Rich Stevens' Bird Trips
April, 2004
Return to Cherry Creek Reservoir 4/30
Rebecca Kosten and I stopped by Cherry Creek Reservoir
(Arapahoe County) this afternoon. It was snowing and
visibility was less than 50 yards.
The Whimbrel and 29 Willets went back and forth from the logs around
the southwest marina to the shoreline just South of the boat ramp.
Five rather pinkish Franklin's Gulls stood on the same beach.
Four Forster's Terns and a Common Tern landed on the temporary
floating boat ramp. Both the Forster's and the Common Tern flew
low overhead and gave us great views for identification.
The Great Egret is still at the Cottonwood Creek Loop Wetlands Pond.
All three teal (Cinnamon, Blue-winged, and Green-winged) also remain
here. A Great Blue Heron and 2 Black-crowned Night-Herons also
searched for food.
At the Lake Loop we ran into large flocks of sparrows. These
included 200+ Chipping Sparrows, at least 7 Savannah Sparrows,
and 14 Vesper Sparrows. The Osprey returned to the cottonwoods
at the north end of the loop.
Two Say's Phoebes stood on weeds at the model airplane loop.
Cherry Creek Reservoir 4/29
I went by Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County) this afternoon
while doing chores about town. Temperatures were in the high 30s;
winds were mild; and skies were overcast and gray.
Don Belts pointed out a Great Egret at the Cottonwood Creek Wetlands
Pond. Twenty-eight White-faced Ibis (unfortunately no Glossy Ibis)
were walking around looking for food. Two adults and an immature
Black-crowned Night-Heron were here also. One Great Blue Heron
hid in the thicker willows. A pair of Swainson's Hawks is nesting in
the large cottonwood tree east of the pond.
The southwest marina had few shorebirds. One Willet and one
Greater Yellowlegs walked the telephone poles outlining the marina.
Hundreds of swallows rested on the railings of the many boats in the
marina. Tens of thousands of swallows hunted over the reservoir.
Species included Cliff, Tree, Barn, and Violet-green Swallows.
Many American White Pelicans and Double-crested Cormorants were in
the southeast corner of the reservoir.
Eastern Colorado 4/26-4/29
Terry Casales, Robert Weiss, and I went on
a short "grouse trip" this week.
We found Greater Prairie-Chickens, Lesser Prairie-Chickens,
and Gunnison Sage-Grouse at their usual locations.
Migration has picked up and we found some interesting birds.
Birding in southeast Colorado next week should be interesting!
Monday 26
(Cope, Washington County)
+Harris's Sparrow
Tuesday 27
Neenoshe Reservoir (Kiowa)
+Piping Plover
+Rose-breasted Grosbeak (male)
+White-throated Sparrow
Lamar Community College (Prowers)
+Northern Cardinal (male)
+Broad-winged Hawk
+Tennessee Warbler
+Hooded Warbler (female)
Two Buttes Reservoir (Baca)
+Yellow-throated Vireo
+Broad-winged Hawk
+Eastern Phoebe
Springfield (College & 13th streets)
+Great-tailed Grackle
+Eurasian Collared-Doves
Highway 385 burn, south CR M (Baca)
+Mountain Plover
Pasture G, hwy 385
+Burrowing Owls
Wednesday 28
Cottonwood Canyon (Baca)
+Western Screech-Owl
+Eastern Phoebe
+Rufous-crowned Sparrow
+Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Gunnison
+Gunnison Sage-Grouse
Thursday 29
Loveland Ski Basin (Clear Creek)
+3 species Rosy Finches
Pine Grosbeak (male, 2 females)
Cherry Creek Reservoir 4/25
The birders who I was to lead on a grouse trip this week missed
their flight so I took advantage and planned on visiting Cherry
Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County) and Chatfield Reservoir.
I never made it to Chatfield.
The birding was fantastic at Cherry Creek Reservoir.
Thanks to S. Kennedy for an advanced report of what I might find.
As I entered the park, a Loggerhead Shrike stood watch near the
entrance. A male American Kestrel also hunted in the area.
He eventually took the tree away from the Loggerhead Shrike.
