Rich Stevens' Bird Trips
August 2001
Birding Eastern Plains 8/28-8/31
August 8/28
Rebecca Kosten and I traveled to the northeastern plains early this morning.
Temperatures were cool; there was no wind until late morning.
We found some interesting birds at Crow Valley Campground.
While watching a flock of 8 Wilson's Warblers visiting the small
puddle just west of the group picnic shelter, we found a Pine Warbler.
An immature American Redstart also joined the group.
Later in the morning, we relocated the flock of Wilson's Warblers in the
southwest corner of the campground. We did not see the Pine Warbler again.
A male MacGillivray's Warbler and two Gray Catbirds were also here.
Two Brown Thrashers also still remain in the area.
At least eighteen Common Nighthawks flew overhead throughout the morning.
Three House Wrens, 4 Western Wood-Pewees, 7 Western Flycatchers,
2 Yellow Warblers, 2 Northern Flickers, a male Black-headed Grosbeak,
many Blue Jays, many American Robins, many Western Meadowlarks,
and one Sage Thrasher were also added to our day list.
Note: I cannot call any Western Flycatchers Cordilleran unless I hear them.
While it seems the general practice to call them Cordilleran in Colorado,
when someone identifies a Western as a Pacific-slope Flycatcher,
speculation on how many were Pacific-slope Flycatchers will be a must.
We next drove south to Latham Reservoir (Weld County). On the trip down,
a Sharp-tailed Grouse crossed the road at CR 50 & CR 49. We watched
the bird for over 2 minutes before a car came down the road.
Rebecca stayed behind to try and photograph the bird and I made a quick
swing over to the south side of Latham. The mud flats supplied food for
9 species of shorebirds (including one Stilt Sandpiper).
The Cattle Egrets numbered 44 and were accompanied by one Snowy Egret.
There were many Cliff Swallows here (note: they are getting scarce).
Picking up Rebecca, we headed east and south to Jackson Reservoir (Morgan).
Along the 40-mile trip, we counted numerous hawks. The species included
Prairie Falcon (2), Ferruginous Hawk (2), Red-tailed Hawk (9), Swainson's
Hawk (17), and one immature Golden Eagle.
Jackson Reservoir was a disappointment in regard to uncommon shorebirds.
Two Black-bellied Plovers "hung out" in the southeast corner. We counted
ten species of shorebirds. Only one (Cliff) Swallow flew by during our stay.
Watching the thousands of American White Pelicans feed on the fish in the
shallow drained reservoir, was the highlight of the trip here.
We opted to skip Prewitt Reservoir (being tired of identifying hundreds
of shorebirds through our scopes) and headed for Sterling.
We hoped to check several locations in town for Cuckoos (Black and Yellow-
billed) and maybe find an Eurasian Collared-Dove. We found none.
Our day ended at Sterling Reservoir. Again few birds were found and
none to add to our day list. A walk along the canal below the dam, did
not produce any unusual bird sightings either.
No Short-eared Owls made an appearance as we drove the country roads
near dusk. A beautiful sunset ended our good day of birding!
August 8/29
Rebecca Kosten and I continued our Eastern Plains trip by birding the northeast
corner of Colorado. The weather was hot today; winds moderate to high!
We suffered much to mosquitoes in order to check Overland Park in
Sterling this morning. One Yellow-billed Cuckoo called just after
sunrise. It took us 1.5 hours before we managed to see the bird which
hid well in the cottonwoods. Two Lesser Yellowlegs were along the
South Platte River and one Red-headed Woodpecker flew through the woods.
Our hike through Sterling's Cemetery lasted about an hour. No birds of
interest were added to our trip list. Two White-breasted Nuthatches (WBNU),
a Red-tailed Hawk, and one Western Flycatcher were here.
Pioneer Park on the west end of Sterling also contained few birds.
There was one immature American Redstart and a couple of WBNU.
Sedgwick Bar Wildlife Area (Sedgwick County) was quite buggy.
Two male Eastern Bluebirds were in cottonwoods along the Platte River.
