and chollo cactus habitat. The specialty of the area is Rufous-crowned Sparrows, a species I almost always see in association with Canon Towhees; however, I didn't see any of these sparrows today and could only locate two Canon Towhees.

This pic of the towhee is interesting. The wind was blowing a little but only one section of the birds feathers were ruffled by the wind. I find the eyes very interesting as this view seems to indicate that the eyes are set in a concave manner on the sides of the face. This curvature can be seen best by double-clicking the pic to enlarge it (though this pushes the pic past the best resolution). I'm not sure if this is a visual allusion or an actuality.
More tomorrow. SeEtta

Busy Downy Woodpeckers

Finally the weather has started warming after an unusually long cold and snowy spell for this area. I watched two male Downy Woodpeckers foraging, busily drilling into tree branches in search of tasty morsels.

The handsome fellow in this pic shows a little brownish cast on it's nasal bristles. I believe this is from the wood particles that have landed on it's face from it's drilling. Check out those toenails--really long so they can cling to a branch or bark of a tree. SeEtta

Dark Merlin near Canon City

I saw this rather dark Merlin at my friend's farm near Canon City late this afternoon when the light was poor. It appeared to have dark brown back and light malar marking like a female or immature Taiga Merlin. However, most Merlin in Colorado are from the lighter race of Prairie Merlins. I will check more pics tomorrow. SeEtta

Lewis's Woodpecker on Final Christmas Bird Count

Yesterday I participated in the last SE Colo Christmas Bird Count, this one in the Colorado City/Lake Beckwith area southwest of Pueblo. It was windy when we began but the winds increased to almost 70 mph in the area, making it not only difficult to find birds but sometimes to even stand up.

I spotted this Lewis's Woodpecker clinging to a snag, and on the downwind side of the snag. I didn't want to get closer than the 75 or so feet I was from the bird since I didn't want to flush it with the strong wind gusts beginning. So I can't enlarge it any further. SeEtta

Pueblo Christmas Bird & Ferruginous Hawk

The Pueblo City Christmas Bird Count was held on Dec 31. We found somewhere around 80 or so species, not nearly as high as the species found on the Pueblo Reservoir Count which was around 125. Certainly that count has the advantageous of a very large body of water with many ducks and other waterfowl plus the surrounding open lands on the Colo State Park and State Wildlife areas. But the Pueblo City count is good for it's focus on counting all those common birds that are found in the developed residential and industrial areas found around cities--in terms of the purpose of the Christmas Bird Counts, it is the counting of these more common species that is as important as any of the rarer birds.

On the eastern and southern parts of the Pueblo City CBC count circle there is farm and some range land, places where a number of hawks are found. I saw this light Ferruginous Hawk near the Arkansas River. SeEtta