A walk south and west of the model airplane field was quite
productive. A Sage Thrasher stood on a cactus about 60 yards west.
Lark Sparrows and Vesper Sparrows were plentiful.
My next stop was the beach area between the southwest boat ramp and
the picnic area (tables with gull wings as covers). Twenty-seven Willets
(part of 53 observed) and 3 American Avocets walked the shoreline.
On the telephone poles bordering the southwest marina, a Whimbrel
and Marbled Godwit joined another 26 Willets! Two Least Sandpipers
also walked along the floating poles.
At least five Forster's Terns stood in the northeast corner.
They were quite vocal when a probable Common Tern came by
and landed 15 feet away. The Common Tern never joined the group
of Forster's, but remained near the Whimbrel. I say probable
Common Tern only because it is 10 days earlier than the three
earliest report dates for Common Terns. I watched the bird
for 20 minutes and saw it fly several times. It had a gray body
unlike the white body on the Forster's Terns. Its white tail
had dark outer webs and was shorter than its wing tips (unlike
the gray tails with white outer webs which extended beyond
the wing tips on the Forster's Terns). In flight, the
Common Tern's wing tips did not contrast with the rest of
the wing (as did the white wing tips of the Forster's Terns).
There were two additional small terns, which I was not able to
identify because they did not stick around long. After about 20
minutes, the Common Tern flew toward the east and possibly
the small sandbar in the southeast corner of the lake. It did not
return during my 2-hour stay at the marina. During my stay
another 25 American Avocets flew in from the northwest.
One Western Kingbird hawked insects near the fisherperson's point
east of the marina. Two Say's Phoebes and a male and female
Brewer's Blackbird were also in the area. Great Blue Herons and
Black-crowned Night-Herons also came by the southwest marina.
Two adult California Gulls stood around most of the afternoon.
A pair of Swainson's Hawks appears to be nesting it the usual
location along the main road and east of the Cottonwood Creek Loop.
A lone Turkey Vulture flew overhead and then disappeared toward the
swim beach. Hundreds of Western Grebes swam near the picnic area,
presumably to avoid the many boats on the middle of the lake.
A walk from the 12-mile picnic area to the beaver pond to the south
added 2 Virginia Rails, 1 Sora, and 2 Wilson's Snipes to my day
list! Several Brewer's Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Lincoln's Sparrows,
and 2 Marsh Wrens were also observed.
The Great Horned Owl appears to have young. The Dark-morph
Red-tailed Hawk stood over his usual territory. Out on the lake
dozens of American White Pelicans, hundreds of Ring-billed Gulls,
half a dozen Franklin's Gulls, and a Bonaparte's Gull searched for food.
What a beautiful spring day it was. Winds were mild; temperature
was near 62 degrees. Unfortunately, mosquitoes will soon make
their appearance.
Loveland Ski Basin, Empire, & Pine Valley Ranch Park 4/24
Georgia birder Jim Greenway & I took advantage of Friday's snowstorm
and visited Loveland Ski Basin Saturday to see what birds might have
been brought down from higher altitudes to the feeder at lift #1.
We observed during our drive West from Denver that the tops of the
fir trees were covered with snow and that led us to believe that
Rosy Finches may come to the feeder.
It was snowing lightly when we arrived at 8:20am. A flock of 60+
Rosy Finches were already feeding below the feeder when we arrived.
The flock included 3 adult Black Rosy Finches, 4+ Gray-crowned Rosy
Finches (plus at least 2 Hepburn's race), and 50+ Brown-capped Rosy
Finches. Two female/immature Pine Grosbeaks also came to the feeder.
At 8:46am, the birds disappeared and did not return in the next 30
minutes. To those visiting, the feeder is now empty and bringing
along a bag of sunflower seeds (10 pounds/$7 at Wal-Mart) could be
useful. Also I recommend visiting the feeder during the first hour
of daylight. During or after a snowstorm is quite helpful this year.
We next visited the feeders in Empire, CO (at Main Street & Sunny
Avenue; Grand County). Two Band-tailed Pigeons were in the
cottonwoods above. An interesting finch caught our eye. It had
a bold brown and white face pattern of a female Purple Finch.