A male Red-bellied Woodpecker flew about upstream from the wildlife area.
Ovid Woods was quiet also. A couple of unidentified Empidonax species
perked our interest, however remained unknown species. We missed identifying
a warbler that looked similar to a Nashville Warbler. The bird flew upstream
onto private property before giving us a clear look.
Ovid Sewage Ponds was similarly slow. We found one Field Sparrow at the eastern
end of the property. The only other sparrows seen were Song and White-crowned.
Sedgwick Wildlife Area (south of Ovid), Julesburg Wayside Rest Stop, and
DePoorter Lake added little to our trip list. We did kick up a covey of
Northern Bobwhite at DePoorter Lake. One White-throated Sparrow was here also
.
Roger was waiting for us as we headed to the Danka Ranch for dinner.
He had staked out a Harris's Sparrow and relocated it for us! We are
waiting for the fried chicken to be cooked (as my cholesterol soars)
and plan to go owling after dinner.
August 30
We did not have a productive day of birding. The weather turned rather
nasty in the late afternoon. We took shelter early and our afternoon
plans to hunt for Greater Prairie-Chickens were cancelled.
In Phillips County we stopped first at Sand Draw Wildlife Area.
No uncommon birds were found. We did have a male Lazuli Bunting,
which is no too common. Few sparrows were migrating through yet.
A stop at Frenchman Creek Wildlife Area and Holyoke WLA did not find any
uncommon birds. One male Blue Grosbeak was found at Frenchman Creek WLA.
Next we entered Yuma County and stopped at Sandsage WLA. There were
many Chipping, Song, and White-crowned Sparrows; few other birds.
A stop at Stalker Ponds and Wray Fishing Unit also did not add much to
our day list. Again White-crowned Sparrows dominated the sparrow count.
August 31
Our day was much more productive than yesterday. Once again, the weather
turned nasty in the late afternoon. Many thunderstorms were in western
Yuma and eastern Washington Counties. We drove through hail at one point.
Our friendly Eastern Screech-Owl called during the early morning hours.
We heard one Yellow-billed Cuckoo at the Hale Ponds (Kansas border).
Five House Wrens, 11 Eastern Bluebirds, and two Red-bellied Woodpeckers
were encountered during a 2-mile hike along the Republican River.
The bird of the day was a Blue-headed Vireo at campsite 41 at Wagon Wheel.
We watched the bird for over 10 minutes. We got great views of its gray-blue
head that contrasted with its green-yellowish back.
An immature American Redstart was at North Cove Campground.
While a Great Crested Flycatcher was found at Foster's Grove Campground.
By the time we arrived at Last Chance Rest Stop, the rain was coming down
so fast, that birding was made impossible.
Standley Lake 8/27
Paul Langendorfer and I traveled to Standley Lake this afternoon.
Temperatures were around 94 degrees and winds were mild.
The Long-tailed Jaeger made several passes along the southern
shoreline during our 2.5-hour stay.
The bird also swam in the water about 50 yards off shore
for 15 minutes on three occasions.
Birding Plains 8/26
My birding day started when Bryan Ehlmann and I traveled to Barr Lake.
One Townsend's Warbler at mile marker 8.1 was the only unusual
warbler recorded for the trip. The moderate winds kept finding
birds to a minimum during our three-hour search.
After Barr Lake we checked my favorite owl loop:
5 Burrowing Owls were 1.0 miles south of Buckley Road and 88th avenue.
0 Burrowing Owls were 3.4 miles east of Tower Road and 96th avenue.
0 Burrowing Owls were 0.7 miles east of Picadilly Road and 120th avenue.
0 Burrowing Owls were 0.5 miles south of Picadilly Road and 128th avenue.
2 Burrowing Owls were at intersection of Powhaton Road and 128th avenue.
1 Burrowing Owl was at the Northwest corner of Lochbuie Pond intersection.
Burrowing Owl numbers are definitely down this week.
The kettle of Swainson's Hawks which had numbered up to 70 for the
past five weeks, is now gone. We found only one Swainson's Hawk.
