Rich Stevens' Bird Trips
August, 2005
Northern Plains 8/25
Mary Ewing & I enjoyed birding Northern Colorado Thursday.
Weather was variable with high winds and rain at times.
We passed St. Vrain State Park as we drove north from Denver.
We could see Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons on an island
on the east side of I25.
We stopped at Hamilton Reservoir (Rawhide Reservoir, Larimer
County). The Reservoir is more interesting in the winter when
waterfowl stop by this reservoir that does not freeze. Several
dozen Double-crested Cormorants were about all that we could find.
Mourning Doves flew around the few trees below the overlook on
the west side of the Reservoir.
We searched for Cassin's or any sparrows along 5 road.
None could be found today. Winds were quite strong and not
much could be heard or observed flying up from the tall grasses.
Our first visit to Hereford Reservoir outside of Cheyenne (County
unknown by me) found many sandpipers. Long-billed Dowitchers,
Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Baird's Sandpipers,
Western Sandpipers, 2 Least Sandpipers, a Spotted Sandpiper,
and several American Avocets were at the west end.
The highlight was a Pectoral Sandpiper.
All except the Pectoral Sandpiper were later found closer to
Denver at Lower Latham Reservoir (Weld County). Half a dozen
Wilson's Warblers, a Yellow-rumped Warbler, and a
Cordilleran Flycatcher fluttered about the willows along
the north side of the reservoir.
We stopped at Highway 85 and Weld CR 114. This is usually a
reliable location to find Chestnut-collared Longspurs in Colorado.
Unfortunately a thunder (and lightning) storm blew in quickly and
we left. Two or three Townsend's Warblers and several dozen
Wilson's Warblers were on the sunflowers along CR 114.
As we worked our way toward Crow Valley Campground, many
Brewer's Sparrows, Lark Buntings, and dozens of Wilson's Warblers
were found. Along the trek we also found Savannah, a Clay-colored,
and 2 Cassin's Sparrows. Half a dozen Swainson's Hawks and
a couple of Red-tailed Hawks were also observed.
We stopped at another of my favorite locations CR 51 & CR 90.
No Mountain Plovers were found today; a Burrowing Owl flew across
the northwest field. Three Sage Thrashers were in the southwest field.
Sage Thrashers were easy to find. Another location with half a
dozen or so was the field southwest of CR 92 & CR 63.
McCown's Longspurs and many Horned Larks were observed
while driving and walking the dirt road north of here.
We checked the Mountain Plover Loop (see CoBus website for
directions) and stopped at Hwy 14 & CR 51. No Mountain Plovers
could be found. While reports on the southeastern plains seem
to appear into late September, reports on the Pawnee National
Grasslands seem to decrease drastically after 8/16.
Our next stop was Crow Valley Campground. At least 12
Townsend's Warblers were counted. The majority were in the
group picnic area, 2 in the firs in the southwest corner and
2 in the group camping area in the northwest corner.
Three Black-headed Grosbeaks, an Olive-sided Flycatcher,
Cordilleran Flycatcher, and Dusky Flycatcher were also found.
Three Eurasian Collared-Doves flew back and forth between
the group picnic and camping areas.
We ended our birding day at Lower Latham Reservoir.
Quite a few sandpipers walked the muddy wetlands south of CR 48.
North Park 8/22-8/24
Bryan Ehlmann and I returned to North Park this week. I was
excited when I heard that Bryan had located a Sage Sparrow
near Grand Lake (Grand County) last week. My party following
two days later had also explored North Park.
While watching hundreds of Brewer's Sparrows and Sage Thrashers,
Jeff Nichols had asked about Sage Sparrows in Jackson County.
Unfortunately we did not find any at the time. Hence, the return
trip was concocted.
Also my party had missed Flammulated Owls and I wanted to search
again because one Colorado birder had suggested that they had
already migrated south (I thought it was way too early for that).
August 22
Bryan and I wandered Pennock Pass (Larimer County) for most of
the night. We located a Flammulated Owl near his location of last
week and a traditional successful location. We found a second owl
about 0.4 miles west of the summit (marked by an open gate).
Early the next morning we heard (did not see a Boreal Owl)
along the Michigan Ditch Road.