Her undertail coverts were not streaked and the primary projection
was shorter than the Cassin's Finches that I also photographed.
An attempt to get up Guanella Pass (Clear Creek County) was
unsuccessful. The recent snowstorm has closed the final 6 miles to
the pass for at least 2 or 3 days (maybe longer). We returned to
Loveland Pass and looked for White-tailed Ptarmigan at its summit.
We had no success in the 50+ mph winds.
Our next stop was Pine Valley Ranch Park (Jefferson County).
Our hike was quite interesting here in spite of not finding
any Three-toed Woodpeckers or Northern Pygmy-Owls today.
An American Dipper searched for food just west of the first
footbridge. A Winter Wren was observed while hiking the northern
path of the Narrow Gauge Railroad Trail. The bird sulked on the
lower willows along the creek 60 yards west of the trailhead.
A male Wilson's Warbler, several Song Sparrows and female
Ruby-crowned Kinglet also fluttered about these willows.
A Green-tailed Towhee was found between the second bridge
and the canal dam further west.
We searched up Buck Gulch Trail for Three-toed Woodpeckers for
about 2 hours; without success. A Red-breasted Nuthatch,
several Pygmy Nuthatches and a Brown Creeper were found however.
We found one other interesting bird. A female Greater Scaup swam
in Pine Lake. Her rounded head and bright yellow eye were quite
easily observed from 10 yards or so.
Belmar Historic Park 4/23
Rebecca Kosten and I spent an hour at Belmar Historic Park
(Jefferson County). We eventually found the red form of Fox Sparrow
in the willows along the south side of the big lake. It flew up
from the outlet canal? (creek) below the hill to the south.
Also observed were 1 Lincoln's Sparrow, 1 Savannah Sparrow,
4 Song Sparrows, 3 adult, 1 immature Black-crowned Night-Heron,
2 Great Blue Herons, and 1 Sora heard.
On the way home we observed the 3 Greater White-fronted Geese
at Ferril Lake at Denver City Park (Denver County).
Grouse Trip 4/18-4/22
April 17
We missed finding any Rosy Finches at Loveland Ski Basin
(Clear Creek County). Our stop was only 60 minutes.
Our birding day ended at the Coalmont Greater Sage-Grouse Lek.
Forty-three males and three females visited the lek.
Two Golden Eagles and two Rough-legged Hawks were
observed along highway 14.
April 18
We watched 9 Sharp-tailed Grouse at the 20 miles Sharp-tailed Grouse
Lek south of Hayden (Routt). We then hurried over to the 80 route
leks but found no Chicken-like Birds around.
Loudy-Simpson Park in Craig (Moffat) was quiet.
Oxbow Wildlife Area (Moffat) was slow.
Jensen Wildlife Area (Rio Blanco) had many Vesper Sparrows.
Two Chukars were located at Cameo (Mesa).
After dark we searched for owls on the Grand Mesa (Mesa County).
Three Boreal Owls answered our tapes. A Northern Pygmy-Owl was
briefly heard south of the parking area for Powderhorn Ski Area.
April 19
We headed down south toward Uravan. Two Black Phoebes were
observed from the bridge at Uravan.
We were unable to find Eurasian Collared-Doves in Nucla (Montrose).
Five Western Bluebirds were observed as we turned east and uphill
to the Uncompahgre Plateau. After dark we searched for Northern
Saw- whet Owls and Flammulated Owls on the Uncompahgre Plateau;
without success.
April 20
We found Sage Sparrows as predicted by Harold Holt "Birders Guide to
Colorado" on 1.8 Road (Mesa). No Scott's Orioles were at their
usual nesting locations (M.8 and 0.8 roads). A drive up U road from
Baxter Pass road proved more useful. A male Scott's Oriole was in
the stand of trees at the first uphill curve west of Baxter Road.
We searched several areas for Northern Saw-whet Owls,
Long-eared Owls, and Burrowing Owls; without success.
A Western Screech-Owl was found back on the north side of Grand Junction.
