Rich Stevens' Bird Trips
April 2002
Birding North of Denver 4/29-4/30
Rebecca Kosten & I conducted bird surveys the past two days
in Morgan & Weld Counties. Weather was superb!
Monday 29
We hoped to find a White-rumped Sandpiper in Weld County.
None could be found at the Beebe Draw or Lower Latham Reservoir.
We did get to see the Little Blue Heron for about 5 minutes at the
south side of Lower Latham Reservoir (Weld CR 48). We could not
identify any Greater Scaups off in the distance. No Peregrine Falcons
or Great-tailed Grackles were around during our short stay.
Sandpipers were scarce also.
Jackson Reservoir (Morgan County) did have a few sandpipers.
However no White-rumped Sandpipers were in the mix of Western,
Baird's, Least, Semipalmated, and 3 Spotted Sandpipers.
Eight Willets and 2 Semipalmated Plovers caught our interest.
No uncommon warblers or sparrows were found at the western campgrounds.
Prewitt Reservoir (Washington/Logan Counties) did not add much
to our trip list. A possible Eastern Towhee was at the southeastern
end below the dam. The bird was heard, but never seen.
Tuesday 30
We found many McCown's & Chestnut-collared Longspurs in several locations
on the Pawnee National Grasslands (Weld). One Mountain Plover was found
while hiking 2 miles north from CR 63 & CR 94. Burrowing Owls were
counted at 0.5 miles south of CR 94 & CR 61 and at Highway 14 & CR 94.
We heard about the Northern Parulas at Doudy Draw and headed for
Boulder County. The oasis of plums, choke cherries, and bushes
about halfway between the parking area and the picnic area at
Doudy Draw was a gold mine of birds.
Chipping Sparrows (18)
White-crowned Sparrow (4)
Savannah Sparrow (2)
Orange-crowned Warbler (4)
Northern Parula (m & f)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (1)
Virginia's Warbler (1)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (6)
Hermit Thrush (1)
Veery (1)
The highlights were definitely the Veery, which showed itself twice
for several minutes. The rest of our 1.5-hour stay it stayed deep
in the bushes. Also watching the male and female Northern Parula
feed for most of the time was quite a thrill.
Clear Creek County 4/27
I joined the CoBus bird trip lead by Bryan Ehlmann to Clear Creek County.
Winds were mild to strong; temperatures in the 40s. There was a dusting
of snow early in the morning.
At first light, we found all three species of Rosy Finches at the feeder
below lift #1 of Loveland Ski Basin. Two male & two female Pine Grosbeaks
also visited the feeder. Mountain Chickadees numbered in the dozens.
We did not find any Three-toed Woodpeckers during brief stops at
Guanella Pass Campground (on the way up and back from the summit
of Guanella Pass). We hiked 0.5 miles either side of the campground.
It took about 45 minutes to find two White-tailed Ptarmigan on the hill
south-southeast of the parking area at Guanella Pass. The birds are
still mostly white. Two American Pipits were also observed.
No birds were found at Georgetown City Park. Feeders at Main & 10th
street were empty also. No Band-tailed Pigeons were found in Empire.
Added Note to this week's trip to Southeastern Colorado
On Monday 4/22, I observed a Zone-tailed Hawk flying over Runyon Lake in
Pueblo County. The bird flew over the Santa Fe Bridge from 2:30-2:40pm.
I was attracted to the dark hawk with a wide white tail band.
Further inspection lead me to believe the bird was a Zone-tailed Hawk.
I was able to get good looks and several photos of the bird.
A message was left for Merle Owdom of Pueblo. He emailed later in
the week that he and his son Steve looked for the bird on Wednesday.
They did not find the bird while covering the area from Runyon Lake
to Vineland to the East, Huerfano Reservoir to the South, and
Pueblo Reservoir to the west.
The bird was relocated by David Ely, David Leatherman, and
Joe Mammoser Saturday morning at Valco Ponds.
Birding Southeastern Colorado 4/22-4/26
I enjoyed a beautiful week of birding and weather in Southeastern Colorado.
Winds were mild most of the time; temperatures in the 70s & 80s.