The four-mile drive along the eastern side of Rocky Mountain Arsenal
answered my question of "where have the Western Kingbirds gone"?
We counted 188 Western and 8 Eastern Kingbirds in four miles.
A flock of 27 Lark Buntings were standing along the fence line.
We observed quite a few sparrows, which included the following species:
Clay-colored, Brewer's, Lark, Vesper, Grasshopper, and Song!
I continued on my own back to Standley Lake (Jefferson County).
The adult Long-tailed Jaeger flew about the southwestern end
of the lake from 1:00-2:00pm. Unlike yesterday, he did not fly
down to the southeastern end (of course, where I was standing).
After picking up Rebecca Kosten at the airport (DIA), we headed down to
Elbert County Road in search of Dickcissels. We did not expect to find
any; however we wanted to confirm our suspicions.
We checked an hour each at three locations along Elbert County Road and
did not find any Dickcissels. One Savannah Sparrow did fly up from the
alfalfa. Two Swainson's Hawks flew overhead during our search.
Two Grasshopper Sparrows were "taking a bath" at a small pond back on
Delbert Road. Seven immature Swainson's Hawks were also in the area.
Returning to Denver, we decided to check the Winkler Ranch south of
Castlewood Canyon State Park. Bobolinks and Dickcissels had been in
the area for the summer. As we expected, none were located in a two-hour
search. One Wild Turkey came out of the woods about 0.7 miles
south of the state park (same area where they have been for years).
Our birding day ended at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County).
One Green Heron and one Black-crowned Night-Heron were feeding at
the wetlands pond east of the Prairie Loop. The sunset was fantastic!
Return to Chatfield Reservoir 8/25
Bryan Ehlmann and I lead the CoBus trip to Chatfield Reservoir today.
Rain poured down in the early morning; winds were moderate.
When the sun came out around 12:00pm, temperatures rose into the 90s.
We found one Townsend's Warbler 150 yards south of the Heronry Overlook.
Fewer birds came by in the strong winds (today verses yesterday):
Loggerhead Shrike
Wilson's Warbler (male)
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Common Merganser (44, island below us)
At Kingfisher Bridge area (north)
Western Wood-pewee (12)
Cordilleran Flycatcher (4)
House Wren (5)
At Kingfisher Bridge area (south)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (pair)
Western Tanager (immature)
Wilson's Warbler (male)
Western Wood-pewee (28)
Cordilleran Flycatcher (8)
House Wren (7)
NASHVILLE WARBLER (female, island just west of south end of paved path)
Yellow Warbler (2 males, 5 females)
Gray Catbird (3)
We then drove down to the Discovery Pavilion area and hiked to the river.
Forty yards south of the yellow building with brown roof, we observed
three Plumbeous Vireos all at the same time.
Fifty yards further south we found one immature male American Redstart.
I stopped at Tina Jones' home on the trip over to Chatfield Reservoir.
One immature Calliope Hummingbird visited the feeders.
After returning home, I read about the jaeger and headed to Standley Lake.
The light-morph adult Long-tailed Jaeger flew along the southern shoreline
from 5:30 to 8:00pm. I managed to capture 8 minutes of video of the bird!
Chatfield Reservoir 8/24
I traveled to Chatfield Reservoir Friday in hopes of finding the Grace's Warbler
reported Thursday by Andrew Spencer. I parked at Mineral Avenue and Santa Fe
and rode by bike into the reservoir. The morning was cool with moderate winds;
it warmed considerably by afternoon.
A Northern Bobwhite ran across the road at the entrance to the Scuba Ponds
parking area. The bird later walked into the thicker foliage just west of
Kingfisher Bridge. This is my first Jefferson County NOBO!
Don Belts and I sat at the old heron rookery for about 2 hours.