Our birding day ended at the Colorado National Monument (Mesa).
Again Pinyon Jays were easily found along the gravel road to Glade.
A Juniper Titmouse worked the willows in the ravine running along
this road (as we turned off the Colorado National Monument road).
A Gambel's Quail called from a rock at the Devil's Kitchen.
We also heard a singing Black-throated Sparrow here.
April 21
We headed south toward Gunnison. Fruitgrower's Reservoir (Delta)
added a Willet, Marsh Wren, and Lewis's Woodpeckers to our trip
list. It took an hour to find a Blue Grouse (actually 3) at Black
Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Gunnison). No Little Gull at
Blue Mesa Reservoir today.
For the heck of it, we drove over to the Waunita Hot Springs Lek
outside of Gunnison. Three Gunnison Sage-Grouse danced for us
briefly before it was too dark to see them.
With the prediction of a major snowstorm for Colorado, we decided
to drive to the Lesser Prairie-Chicken Lek near Campo (Baca).
April 22
We parked at the cemetery off Baca CR G. All three of us had
observed Lesser Prairie-Chickens before; therefore we decided
to look for the LeConte's Sparrow instead. It was not found in
a two-hour search. We scoped the lek from 0.5 miles away and
could pick out 6-8 males dancing.
Many Vesper Sparrows, Horned Larks, and Western Meadowlarks
joined 3 singing Cassin's Sparrows along the road into the lek.
Cottonwood Canyon (Baca) added the usual suspects Eastern Phoebes,
Say's Phoebes, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Rock Wren, Canyon Wren,
Greater Roadrunner, Lewis's Woodpecker, Cooper's Hawk, Steller's
Jay, Western Scrub-Jay, Wood Duck, Mountain Bluebirds, and Canyon
Towhees. New for this year was an Ash-throated Flycatcher!
The burn area along highway 385, south of Baca CR M added 2 Mountain
Plover to our trip list. Burrowing Owls and a Long-billed Curlew
were at pasture G (across from the Washington Work Center, hwy 385,
7.0 miles South of Springfield). Eurasian Collared-Doves and
Great-tailed Grackles were again found near 13th and College
Streets in Springfield.
The woods at Lamar Community College (Prowers) were quiet today.
Great-tailed Grackles were seen in Kit Carson County (house on
West side of hwy 385, 1.0 miles South of Burlington).
We ran out of time for a stop at Bonny Reservoir (Yuma).
Our birding day ended by watching 3 Greater Prairie-Chickens
at a private ranch in Yuma County.
Rocky Mountain Arsenal 4/17
I had to drop off some birders at Denver International Airport
this morning and wait 1.5 hours for another group to come in.
What a gorgeous day; hey (as my Canadian friends would say).
In between, I hiked most of the 3-mile length of Buckley Road,
which runs along the east side of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal.
The several Burrowing Owl colonies on both sides of the road (Adams
and Denver Counties) included about 12 owls. Several White-crowned
Sparrows and a Lincoln's Sparrow were in the riparian area along the
creek that crosses under Buckley Road at its south end.
Best bird was a Northern Mockingbird.
Birding Around Denver 4/16 Afternoon
This afternoon, Rebecca Kosten and I went by Denver City Park
(Denver). Three Greater White-fronted Geese were at the southwest
end of Ferril Lake (Denver County). Thanks to Jim Greenway for
reporting them!
We also went by Barr Lake (Adams). The White-throated Sparrow
cooperated and was observed while sitting on the bench at the
southeast corner of the visitor's center. No Harris's Sparrow
however. I hiked briefly to the banding station, however found
no Swamp Sparrow. Half a dozen mosquitoes convinced me to turn
around (as I am still recovering from last year's West Nile virus).
Great-tailed Grackles were found at Lochbuie Ponds (SW corner
in Adams County).
Burrowing Owls were found along the DIA owl loop.
Return to Jackson County 4/14-4/15
Rebecca Kosten & I headed up to Cameron Pass (Jackson County)
for a few days. Weather cooperated and was fantastic.