Monday 22
I planned a rather ambitious day by first driving North to Boyd Lake
State Park (Larimer County). Three Caspian Terns were standing on the
sand spit just north of the Mariner's Parking Area. An Osprey eating a
fish was next to the three terns. Fourteen White-faced Ibis were here also.
The adult basic Laughing Gull first reported by Nick Komar was observed
while hiking to the north side of the lake. It was with a half dozen
Ring-billed Gulls. A Marbled Godwit and two Least Sandpipers
were found during the walk. Few other sandpipers were around.
I hopped in my car and next drove to Runyon Lake in Pueblo (a good 170
miles south of Boyd Lake; Pueblo County). The Black Phoebe first
reported by Richard Miller two days earlier was hawking insects from
one of two cottonwood trees 100 yards south of the Santa Fe bridge
over the Arkansas River. Barn, Tree, Cliff, and Rough-winged Swallows
were observed hunting insects here also.
Two Eurasian Collared-Doves were at their usual location on F.5 road
in Rocky Ford (Otero). No Inca Doves were found around town.
My plan was to end my birding day at Higbee Cemetery (Otero).
When I arrived, Dana & Bob Fox from Massachusetts were already
searching for the Vermilion Flycatcher. We did not find the bird
in a 30-minute search. We did see a Bewick's Wren, Say's Phoebe,
Vesper Sparrows, Mountain Bluebird, and Cassin's Kingbird.
They told me about the Snowy Owl at Blue Lake (about 80 miles away).
I calculated the remaining daylight and took off for Blue Lake
(Bent/Kiowa). My arrival was 10 minutes below sunset and was
rewarded by a sighting of the Snowy Owl on the island to the north
about 4.0 miles from the eastern entrance to the reservoir.
On the trip back to John Martin Reservoir, two Burrowing Owls were
standing on fence posts along CR 14 at 8.5 miles North of Highway 50.
My next plan was to check for owls at Fort Lyons Wildlife Easement
(none were found). Then check for American and Least Bitterns and
Black Rails. No bitterns were found; one Black Rail responded
briefly to my bad imitation of its call (kik-kee-do, kik-kee-do).
Lake Hasty Campground below John Martin Reservoir is temporarily closed.
One Great Horned Owl called from the darken campgrounds.
I camped this night at Two Buttes Reservoir (Baca). The moonlit
night made seeing almost possible (and quite eerie).
Tuesday 23
A Barn Owl started screeching at 2:00am. I got up and followed
the call to the eastern end and south of the outlet ponds.
The bird eventually flew to the northern end below the dam.
At first light I walked the small area below the dam. A Vireo was
calling between the first parking area and the dam. While I could
not tell which vireo it was at first, close looks confirmed it to be
a Cassin's Vireo. I hiked around to the south side and found a
Worm-eating Warbler hunting in the thick gooseberry bushes, which
were just getting their flowers. The bird stayed close to the cliffs
to the south. Seventeen Turkey Vultures roosted in one of the tall
cottonwoods to the east. Brown Thrashers nosily sang throughout the area.
One Blue-gray Gnatcatcher sang out for a mate without success.
White-crowned & Chipping Sparrows were everywhere.
The Little Blue Heron reported by Nelson on 4/20 was not to be found.
Few birds swam on the reservoir proper. One lone Clark's Grebe was
off in the distance. Several dozen American Coots were also out there.
As I drove back to Lamer, two Mountain Plovers caught my eye.
They were feeding in the green field along CR B.5, 1.8 miles east
of highway 385/287. Two Ferruginous Hawks stood on the high
dirt mounds to the north of B.5 at 1.0 miles east of hwy 385/287.
I next walked around the small riparian area behind Lamar Community
College (Prowers). The Harris's Sparrow I first observed on 4/10
was still at the north end of the woods. It was with a flock of
White-crowned Sparrows, which kept coming to a feeder east of
the most southern building of the northern half of the college.
A male Northern Cardinal called for quite a while at the southern end
of the woods. Finally I got glimpses of the female who stayed deep
in the thickets. A Yellow-breasted Chat and Common Yellowthroat
were observed as I hiked back to the northern end of the woods.
No uncommon birds were found at Willow Creek Park (north of Lamar CC)
or at the Lamar Cemetery (south of the Community College).
