Morning Birding at Hallam Lake 12/7/21

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Tuesday, December 7, 2021, 8am-11am
Weather: Light snow, mostly cloudy
Location: Hallam Lake

Winter is back in Aspen, with several inches of snowfall last night, and the birds were active against the white backdrop at Hallam Lake this morning. We began with pygmy nuthatches in the forest at ACES’ driveway, accompanied by mountain chickadees and a white-breasted nuthatch. A flock of crows gathered in the cottonwood canopy and red crossbills flew over in a flock of about eight. A Wilson’s snipe was seen among the rocks, fallen logs, and shallow water of the main pond, and shortly after we saw a second one. The two snipes foraged and explored the shallow water and shore, and they ventured into a small cave-like nook in the bank, all the while in full view for our group. We delighted in watching the snipes, noting their field marks, body structure, probing feeding behavior, and short flights. Two more snipes were seen by the marsh platform. Other highlights were a Cooper’s hawk and dippers on the Roaring Fork River. Join us for our next birding outing!

Species List: 

Mallard
Rock Pigeon
Wilson’s Snipe
Cooper’s Hawk
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch
American Dipper
Red Crossbill
Song Sparrow

~ Rebecca Weiss, ACES Bird Guide

Photo of White-breasted Nuthatch by Nathan Rupert.