It appeared to be a good location. During our stay the following
birds stopped by the few trees just off the outlook area:
Townsend's Warbler (2)
Virginia Warbler
Yellow Warbler (female)
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Western Scrub-Jay (2) (My first in Chatfield Reservoir)
Western Wood-pewee (4)
Lesser Goldfinch (many)
American Goldfinch (many)
Common Merganser (39 birds; stayed on island below us)
American White Pelican (5)
Double-crested Cormorant (29)
Chipping Sparrow (50+)
Lark Sparrow (2)
Say's Phoebe
Western Tanager (immature)
The Grace's Warbler may have passed through. We had a brief look at an
unidentified warbler. In the four seconds the bird landed and flew by,
we could not pick up enough identification marks to positively conclude it
was the Grace's Warbler. It did not appear to be any other warbler either :-(
I left Don and went over to the west side of Kingfisher Bridge area.
Ken Chavez and friend were searching for American Redstarts,
which seemed scare today. He did find 2 Townsend's Warblers however.
I missed Townsend's Warblers, however on my trip out of woods,
I kicked up a Yellow-billed Cuckoo just south of the main road.
The woods are quite thick here and it has a good place to hide.
There were several House Wrens still in the area. At the traditional
White-eyed Vireo spot, I observed two Gray Catbirds. Many Black-capped
Chickadees and a pair of Downy Woodpeckers were also in the area.
Yuma County 8/21-8/23
Bryan Ehlmann and I traveled to Yuma County for three days. The weather
was quite motley; several thunderstorms blew through during our stay.
August 21
We searched around Bonny Reservoir keeping in mind that an
Eastern Meadowlark is possible when this far east.
Foster's Grove Campground produced the most interesting birds.
We thought a Plumbeous Vireo here was quite uncommon. At least,
there are few records of the species at Bonny Reservoir.
Between Foster's Grove and the CR 3 entrance we found two Least Flycatchers
and one Willow Flycatcher. One Gray Catbird popped up at the western end
of Bonny Reservoir proper. The seven species of sandpipers did not include
any uncommon birds today. Two Red-headed Woodpeckers were also observed.
August 22
An Eastern Screech-Owl called just after dark. The bird was
maybe 50 yards north of the most northeastern Hale Pond.
We hiked at first light my favorite 4-mile loop from Hale Ponds to
along the Republican River. Two Yellow-billed Cuckoos called in
the tall cottonwoods just west of the Kansas-Colorado border.
Two male and a female Red-bellied Woodpecker were along the main road (CR 4)
going into Kansas. The birds were approximately 0.3 miles into Colorado.
We hiked a couple miles into the field south of Hale Ponds. Two Dickcissels
were approximately 30 yards north of CR 4; west of the Hale Ponds entrance.
Along a two-mile stretch of the Republican River we found 7 males &
4 female Eastern Bluebirds. Three male Common Yellowthroats
also popped up from the cattails along the river.
We checked the three campgrounds around Bonny Reservoir. North Cove CG
had the most interesting birds. An immature American Redstart and two
Spotted Towhees hunted between the campground and the reservoir.
We did point counts north to CR 5 and south to CR 1. Four Wild Turkeys
walked across the road, 0.5 miles east of the CR 1 entrance.
August 23
The Eastern Screech-Owl called again shortly after dark. We were surprised
when a Common Poorwill also called. We paid special attention to the
Nightjar. Chuck-wills-widows and Whip-poor-wills are remote possibilities
when birding this far east. The song recorded, matched a Common Poorwill.
We heard one Yellow-billed Cuckoo near yesterday's location.
The Dickcissels could not be found in a brief search.
A Barn Owl flew out from the cottonwoods below the Bonny Reservoir dam.
Another flock of Eastern Bluebirds included 9 males and 7 females.
One female Red-bellied Woodpecker was also in the area.
The surprise of the day was a Common Poorwill at North Cove Campground.
The immature American Redstart found yesterday was still here.
We next headed for the southwest side of Bonny and Wagon Wheel campground.
The campground has not produced as many unusual sightings as in the past.
(This is probably connected to the water levels for the last three years.
Wagon Wheel contained three Red-headed Woodpeckers and two Yellow Warblers.
Many House Wrens were in the area. One Osprey flew to the west and was
later located 200 yards west of the Wagon Wheel picnic area.