Mike Higbee Wildlife Area and Hammett Wildlife Area did not add birds
to my day list. Two Burrowing Owls were north of the Holly Rest Stop.
No uncommon birds were encountered while hiking the old highway 50
for a mile to the east of the rest stop.
I eventually met up with Bryan Ehlmann & Sue Dorsey who drove
down from Denver. They had little success at Bonny Reservoir on
the trip down. Conditions on the Eastern Plains are quite dry as
we enter our third year of drought conditions.
A search around Neenoshe, Upper & Lower Queens, Neesopah, and
Jet Lake did not add much to our trip list. Several Loggerhead Shrikes
and two Northern Mockingbirds were around. No sandpipers, owls, or
egrets were found during the 3-hour search of these reservoir.
We headed back to Blue Lake; however the Snowy Owl was not found
this afternoon. The northern end of the island could not be seen
from our vantage point and perhaps the bird is still there.
After dark, the Black Rail again called at Fort Lyons Wildlife Easement.
Again no American or Least Bitterns were heard.
Wednesday 24
The Barn Owl again called in the early morning. We did not find the
Cassin's Vireo or Worm-eating Warbler; however a Nashville Warbler
was in the same location as yesterday's Worm-eating Warbler.
We drove North to Lamar CC. Today was quite slow. The only
uncommon bird found was the Harris's Sparrow again coming to the
feeder at the north end. The Northern Cardinals were not around today.
Our trek took us south to the Washington Work Center south of Springfield
(Baca). Many Common Grackles created quite a noise. No uncommon birds
were about. We drove into the field west across highway 385/387,
but did not find any Mountain Plovers or Burrowing Owls today.
Next we back tracked to Comanche National Grasslands by way of Prichett.
Two Long-billed Curlews were observed along CR 10 between CR S & CR T.
A Prairie Falcon hunted south of here. Carrizo Creek Picnic Area was
quiet. Cottonwood Canyon did not add any uncommon birds to our trip list.
Two Rufous-crowned Sparrows were along CR 10, 1.4 miles south-southeast
of the camping area. No warblers were found as we explored many of the
draws within 2 miles of the campsite.
After dark, at least two Western Screech-Owls called from the
cottonwoods over our heads. No other owls could be found.
Thursday 25
No Common Poorwill were heard during the night. No Mississippi Kites
have shown up yet either. We headed to Picture Canyon east of
Cottonwood Canyon. A few Lark Buntings were observed on the drive.
Twelve Scaled Quail were in the rocks near the entrance to Picture Canyon.
A Greater Roadrunner ran across the road before we reached the parking
area. Western Meadowlarks and American Kestrels numbered in the dozens.
A Golden Eagle made a pass over the canyon.
We had decided to hike the 3 miles to North Canyon. So we took much water
and headed south to the Oklahoma border and then west to the canyon.
Several Northern Mockingbirds sang from the top of the rabbit brush.
When we were about a mile from the parking area, we observed a male
Vermilion Flycatcher. He was singing and flying about a small ravine
with water spilling over from a cattle water tank. This small ravine
has green trees and water in an area where this is quite rare.
Our hike continued to North Canyon. A few additional Say's Phoebes and
a couple of Northern Mockingbirds were the only birds encountered.
Sue Dorsey heard a Common Poorwill near the parking area
shortly after dusk. The bird called briefly and could not be found.
Friday 26
We headed to Las Animas County and searched several areas where we had
success in finding owls in the past. None were found this night.
Obligations back in Denver forced us to drive all night to return.
No Mississippi Kites, Yellow-billed Cuckoos, and Blue Grosbeaks were
yet to be found this year. Lark Buntings are still scarce; we only found 7
during the whole trip. Swallows are starting to show up in small numbers.
At first light, we stopped briefly at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe).
The Glaucous-winged Gull was standing on the telephone poles that
surround the southwest marina. The Whimbrel & Willets reported by
Bob Brown yesterday were not around this morning.
Exhausted, we headed off separately for our tasks of the day.
Birding Weld County 4/21
Sue Dorsey, Rebecca Kosten, Bryan Ehlmann, and I birded in Weld County.
Temperatures were in the 60s; winds were quite strong at times.
