Rich Stevens' Bird Trips
August 2002
Elbert County 8/31
Four of us went to the temporary RMORC office in Elbert County today.
Temperatures were warm (low 90s); winds were calm.
Dickcissels and Bobolinks do not appear to be around anymore.
Bobolinks were especially scare this year, probably due to the drought
conditions. Wet meadows and high grasses were few and far between
this year out of the plains. We hope they come back next year.
Our only uncommon bird of the day was a Cassin's Kingbird.
The kingbird stood alone on a fence post along Elbert County Road
(4.6 miles south of highway 83).
We drove along Castlewood Canyon Road (west of the state park) on
the trip home. The only bluebird around was a male Mountain Bluebird.
We did not see any Bobolinks in their traditional field this year.
The field was completely dry the whole nesting season.
Northeastern Plains of Colorado 8/29-8/30
Sue Dorsey, Bryan Ehlmann, and I headed to northeast Colorado.
At times the weather was horrible with strong winds, rain, and hail.
We ran into a couple of bad storms during our trip.
Thursday 29
We started our day at first light by hiking 2 miles of Barr Lake
(Adams County). Our stay was brief and the only uncommon warbler
was a Townsend's Warbler at mile marker 8.2. Quite a few
Burrowing Owls were observed on the trip to Barr Lake at
the east side of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal (Denver/Adams).
We next stopped 3 hours at Jackson Reservoir (Morgan County).
The female Black-throated Blue Warbler was relocated at Cove Campground.
We did not find the Tennessee Warbler that Daniela Heck-Garrett and
I had found on Wednesday.
All of the same species reported Wednesday were still here.
I forgot to mention the 2000+ American White Pelicans that
were around yesterday.
Three Semipalmated Plovers and the adult Piping Plover in
breeding plumage were again along the east-southeast shoreline.
Four Black-bellied Plovers and a Pectoral Sandpiper were also here.
Half a dozen Red-necked Phalaropes swam among many Wilson's Phalaropes.
Black Terns hawked insects along the shoreline.
Again we did not locate any Mountain Plovers on the north side.
Our next stop was Red Lion Wildlife Area (Logan County).
Two Black-bellied Plovers walked along the shore at Little Jumbo Reservoir.
A male Red-bellied Woodpecker was in the trees around the small pond
0.5 miles east of the parking area (just north of hwy 138 & Logan CR 95).
Several Great Horned Owls were in the trees at the north side of
Jumbo Reservoir (Logan/Sedgwick). No uncommon warblers were sighted.
We ended our birding day back west at Tamarack Ranch Wildlife Area
(Logan County). A Yellow-billed Cuckoo called from the cottonwoods
near parking area 1. A Bell's Vireo came out of the weeds east of here.
Two Spotted Towhees (no Eastern Towhees) were in the area also.
Four Red-headed Woodpeckers were added to our day list as we walked
2 miles west of highway 55. No orioles or Northern Cardinals were found.
Many Chipping Sparrows, Song Sparrows, and a Lincoln's Sparrow were seen.
A male Red-bellied Woodpecker was found as we walked along the northeast
side of the S. Platte (east of hwy 55). Two Chimney Swifts flew overhead.
After dusk we again hiked 1 mile either side of hwy 55.
An Eastern Screech-Owl was heard about 1 mile east of hwy 55.
Several Great Horned Owls called back at the camping area.
Friday 30
Overnight we located 2 additional Eastern Screech-Owls while
driving the Sedgwick County roads northeast of Jumbo Reservoir.
One Barn Owl was found also.
A White-throated Sparrow and 2 Harris's Sparrows were observed
on the Danka Ranch (Sedgwick) before breakfast.
Our trek to find Dickcissels and Upland Sandpipers in Sedgwick County
were not successful. Few birds were found at the Julesburg Wayside
Rest Stop and DePoorter Lake (Sedgwick). Sedgwick Cemetery was quiet.
Ovid Woods was slow. One female Red-bellied Woodpecker flew on
after a brief stay. No Northern Cardinals could be found in the woods,
in town, or at Julesburg Wildlife Area (south end of Ovid) today.
Overland Park on the east side of Sterling was quiet too.
I have made at least four stops there this year and not found/heard
any cuckoos. Both Black-billed and Yellow-billed Cuckoos have
been reported in the past.
We missed the Eastern Screech-Owls reported earlier in the summer
at Pioneer Park (west side of Sterling).
We stopped briefly to listen for owls at Prewitt Reservoir.