We hiked down to the southwestern end of the reservoir. Three unidentified
Empidonax species were encountered. One male Baltimore Oriole was
600 yards west of the picnic area. More House Wrens, 5 Western Kingbirds,
and 11 Eastern Kingbirds were also added to our day list.
We ended our Bonny Reservoir count at Hooper Ponds.
One Sora and two Virginia Rails were heard, but not seen.
The second Eastern Screech-Owl of our trip answered briefly to our tapes.
Six stops on our way back to Denver, did not add birds to our trip list.
The only bird of note at Last Chance Rest Stop was an Olive-sided Flycatcher.
No Eastern Meadowlarks or Eastern Wood-pewees could be found.
Weld County 8/20
Bryan Ehlmann and I drove up to Lower Latham Reservoir in search of the
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron reported last week; we did not find the bird.
Six Red-necked Phalaropes were accompanied by seven common
sandpiper species. One Great Egret fed on the eastern side of Latham.
Two Burrowing Owls were found along Kersey Road (CR 49) approximately
1.2 miles south of County Road 22 (they were about 150 yards west of CR 22).
We found no uncommon birds at Barr Lake (winds were quite strong).
One Burrowing Owl was still at Lochbuie Ponds area (northwest corner).
Five Burrowing Owls were at Powhaton Road & 128th avenue.
Another two owls were 0.7 miles east of 120th avenue & Picadilly Road.
CoBus Trip to Cherry Creek Reservoir 8/18
Steve Spencer, Bryan Ehlmann, Sue Dorsey, Cindy Earnhardt, Donna Fortney,
and I traveled over to Cherry Creek Reservoir for a late afternoon hike.
Few birds were found while hiking south from the group picnic area.
Ring-billed Gulls were the only gulls at the southwest marina.
Five American White Pelicans joined two California and many Ring-billed Gulls
at the sand spit at the eastern end of the reservoir.
One Green Heron was at the wetlands pond east of the Prairie Loop.
One Great Blue and two Black-crowned Night-Herons were also here.
We returned by way of my favorite Owl Loop:
Burrowing Owls were found along my favorite Owl Loop:
5 at 128th avenue & Powhaton Road
2 at 0.7 miles east of 120th avenue & Picadilly Road
2 at 3.4 miles east of 96th avenue & Tower Road
2 at 1.0 mile south of 88th avenue & Buckley Road
Return back to Denver 8/17
After a fantastic breakfast of homemade waffles and strawberries, we searched
again for the Bobolinks Roger found earlier in the week. The birds hid well,
or they moved on somewhere. I found a warbler in some cottonwoods along a
creek; the bird turned out to be a Palm Warbler (eastern race)!
We headed back southwest down Interstate 76 and stopped at Prewitt Reservoir.
Few birds flew about below the dam at the northeast corner.
We hiked around the east and south end and found two Long-billed Curlews in
the southwest corner. Sixty-one sandpipers were here also; they consisted of
Baird's, three Least, five Spotted, two Stilt, and one Pectoral sandpiper.
One alternate plumaged Short-billed Dowitcher was accompanied by six Long-billed.
(More or less in the same area, they were not together).
We struck out on Buff-breasted and Upland Sandpipers.
Burrowing Owls were found along my favorite Owl Loop:
7 at 128th avenue & Powhaton Road
1 at 0.7 miles east of 120th avenue & Picadilly Road
7 at 3.4 miles east of 96th avenue & Tower Road
3 at 1.0 mile south of 88th avenue & Buckley Road
Logan & Sedgwick Counties 8/16
Our trip continued as we back tracked to Logan County and Sterling.
The weather has been iffy all week; isolated thunderstorms have
forced us to take cover several times.
The plan was to time our trip to be near Jumbo Reservoir at dusk.
We hoped to find a Short-eared Owl somewhere.
On the way to Sterling Reservoir, we searched for the Eurasian Collared-Doves
previous observed in Sterling. We could find none today.
Sterling Reservoir had few birds; the only meadowlarks were Western.
Steve found the first uncommon warbler of our trip. While walking below
the dam (along the canal), he found a male Golden-winged Warbler.
