Jan., 1910 
23 
SOME CENTRAL COLORADO BIRD NOTES 
By EDWARD R. WARREN 
I N JUNE, 1909, I leftjColorado Springs on a ‘‘mouse hunt”, one of my principal 
objective points being the region about the San Luis Lakes, in the San Luis 
Valley. I was accompanied on the trip by Harold R. Durand of Littleton, 
Colorado, who not only acted as cook and horse wrangler, but also assisted in col- 
lecting and taking care of specimens; and I must express my appreciation of his 
help and unfailing good nature under various trying circumstances. I should say 
that the trip was made in a wagon, drawn by mules, when I started; of the mules 
more will be said hereafter. 
For the first three days out, from Colorado Springs to Canon City, we had the 
pleasure of the company of Mr. Charles E. Aiken, who may be termed Colorado’s 
pioneer resident ornithologist; for though others had done bird work in the state 
prior to, and at about the time when he first became a resident here, he was 
practically the first ornithologist to reside here permanently. He has lived nearly 
all the time since 1871 in Colorado/and during all this period he has spent much 
time in the study of our birds. Most of his early work was done in the region 
covered by the first three days’ drive, and his reminiscences of the early days which 
he related to us were mighty interesting, both about the birds and the people. In 
1874 he visited the San Luis Valley as naturalist for one of the parties of the 
Wheeler Surveys, and was in the same region for which I was bound; the following 
year he made a trip there on his own account, and it was regretted by all hands that 
he was not able to accompany us there this year. Henshaw’s Report on the Ornith- 
ology of the Wheeler Surveys is about the only publication on the birds of most of 
the region traversed, excepting such notes as are contained in Cooke’s “Birds of 
Colorado.” There are also a few scattered references to individual species in vari- 
ous ornithological magazines. 
I should say that but comparatively few bird skins were taken, but no bird has 
been admitted to this list unless I was absolutely sure of its identity. Whenever 
necessary to identify 'a bird, it. was collected, if possible to do so. Many of the 
birds were seen and the notes taken, as we were driving along, and no doubt many 
species were missed which might have been seen if we had made longer stops at 
some of the localities. 
Some account of the route and itinerary may be of interest. Leaving Colorado 
Springs June 4, we drove that day as far as Van Andert’s Spring»on a branch of 
the Little Fountain. The road had taken us around the base of the mountains at 
first, and then climbed into the foothills; but no great elevation was reached, only 
a trifle over 6000 feet, not much more than Colorado Springs. The trees where we 
camped were broad- and narrow-leaved cottonwoods, scrub oaks and cedars. The 
next day was along the foothills, over a rather rolling country, in which were a 
good many yellow pines, as well as other trees. Our road took us past a ranch 
formerly owned by Mr. Aiken, and where he lived when he first came to the state, 
and where his first collecting was done. No one lives there now, and there are 
only some of the logs left of his house; but the spring is still there, and we all had a 
drink from it. The land is now part of a large ranch and used as a pasture. Our 
camp that night was on Beaver Creek, near Glendale, at an elevation of 5300 feet, we 
having made quite a drop during the day. Many birds were about the cottonwoods 
and bushes by the creek here, and our day’s list was quite a long one. 
The next morning, Sunday, we only drove to Canon City, arriving about noon, 