August 23
We drove south along Jackson County Road 25 (again missing
Greater Sage-Grouse) but again found many Brewer's Sparrows and
Sage Thrashers. Pay dirt, we found a Sage Sparrow after several
hours of searching (several miles south of Owl Creek Wildlife Area).
A stop at the overlook to Arapahoe National Wildlife Refuge (just
east of Walden) added a Long-billed Curlew to our trip list.
Bryan first found one here 8/18 and my party thought we
heard one, but could not find it on 8/19.
After a couple of hours of restless sleep in the middle of the
afternoon, we hiked 3 miles into the Colorado State Forest
(from the end of Michigan Creek Road). We managed again
to hear a Boreal Owl, however never did see it.
August 24
Daylight was spent searching many roads in Jackson County for
additional Sage Sparrows. Our quest was rewarded with a second
sighting south of Walden.
It has been many years since I drove Stillwater Pass Road and
that is how we returned to Grand Lake. Bryan spotted a Northern
Pygmy-Owl at one stop. I found an American Three-toed Woodpecker
at another. Locations were too remote to describe.
We had wanted to return to the ghost town Teller City, but
determined that there was just not enough daylight. I would
like to check the area sometime for owls. An American
Three-toed Woodpecker was found last summer.
A search around Grand Lake did not find last week’s Sage Sparrow
and we ended our birding day walking a very cold and windy
medicine bow curve in Rocky Mountain National Park in search
of White-tailed Ptarmigan; without success.
We stopped briefly at the old ski area and listened for Boreal
Owls; again without success. Decided against walking Cow Creek
Trail in search of last week’s Northern Pygmy-Owls and headed
back to Denver.
Birding Reservoirs Around Denver 8/21
While doing chores I checked out several area reservoirs.
The Great Black-backed Gull was at the southwest
marina at Cherry Creek Reservoir. A few Pelicans
are also still there.
A quick stop at Barr Lake added Semipalmated Plovers
to my day list.
Burrowing Owls were observed at 3.4 miles East of
Tower Road & 96th Avenue (7 birds) and 128th avenue
and Powhaton Road (9 birds).
North Park and RMNP 8/18-8/20
Three Iowa birders and I enjoyed a trip to North Park this week.
The weather was mixed.
August 18
A Snowy Egret stood in the South Platte River at Interstate 270
and Highway 224.
A Great Egret and several Great Blue Herons were at the pond
next to the Visitor's Center of St. Vrain State Park (east side).
A quick stop at Fawnbrook Inn in Allenspark found Pine Siskins,
a Downy Woodpecker, and dozens of Broad-tailed Hummingbirds.
The hummingbird feeders were mobbed with Broad-tails.
We figured our target, a Calliope Hummingbird if around
had no chance to find an opportunity to feed and we departed.
Copeland Lake (Wild Basin area of RMNP) was quite unbirdy.
No swallows (or Black Swifts) flew overhead. We searched
for the American Three-toed Woodpeckers found on previous trips
(1.0 miles west of the lake); without success. Neither an
Olive-sided Flycatcher nor Warbling Vireo could be found.
Next we drove up to Rocky Mountain National Park to search for
White-tailed Ptarmigan. We hiked the trail at Medicine Bow Curve
for about an hour; without success. At around 3:00pm a storm
rolled over the mountains and it started to snow.
We quickly retreated to the Endovalley Picnic area. Conditions
here were better. There was little wind and partly cloudy skies.
Unfortunately, few birds moved around. A couple of Steller's Jays
were all we could find? At the Alluvial Fan area a few Barn
Swallows and Tree Swallow captured insects as they flew up
and down the falls.
The weather appeared more inviting to the west and we returned
to Medicine Bow Curve by way of the Old Fall River Road.
This time we exhausted ourselves by zigzagging up and down
the trail for two hours; without success in our Ptarmigan search.
August 19
Before sunrise we hiked the Cow Creek trail to the junction
with many trails west (1.0 miles west of the parking area).
Two Northern Pygmy-Owls were heard on the north side of the trail
(where the flat trail starts to go sharply uphill; about 0.5 miles
from the parking area). We continued on the bridge over Cow Creek.
A few House Wrens, White-breasted Nuthatches, Red-breasted
Nuthatches, Lesser Goldfinches, and a Hairy Woodpecker were found.