Over two nights we found 3 Boreal Owls. The easiest one to find was
just west of the rest area at Cameron Pass. Few birds moved around
at the west end of Michigan Creek Road. Ruby Jewel Road was quiet also.
We drove over to the Coalmont Lek (Jackson) one afternoon and
watched 32 Greater Sage-Grouse dance. Again, only one female
briefly walked through the lek; apparently not impressed by what
she saw. They did not seem as anxious as on my last visit.
Two of the Golden Eagles were still within 1/4 of the lek.
A Rough-legged Hawk was also observed on the fence line along hwy 14.
On the way back to Denver Thursday night, we stopped at each
campground and picnic area along Highway 14 to search for owls.
None were found.
The detour along Pennock Pass (Larimer) proved more useful.
We heard one Flammulated Owl within 2 miles of the summit.
We could not get any Common Poorwills to call at Lory State Park
(Larimer). One Great Horned Owl did call far in the distance.
Grouse Tour 4/10-4/14
This week's "grouse tour" was by far the most successful I have ever
experienced. Not only did we find most of our target birds (missed
Sage Sparrow, only searched 20 minutes), but also most searches
only took 15 minutes or so. I never expect to repeat this again;
all enjoyed it!
April 10
We left Denver in the fog and snowstorm. Temperatures were in the
20s. The snow did bring all three Rosy Finch species to the feeder
at the west end of Loveland Ski Basin's parking area (Clear Creek).
We returned to Denver and went south to Pueblo Reservoir (Pueblo).
A drive up the Swallows Road at the west end of Pueblo West produced
sightings of 2 Curve-billed Thrashers, 8+ Scaled Quail, and several
Loggerhead Shrikes. From the cemetery overlook at the south end of
the road we observed Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron,
and a Canada Goose standing atop a cottonwood tree.
Our birding day ended at the Valco Ponds area where Tree, Violet-
green, and Northern Rough-winged Swallows were added to our trip list.
April 11
Inclement weather continued as we saw rain and cold temperatures
most of the day. We drove to the Campo Lek (Baca) on roads that
were virtually soup. Our 4-wheel drive vehicle definitely came
in handy; going was slow in any case.
Ten male Lesser Prairie-Chickens displayed for one female on the
lek. We could hear and see Cassin's Sparrows to the south.
Several Vesper Sparrows also came by. Several pairs of
Swainson's Hawks inspected possible nesting sites as we drove
back to Springfield along CR J.
The new burn area along highway 385, South of Baca County Road M
was interesting. Five Long-billed Curlews walked the field searching
for "cooked" food. A pair of Mountain Plovers also hunted here.
The Washington Work Center along highway 385, 7 miles south of
Springfield was quiet. We did observe 7+ Burrowing Owls in Pasture
G across the road to the west. No Mountain Plovers were found here.
Eurasian Collared-Doves and Great-tailed Grackles were observed
back in Springfield. We gassed up and headed east along highway 160.
We searched for Barn Owls at the Comanche National Grasslands
Research Center. None were found today, however the field north
and east of the property had an additional 4 Long-billed Curlews.
Cottonwood Canyon added the usual suspects to our trip list.
Lewis's Woodpeckers, Canyon Towhees, Eastern Phoebes, Rock Wrens,
Say's Phoebes, and Bewick's Wrens filled the air with songs and
calls. Several Rufous-crowned Sparrows popped up from the rocks
for us. Male Wild Turkeys displayed for half a dozen females.
Violet-green, Northern Rough-winged, Tree, and a Cliff Swallow flew
over Carrizo Creek near the entrance to the picnic area along Baca CR M.
The most surprising bird at Cottonwood Canyon was a migrating
Osprey that flew over and circled half a dozen times.
We drove to La Junta by way of highway 109. Higbee Cemetery
(Otero) was quiet. No Vermilion Flycatchers yet this year.
The White-winged Doves could not be found at Otero County Road EE
and Industrial Park Drive. Several Eurasian Collared-Doves and
a Northern Mockingbird were around. Additional Eurasian Collared-
Doves were found at CR G and FF.5.
April 12
We stayed the night in Salida and again drove in fog and snow
in the morning, this time over Monarch Pass.
