NT
Colorado
6th June 1989 - 12th June 1989
6th June.
On the 5th June I traveled from London to Denver then drove north to the motel in Estes Park arriving in the evening. I was in Colorado to sound record in the Rocky Mountains National Park for the BBC series 'Land of the Eagle'.
I started the morning by going for breakfast, then looking around Estes Park, new species for me will be in bold, I saw House Finch, American Robin, House Sparrow, American Crow, Violet-green Swallow, a Mountain Cottontail, a Richardson's Ground Squirrel, a Mountain Bluebird and a Sharp-shinned Hawk.
Then I drove into the park, to explore and find areas which would be good to record in. I had to record atmospheres and some target species, so needed places away from people, but which also held the birds and mammals that the programme required.
During my drive I saw Mountain Bluebird, one of my target birds, also American Robin, Brown-headed Cowbird, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Violet-green Swallow, a Red-naped Sapsucker, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Mallard, Ring-necked Duck, Richardson's Ground Squirrel, Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel, Least Chipmunk, Black-headed Grosbeak, Black-billed Magpie, Steller's Jay, Mule Deer, a Long-tailed Weasel, Brewer's Blackbird, Red-winged Blackbird, House Wren and a Coyote.
In the evening in Estes Park there were Common Nighthawks flying around.
Rocky Mountains.
Richardson's Ground Squirrel.
Least Chipmunk.
7th June.
An early start in the Rocky Mountains National Park seeing Sharp-shinned Hawk, American Robin, Mule Deer, Black-billed Magpie, American Crow, Brown-headed Cowbird, Brewer's Blackbird, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, 2 Spotted Sandpipers, Cordilleran Flycatcher now split from Western Flycatcher, Green-tailed Towhee, Western Wood Pewee, Wilson's Snipe, a Mountain Cottontail, Pygmy Nuthatch, House Wren, Starling, Colorado Chipmunk, Least Chipmunk, Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel, Yellow-bellied Marmot, a Coyote with another heard, Red-naped Sapsucker, Long-tailed Weasel, Crossbill, a Red-tailed Hawk, a Prairie Falcon, Mountain Bluebird, Steller's Jay, Raven, 30+ Clark's Nutcrackers, 4 Gray Jays, 4 Dark-eyed Juncos, a Golden Eagle, Buff-breasted or American Pipit, Evening Grosbeak, a Pika, a Brown-capped Rosy-Finch, 9 Elk, a Horned Lark and 10 Bighorns.
Rocky Mountains.
Colorado Chipmunk.
Clark's Nutcracker.
Elk.
Yellow-bellied Marmots.
8th June.
Another day in the Rocky Mountains National Park, I started in an area near the large Moraine trying to record the calls of Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, also the mechanical sounds made by the wings of the male's dive display, which produces a buzz, in ordinary flight a trill, I eventually managed to get some quite close recordings.
Also seen were Black-billed Magpie, Mule Deer, 4 Gray Jays, Clark's Nutcrackers, 10+ Steller's Jays, Colorado and Least Chipmunks, 2 American Red Squirrels, a Snowshoe Hare, Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels, White-crowned Sparrow, a Plumbeous Vireo now split from Solitary Vireo, Ravens, 5 Wilson's Warblers, American Pipits, 14 Elk, 11 Bighorns, Mountain Bluebird, Warbling Vireo, Audubon's Warblers, Cordilleran Flycatcher, a Red-tailed Hawk, a Goshawk, Red-naped Sapsucker and Common Flicker.
Moraine in Rocky Mountains National Park.
Snowshoe Hare.
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel.
Clark's Nutcracker.
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel.
9th June.
Back in the Rocky Mountains National Park, today seeing Mule Deer, an Elk, 7 Bighorns, Raven, American Robin, Barn Swallow, House Wren, Mountain Bluebird, a Western Tanager, Hairy woodpecker, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Violet-green Swallow, Red-naped Sapsucker, Cordilleran Flycatcher, Mourning Dove, Tree Swallow, Brown-headed Cowbird, Common Grackle, a Virginia Rail with another heard, Wilson's Snipe, Common Flicker, Green-tailed Towhee, Mountain Chickadee, Colorado and Least Chipmunks, Yellow-bellied Marmot, Richardson's Ground Squirrel and Black-billed Magpie.
Storm over the Rocky Mountains.
Richardson's Ground Squirrel.
Yellow-bellied Marmots.
10th June.
Another day in the Rocky Mountains National Park, this time I drove further into the park visiting some different areas, seeing Mule Deer, Black-billed Magpie, American Robin, Mountain Bluebird, Steller's Jay, Clark's Nutcracker, Dark-eyed Junco, Colorado and Least Chipmunks, Raven, American Pipit, Horned Lark, White-crowned Sparrow, a Bighorn, a Coyote, a White-tailed Ptarmigan, 2 Elk, an American Red Squirrel, Richardson's Ground Squirrel, Green-tailed Towhee, Brown-capped Rosy-Finch, Barn and Violet-green Swallows, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-tailed Hawk, Chipping Sparrow, heard 2 Virginia Rails, House Wren, Pygmy Nuthatch, Mountain Chickadee, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Audubon's Warbler, an American Dipper and a Fox Squirrel.
Clark's Nutcracker.
Avalanche damage in Rocky Mountains.
Clark's Nutcracker.
11th June.
My last full day in Colorado, starting in the Rocky Mountains National Park seeing Mountain Bluebird, Pygmy Nuthatch, American Robin, Barn and Violet-green Swallows, Green-tailed Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, House Wren, Richardson's Ground Squirrel, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, 2 Red-tailed Hawks, a Long-tailed Weasel, a Cooper's Hawk, a Hairy Woodpecker, a Black-backed Woodpecker, Steller's Jay and a Tassel-eared Squirrel.
Later, I drove south to Wild Basin, a mixed area of habitats, from foothill scrub through coniferous forest to mountain slopes, seeing White-breasted Nuthatch, Western Wood Pewee, American Robin, Warbling Vireo, Wilson's Warbler, Audubon's Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 2 Dusky Flycatchers, Pine Siskin, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Mountain Chickadee, American Red Squirrel, a Hammond's Flycatcher, Least Chipmunk, Yellow-bellied Marmot, Dark-eyed Junco, Raven, Hermit Thrush, a Fox Squirrel, Hairy Woodpecker and Common Flicker.
Rocky Mountains.
Richardson's Ground Squirrels.
12th June.
Leaving Estes Park I drove south to Wild Basin again, where I spent a couple of hours seeing Red-tailed Hawk, Steller's Jay, Mountain Chickadee, Western Wood Pewee, American Robin, Barn and Violet-green Swallows, White-breasted Nuthatch, Green-tailed Towhee, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Common Grackle, Warbling Vireo and Least Chipmunk.
Later, I continued south to Denver.