We visited some
nearby feeders in a residential area after a leisurely 7am breakfast and this
proved to be a great visit as there were at least 2 male Pine Grosbeaks and at leas one female present in the surrounding
trees.
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| Pine Grosbeak |
One male was particularly obliging as he came down to a roadside puddle
to drink right in front of us. A few Red
Crossbils were also particularly pleasing to some of our group as they were
of the ‘ponderosa pine’ race.
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| Red Crossbill |
At least 12 Brown-capped
Rosy-Finches were here, a couple of Grey-crowned
Rosy-Finches, Cassin’s Finch, along
with Pygmy Nuthatch (although the
views couldn’t beat the ones outside our motel earlier this morning), Steller’s and Grey Jays and a posing Clarke’s
Nutcracker.
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| Clarke's Nutcracker |
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| Pygmy Nuthatch |
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| Red Fox |
We then headed up
into the snow-covered mountains to Loveland Pass, where after what seemed an
eternal half an hour search, we finally caught up with White-tailed Ptarmigan. One bird was seen down to around a metre
feeding in front of us. It was totally oblivious to our presence and literally
ran up to us, through us, around us before finding a suitable patch of
dwarf-scrub willow to feed on before heading up the hill and away. What an
experience and the undoubted highlight of the tour.
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| White-tailed Ptarmigan |
Leaving here in
high spirits we drove to the foothills after swapping our warm weather gear for
lighter clothing back at the motel. We searched the conifer forests in vain
before heading to Red Rocks where a posing male Broad-tailed Hummingbird displayed all around us from his various
song posts along the road. Apart from American
Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Lincoln’s Sparrow and a couple of Orange-crowned Warblers….
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| Broad-tailed Hummingbird |
In the late
afternoon a quick visit to the local water treatment works resulted in sightings
of 2 Western Ospreys on nests and both
Audubon’s and Myrtle Warblers to round off a great day.
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