The area was quiet tonight.
Eastern Plains 8/28
Daniela Heck-Garrett and I birded the eastern plains on Wednesday.
Skies were overcast and winds were minimal most of the day.
We stayed at Jackson Reservoir (Morgan County) for approximately 5 hours.
During a 2-hour hike through the western campgrounds we observed
48+ Yellow Warblers, 14+ Wilson's Warblers, 100+ Chipping Sparrows,
50+ Brewer's Sparrows, 1 Song Sparrow, 6+ Vesper Sparrows,
1 Clay-colored Sparrow and 1 Great Horned Owl.
Three female/immature Bullock's Orioles, an immature male
Black-headed Grosbeak, Mountain and Black-capped Chickadees,
American Robins, and Northern Flickers were also around.
The highlights were a first fall Tennessee Warbler at Pelican Campground
and a female Black-throated Blue Warbler at Cove Campground.
We then took a 2-hour hike around the southern end of Jackson Lake.
Common shorebirds observed were Western Sandpipers, Semipalmated Sandpipers,
Least Sandpipers, Stilt Sandpipers, Baird's Sandpipers, Solitary Sandpipers,
Spotted Sandpipers, American Avocets, Killdeer, Lesser Yellowlegs,
Greater Yellowlegs, and Long-billed Dowitchers.
Highlights were several Pectoral Sandpipers, a Sanderling,
3 Semipalmated Plovers, and an adult breeding plumage
Piping Plover. These birds were at the shoreline in the
extreme southeast corner of the reservoir.
An hour walk along the north shoreline did not produce a Mountain Plover
sighting. A lone Black-bellied Plover walked the northwest shoreline.
Franklin's Gulls and Black Terns flew overhead. One Sage Thrasher
stood on the corral at the northeast corner of the reservoir.
We moved on and went to Weld County Roads 44 & 45. Along the way
3 Burrowing Owls were found 0.7 miles west of Weld CR 42 & 49.
Six Upland Sandpipers had been at the northeast corner for a couple
of weeks. We did not see them during our hour stay. However, we did
hear Upland Sandpipers twice in the field to the south (which has been
recently plowed). Unfortunately we never saw them.
Nine Burrowing Owls have now taken up residence in the northeast corner.
I had not observed them there during my four previous visits in the
past month.
Beebe Draw (CR 44 between 43 & 47) had a few Wilson's Phalaropes and
Killdeer. A couple of American Avocets and Baird's Sandpipers were here also.
Our last stop of the day was the pond just north of Weld CR 52 & 57.
It took us over 2 hours to properly observe the many shorebirds here.
Highlights were at least 1 Red-necked Phalarope, at least
1 Pectoral Sandpiper, and 4 Marbled Godwits.
A dozen Black-necked Stilts were new to our trip list.
Five hundred + Wilson's Phalaropes made finding a
Red-necked Phalarope quite time consuming. The thousand
plus shorebirds were similar to those found at Jackson reservoir
earlier in the day. No small plovers were observed here however.
We ran out of daylight and missed continuing to Crow Valley Campground.
Purple Gallinule in Loveland 8/27
Another cobirder and I drove up to Loveland and
photographed the Purple Gallinule late afternoon.
The bird is definitely in a strange location.
It is at a private residence, in a garden with no water.
Continued Search for Owls 8/24-8/26
Earlier this week we continued our search for owls by
looking in Boulder County.
Saturday 24
Gary & DiAnne Weston, Rebecca Kosten, and I traveled to a dozen locations in
Boulder County. The weather was varied with rain and strong winds at times.
Early in the morning, we heard an Eastern Screech-Owl at the northwestern end
of the Walden Ponds area. No uncommon birds were observed in the area.
We hiked up to Jasper Lake in hopes of hearing/seeing the Boreal Owl
reported there last month. We experienced no success, but enjoyed
the beautiful area under the 80 percent of full moon.
Sunday 25
The weather was fantastic Sunday night. Temperatures were
in the middle 70s and winds were calm.
We did not find any owls while driving to Brainard Lake.
Highway 72 was quiet. We tried Boulder Mountain Park from Baseline
(Chautauqua Park) to Gross Reservoir. Then we headed south to
highway 72 and back down to White Ranch and Golden Gate State Park.
The only owls heard were two Great Horned Owls.
We did manage to see 2 Common Poorwills at 1.0 mile north of the
Gross Reservoir map (southern entrance near resident manager's home).