Our first stop was Lower Latham Reservoir. Two Great-tailed Grackles
were at the farm yard at the southwest corner (along CR 45).
Two Marbled Godwits were along the canal (further east).
Next we drove my favorite Plover Loop. At Highway 14 & CR 51
we found two Mountain Plovers and three Burrowing Owls.
Continuing east we found many McCown's and Chestnut-collared Longspurs.
A Burrowing Owl was just south of CR 94 & CR 61. A Mountain Plover was
found just north of CR 94 & CR 63. There could have been two birds,
however we only observed one at a time. Two Red-tailed Hawks and
a Ferruginous Hawk were also found during our trek.
At Crow Valley Campground, we found no uncommon birds.
None of the previously reported owls were found either.
Denver Parks 4/19
Paul Langendorfer & I birded some parks around Denver today.
Winds were mild to strong; temperatures were in the high 30s.
It felt cold all day!
A breeding plumage Common Loon swam at Lake #2 of South Platte Park
(Arapahoe County). The Long-tailed Duck reported last week was not found.
A Common Snipe walked across the path on the north side of lake #2.
Two Lesser Yellowlegs stood on the shoreline of lake #5.
Marsten Reservoir (Denver County) had 4 additional breeding
plumage Common Loons. Previous reported Long-tailed Ducks,
Greater Scaups, and Barrow's Goldeneyes could not be located.
Many birds were too far away in the southeast corner and could not
be identified even though our scopes. The only gulls were
Ring-billed & California Gulls. Eleven White-faced Ibis rested
on the sand spit in the northwest corner of the reservoir.
We spent 2.5 hours at Barr Lake. We did not find yesterday's
Worm-eating Warbler & Hooded Warbler. One Ruby-crowned Kinglet
fluttered about at mile marker 8.4. We came across at least
three Great Horned Owls at mm 8.0. A House Wren stayed in
the thickets just north of the Pioneer Trailhead. Not much else
moved about in the cold strong winds.
No Burrowing Owls could be located along my favorite owl loop.
The Rough-legged Hawk remains at 0.7 miles east of Picadilly Road
and 128th avenue. A female Northern Harrier hunted east of here.
Search for Owls on the Eastern Plains 4/16-4/18
I headed out to the Eastern Plains mid week.
Winds were quite strong as temperatures warmed up.
Tuesday 4/16
Most of the day was spent in Elbert County searching for owls.
It is early for migrant birds. No Eastern Screech-Owls could be
found at several locations that were successful last year.
I camped at Karval Reservoir (Lincoln County). Again hopes to
find some owls were not fruitful. One Great Horned Owl did
call during the night. Few birds moved about at first light.
Wednesday 4/17
I birded Bonny Reservoir and Hale Ponds most of the day.
A flock of 11 Eastern Bluebirds wandered around Hale Ponds near
the Kansas border. A male Red-bellied Woodpecker searched for
food in the large cottonwoods along the Republican River.
One Field Sparrow was in the weeds along the main road
approximately 0.2 miles from the Kansas border.
A covey of 14 Northern Bobwhite were kicked up at Hale Ponds.
I did not see the Common Loon observed last week.
I did not locate any Barn, Long-eared, or Short-eared Owls.
An Eastern Screech-Owl did call at dusk near the Hopper Ponds area.
Thursday 4/18
I camped at Flagler Reservoir (Kit Carson County).
No owls called during the night. Nothing much moved around
at first light. I hiked south and around this small reservoir.
A Northern Parula worked the trees along the creek at the
southern end of the reservoir. There is not much at this
small reservoir on the Eastern Plains; but it appears to
have great potential for migrant bird sightings.
No birds were moving around Last Chance Rest Stop (Washington).
I stopped at Barr Lake (Adams County) on the trip home.
The Hooded Warbler was not found in an hour search around
the willows near the banding station. Much of the area
is under water and not accessible by foot. Three
Chipping Sparrows and a Song Sparrow were in this area.
I then hiked the shoreline along the Pioneer Trail north
of the banding station. No Worm-eating Warbler was found
and I continued around to mile marker 8.0.
On the return trip, the Worm-eating Warbler was observed
moving around underneath the tree with five trunks (one of
which is bent over and goes into the water) approximately
65 yards north of the Pioneer Trail. Winds were quite
strong and birds were difficult to follow for long.
