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CBC Colorado chicken chase (fwd)



------- Forwarded message follows -------
From:           	Derb Carter <derbc@selcnc.org>
Subject:        	CBC Colorado chicken chase
Date sent:      	Mon, 21 Apr 2003 15:31:35 -0400

We just returned from a very successful six day Carolina Bird Club trip to
Colorado.  The major objective was to observe the various grouse with their
interesting early Spring lek behavior, and we were not disappointed.  We saw
displaying Greater and Gunnison Sage-Grouse, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Blue
Grouse, and Greater and Lesser Prairie Chickens.  We rounded out our chicken
list with Scaled Quail, Northern Bobwhite, Ring-necked Pheasant, Turkey and
(after a long scramble up a canyon) a calling Chukar.  Last, but not least,
we had reach out and touch views of snow white White-tailed Ptarmigans
yesterday morning at Loveland Pass.  We thought the ptarmigan might elude us
since the usual Guanella Pass site was closed due to snow, but the birding
network came through with information on the Loveland Pass birds (thanks to
the snow boarders).  With "ptarmigan or bust" etched on our very dirty vans
we raced up to the pass before our noon airport finish for the trip.  Since
we had quick success with the ptarmigan, we raced to another site and were
successful with good views of two normally elusive Three-toed Woodpeckers in
a recent burn.  This was typical of the trip, little sleep but lots of
birding.  The energetic birders in the "Disco Van" and "Rock Van" found an
amazing 173 species in between the grouse leks, including Mountain Plover,
McCown's and Chestnut-collared Longspurs, all three Rosy-Finches, Pine
Grosbeak, Lewis's Woodpecker, Vermilion Flycatcher (how lucky can you get
for Colorado), Feruginous Hawk, Northern Goshawk, Burrowing Owl and other
specialties.  We had several good photographers on the trip and hopefully
some of the photos will be posted soon.

Derb Carter 
Chapel Hill, NC     

------- End of forwarded message -------
-- 
Charles W. "Will" Cook                  w 919-660-7423
http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook            cwcook@duke.edu
Box 90340, Biology Dept., Duke Univ., Durham, NC 27708