We PA Birders migrated from Lamar (finding Broad-winged Hawk in College Woods on May 2) and sweeping snow from our slide covers as we reeled them in. Pike’s Peak was obscured by cloud but we sailed clear with RV to campground west of Gunnison.
Here spring is slow to arrive. No vireos nor even Western Kingbirds at all. A few Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Marsh Wrens, (Canyon Wren in Black Canyon), Say’s Phoebe at Blue Mesa Reservoir (where also Sage Thrasher and Brewer’s Sparrow singing on territory.) We’re picking up the regional specialties (White throated Swift, Clark’s Nutcrackers -at Black Canyon on 5/3- Mountain and Western Bluebirds and Townsend’s Solitaire, Cassin’s Finch, and Red-naped and Williamson Sapsuckers. Today at Noon we enjoyed American Dipper at Granite Campground, Gunnison N.F., one carrying nesting material and a Golden Eagle soaring in circles at the top of the canyon. Otherwise except for singing American Robin and Yellow-rumped Warbler there was only Mountain Chickadee there. Oh, and snow banks still along the stream. We barely saw life-bird, Gunnison Sage Grouse at the Waunita Lek on May 4. The birds fled just as the light was enough to make out details of plumage. Oh well, its not the first time we have based an identification on location. We could see that they were sage grouse. We dipped at Slumgullion Pass on the evening of May 4. We coursed along the highway and walked about the closed campground until ten p.m. hearing only silence before and after making the whinny-like calls of the Boreal Owl. Perhaps it is too late in the season. Perhaps we should have stayed until midnight. Unfortunately it was literally freezing and we had almost a two hour drive back to camp over a game infested highway. We will try again at the end of the week on the Grand Mesa (this time camping only a half hour from the top.) Again, if anyone can provide specific locations that would be grand. Last evening we sought Flams along the top of CR 26, the Sapinero Road and again came up empty. Assuming they do summer in the fine Ponderosa parkland there, they have not yet arrived. We only checked the first mile because the road is currently gated for grouse season. Still, it was a pleasant two-mile walk in silent darkness. Tomorrow we move downhill to Montrose where it may be livelier with migrants and then to below Grand Mesa still seeking Boreal, Flammulated, and Northern Pigmy Owls. Charles Strehl woodstrehlatgmail.com Biglerville PA -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msg/cobirds/-/hL7HK7n7y0oJ. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
