[Birdnet] Crystal Lake Three-toeds and THANKS

[Kristin Purdy]

Yesterday afternoon between 3 and 6 pm a noisy bunch of THREE-TOED 
WOODPECKERS kept me busy chasing them around Crystal Lake in Summit County 
along SR-150. I saw between six and eight woodpeckers and may have seen more 
because I didn't count an adult male and female twice even though I saw 
adult birds several times. I believe there were two different family groups.

The woodpeckers drummed the whole time I was there and it was pretty easy to 
find them. A couple times I had three birds in the same binocular view. No 
particular side of the lake was better; I followed the birds all the way 
around the lake more than once. I was back again this morning and early 
afternoon and only heard 4-5 drumming sequences around noon. I didn't pursue 
them this time. From the look of many trees where I saw the birds yesterday, 
they've been there for awhile.

If you visit Crystal Lake to pursue these woodpeckers, be familiar with 
their distinct drumming cadence because Northern Flickers and Downy and 
Hairy Woodpeckers were also in the area yesterday.

Crystal Lake is pretty small, a pond really, and is Washington Lake's tiny, 
overlooked cousin to the east. The access road is located at mile 25.5 of 
Mirror Lake Highway and serves several locations, Washington and Trial Lake 
Campgrounds and the Crystal Lake Trailhead. Follow the signs to Crystal Lake 
T.H. and park; Crystal Lake is only about a tenth of a mile down the Lakes 
Country Trail and is west (left) of the trail near the trailhead. You won't 
see a sign denoting Crystal Lake itself.

A couple fun sightings this morning were a flock of about 20 Red Crossbills 
swarming into the tops of the Lodgepole Pines at Bear River Lodge at about 
mile 48.2 and a hen Ruffed Grouse and her six cheepers crossing the highway 
at mile 41.2.

My family and I arrived in the Uintas on Friday afternoon via Evanston. As 
we drove the section of the highway marked by Tim and Patti Gorman's 
Adopt-A-Highway signs (Tim's a list serv subscriber), I mentioned to my 
husband that I knew Tim. My husband said, "Well, you need to tell that guy 
that this highway is looking pretty darn good!"

Tim and Patty, thanks for the work you do to keep the Mirror Lake Highway 
trash-free.

Kris 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://secureserver.securesites.net/pipermail/birdnet/attachments/20070722/25264ab6/attachment.htm