Life bird

Last week while we were in Steamboat, we checked out Steamboat Lake State Park and Pearl Lake State Park, about twenty-five miles north of town. We heard bird calls from the treetops we couldn’t identify, but never got the birds in the field glasses so we didn’t know what we were hearing. I recorded the calls, though, and over the next few days searched the birding program on the computer for it. I finally found it. Red Crossbills.

Red Crossbills. We’ve never seen that bird. So tonight after work, we went straight back to Pearl Lake State Park. It’s still closed for the season, but we could hike in. High country forest. We got there and it was silent; not a bird to be heard. Judy asked what the crossbill call sounded like, so I played it back for her on the digital recorder. As soon as I played it, red crossbills flew in from all over and answered the call. We got great looks at them.

Life bird. Gorgeous park too.