On the way to pick up my brother from DIA,
I drove my favorite Owl Loop.
A Rough-legged Hawk stood on the Prairie Dog Village at
0.7 miles East of Picadilly Road & 128th Avenue.
One Burrowing Owl was at the Prairie Dog Village
at 3.4 miles East of Tower Road & 96th Avenue.
Search for Chicken-like Birds 4/6-4/15
I stopped back in Denver for some clean clothes as I finished a 10-day,
4100-mile trek across Colorado. British birder Richard Rowland and
I touched all four borders twice, however never left the state.
We experienced quite a variation in weather while observing seven
species of Chicken-like Birds!!!
Saturday 4/6
Our first stop was Pike National Forest from the Bailey entrance (Jefferson
County). We found 3 male & 2 female Three-toed Woodpeckers along the
Skipper Trail just north and east of the bridge over Buck Creek.
Townsend's Solitaires, Mountain Bluebirds, Western Bluebirds,
Hairy Woodpeckers, and Downy Woodpeckers were also found.
Winds were quite strong at Guanella Pass (Clear Creek) and we could not
locate any White-tailed Ptarmigan in a 3-hour search. We drove down to
Loveland Ski Basin where Brown-capped & Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches
were found. No Black Rosy Finches showed up in our 2-hour stay.
A visit to the feeders in Kremmling (Grand) did not add Black Rosy Finches
to our day list. They have not been seen here in several days now.
Back at Guanella Pass, we again missed White-tailed Ptarmigan in another
2-hour search. Winds remained quite strong during the whole day.
Sunday 4/7
A quick stop at Loveland Ski Basin again produced only Brown-capped and
Gray-crowned Rosy Finches and Pine Grosbeaks. Kremmling feeders were
empty of birds and we continued on to Grand Lake (Grand County).
The swans sighted in the winter were not found. We did see 7 male and
4 female Barrow's Goldeneyes at Windy Gap Reservoir (Grand) on the trip up.
The reservoir was mostly frozen, which kept the birds together and allowed
great views close to our observation point.
We drove to the Colorado State Forest's Visitors Center and along the way
found 3 Gray Jays for Richard's lifelist. Then we sat inside the visitor's
center and watched the many feeders. Only one Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch
visited along with many Cassin's Finches, Mountain & Black-capped Chickadees,
Pine Siskins, and one Brewer's Sparrow!
A one-hour hike along the Elk River near Steamboat did not add an
American Tree Sparrow to his life list. We eventually spent most of
3 days searching unsuccessful for an American Tree Sparrow.
We also hiked around Yampa River Wildlife Area and found one Song Sparrow.
Our only Tree Swallow of the trip was sighted at Hayden Cemetery where
we again could not find an American Tree Sparrow.
Our day ended at the Hayden Sharp-tailed Grouse Leks (Routt).
No birds came during our stay.
Monday 4/8
First light found us back at the Hayden Sharp-tailed Grouse Leks.
Four Sharp-tailed Grouse boomed on the ridge to the west of the
northern lek. We then hurried over to the 80 route leks.
Another 3 Sharp-tailed Grouse were observed here. One bird stood
on the top of a bush near the wooden fence posts that form an "M".
One of the birds flew over our car and landed 20 yards to the east.
That was quite a treat!
A Peregrine Falcon stood in a cottonwood tree just north of the
Rifle Rest Stop along I70 (Garfield). We were enjoying quite a day.
While a stop at Cameo (Mesa County) did not find any Chukars in the
early afternoon, a Black-throated Sparrow did put in an appearance.
We planned to end our day at Gunnison Black Canyon National Park
(Gunnison). Confluence Park in Delta (Delta) was quiet as we passed
through town. Fruitgrower's reservoir (Delta) had many ducks and
geese including my first male & female Cinnamon Teal of the year.
The highlight of the trip (voted by both of us) occurred at the
western end of the south rim drive of Black Canyon. We hiked east
at dusk and heard a booming Blue Grouse. A male bird came out of
the thickets and walked toward us on the road. When he was 35 feet
from us, a female bird came on to the road. They both then walked
another 10 feet toward us. We both were hesitant to move for fear
of frightening them away as the birds displayed for over 30 minutes!