Bryan and I hustled down and were able to see the colorful bird
before it continued east along the canal.
Our trek took us north along the county roads. We stopped now and then
and listened for Eastern Meadowlarks and migrant sparrows.
Just north of Peetz, Bryan found a Tennessee Warbler in a small grove of trees.
The bird was in no hurry to move on and we watched it for 10 minutes or so.
Duck Creek Wildlife Area added no birds to our trip list. Red Lion Wildlife
Area was not much help either. There was a male Red-bellied Woodpecker in
the trees about 1/4 mile east of the Red Lion WLA parking area.
Jumbo Reservoir contained few uncommon birds. We walked almost completely
around it and found little. Eastern Kingbirds outnumbered Western 9 to 1.
This seemed the same ratio we had been observing all week (Castlewood Canyon
State Park, Cherry Creek State Park, Jackson Reservoir).
A Cassin's Kingbird and two Red-breasted Nuthatches were at the Eastern
campground. This is my second CAKI found at this campground in the fall.
We searched for Short-eared Owls near dusk at the southeast corner;
none appeared. We drove over to Sedgwick Cemetery and again found no
Short-eared Owls (one Great Horned). We finally found success and an
owl to the northwest of the intersection of CR 9 & CR 30.
It was a Short-eared Owl!
An Eastern Screech-Owl was found as we searched my friend's Sedgwick County
ranch for Barn Owls. We had walked past the bird and fortunately it started
to call. Seven abandoned buildings were checked for Barn Owls; without success.
Sedgwick County 8/15
Bryan, Steve, and I continued our bird trip in search of Upland Sandpipers.
None were found today, however several interesting birds were located.
First light found us at Ovid Woods. A male Red-bellied Woodpecker called
to a female bird in the large cottonwood trees near 2nd & Pacific streets.
We walked along Lodgepole Creek to north of the high school. Several
Common Nighthawks flew overhead. White-breasted Nuthatches, House Wrens,
and two Common Yellowthroats called. We sighted a male Northern Cardinal
just east of Morgan and 2nd streets. One Brown Thrasher was here also.
A Sharp-shinned Hawk flew through the woods and probably kept the bird
count down as all fled for safety.
At the Ovid Sewage Ponds (permission required), we found one White-throated
Sparrow among many White-crowned birds. Two Eastern Bluebirds were at the
eastern end of the property. A covey of Northern Bobwhites was kicked up also.
Julesburg Wildlife Area (just south of Ovid) added a Northern Mockingbird to
our trip list. Several Brown Thrashers were along the South Platte River.
At Julesburg Wayside Stop, birding was slow. Eastern Towhees have been sighted
here in the past; none were found today. Three Chimney Swifts flew overhead.
The only orioles found were Bullock's; the only woodpeckers were Downy.
At DePoorter Lake, we kicked up our second covey of Northern Bobwhite (27 birds)
of the day. Two White-throated Sparrows were along the South Platte. Many
White-throated Sparrows and one Field Sparrow were added to the day list.
At a private ranch overlooking Nebraska, we found another White-throated Sparrow.
The only meadowlarks found were Western. My friend observed two Bobolinks
yesterday, however we were not able to locate the birds today.
Our birding day is about to be cut short, as Roger's wife cooks the best fried
chicken in Sedgwick County; maybe Colorado. Bon appetite!
Logan County 8/14
Bryan Ehlmann, Steve Spencer, and I traveled in search of the Eastern Towhee
reported by Forrest Luke Saturday at Tamarack Ranch Wildlife Area.
We did not find the bird however located many of the birds Forrest discovered.
It took about an hour to locate the Black-billed Cuckoo. The bird was between
parking area (p.a.) 1 & 2 on the west side of highway 55. It called and still
30 minutes was required before we observed the bird. A male and possible
female Baltimore Oriole were observed during the search.
East of parking area 1-west, we observed one Bell's Vireo and heard another.
We next hiked the eastern side of the wildlife area from highway 55 to CR 93.
This is approximately 7 miles one way. The potential for uncommon birds is good.
