My favorite winter birding route in El Paso County; Prospect Lake, Big Johnson Res, Squirrel Creek Rd. Monday, Nov 21.
Highlights: . Cackling Geese - thanks to Bill M for noting the good numbers of Cackling and Lesser Canada Geese in close proximity at Prospect Lake. While they mostly seemed to 'raft' separately as a species, the rafts were right next to each other and close to shore for some of the best comparison observing I have had. No Ross' Goose at this time as noted by Bill. Plenty of both Geese at Big Johnson as well. But by far closer looks at Prospect. . Bald Eagle forced large numbers of Geese into the air at Big Johnson. Always a great sight to see. Reminds me of being at Bosque del Apache. . Lesser Scaup at Big Johnson; and I tried hard to turn one into a Greater Scaup. It fished with the definite Lesser's but always at the periphery of the group. Close enough to make me think the head shape was right and the color was greenish. But at that distance I am always hesitant to make that call until it hopefully shows me the amount of white in the extended wing; which it never did. So I didn't count it; but my guess would be that this was one. . Clark's Grebe among Western's at Prospect Lake. . Merlin (fem) along Squirrel Creek Rd; hunting from fence posts and telephone poles. . Lapland Longspur; one, in with a flock of hundreds of horned larks. At a cattle water tank on the north side of the road (40' off road), about eight-tenths of a mile west of S. Ellicott Hwy. The water tank was mostly frozen but seeping water over the edge and into the pasture. This was the first big flock of horned larks I saw on the road, so I pulled over and settled in to watch the flock as they continuously took to flight and came back to land and forage and drink; at times just a few dozen at a time and at other times, hundreds at a time. After about 15 minutes I found my first non-Horned-Lark! Yeah. Rufous greater coverts, distinct and bold outline to auriculars; distinct median and lateral crown stripes. The head and upper parts of the bird were the parts best seen among the grass and all the larks. Neat thing is, that this flock continuously took to flight and would come back and land anywhere within an acre surrounding this spot; however this longspur always landed in the same 9 inches of ground every time. So, while its time on the ground was short; sometimes only staying put for a mere 2 seconds to 30 seconds at most; I could set the scope on the spot and it always came back to the same view! I stayed for another 20 minutes and this is the only non-horned-lark I could find. Surprisingly, no rough-legged or ferriginous hawks along Squirrel Ck Rd. Which I usually find this time of year. Plenty of red-tailed everywhere, but no rufous or harlan's plumaged individuals. Complete list below. Jeff J Jones ( <mailto:jjo...@jonestc.com> jjo...@jonestc.com) Teller County - 8500' - Montane Woodlands FIRST SIGHTINGS: World: 0, Location: 0, Annual: 3, World Annual: 3 Species: 37 - Subspecies: 0 - Forms: 37 Total Records: 59 BIG JOHNSON RESEVOIR - 31 Cackling Goose Branta hutchinsii Canada Goose Branta canadensis American Wigeon Anas americana Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Northern Pintail Anas acuta Canvasback Aythya valisineria Redhead Aythya americana Lesser Scaup [a*] Aythya affinis Bufflehead Bucephala albeola Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus Common Merganser Mergus merganser Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis Eared Grebe Podiceps nigricollis Western Grebe Aechmophorus occidentalis Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis American Kestrel Falco sparverius American Coot Fulica americana Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus Black-billed Magpie Pica hudsonia American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus European Starling Sturnus vulgaris Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta House Finch Carpodacus mexicanus PROSPECT LAKE - 21 Cackling Goose [a*] Branta hutchinsii Canada Goose Branta canadensis American Wigeon Anas americana Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Bufflehead Bucephala albeola Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis Eared Grebe Podiceps nigricollis Western Grebe Aechmophorus occidentalis Clark's Grebe Aechmophorus clarkii Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus American Coot Fulica americana Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis Rock Pigeon Columba livia Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus Black-billed Magpie Pica hudsonia American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos American Robin Turdus migratorius European Starling Sturnus vulgaris House Finch Carpodacus mexicanus House Sparrow Passer domesticus SQUIRREL CREEK RD - 7 Bufflehead Bucephala albeola American Kestrel Falco sparverius Merlin Falco columbarius Black-billed Magpie Pica hudsonia Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris Lapland Longspur [a*] Calcarius lapponicus Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta Birder's Diary - www.BirdersDiary.com - 11/22/2011 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. 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