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Checklist S26814124

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Main details

Location Wildernest (community)
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Additional details

People

Owner Chris Wood

Other participating eBirders

Effort

Protocol:  Traveling
  • Observers:  3
  • Distance:  1.2 mi

Checklist Comments

Joey Kellner, Kathy Mihm Dunning and I spent the day birding around northern Colorado combining a few targeted searches with real birding later in the afternoon. This was the first time I had met Kathy, and it had been far too long since Joey and I were in the field together. The day was a perfect mix of great birds and beautiful birding conditions, reminding me yet again of how much I miss birding Colorado. Weather was generally cold (-2 to 24F) but sunny and calm. In the morning, trees glistened with a beautiful layer of hoarfrost, particularly along Hwy 285 in Boulder and Larimer counties.

We arrived in the Wildernest/Silverthorne area right around sunrise. We started on Elk Thistle Drive where we watched clouds of rosy-finches float into the treetops and descend by the hundreds to the feeders. Flocks were dominated by Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches including about 12% Hepburn’s. There were also fair numbers of Brown-capped and a few Black Rosy-Finches. We continued on a relatively short loop along Spring Beauty Drive, Larkspur Lane and Royal Buffalo Drive. We also targeted Pine Grosbeak, but didn’t find any.

WEATHER: Cold! -2F. Partly cloudy. Calm.

Totals

15
Species Observed
+1 other taxa, 1,022 individuals
6
Species with Photos

Observations

  1. Downy Woodpecker (Rocky Mts.)

    Number observed:  4

    Media

  2. Hairy Woodpecker (Rocky Mts.)

    Number observed:  2

    Details

    Drumming male; female

    Breeding & Behavior Code:

    T Territorial Defense (Probable)

  3. Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)

    Number observed:  1

  4. Canada Jay (Rocky Mts.)

    Number observed:  1

    Media

  5. Steller's Jay

    Number observed:  23

    Details

    Exact count.

  6. Black-billed Magpie

    Number observed:  2

  7. American Crow

    Number observed:  1

  8. Common Raven

    Number observed:  4

  9. Black-capped Chickadee

    Number observed:  2

  10. Mountain Chickadee

    Number observed:  24

  11. Pygmy Nuthatch

    Number observed:  6

  12. Red-breasted Nuthatch

    Number observed:  1

  13. Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (Hepburn's)

    Number observed:  60

    Media

  14. Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (Gray-crowned)

    Number observed:  800

    Details

    Photos. Huge flocks. Counted by groups of 5 to come up with flock of 580; then had another flock come in that was about 4/5 the size of that flock. Given estimate of that flock, reduced overall number and took into account ratio with other taxa of Rosy Finches.

    Media

  15. Black Rosy-Finch

    Number observed:  6

    Details

    Possibly more than this. Saw

    Media

  16. Brown-capped Rosy-Finch

    Number observed:  85

    Media

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