My Colorado Trip Day 1 Part A

So I made my annual pilgrimage to Telluride, Colorado a month earlier than usual.  I go with a group of non-birder guys for some golf, football, and relaxation.  Typically, we play golf several days during the week and watch football the rest of the time.  Well football season hasn’t started yet so we did less of that.  I make an effort to stay busy, enjoying the outdoors when we are not doing something as a group.  Of course, us lowlanders being thrown into an anaerobic environment with hills/ mountains to climb on top of that, make it all the harder to enjoy the outdoors, but I worked through it.  So we flew into Montrose and went to the grocery store and made the hour and a half trip to Telluride, enjoying the view as we drove.  I had heard that Ridgeway, which is on the way has a number of Bald Eagles that winter there and later found out that there were a few in the area already, but I try not to hold up those who don’t necessarily appreciate the wonders of the avian group.

We got to my friend’s house and it was easier than I remembered getting all of the groceries and suitcases up to the main floor, although I did start to get short of breath pretty quickly.  I finished and unpacked my carry-on bag that had my D90 and D40 bodies, my 4 lenses and 2x extender, my flash and better beamer as well as my laptop and assorted electronics.  The bag was packed to the brim with everything and wouldn’t you know it I ended up having to check it at the door because it didn’t fit above and I really didn’t want to have my legs cramped for the flight.

I took off while everybody was getting settled and took some pictures of the birds that I could find.  Crows and Robins were everywhere.  He lives off of the golf course there and the Robins stayed on the fairways most evenings and mornings.  The crows were in the tree tops and were always making a ruckous.

I walked into the Mountain Village and saw sparrows that I could not find in my Sibley’s.  It turns out that they were juvenile Slate Colored Juncos and White Crowned Sparrows.  The Juncos didn’t look anything like their parents, they were streaky breasted and streaky headed with eye rings and I struggled for a few days with those IDs.

Also I saw some Orange-crowned Warblers that gave me fits because of the gray colored hood that they had.  I wanted to call them Orange-crowneds but kept trying to make them MacGillivray’s Warblers because of the distinct coloring.  Well, at least I recognized the MacGillivray’s on a test ID sent via email on my regular emails from Jim Stevenson.

I did see a bird that I got atrocious pictures of that might be a MacG’s warbler, but it too may be a Orange-crowned.

9:32 PM - September 4, 2009 - post comment

warblers

Hi Dave, I believe the race orestera would be in this area. Intermediate between the bright western and duller eastern birds. All your photos look like Orange-crowned

Andy - 10:56 PM - September 4, 2009

Colorado? Take me next time!

I'm jealous. I lived in Colorado for many years, and I love to go back every chance I get. This would be a great time to go, too, with the seasons just beginning to change.

Great shots! Looks like a good trip.

Orange-crowned warblers are so much fun because they're varied yet generic; quick glimpses can leave you wondering what you saw. And I'd say that last photo is an orange-crowned as well.

- jason
xenogere.com

Anonymous - 1:15 PM - September 6, 2009