Another 2 Common Poorwills were 1.2 miles south of the sign.
Monday 26
Bryan Ehlmann and I continued the search by listening for owls
along highways 119 & 7. Again the forest was quiet.
The only owl of the night was a Northern Saw-whet Owl on a
private ranch north of Nederland and south of Ward.
We ended our search at Waterton Canyon (south of Chatfield Reservoir,
Jefferson County). Two Great Horned Owls called near the trailhead.
Searching for Owls 8/21-8/23
Gary & DiAnne Weston, Rebecca Kosten, and I searched for owls on the
Colorado Trail this week. We hiked 7 miles up Waterton Canyon to
the start of the trail and then hiked another 9 miles or so into the forest.
Unfortunately, it rained every afternoon in spite of the fact that
we are in a middle of a drought. We did not mind the rain, however
the lightning was numerous and close at times. This was not good.
The afternoon storms probably minimized our success at finding owls.
Over three nights we did locate a Northern Pygmy-Owl and
Northern Saw-whet Owl! Two Townsend's Warblers and an Ovenbird
were added to our list of many Yellow-rumped Warblers observed.
Note: The first 7 miles of Waterton Canyon is closed from 30 minutes
after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise.
Mountain Birding 8/20
Peter Weber from Illinois & I enjoyed birding in the mountains Tuesday.
We hiked Guanella Pass at first light for 3 hours searching for
White-tailed Ptarmigan. The weather was fantastic. Temperatures were
cool and there was absolutely no wind during our trek (unusual).
Only one bird was located today. The Ptarmigan was 400 yards at
165 degrees SSE from the top of the hill (southeast of parking area).
A Prairie Falcon stood on a stag over the bird for 10 minutes or so.
Perhaps this prevented additional sightings in the area.
We counted over 100 American Pipits on this hill. White-crowned Sparrows
and Brewer's Sparrow were numerous. While hiking the trail down to the
lake below the parking area, 31+ Wilson's Warblers, 7+ MacGillivray's
Warblers, many Brewer's Sparrows, and a Lincoln's Sparrow were observed.
Our next stop was Pine Valley Ranch (Jefferson County).
Two Three-toed Woodpeckers were found during our short one-hour hike.
An adult female was foraging on the south side of Pine Lake.
A young male Three-toed Woodpecker was 100 yards south of Pine Lake
and 30 yards east of Buck Gulch Trail. A storm quickly approached
from the north and we had to make a quick exit (the lightning was
amazing and numerous).
Our final stop was the east side of Rocky Mountain Arsenal.
Thirteen Burrowing Owls were on the east side of Buckley Road
(Adams County) and fourteen Burrowing Owls were observed on
the west side (Denver County). Three Bullock's Orioles,
two Lark Sparrows, and many Brown-headed Cowbirds were also counted.
Birding was slow at 3:00pm (hottest part of the day).
Cherry Creek Reservoir 8/19
Another cobirder and I hiked the eastern side of the 12-mile beaver pond
at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County) late Monday afternoon.
We did not find the palm warbler reported Sunday, however did see
several nice birds. Rain threated to damper our trip, but did not fall.
The clouds produced a beautiful sunset.
At the southern end we watched an adult and juvenal (black plumage)
Virginia Rail walk through the tall weeds. Barn Swallows flew overhead.
A Solitary Sandpiper walked in the trickle of water entering the pond.
Two young male Wood Ducks were also there.
A hike through the grove of Russian Olive and cottonwood trees at
the southern end produced sightings of American Goldfinches,
American Robins, a Western Wood-pewee, 1 House Wren, and
a Sora (heard in the marsh to the west).
On the hike back to our cars we observed two Great Blue Herons
and a Common Snipe. At 7:55pm a Green Heron flew up from
the northern end and went south.
The highlight for me was a juvenal Great Horned Owl.
He stood on a 4-foot high wooden post just 20 yards from us.
He was the size of his parents but lacked full grown ears.
Return to Pennock Pass-- 8/18 into 8/19 morning!
Three of us drove back to Pennock Pass
(following loop described on CoBus website).
We observed the two Flammulated Owls again at 1.4 miles west of the summit.
Two Flammulated Owls were heard 0.2 miles west of the summit.
Another Flammulated Owl was heard 0.75 miles west of summit.
Six Great Horned Owls were heard along our trip!
Attempts to find further owls along the route failed.
We stopped every 0.5 miles along CR 63E and 44H and
Stove Prairie Road as we made the loop from highway 14.