While hiking back to the car, a Northern Pygmy-Owl started calling.
We hiked 1/2 mile west; eventually Richard ended up under the owl's
perch and about 6 feet from the owl!
Tuesday 4/9
Our day started at the Waunita Hot Springs Lek (Gunnison).
Fourteen male & nine female Gunnison Sage-Grouse wandered around the lek.
We next stopped at Temple Canyon State Park (Fremont County).
Shortly after leaving the car, three Juniper Titmouse sang from
the Junipers near the western entrance. Many Chipping Sparrows and
two Pine Grosbeak also sang in the area.
No American Tree Sparrows were at the Higbee Cemetery (Otero).
However, a bright red male Vermilion Flycatcher flew about in
the large cottonwoods along the canal and to the east.
At Cottonwood Canyon (Baca County) we found several Rufous-crowned
Sparrows, Bewick's Wrens, Lewis's Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers,
Turkey Vultures, Wild Turkeys and Eastern Phoebes; again no
American Tree Sparrows. After dark, two Western Screech-Owls
started to call. They approached quite close to us!
Wednesday 4/10
First light found us at another lek as we watched 4 male
Lesser Prairie-Chickens dance around the Campo Lek (Baca).
Two Cassin's Sparrows were displaying above the long grass
prairie as we left the lek.
No American Tree Sparrows were found at the Washington Work Center
just south of Springfield (Baca). Many Common Grackles were here too.
Two Eurasian Collared-Doves flew over the Allstates Motel in
Springfield as we stopped for gas (petrol for my British friend).
Two Buttes Reservoir (Baca) was our next stop. We found a
White-throated Sparrow, Osprey, male Red-breasted Merganser,
Green-tailed Towhee, Virginia Rail, Lincoln's Sparrow,
Blue-winged Teal, Canyon Wren, and Vesper Sparrows here.
While no American Tree Sparrows (seeing a trend?) were
at Mike Higbee Wildlife Area (Prowers), we did find a
White-throated Sparrow and Sharp-shinned Hawk.
The woods behind Lamar Community College contained an immature
Harris's Sparrow at its northern end. A male Downy Woodpecker
seemed to have the attention of two females. American Goldfinches
were everywhere. Several Blue Jays were called loudly.
The pond just north of highways 50 & 287 held 10 Franklin's Gulls.
Our first of the season, they caught our attention because they
were bright pink. The pink was quite intense on their breasts & bellies.
We hiked an hour around Sheridan Lake (Kiowa County).
No American Tree Sparrows, however we found several Grasshopper,
2 Savannah, and many Vesper Sparrows. The lake itself is
currently dry; however the surrounding grasses were quite high.
Two Great-tailed Grackles were around the Great Plains Grainery
in Burlington (Yuma). Wray Fishing Unit had few birds.
Sandsage Wildlife Area (Yuma) added an Eastern Phoebe,
8 Say's Phoebes, and a Cooper's Hawk to our day list.
We ended our day watching 8 booming male Greater Prairie-Chickens
at a private ranch in Yuma County.
Thursday 4/11
We stopped at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County) at first light.
A 1st winter Thayer's Gull stood on the wooden poles surrounding the
southwest marina. Many Ring-billed, California, and Herring Gulls
were here also. Five American White Pelicans swam to the north.
Pawnee National Grasslands (Weld) was our next stop. We took the car tour
(maps at campground) and my favorite prairie loop (directions on CoBus
website) and found Chestnut-collared Longspur and McCown's Longspur
at numerous locations. A Mountain Plover was at CR 94 & 63.
Two Burrowing Owls were at hwy 14 & CR 51. A Red-tailed Hawk
attacked a Ferruginous Hawk here, chasing the Ferruginous Hawk away
from the prairie dog colony. Several American Kestrels were here too.
Friday 4/12
At first light we sat at the bench near the Loveland Ski Basin feeder at
Lift #1. The Rosy Finch count was 51 Gray-crowned, 16 Brown-capped,
and 3 Black Rosy Finches! Two male & four Pine Grosbeaks also visited
the feeders. Many Red-wing Blackbirds still persist in the area.