At first light, we could make out 4 Gunnison Sage-Grouse at the
Waunita Hot Springs Lek (Gunnison). Unfortunately, several birders
showed up LATE and scared the birds away. They did fly directly
over our car! Please note: One must show up at least 60 minutes
before sunrise to visit here. The birds were quite skittish.
No Rosy Finches could be found during a drive around the college in
Gunnison. We drove by Blue Mesa Reservoir (Gunnison) on our way to
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Fortunately, we scoped
the eastern end of the reservoir. A very small gull turned out to
be an adult basic plumaged Little Gull. Thanks to Canadian birders
Todd Pepper and Roger Foxall for patiently pointing out the
identification marks! Our first White-faced Ibis of the trip was
among Cinnamon Teal, Blue-winged Teal, California Gulls, etc.
Our search for Blue Grouse at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison
National Park was brief. A bird walked across the road about 50
yards east of the west end of the south rim self-guiding car tour.
Another four birds were found by walking east another 50 yards.
Our 30 minute search for Sage Sparrows and Chukars at Escalante
Wildlife Area (Delta County) was not successful and we moved on.
A Gambel's Quail stood on a fence post just outside of the southern
entrance to the Colorado National Monument (Mesa). The scenery
alone makes the drive through here worthwhile. We searched
unsuccessfully for Juniper Titmouse along the first 1/2 mile of
the gravel road to Glade (my most successful location in the past).
A flock of 8+ Pinyon Jays called loudly while we searched.
White-throated Swifts flew over the deep canyons. The campground
unfortunately was slow. A few Gray-headed Dark-eyed Juncos were
the few birds encountered.
Two Western Screech-Owls were found at a private residence in
northern Grand Junction.
We headed to Cameo to hunt for Chukars. A male bird was calling
constantly as we drove by the first iron pipe gate. He allowed us
a 20 minute look as he called from a large rock overlooking the
grassy area (with broken down building). A Black-throated Sparrow
also called from under the metal electric pole to the south.
Since our looks at the Gunnison Sage-Grouse were poor, we headed
back to Gunnison.
April 13
Our looks at the Gunnison Sage-Grouse at Waunita Hot Springs were
much more satisfying this morning. Ten males and several females
walked around the lek.
Afterwards, we decided to try different scenery and headed to
the Grand Mesa (Mesa County)
A stop at Fruitgrower's Reservoir (Delta) was quite productive.
Our first Willet of the trip was on the swallow pond north of the
reservoir. Nine+ American White Pelicans stood on an island at the
east end. A Marsh Wren called loudly from the cattails here.
Several American Avocets and White-faced Ibis joined many waterfowl
including Canvasback, Blue-winged Teal, Western Grebes, and Clark's
Grebes. Several of the Western Grebes did their mating dance.
Two Bonaparte's Gulls flew by while we stood on the northern shore.
The trek over the Grand Mesa (Mesa) was uneventful. Red Crossbills,
several Red-breasted Nuthatches and a Gray Jay were observed near
the visitor's center. Many Steller's Jays, Clark's Nutcrackers,
and a Gray Jay were watched at the Lodge. Coming down the northern
side, we found and photographed the American Black Duck, which I
believe is considered an escapee.
Heading North, we looked for the White-winged Dove and Eurasian
Collared-Doves in Meeker (Rio Blanco); without success. Several
Sandhill Cranes stood near a small pond along highway 40 (West of
Craig). Three Rough-legged Hawks were observed between Hayden and
Coalmont. In the past, they seem to stay longer up near the
Arapahoe National Wildlife Refuge than down on the plains.
(Note: However, a Rough-legged Hawk was positively identified
Friday on the eastern plains at Weld County Roads 128 & 65).
Our birding day ended at the Coalmont Lek. Only 20 male Greater
Sage-Grouse came to the lek this evening. Many times they hunkered
down. The reason was never discovered. They were jumpy for some
reason. In 38 trips, I have never seen them this anxious.
Three Golden Eagles stood on telephone poles along highway 14
and were only 1/4 mile from the lek.