A Common Poorwill was heard about 1.0 miles south of
highway 14 and Larimer CR 63E!
Early Monday morning we again stopped at Lory State Park.
A Common Poorwill called 60 yards south & 50 yards
east of the main gate to the state park.
Two Great Horned Owls were calling in the distance!
Eastern Plains and Foothills 8/12-8/16
It has been a great and hectic week of birding as I birded
about 18-20 hours each day!!!!
Monday 12
I traveled to Jackson Reservoir (Morgan County).
I took 7 hours to circle Jackson Reservoir and count the shorebirds.
Highlights:
White-faced Ibis (47)
Black Tern (45+)
American Avocet (29)
Black-bellied Plover (3 molting)
AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER (1)
Semipalmated Plover (1, SW side)
Killdeer (81)
Mountain Plover (2) (Probably more, but I did not venture into weeds.
MARBLED GODWIT (2)
Willet (2)
Greater Yellowlegs (8)
Lesser Yellowlegs (11)
Solitary Sandpiper (1)
Stilt Sandpiper (45)
Wilson's Phalarope (379+)
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE (1 adult, 2 juv.)
RED PHALAROPE (Molting adult; NW & later SE side)
SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER (east side)
Long-billed Dowitcher (42)
Spotted Sandpiper (7)
Sanderlings (2, east side)
Baird's Sandpiper (3893+)
PECTORAL SANDPIPER (west side)
Least Sandpiper (7+)
Semipalmated Sandpiper (41+)
Western Sandpiper (5+)
I have one good photo of Red Phalarope. I am having it printed and
anyone who would like to see it just ask (as I will carry it with me,
however do not want to put it on the internet).
My next stop was Weld County Road 44 & CR 45. Five Upland Sandpiper were
in the northeast corner (first reported by Rieker on 7/30) Thanks much!
My birding day ended at the Greeley home of Norma Erickson. I birded
a couple of hours and briefly observed the male Northern Cardinal.
Other birds in her yard were female Calliope, Rufous, and
Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Yellow Warbler, Brewer's Sparrow,
and Brown Thrasher.
Tuesday 13
Jo Evans from California and I birded Rocky Mountain National Park.
The weather was great and we missed the heat down in Denver!
Two White-tailed Ptarmigan were observed at Medicine Bow Curve.
Many Clark's Nutcracker and a few Gray Jays were observe on
the drive back down Trail Ridge Road.
Endovalley Picnic Area was the most birdy. A male Three-toed Woodpecker
was found in the Bog Pond area. Red-naped Sapsuckers, Steller's Jays,
Western Flycatchers, Western Wood-pewees, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds,
and a Rufous Hummingbird were added to our day list.
We found 2 Black Swifts flying over Copeland Lake, which is located in
the Wild Basin area of the park. No owls could be found during the day.
Wednesday 14
Jo Evans and I continued our search for owls and maybe a Common Poor.
We never found either but had an enjoyable time in the search.
We stopped many times along hwy 7 between Estes Park and Lyons
Larimer to Boulder Counties). Lilly Lake was quiet and we did not
find any owls. At least the smoke from recent forest fires has dispersed.
A morning hike at Longs Lake added a male Three-toed Woodpecker
to our trip list. Several Olive-sided Flycatchers, Western Flycatchers,
many Western Wood-pewees, and a Common Snipe were located.
I have not seen a warbler in about 9 days now.
We ended our birding day at Golden Gate Canyon State Park.
Birds were difficult to come by and no uncommon birds were counted.
Several Red-naped Sapsuckers were counted.
Thursday 15
Peter Weber from Illinois and I started a two-day search for
Common Poorwills and Flammulated Owls. Again the weather
was superb with warm temperatures and mild winds.
Our first stop was Jackson Reservoir (Morgan County).
We relocated the 3 Red-necked Phalaropes but could not pick out
the Red Phalarope from the many Wilson's Phalaropes and other
small shorebirds. Two Black-bellied Plovers were still here.
Six Upland Sandpipers were observed when we stopped at the intersection
of Weld CR 44 & CR 45! They have been there for at least 17 days now.
Our next stop was Medicine Bow Curve in Rocky Mountain National Park.
An hour search did not turn up a White-tailed Ptarmigan (ended my
success streak at 7 trips in a row). We stopped at Rock Cut and
Memorial Toll trails and did not find White-tailed Ptarmigan here either.
