The Long-tailed Duck first reported by Aran Meyer from Fort Collins' North Shields Pond Natural Area (Larimer) on 1/18 is still present as of today, 25January. I found it today about a half mile north of where the path going west from the NSPNA parking lot meets the river. The duck was by itself in a pool of water below a dam north of the Sterling Natural Area, which is just north of NSPNA (our City Natural Areas people are fond of names and signs). From the NSPNA parking lot, walk west to the river (dam/spillway here) and then north on the dirt path out of NSP NA into Sterling NA (a painless, unnatural transition) and keep going north to a green bridge which crosses the river ("Notice - No Trespassing" sign on the west side of this bridge). Look north from the middle of the bridge to a distant dam marked by considerable orange tarping. The bird was in the river pool just south of the orange-tarped dam. The bridge is public, the riverbank next to where the duck was sitting is not. The long-tail was NOT with the Common Goldeneyes, as it consistently was during the early days of its discovery. If you find goldeneyes, go thru the flock but if the long-tail is not present, it still may be around somewhere feeding solo. I should also note that the bird, without apparent cause, took off and flew northwest along the river. I suppose it could hang out on the Poudre River anywhere from North Shields Pond to the town of LaPorte.
Also present along the river were 1 American Dipper (at the spillway due west of the parking lot), 11 Common Goldeneyes, Mallards, and a flock of 9 Cedar Waxwings. Dave Leatherman Fort Collins -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en.