April 14
We started out at first light heading South. Another Rough-legged
Hawk was observed along Highway 125. Eight or so Barrow's
Goldeneyes continue at Windy Gap Reservoir (Grand County).
Three American White Pelicans, Common Goldeneye, etc. were here.
A 30-minute stop at Loveland Ski Basin did not find any Rosy Finches.
It was fortunate that we decided to return to Denver by way of
Guanella pass. We pulled into the upper parking area to find 8
White-tailed Ptarmigan under the wooden fence bordering the
eastern side of the parking area.
After 20 minutes, we headed back to Denver.
Eastern Plains 4/9
Canadian birder Todd Pepper and I ended birding on the Eastern
Plains Friday. Attempts to reach Walden and the Greater Sage-Grouse
Lek at Coalmont were blocked by snow. We experienced rain turning
to snow (1:00pm) throughout the day.
We first checked for Greater Prairie-Chickens along county roads
in Yuma County. We observed our first Brown-headed Cowbird.
Next we headed northwest to Riverside Park (Morgan County). The
single Greater White-fronted Goose continued at the larger pond.
Crow Valley Campground on the Pawnee National Grasslands (Weld)
was quiet.
A check of my favorite plover loop found the following:
Mountain Plover (6) New location, the burn along CR 61, 1.0 miles
North of Highway 14 Mountain Plover (3) Southeast corner of
Highway 14 & CR 51.
Burrowing Owl (1) 0.1 miles South of CR 94 & CR 61
A Merlin was at the farmyard along CR 92, 0.3 miles East of CR 63.
We also observed a Ferruginous Hawk, 2 American Kestrels,
1 Red-tailed Hawk, and 2 Swainson's Hawks (Beebe Draw).
No sandpipers were found along CR 48 (south side of Lower Latham
Reservoir, Weld). Four Blue-winged Teal swan on the small ponds on
the North side of CR 48. Two Virginia Rails came out of the cattails
40 yards East of the canal running under CR 48. Several Great-tailed
Grackles were at the western end of CR 48 at Lower Latham Reservoir.
Several Great-tailed Grackles were along CR 43 between CR 44 & CR 42.
No sandpipers at Beebe Draw Ponds. We did come across two
Yellow-headed Blackbirds.
At the Lochbuie Ponds we observed 2 American Avocets
(Along Creek, North side of East 168th Avenue).
No Burrowing Owls were found in the now heavy snowfall along
the DIA Owl Loop (Denver).
Birding Around Denver 4/6
I needed some photos of ducks common to Colorado, so
Andy Bower and I spent most of the day along the South
Platte River and Wheat Ridge Greenbelt (Jefferson County).
However, at first light we walked into Standley Lake (Jefferson).
The Red-throated Loon was swimming off shore near the Rookery
on the north side. The loon flew up about 7:20am and circled
around twice before landing in the north central portion of the lake.
It gave us great views of it's flying profile (such as seen in
the "Sibley Guide to Birds"!
At Wheat Ridge Greenbelt, we found two White-throated Sparrows
in the cattail marsh 50 yards west of the tree bridge trail (as it
goes uphill to the southern subdivision). I put a photo of the
bird on the recent witness photo link (at bottom of photo library).
We watched the Double-crested Cormorants on the rookery at the
Tabor Lake Island. I put several photos taken here on the CoBus
photo library. There were plenty of American Coots and Double-
crested Cormorant to photograph. A pair of Buffleheads on Bass
Lake took much longer to get.
Short trip to the Eastern Plains 4/5
Minnesota Birder Andy Bower & I checked out several
Greater Prairie-Chicken locations on the eastern plains.
Weather was fantastic. Winds were mild; temperatures warm.
I had to be back in Denver by 7:00pm, so the trip was brief.
We checked fields north of the new Nature Conservancy Fox Ranch
(Yuma County). This property is northwest of Idalia. We located
a small group of five birds on private property (none with public
viewing). The group of 20+ Wild Turkeys is still at the Fox Ranch.
We also found two Mountain Plover on private property in western
Yuma County. I have never heard of a report of them here before.
Last Chance Rest Stop (Washington) was slow.