We were running out of light and hurried back down to Fort Collins and
Lory State Park (Larimer). Two Common Poorwills were heard and then
seen approximately 70 yards south and 50 yards east of the main gate
to the state park. Two Great Horned Owls called in the distance.
Friday 16
Peter and I enjoyed a marathon of a day. The temperatures were hotter
(we believe they were in the 100s).
We stopped at Highway 14 and CR 51 (Weld County) while driving my
favorite Mountain Plover Loop in the Pawnee National Grasslands.
Five Burrowing Owls and no Mountain Plover were observed. At 0.4 miles
east of Hwy 14 & CR 51, we found 5 Mountain Plovers and 3 Burrowing Owls.
At 0.4 miles east of Weld CR 51 & CR 90 we again found 5 Mountain Plovers.
Six Burrowing Owls were at CR 51 & 90.
Our next stop was to photograph Common Nighthawks at Crow Valley.
Over two dozen nighthawks rested from the hot afternoon temperatures
on the limbs of the trees at the group picnic area.
An Olive-sided Flycatcher remained in the southwest corner.
We found 2 adult male (beautiful plumage) and 2 female/immature
Townsend's Warblers also in the southwest corner.
The Townsend's Warblers and 2 Yellow Warblers ended my warbler
sighting drought at nine days.
The Rose-breasted Grosbeak found Sunday was not relocated;
however our search was not long or intense.
We next drove to the Colorado State Forest (Jackson County)
in search of Flammulated Owls.
Along the way we stopped at the store in Gould (Jackson County).
Many female Rufous Hummingbirds and at least 1 1st year male
controlled the feeders around the store. Many Broad-tailed Hummingbirds
and one female Calliope Hummingbird were also observed.
Two White-breasted Nuthatches and a male Hairy Woodpecker also came around.
At the store near the entrance of the Colorado State Forest we stopped
and watched several hundred Broad-tailed Hummingbirds at the seven feeders
there. Several dozen of the Broad-tailed Hummingbirds were adult males.
After dark we walked a mile of Ruby Jewel Road as it goes east from
Michigan Creek Road. No owls were heard.
After several hours we abandoned the State Forest and headed to
Pennock Pass (about 30 miles or so west of Fort Collins).
We stopped every 0.5 miles along CR 63E to listen for Flammulated Owls.
Our persistence paid off as we heard two Flammulated Owls at 1.4 miles
west of Pennock Pass' summit. We were fortunate to see both birds and
Peter actually was hit lightly by one of them.
Having found both Peter's lifebird wishes we headed back to
Denver and arrived at 4:30am (quite tired).
Trip to Pawnee National Grasslands 8/11
Four of us went of the DFO Field Trip to Pawnee National Grasslands
(Weld County) today. We enjoyed some nice bird sightings, cool morning
temperatures and mild winds. The trip lasted from 7:30am to 7:30pm.
Highlights (from Mountain Plover Loop described on CoBus website):
Turnoff 0.4 miles East of Highway 14 & CR 51 (Private drive, southwest corner)
(Accidentally found when I forgot to tell Jackie King to stop at Hwy 14 & CR 51)
Mountain Plovers (10)
Burrowing Owls (3)
Highway 14 & CR 51
Mountain Plover (1+)
Burrowing Owl (10+)
Weld CR 51 & CR 90
Burrowing Owl (8+)
0.4 miles East of CR 51 & CR 90
Mountain Plover (10)
0.2 miles South CR 94 & CR 61
Burrowing Owl (3)
We drove north along the two-track gravel road at the intersection
of CR 94 & CR 65. Many McCown's Longspurs (numbering 50+)
were seen along this drive.
Our next stop was Crow Valley Campground (0.5 miles north of Briggsdale)
An Olive-sided Flycatcher was in the southwest corner of the campground
and later relocated along the west side of the campground. A winter
adult male Rose-breasted Grosbeak was also found in the southwest
corner of the campground!
Other sightings: 2 Bullock's Orioles, 9 Common Nighthawks, 5 Blue Jays,
19 Western Wood-pewees, 2 American Goldfinches, 27 Mourning Doves,
1 Brown Thrasher, 1 Northern Flicker, and 8 Chipping Sparrows.
We then drove to Murphy's pasture area (3.0 miles north along CR 77
to turnoff; then 2.0 miles west to windmill on south side of CR 96.
Three Chestnut-collared Longspurs were observed on CR 96 approximately
1.7 miles west of CR 77. Many Horned Larks were also in the area.