We went back at Guanella Pass (Clear Creek). Our luck was better;
we located a male and 3 female White-tailed Ptarmigan in about an hour.
I almost stepped on a rabbit that was completely white and well hidden!
Several American Pipits stood on the rocks.
Feeders in Kremmling were again void of Rosy Finches (they may have
moved on). None could be found on the cliffs to the north.
An Osprey flew over Wolford Mountain Recreation Area (Grand).
No sparrows visited the feeders in Walden. Arapahoe National
Wildlife Refuge had a second Osprey and many Canvasbacks.
We encountered 3 Rough-legged Hawks between Walden and the Coalmont Lek.
We sat in our car for 2 hours at the Coalmont Lek (Jackson) and
watched 31 male & 1 female Greater Sage-Grouse walk onto the lek.
The female made only a brief appearance and walked off the lek.
Saturday 4/13
A visit to the Colorado National Monument (Mesa) did not help us
find Gray Vireos or American Tree Sparrows. It was too early in
the year for Gray Vireos and too late for American Tree Sparrows.
We enjoyed a change of pace as we joined the Grand Junction Audubon
Society's Owl Prowl. Richard Levad showed us six owls during the day.
In order, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Great Horned Owl, Burrowing Owl,
Barn Owl, Western Screech-Owl, and Boreal Owls were found!
Thanks much to Richard!
An added bonus was two Long-billed Curlew on road M.60 in Rabbit Valley.
My first Mesa County curlews. Yellow-headed Blackbirds, 3 Swainson's Hawks,
and several Brown-headed Cowbirds were observed during the Owl Prowl.
Sunday 4/14
After driving back all night from Grand Junction, Richard caught his
plane back to England. I took a quick nap and headed to the eastern
plains again to meet a group of CoBus members.
A Common Loon was on Bonny Reservoir (Yuma County). Eastern Bluebirds and
Red-bellied Woodpeckers were at Hale Ponds below Bonny's dam. We were able
to see 5 Greater Prairie-Chickens on a private ranch in Yuma County.
Monday 4/15
Bryan Ehlmann & I searched for Eastern Screech-Owls in several previous
locations. None could be found. We headed up to Tamarack Ranch Wildlife
Area (Logan). A male Red-bellied Woodpecker was found; not much else
was moving about. Few sparrows were moving about along the river.
A stop at Prewitt Reservoir (Washington/Logan) did not add much to our
trip list. Jackson Reservoir (Morgan) was also quiet. We stopped at
the prairie dog village at 3.4 miles east of Tower Road & 96th avenue
(Adams) where 2 Burrowing Owls were standing on the mounds.
Birding Northern Denver 4/4
Rebecca Kosten & I scouted several locations in preparation for
Friday's Bird Trip sponsored by the Colorado Birding Society.
We hiked the west side of the South Platte River from 88th & Colorado Blvd
to hwy 224 and back. Ducks were not numerous. A male and female
Greater Scaup swam at the southern end of the most northern
East Gravel Lake. A pair of Red-breasted Mergansers was here also.
Two Swainson's Hawks flew over our heads as we enjoyed a picnic near
the visitor's center at Barr Lake. A Red-tailed Hawk caught and
ate a 13-stripe squirrel just a few yards from us. He had lunch also!
We drove my owl loop next. 2:00pm may not have been the best time to search.
The only owls observed were 2 Burrowing Owls at the prairie dog colony
3.4 miles east of Tower Road & 96th Avenue. A male Northern Harrier hunted
at the Picadilly/120th colony and a Red-tailed Hawk stood on the metal
pipes at the colony 0.7 miles east of Picadilly Road amp; 128th avenue.
Search for Chicken-like Birds 4/2-4/3
Rebecca Kosten, Gary & DiAnne Weston, and I finished a hectic two days
of birding late last night. Weather wise we ran into sunny skies and
calm winds to snow and 40 mph winds (quite a diversity of conditions)!
April 2
At first light we hiked Pine Valley Ranch Park (Jefferson County).
It took about an hour to run into a Three-toed Woodpecker. The male
was 20 yards up the Park View Trail east of the Buck Gulch Trail.
Again we observed no Northern Pygmy-Owls.