Andy wanted to see Mountain Plover, so we swung up north to
Highway 14 & Weld CR 51. Two birds were easily found at the
southeast corner. Burrowing Owls were observed at the northeast
corner and at the Dyer's Ranch (0.7 miles East of same intersection).
Our birding day ended by watching a Long-eared Owl at the
Crow Valley area of Pawnee National Grasslands.
Metro Denver Lakes 4/4
I checked on several reservoirs around the metro area today.
Guess I should have checked Standley Lake (Jefferson County)
because of the Red-throated Loon sighting.
Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County)
Not much new.
Say's Phoebe (2) near ranger’s office
(observed them there Saturday also).
Chatfield Reservoir (Jefferson/Douglas)
Did not find the Lesser Black-backed and Bonaparte's Gulls
reported Saturday. Not much, except many people and boats.
One American White Pelican.
Marston (Denver)
Common Loon Bonaparte's Gull (adult)
One American White Pelican
Belmar Historic Park (Jefferson)
Pair of Buffleheads, no American Avocet yet.
Wheat Ridge Greenbelt (Jefferson)
Not much Denver Zoo Pond (Denver) Hundreds of
Double-crested Cormorant (seemed like every nest was full).
Barr Lake (Adams)
Not much. No uncommon sparrows
Many Burrowing Owls now along DIA owl loop (Adams).
3.4 miles East Tower Road & 96th avenue
Powhaton Avenue & 120th Avenue
0.7 miles East/ 128th Avenue & Picadilly Road
A few Great-tailed Grackles were at the corral 1.1 miles
East of Picadilly Road & Bromley Lane
Not a busy birding day, however it was a beautiful one.
Temperatures were in the 60s; winds were mild.
Cherry Creek Reservoir 4/3
Stopped briefly during the morning rain.
No uncommon gulls or ducks were observed.
Two Say's Phoebes Continue.
Three Virginia's Rails at group picnic area.
Cherry Creek Reservoir & Rocky Mountain Arsenal 4/2
Rebecca Kosten and I went to Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe
County) this afternoon. Birding was slow. One American White
Pelican joined 29 Double-crested Cormorants. At the 12-mile picnic
area, two Say's Phoebes flew about the hill north of the parking
area. Two Virginia Rails called from the cattails to the West.
A Wilson's Snipe called from the south end of the beaver pond.
Gulls included 9 California, 11 Herring, and 49 Ring-billed Gulls.
We next rode our bikes along the east side of the Rocky Mountain
Arsenal (Buckley Road). Three Burrowing Owls were observed on
the Denver County side of the road (0.5 miles North of the Eagle
Watch Bunker). An additional three Burrowing Owls were on the
Adams County side (1.5 miles North of the Bunker).
A surprise sighting was a Savannah Sparrow near where the creek
crosses Buckley Road (entered both counties). A Rock Wren flew
North along the fence and road (both counties). Two American
Kestrels and an adult Red-tailed Hawk were the only raptors observed.
Dozens of Western Meadowlarks and American Robins were singing.
A strange finding at one prairie dog village was a single American
Robin standing on each mound that was not occupied by a prairie dog
(this was about 19 robins).
Aurora Reservoir 4/1
I went on the CoBus Trip to Aurora Reservoir (Arapahoe County)
today. It was delayed (from Wednesday), as Gary Zeeto and I
were the only participants. Weather was fantastic!
Temperatures were in the 60s; winds were mild.
Birding however was slow. The highlights of the trip were a
Say's Phoebe around mile marker 2.0 and a Loggerhead Shrike
at the southeast corner around mile marker 3.0.
No uncommon gulls were observed. The count included 400+ Ring-
billed, 27 California, and 13 Herring Gulls. A few Redheads,
Canvasbacks, and Ruddy Ducks joined Mallards and Gadwalls.
We found no Burrowing Owls on the north side of the property
(traditional location). One female Northern Harrier flew
along the east side of the reservoir. Sparrows included
only 3 Song and 2 White-crowned Sparrows.
More Bird Trips
HOME
Please feel free to contact CoBus and
Rich Stevens at the following address:
E-mail: