Brown pelican sets record in county

By JoAn Bjarko
Fossil Creek Current

A single bird is bringing flocks of people to Fossil Creek Reservoir Open Space this summer, but bird watchers better hurry because it may not be there for long.

A brown pelican, common to the American coasts, somehow found Colorado. On June 13 it stopped to rest and eat at Fossil Creek; sightings continued the following week. It is the first documented sighting of a brown pelican in Larimer County, according to Travis Rollins, manager of the open space located north of County Road 32, 1 mile west of Interstate 25 exit 262.

Birders have taken dozens of photographs that experts will study to determine if this pelican hails from the Atlantic or the Pacific.

"Usually a bird like this will hang around a few weeks, going where the food is good," said Nick Komar, a Fort Collins Audubon member who coordinates monthly bird surveys at the open space.

Komar speculated that the subadult brown pelican could have hooked up with some American white pelicans that travel to Colorado from the coasts every summer. "Once the bird saw Fossil Creek, it liked what it found," he said. "Fossil Creek does seem to be a magnet for rare birds."

The Fossil Creek Reservoir Open Space is open to the public from sunrise to sunset. It is being managed especially for bird habitat, and it was the location of the release of a rehabilitated golden eagle in June. Features include two wildlife-viewing blinds and an observation deck that juts into the water.

"I encourage people to come out and enjoy the space," Rollins said. Several agencies are planning a family birding fair for Sept. 24.

Komar noted that this brown pelican is one of many birds way out of range and turning up in Colorado this year. "Keep your eyes open," he advised.

For example, a tropical parula (warbler), which is native to Mexico, visited Grandview Cemetery in Fort Collins. First seen June 18, it set the record of a first sighting for Colorado.

A white-eared hummingbird, also from Mexico, was spotted in Durango this summer, another first record for Colorado, Komar said.

Larimer County's open space program is funded by a voter-approved sales and use tax. More than $68 million has been collected countywide since 1996. Since the program started, the county and its partners have protected over 37,900 acres of land by purchase or by conservation easements.

Fort Collins and Larimer County together are one of the most nature-friendly areas in the United States, according to a book recently released by Island Press. Titled "Nature-Friendly Communities," the book highlights 19 places that lead the nation in safeguarding local landscapes, natural resources and wildlife.