December 2005 was a record month for the number of bird species beating the previous record of December 2004 by one species to give a total of 123 bird species. In contrast January 2006 came nowhere close to last year’s record 122 species with only 99 bird species reported. The Boulder Christmas Bird Count (BCBC) always produces good coverage both on the day of the count and during the scouting trips leading up to it. Since it is based on a circle of diameter fifteen miles centered on Boulder, it covers a large part of the county with a wide range of habitats. The Indian Peaks Winter Count (IP) provides good coverage of our winter mountain birds. It nominally took place on January 7 but in fact could take place nearly a month either side of this date. December had a couple of cold spells early in the month, then was unseasonably warm with a record high of 68F on Christmas Day. January continued mild with very little precipitation. Some days never dropped below freezing.

Five species of geese were reported both months: Greater White-fronted Goose, Snow Goose, Ross’ Goose, Canada Goose and Cackling Goose. Dodd Reservoir was the place to see geese in their thousands and gave a great opportunity to compare the different species. The first Tundra Swans of the year were reported in early December in two different locations. In recent years Tundra Swans have been less common than Trumpeter Swans. A White-winged Scoter was reported at Lagerman Reservoir in December and a single Greater Scaup was seen at Walden Ponds in January. Valmont Reservoir always has the greatest selection of grebes and diving ducks in winter as the power station keeps the water from freezing. A Red-necked Grebe was seen on Valmont in January. A male Cinnamon Teal seen on January 13 was an unexpectedly early sighting. It is unclear whether the bird had wintered here or was newly arrived.

Eight species of gull were reported in December including Bonaparte’s Gull, Mew Gull, Thayer’s Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull and Glaucous Gull. A Lesser Black-backed Gull was also seen in January on Baseline Reservoir. A late Lesser Yellowlegs lingered into the first few days of December. American Pipits were seen both months wintering at Valmont Reservoir. A Green-tailed Towhee also appeared to be wintering in a Boulder yard. A Say’s Phoebe seen in January was a most unusual winter species, as was a Northern Parula Warbler. Unfortunately, the Parula did not survive. A Carolina Wren was found at Boulder Reservoir in late January. This is the first sighting of this species since 1999.

For the second year in a row, the hot spot for mountain birds was the Fawnbrook Inn in Allenspark. The feeders at the inn attracted enormous flocks of Rosy Finch; one estimate suggested around eight hundred birds. All three types of Rosy Finch (Gray-crowned, Brown-capped and the less common Black) were seen by many observers. A Common Redpoll was among the finches in December. Both Pine Grosbeak and Evening Grosbeak were also seen nearby. Cassin Finch numbers were extremely low with only two birds reported in December, but Red Crossbills were fairly widespread. Two Lesser Goldfinch stayed at a Boulder feeder in December.

Both Eurasian Collared Dove and Great-tailed Grackle can now be expected as winter sightings. In December 2005 there were 10 Mourning Doves reported and a single Eurasian Collared Dove. In January only the latter were reported. It will be interesting to watch what happens with these species in the future. Winter sightings of Grackles seem to be more likely to be Great-tailed than Common. The last report of Common Grackle for the year was on December 1. TOP