Latham Reservoir (Weld County) had many birds, however the shoreline
was too far away to identify all the birds. We did count 9 Great Egret,
50+ Snowy Egret, 8+ Franklin's Gull, Western Grebe, American
White Pelican, 9+ Great Blue Heron, 1 Northern Harrier, and many ducks.
Several Marsh Wrens were along the south side of Latham reservoir (CR 48).
At the corner of CR 48 & 43, there were many Common Grackles,
Red-winged Blackbirds, and 2 Great-tailed Grackles along
the drainage ditch between the house and cornfield.
Many Barn Swallows and Yellow-headed Blackbirds were at a small pond
along CR 43 (just south of CR 44)
Beebe Draw area (CR 42, East of CR 41) was low on water and few birds
were there. Eight Burrowing Owls were 0.7 miles west of Kersey Road
(Weld County Road 49) & CR 42 (south side of CR 42).
We ended our birding day at Lochbuie Ponds. The ponds themselves
added zero birds to our trip list. Ten Burrowing Owls were at
the northwest corner of the area (west of the Lochbuie store).
Rocky Mountain Arsenal 8/9
Rebecca Kosten & I circled Rocky Mountain Arsenal (Adams & Denver
Counties). Total distance 20.5 plus a 6.0 mile detour to Bluff Lake
Nature Area. This was partial repeat of last Saturday's bike ride.
The weather was fantastic with mild temperatures and little wind.
We enjoyed a great bike ride and watched a few birds.
Again the highlight was the east side of rocky mountain arsenal
(Buckley Road between 56th to 88th ave.). The Northern Mockingbirds
and Sage Thrashers reported last weekend were not observed today.
The Burrowing Owl count was 47 (9 of which were on west side of Buckley,
Denver County; the rest were in Adams County, east side of road).
Other birds observed (numbers decreased from last week):
Western Kingbird (65), Eastern Kingbird (10), Bullock's Oriole
(2 female/imm., and the only sparrows, Lark Sparrow (6).
The fence around the arsenal has numbers every 0.1 mile.
A flock of 400+ Lark Buntings was found on the north side at fence
number 66. Many more Lark Buntings flew south into the arsenal.
The birds were in the sunflowers just north of 96th avenue.
A pair of Burrowing Owls was at number 46.
On the south side, a Prairie Falcon stood on a wooden post at
number 161. Another pair of Burrowing Owl being just west of here.
Swainson's Hawks were observed at the corner of 56th & 88th ave.,
the west side at number 120 and the south side at number 182.
The American Kestrel count went up to 14 birds.
Bluff Lake Nature Area was quiet. The lake is bone dry and has
been for months now. The only warblers observed were two
Yellow-rumped Warblers. House Wrens and Western Wood-pewees
were the few interesting birds found.
Mountain Birding 8/6-8/8
This week's birding was mostly in the mountains.
We ran into some really poor weather. Several times
shelter was needed to protect us from downpours.
Tuesday 6
I lead the CoBus trip to Bailey and Pine Valley Ranch (Jefferson County).
Only one Three-toed Woodpecker could be located. A male bird was 60 yards
East & 50 yards south of the Skipper Trailhead in Pike National Forest.
Other birds observed included Western Bluebirds, Williamson's Sapsuckers,
Red-naped Sapsuckers, Brewer's Sparrows, Western Wood-pewees,
Western Flycatchers, and Hammond's Flycatchers.
We got nice looks at a female Northern Goshawk near Forest Roads 550 & 553.
Over 100 hummingbirds were observed at the home of John Wilson in Bailey.
Several Calliope and Rufous joined many Broad-tailed Hummingbirds.
Wednesday 7
Gary Weston and I continued on to Mt. Evans Wildlife Area (Jefferson).
We centered our birding around last years Black-backed Woodpecker report
(directions on CoBus website; Mt. Evans link). We did not find any
Black-backed Woodpecker in our two-day search. Quite an effort was made
to cover a 10-mile square section. Terrain in the area is difficult.
Foliage was thick at times and hills steep.