We heard at least four Yellow-billed Cuckoos (observed two). Two Great Crested
Flycatchers were also singing and came out of the woods briefly.
A male Northern Cardinal flew about behind the manager's residence. Bryan heard
a female bird, however we could not locate her. Two Red-headed Woodpeckers were
also in the vicinity (along with many Spotted Towhees, no Eastern).
A male Red-bellied Woodpecker was just east of the Tamarack Ponds area.
On the trip back to our car, we kicked up a Grouse. Unfortunately, we did
not see it long enough to distinguish between Sharp-tailed and Greater Prairie.
The area was filled with Western Meadowlarks (unfortunately, no Eastern),
Northern Flickers, House Wrens, several Common Yellowthroats, Mourning Doves,
Ring-necked Pheasants, and a few Downy Woodpeckers.
We enjoyed a pleasant birding hike; mosquitoes were not bad!
We drove the country roads near dusk in search of Nightjars, but found none.
The Eastern Screech-Owl called at 10:00pm near parking area 11-east.
Denver County 8/13
Bryan Ehlmann and I searched for the White-winged Dove reported last week.
We did not locate the bird in a two-hour search. We rode our bikes
around the Denver neighborhood filled with trees, Mourning Doves,
and Northern Flickers. (I live on the plains; closest tree is a ways off
so it is refreshing to ride around in the shade and cool breeze)!
The search centered around Detroit Street between 12th & 13th.
We expanded outwards for about 10 blocks in each direction.
There are numerous trees for the bird to use for cover!
Jefferson County 8/12
Paul Langendorfer and I travel on this sunny, windless day to several locations
in Jefferson County. We enjoyed the day without any uncommon bird sightings.
At Tina Jones' home (Lakewood) we watched at least one immature
Calliope Hummingbird, several Rufous and Broad-tailed Hummingbirds.
Many Black-capped Chickadees also visited her feeders.
At Chatfield Reservoir we searched for the Piping Plover. There were
many people at this popular reservoir and the 30 or so sandpipers
were in the southeast corner (and quite far away). We thought we
observed the Piping Plover for about 20 seconds, however I was never
quite sure and did not record in my field notes as a sighting for today.
I.E. It may still be there.
At Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe) the only gulls at the southwest marina
were Ring-billed Gulls. At the wetlands pond east of the Prairie Loop,
we found four Black-crowned Night-Herons, one Great Blue Heron, and
one Green Heron! A few Mallards swam around in the shallow pool also.
Douglas County 8/10
Four of us traveled to Elbert County Road to check on the Dickcissels.
(Location is 4.5 miles south of highway 86 & Elbert County Road).
We observed two Dickcissels and heard a third. One male Bobolink
came up from the shorter grasses just west of Kiowa Creek.
We also observed one juvenile Yellow-headed Blackbird among a flock of
100 Red-winged Blackbirds. A Turkey Vulture and Red-tailed Hawk flew
overhead during our one-hour stay. No Grasshopper Sparrows today,
several Lark Sparrows flew about however.
Next we headed to the Winkler Ranch on Castlewood Canyon Road (east side
of the state park). A male Mountain was the only Bluebird observed.
We did not find any Bobolinks at their usual location 0.4 miles south of
the Winkler Ranch entrance. Mr. Jones has mowed down 80 percent
of the field. The Bobolinks may have left. The field should be
100 percent mowed down in the next day or two.
One Wild Turkey was spotted along the tree line 0.7 miles south of the
state park. Two female Broad-tailed Hummingbirds came to the feeder at
the first house south of the state park. Seven Turkey Vultures flew by too!
Many Western Meadowlarks, Lark Sparrows, and two Western Wood-pewees
sang along Castlewood Canyon Road. Dozens of American Crows were also
in the vicinity. One Northern Harrier hunted on the flat lands.
Piping Plover at Chatfield Reservoir 8/9
Five of us observed the Piping Plover at Chatfield Reservoir;
Plum Creek Delta (Jefferson/Douglas Counties) from around 4:30-5:00pm.