We drove to Guanella Pass (Clear Creek County) by way of Bailey and Grant.
Much of the snow that slowed my travel the Saturday before was now melted.
Winds were 25mph slower than Saturday and it took less than 30 minutes to
find 11 White-tailed Ptarmigan! Two American Pipits and 2 White-crowned
Sparrows were also observed during our trek.
Our stop at Loveland Ski Basin (Clear Creek) was only one hour.
Thirty-eight Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches (3 Hepburn's) and sixteen
Brown-capped Rosy Finches came to the feeder under lift #1.
No Black Rosy Finches were seen again. The three pairs of
Pine Grosbeak cooperated and made numerous visits.
We checked the feeders in Silverthorne; no Rosy Finches were there.
The sewage pond in Silverthorne had one female Lesser Scaup and a few
Mallards and Gadwalls. No Barrow's Goldeneyes were around this trip.
Note: There is a discussion on "cobirds" about scaup identification.
No one has mentioned the difference in eye color between the female
Greater Scaup (yellow eye) and female Lesser Scaup (brownish eye).
The CoBus website has good reference photos at:
http://home.att.net/~cobus/ducks.htm
All enjoyed watching the Rosy Finches visiting the feeders at 409 5th Street
in Kremmling. The flock consisted of about 50 birds, which included
6 Black Rosy & 2 Brown-capped Rosy Finches. The one Yellow-rumped Warbler
and American Tree Sparrow observed last Saturday also continue to appear.
Many Cassin's Finches and House Finches also showed up.
Our day ended at the Greater Sage-Grouse Lek at Coalmont (Jackson).
We observed 30+ birds and a beautiful sunset.
After dark we drove to Cameron Pass. It was quite windy which made hearing
difficult. We did not hear a Boreal Owl at the Joe Wright parking area.
However we were able to hear one just west of the summit (at the parking
area for rest stop). The moonlight shining brightly off the snow cover
made the experience almost surreal.
April 3
At first light we sat at the Hayden Sharp-tailed Grouse Leks (Routt).
Altogether we observed about 20 birds (at least 3 females).
It was quite a treat. A flock of 14 Sandhill Crane flew over
and 2 birds were along the gully that parallels 20-mile road.
We decided to drive up to Brown's Park area North of Maybelle (Moffat).
There was no expectation of finding grouse in the middle of the day.
Three Sage Thrashers and Vesper Sparrows peaked our interest.
We did find a lek up there for future reference; no Greater Sage-Grouse
were around. A flock of 6-7 American Tree Sparrows were also observed.
Our birding day ended at the 80 route leks north of Craig.
Two Greater Sage-Grouse boomed 20 minutes after sunset.
No Sharp-tailed Grouse or Blue Grouse were found
Denver Reservoir 4/1
I checked out Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County) twice today.
At first light, I hiked around the reservoir. The Harris's Sparrow
came down to drink at the small pond just north of the swim beach.
This is not far from the thickets south of the fork in the bike path
that is south of the main road and campgrounds.
I searched for uncommon gulls most of the morning and found none?
There were many California, Herring, and Ring-billed Gulls.
Four American White Pelicans swam in the southeastern end of the
reservoir. One Double-crested Cormorant swam in the northwest corner.
Paul Langendorfer and I returned in the afternoon around 3:00pm.
The Glaucous-winged Gull was back at the southwest marina.
A 1st winter Thayer's Gull was also here along with several
California and Herring Gulls. Many Ring-billed Gulls were there also.
We observed a subadult Bald Eagle along the southern shore.
A female Northern Harrier hunted near the campgrounds.
Paul found an Osprey over the Prairie Loop.
We did not relocate the Harris's Sparrow during a brief walk
around this morning's location. No sparrows or juncos were about.
Our next stop was Castlewood Canyon State Park (Douglas County).
Birds were few and far between. Winds had picked up speed quite
a bit this afternoon. One Red-tailed Hawk flew overhead.
While driving along Castlewood Canyon Road (west side of park),
we observed 2 pairs of Western Bluebirds and 2 pairs of
Mountain Bluebirds around the nest boxes south of the state park.
No Turkey Vultures or Golden Eagles could be found.
More Bird Trips
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