The 119th CBC in Colorado
There were 51 Christmas Bird Counts in ColoradoÌýthis past winter.Ìý One new count was started in Southeastern Colorado, at Pinon Canyon.Ìý Colorado had 203 species during count day, plus six other count week only birds.Ìý Pueblo Reservoir led the way with 120 species, followed by Penrose with 118.Ìý Other counts reaching 100 speciesÌýwere Denver with 112,ÌýJohn Martin Reservoir with 108, andÌýµþ´Ç³Ü±ô»å±ð°ùÌýand Fort CollinsÌýwith 103Ìý±ð²¹³¦³ó.Ìý The weather seemed to be okay for most counts.ÌýÌýOpen water on some countsÌý³Ù³ó²¹³ÙÌýusually don’t have muchÌýproduced more species this year.Ìý
Colorado CBC Highlights:Ìý
Waterfowl highlights were: Three Trumpeter Swans and three Tundra Swans at Rawhide Energy Station, also a Tundra was at Barr Lake, and also one seen during count week at Penrose.Ìý Very unexpected were male and female Cinnamon Teal at Pueblo.Ìý A few scotersÌýwereÌýturned up,ÌýwithÌýsingle White-winged at Durango and Pueblo, and a Black at Denver.
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Never easy to find onÌýa Christmas Bird Count, a White-tailed Ptarmigan was seen at Aspen.Ìý The only Sharp-tailed Grouse talliedÌýwere six at Steamboat Springs.Ìý Greater Prairie-Chickens were seen at Bonny Reservoir (60) and Sterling (12).Ìý
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A Pacific Loon and a Red-necked Grebe appeared at Pueblo Reservoir.Ìý A Clark’s Grebe was at John Martin Reservoir.Ìý Photos of a grebe at Penrose turned out to be a hybrid Clark’s x Western Grebe.Ìý
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A few late shorebirdsÌýwere found.Ìý Single Spotted SandpipersÌýwereÌýat Barr Lake, Denver, and Grand Junction.Ìý Eight Greater Yellowlegs were at John Martin Reservoir, and a single one was up north atÌýWeldona-Fort Morgan.Ìý Three Least Sandpipers were at Rocky Ford in southeastern Colorado.Ìý
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Gull highlights were: Bonaparte’s at John Martin Reservoir (1) and Pueblo Reservoir (429).Ìý The only Mew Gull was at Pueblo Reservoir.Ìý A count weekÌýGlaucous-winged GullÌýwas at Loveland.Ìý Two Glaucous Gulls were in southeastern Colorado at John Martin Reservoir and two were north at Loveland.Ìý The only Great Black-backed Gull, which has been returning for many years, was at Pueblo Reservoir.Ìý
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On aÌýwarm early morning on the Penrose count, aÌýCommonÌýPoorwillÌýwas perched on a dirt road.Ìý
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A Red-headed Woodpecker was nicely photographed at Fountain Creek.Ìý A count weekÌýAcorn WoodpeckerÌýshowed up at Durango in southwestern Colorado.Ìý Pretty normal in recent years for Penrose, two Williamson’s Sapsuckers were found,Ìýbut not expectedÌýwas a female at Rocky Ford on the plains in southeastern Colorado.Ìý Five Yellow-bellied SapsuckersÌýwere found on eastern Colorado counts, and also a count week bird in southwest Colorado at Durango was more unexpected.Ìý
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Always a treat in Colorado, aÌýGyrfalconÌýwas well seen and photographed at Loveland.
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Black Phoebes turned up along the Arkansas River,ÌýwithÌýfour at Penrose and one at Pueblo Reservoir.Ìý A very lostÌýBlack PhoebeÌýwas up in the mountains, below Lake DeWeese dam, along the creek there, on the Westcliffe count.Ìý A long-stayingÌýVermilion FlycatcherÌýwas at Boulder;Ìýthough not seen on count day, at least it made the count week list.Ìý The shocker of the Colorado Christmas BirdÌýCount seasonÌýhappened in Grand Junction,ÌýwhereÌýobservers photographed a kingbird (allÌýkingbirds in Colorado in winterÌýshould be photographed, as none are expected at all), and the photos were of Colorado’s 3rdÌýeverÌýThick-billed Kingbird!Ìý AnotherÌýyellow-bellied kingbirdÌýwas reported at Grand Junction, without photos.Ìý
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A Carolina Wren was at Loveland.Ìý A Varied Thrush was at Colorado Springs, and a count week bird at Loveland.Ìý Two Brown Thrashers were at Fort Collins and a count week bird was at Denver (urban).Ìý The only Bohemian WaxwingsÌýwere at Steamboat Springs during count week.Ìý It seems like the entire state hasn’t had an invasionÌýof this speciesÌýin a while.
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Two Chestnut-collared Longspurs were found on the new Pinon Canyon count.Ìý ThereÌýwereÌýalso a fewÌýodd warblers; perhaps the bestÌýwas a TennesseeÌýWarblerÌýat Penrose,ÌýbutÌýunfortunatelyÌýno details were provided to the Regional Editor or the Records Committee as far as I know.Ìý This would be a first Colorado CBC record.Ìý A count week Orange-crowned Warbler was at Longmont.Ìý Two Common Yellowthroats were at Fountain Creek.Ìý An unexpected Yellow Warbler and a (Western) Palm Warbler were at Longmont.Ìý
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Details were provided for a few Chipping Sparrows;Ìýthree photographed at Aspen were surprising for the mountains, and also one at Denver and one at Pueblo Reservoir were a little more expected.Ìý A Field Sparrow spentÌýall winter at Colorado Springs.Ìý A Lark Sparrow was at Denver (urban).Ìý Single Fox Sparrows were at Bonny Reservoir, Boulder, and Rocky Ford.Ìý A Golden-crowned Sparrow was at Denver.Ìý Two Rufous-crowned Sparrows were at Penrose and one at Pinon Canyon.Ìý Green-tailed Towhees normally aren’t found in Colorado in winter, though sometimes they will show up on Christmas Bird Counts, this year singles were at three west slope locations: Cortez, Durango, and Steamboat Springs;Ìýthe one east slope one was at Fort Collins.Ìý A count weekÌýRose-breasted GrosbeakÌýat Steamboat Springs was very lost.Ìý Looking through Red-winged Blackbird flocks, can sometimes produce Yellow-headed Blackbirds;Ìýtwo at Bonny Reservoir, one at Colorado Springs, and one at Rocky Ford were the only ones found.Ìý Rusty Blackbirds winter in small numbers in Colorado,ÌýandÌýa few counts found them this winter;Ìýone at Barr Lake, one at Boulder, seven at Denver (urban), five at Penrose, and one atÌýSalida.
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A rareÌýPurple FinchÌýwas at Boulder.Ìý Not much of an invasion of Common RedpollsÌýoccurredÌýthis winter, sinceÌýonly one turned up at Rawhide Energy Station in northern Colorado.
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Thanks to my review team of Chris Wood, TonyÌýLeukeringÌý(former Regional Editors for Colorado) for their help with some of the records and photos.Ìý Thanks to the all the compilers and participants for their hard work to conduct and participant in Colorado Christmas Bird Counts.Ìý