The bird did not stay in one place but moved from the two tennis shoes
to the east to the northern shoreline. At times, the plover walked
around the point to the north and west and was out of view.
It would reappear every 10 minutes or so.
The Yellow-billed Cuckoo cooperated and called several times in the trees
to the east and north of Plum Creek Delta. Other sandpipers in the area
were: 3 Least, 2 Semipalmated, and 40+ Baird's Sandpipers.
This morning Rebecca Kosten and I went in search of the Winter Wren at
the Calypso Cascade area of Wild Basin of Rocky Mountain National Park
(Larimer County). Weather wise, it was not a good morning.
We did not find the Winter Wren, however two Black Swifts flew overhead.
While hiking the forest for 1 mile west of the entrance to Wild Basin,
we observed three Red-naped Sapsuckers, a male Williamson's Sapsucker,
two Olive-sided Flycatchers, many Warbling Vireos, and many
Western Wood-pewees. No Three-toed Woodpeckers were found.
I drove my favorite Owl Loop on the trip back home.
Burrowing Owls were found at:
5 at 128th avenue & Powhaton Road
2 at 0.7 miles east of 120th avenue & Picadilly Road
3 at 3.4 miles east of 96th avenue & Tower Road
3 at 1.0 mile south of 88th avenue & Buckley Road
Search for a White-winged Dove 8/6
Rebecca Kosten and I searched for the White-winged Dove reported in
the alley at Detroit Street between 12th & 13th avenues, Denver.
We rode our bikes for two hours up each street and alley for 10 blocks.
No White-wing Dove was found among the many Mourning Doves in the neighborhood.
One white-winged Rock Dove made several appearances at Detroit St. & 13th.
This was 1/2 block from the WWDO report. There are many trees in the area
for the WWDO to hide. Our two radios helped us to split up and search quite
a bit of the neighborhood. We did get our exercise for the day.
We extended our search to Congress Park to the south and City Park to the north.
No uncommon birds were found during our 4-hour bike ride.
My favorite Owl Loop North of Denver International Airport 8/5
I passed my favorite owl loop on the way to visit at Aurora Medical Center.
Burrowing Owls observed on this quite hot day:
7 at 128th avenue & Powhaton Road
2 at 0.7 miles east of 120th avenue & Picadilly Road
5 at 3.4 miles east of 96th avenue & Tower Road
8 at 1.0 mile south of 88th avenue & Buckley Road
Many Lark Buntings and two Grasshopper Sparrows were found 1.0 miles south of
Buckley Road & 88th avenue (the east side of Rocky Mountain Arsenal).
Birding Colorado's Front Range 8/3
Another Cobirder and I visited forests near Conifer today in search of
hummingbirds and band-tailed pigeons. Winds were calm, temps were cool.
At a private home, we observed several dozen Broad-tailed Hummingbirds,
half a dozen male and two or three female Rufous Hummingbirds, and one
female Calliope Hummingbird. While watching the hummingbirds for several
hours, feeders also tempted 25-30 Band-tailed Pigeons.
During a quick stop at Pike National Forest, I found a male and female
Three-toed Woodpecker approximately 150 yards north & 40 yards east
of the Skipper Trailhead.
We observed an immature male Calliope and two Broad-tailed Hummingbirds
in a 30-minute stop at Ira Sanders home near Golden.
I counted 27 Burrowing Owls while driving my favorite owl loop north of
Denver International Airport on my trip back home (four locations).
Tina Jones' Yard 8/1
At first light I was sitting in Tina Jones' backyard.
The immature Black-chinned Hummingbird made an appearance twice before she
was chased off by Broad-tailed Hummingbirds. I did not see her after 7:00am.
A female Rufous Hummingbird guarded the hummingbird feeder in the front yard.
She was quite aggressive and chased off the Broad-tailed hummers quickly.
An immature and female Calliope Hummingbird seemed to prefer the feeder
located up in the backyard garden surrounded by the wooden fence.
Mountain Chickadees and Lesser Goldfinch were also added to my day list.
Several White-lined Sphinx Moths also flew by and fed on the flowers.
More Bird Trips
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