Species found included Three-toed Woodpecker, Hammond's Flycatcher,
Olive-sided Flycatcher, Western Flycatcher, Willow Flycatcher,
Western Wood-pewee, Red-naped Sapsucker, Williamson's Sapsucker,
Mountain Bluebird, Western Bluebird, Lincoln's Sparrow, Song Sparrow,
Brewer's Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow,
Hermit Thrush, Swainson's Thrush, Cooper's Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk,
Common Poorwill, Common Nighthawk, Broad-tailed Hummingbird,
Tree Swallow, Violet-green Swallow, Blue Jay, Gray Jay,
Clark's Nutcracker, Black-capped Chickadee, Mountain Chickadee,
Red-breasted Nuthatch, White-breasted Nuthatch, Pygmy Nuthatch,
House Wren, Western Bluebird, Mountain Bluebird, Gray Catbird,
Spotted Towhee, Cedar Waxwing, Plumbeous Vireo, Yellow-rumped Warbler,
TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, Evening Grosbeak, Pine Grosbeak, Red Crossbill,
Cassin's Finch, House Finch, and Common Raven.
We also heard a Northern Pygmy-Owl and watched a Northern Goshawk
(just east of the main entrance into the wildlife area). We could not
relocate the Northern Pygmy-Owl location in the daylight.
The owl was several miles from our car and about 0.5 miles from our camp.
Thursday 8
No additional species were added to our trip list. After dark we
returned to Pike National Forest Road 550. We searched the area
where I heard a Flammulated Owl the past two years. None were
heard this night. We returned to Denver about 1:00am.
Aurora Reservoir 8/5
I enjoyed a nice day of birding at Aurora Reservoir (Arapahoe County).
First I hiked the perimeter of the park (about 8.8 miles) and then biked
the 7.8 bike path. Temperatures were in the middle 80's; winds were mild.
Some of the more interesting birds found today were:
Six Black Terns flew mostly in the center of the reservoir.
Several did fly down to the cove at mile marker 3.1.
Nine small "Sterna" terns were observed. An adult Common Tern was
by itself in the scuba cove (mm 6.0). Many Horned Larks included
many juveniles, Vesper Sparrows, and Killdeer were here also.
An hour and a half later I found five Forster's Terns (4 adults, 1 juv.)
at the sand spit at mm 2.2. An adult and juvenile Common Tern and
two unidentified juvenile terns were at the sand spit at mm 1.1.
I could see 9 terns at one time from this vantage point.
(Not that I could see 1.1 miles, mile markers are the bike path
markers, the two spits are not that far apart).
At least two Savannah Sparrows were along the western side of the
reservoir (just north of inlet canal).
Two Stilt Sandpipers were in the cove at mm 4.4.
A Solitary Sandpiper was in the cove at mm 3.1.
Also observed were 22 White-faced Ibis (mm 4.4), 9 Great Blue Herons,
2 Spotted Sandpipers, 14 Eastern Kingbirds, 12 Western Kingbirds,
1 Ruddy Duck (basic plumage), 29 Double-crested Cormorants,
2 Yellow Warblers (female/juv), 1 Orange-crowned Warbler, and 1 Say's Phoebe.
By two o'clock I watched the storm roll in from the west.
It produced much rain and some hail. It was similar to the storm that
put a damper on Bryan Ehlmann's and my Elbert County birding Sunday.
My favorite Owl Loop 8/3
Rebecca Kosten & I biked my favorite owl loop North of DIA's
runways Saturday morning. Total mileage was 39.0 miles.
The weather was beautiful with no wind and cool temperatures.
The day was quite enjoyable. We stayed off the main roads and
therefore did not have to deal with the Saturday traffic.
The highlight of the trip was the eastern side of Rocky Mountain
Arsenal (Buckley Road between 56th avenue & 88th avenue).
This 3.5-mile section took us two hours. We observed at least
5 Sage Thrashers (mostly north of the cellular phone tower and
a mile north of here). Two birds did fly over to the bulletin
board for the Eagle Watch Bunker. The bonus was the birds flew
on both sides of the road and therefore in Adams & Denver Counties.
Six Northern Mockingbirds were observed along Buckley Road.
They were spread out from the old mobile home court (note the old
in ground water tank) to 2 miles north of the Eagle Watch Bunker.
Two mockingbirds (along with a Sage Thrasher) flew to the western
edge of the DIA parking area on Tower Road.
At least 32 Burrowing Owls were along Buckley Road. The number
was higher, but we did not want to stop for a closer count because
the birds were watching us closely as we biked through their territory.
Also counted in this 3.5 miles were 173 Western Kingbirds,
6 Eastern Kingbirds, 1 Swainson's Hawk, 22 Bullock's Orioles
(females & immatures, no adult males), 14 Lark Buntings,
3 Lark Sparrows, 2 Chipping Sparrows, 1 Grasshopper Sparrow
(0.1 miles south of 88th avenue), 1 Brown-headed Cowbird,
and 1 "Empidonax species" (not a Western).
Many Western Meadowlarks were also in the area.
The Northern Mockingbirds were quite aggressive. They chased
both the Western Kingbirds and Burrowing Owls.
We also biked the northern side of Rocky Mountain Arsenal (96th avenue).
Upland Sandpipers have been reported during migration along this section.
I personally have never found any in over 200 trips, but do keep hopeful.
None were found today; with the increased development of housing,
this area may be lost to any future Upland Sandpiper sightings.
The Swainson's Hawk was the only hawk of the day?
Another flock of 12 Lark Buntings was along Trussville Road.
Additional Burrowing Owl counts:
22 @ 3.4 miles east of 96th & Tower Road
11 @ 0.7 miles east of 120th & Tower Road
13 @ 0.5 miles south of 128th & Picadilly Road
7 @ Powhaton Road & 128th avenue
Horned Larks were throughout the prairie. Two Brewer's Sparrows
were 0.9 miles east of 120th & Picadilly Road. A Prairie Falcon
flew from 120th avenue & Trussville to the airport property to the south.
Eastern Plains 7/30-8/2
Rebecca Kosten & I birded the northeastern quadrant of Colorado.
Birding was slow, however we did see a few interesting birds.
For the most part the weather was hot with mild winds.
Tuesday 30
We spent an hour at Jackson Reservoir (Morgan County). Birds were
few and far between. A Greater Yellowlegs and a small flock of
Baird's Sandpipers were the only shorebirds we stopped to identify.
The woods at the wildlife area on the north shore were quiet.
At Prewitt Reservoir (Washington/Logan) we hiked from the eastern
parking area around to the southwest corner. Shorebirds observed
included 7 Baird's, 4 Western, 2 Least, 1 Pectoral, 5 Spotted,
1 Stilt Sandpipers, 2 Sanderlings, 8 American Avocets, 1 Willet,
4 Long-billed Dowitchers, 4 Marbled Godwits, and 12+ Wilson's Phalaropes.
Few birds were moving about the cottonwoods that line the shore.
A Great Horned Owl flew out of the trees just west of the parking area.
Wednesday 31
We drove around northern Sedgwick County checking the Alfalfa Fields
for Dickcissels and Upland Sandpipers. Neither bird was observed.
Julesburg Wayside Rest Stop added a male Baltimore Oriole to our trip list.
The BAOR was on the eastern side of highway 385. Few birds moved about
at DePoorter Lake (just north of the rest stop).
Sedgwick Bar Wildlife Area had a flock of Eastern Bluebirds but
no Upland Sandpipers. Several Song Sparrows were also observed.
Jumbo Reservoir (Logan/Sedgwick) produced a surprise.
A Swainson's Thrush was in the northern woods. This bird
seems "out of season". If memory serves me, this is the
second "untimely" Swainson's Thrush reported in these woods.
Two Great Horned Owls called from the eastern campgrounds.
No Short-eared Owls could be found.
Thursday 1
Ovid Woods added a male Red-bellied Woodpecker to our trip list.
No Northern Cardinals could be found in Ovid today.
Several Eurasian Collared-Doves flew along 2nd street.
Two Song Sparrows were at Ovid Sewage Ponds.
Tamarack Ranch Wildlife Area (Logan) added another Red-bellied
Woodpecker to our trip list. The female was about a mile east
of hwy 55. Four Red-headed Woodpeckers were in the same area.
A Bell's Vireo was found between parking area 1 and the western
edge of highway 55. A Yellow-billed Cuckoo called high in the
cottonwoods just west of parking area 1. The only towhees
observed were Spotted Towhees. No Screech Owls were heard after dark.
Friday 2
We drove by Pioneer Park on the eastern side of Sterling (Logan)
before sunrise. We could not find the previously reported
Eastern Screech-Owls. Few birds flew among the cottonwoods.
Sterling Reservoir was quiet also.
Overland Park on the east side of Sterling (known for Yellow-billed
& Black-billed Cuckoos) was quiet too.
Brush Wildlife Area (Morgan) did not add new species to our trip list.
A Red-headed Woodpecker was counted here.
Last Chance Rest Stop (Washington) was empty of birds. Even the
House Sparrows normally found were gone this afternoon.
Our birding trip ended with a drive around the owl loop north
of DIA. Forty-seven Burrowing Owls were counted at four locations.
More Bird Trips
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