A couple of Lesser Yellowlegs walked the Lake Estes shoreline.
The Green-tailed Towhee did not show up at Scott Roederer's home;
however many Pygmy Nuthatches fluttered about. Clark's
Nutcrackers as usual flocked around Rainbow Curve in the park.
We decided to try Rockcut Trail first this morning. It was
a lucky choice as an adult and 2 young White-tailed Ptarmigan
stood on the rocks at the summit. They eventually walked down
the rocks and toward the rocky hill about 200 yards to the south.
We checked the Lava Cliffs and snow banks below the visitor's
center for Rosy Finches; without success.
Lunchtime was spent at the banding station at the YMCA of the
Rockies. One Band-tailed Pigeon watched overhead. Dozens of
Pygmy Nuthatches, a pair of Hairy Woodpeckers, a few White-
breasted Nuthatches, and one female Cassin's Finch visited.
We finally found our Calliope Hummingbird as a female bird
visited the feeder several times.
After an early dinner in Fort Collins we headed over to Watson
Fishing Hatchery. Three Golden Eagles (always reliable) soared
above in the thermals. A dozen White-throated Swifts were also
up there.
After dark we hiked for about 2 hours at Pennock Pass
(Larimer County) in search of Flammulated Owls; without success.
Another 2 hour search at Cameron Pass (Larimer/Jackson Counties)
for Boreal Owls was also unsuccessful.
August 20
After a couple of hours of rest (sitting in the car, couldn't
sleep), I hiked Ruby Jewel Road in another search for Boreal Owls;
again without success. The full moon lit up the road and
a flashlight was not needed. It was one of the few times I have
visited the area when there was no wind. I could hear quite
a distance. Several Elk were rumbling through the woods.
A Wilson's Snipe called briefly. A pack of Coyotes howled
from nearby. Unfortunately, no owls called.
Cameron Pass was checked again; without success.
Sunrise revealed a beautiful morning, sunshine and no wind.
We drove along Jackson County Road 25 looking for a Greater
Sage-Grouse; again without success. However the fields were
full of Brewer's Sparrows and Sage Thrashers. Dozens of both
flew up from the short grasses. At least five Loggerhead Shrikes
were observed. Five Prairie Falcons also were out hunting.
A quick side trip to Delaney Lakes missed Greater Sage-Grouse
again; however it added two California Gulls to our trip list.
After breakfast we headed down highway 125 toward I70 by way
of Granby. Again many Sage Thrashers and Brewer's Sparrows
were observed. A Whimbrel walked the field near mile marker 51.5.
An Osprey flew by also.
A pair of Common Goldeneyes was on Windy Gap Reservoir (Grand
County). The willows along the east side contained Yellow-rumped
Warblers, a Yellow Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler,
White-crowned Sparrow, and male MacGillivray's Warbler.
A check of the feeders along Main Street in Empire did not find
any Band-tailed Pigeons today. A Green-tailed Towhee was
added to our trip list.
Our last stop of the day was Mt. Evans Road (Jefferson County).
No Ptarmigan were found in the snow/hail/rain. It took several
tries (between rain storms), but we finally found several Brown-
capped Rosy Finches along the Chicago Trail at Summit Lake.
The birds visit the northwest corner of the lake and the hill
to the north of there off and on during the day. A little patience
will be rewarded with a sighting. Two Mountain Goats kept a close
eye on us from the top of the hill/mountain.
We ran into a downpour as we reached the Denver City Limits and
our birding trip abruptly ended.
Chatfield Reservoir 8/16
Mary Ewing and I returned to Chatfield Reservoir (Jefferson/Douglas
Counties). Unfortunately, the Pacific Loon appears to be gone.
We stood and circled the 2nd pond south of the Kingfisher Bridge.
There were two surprises. We relocated the Red-eyed Vireo about
50 yards north of the point where the path west of the 2nd pond
almost reaches the S. Platte River (it only does that once in the
1.4 mile hike). It sang a short time for us also.
A Nashville Warbler flew about the taller trees at the northwest
corner of the 2nd pond and 50 yards east of said corner.
We observed over 14 House Wrens in the short bushes on the west
side of the pond. Also observed were 1 Yellow-breasted Chat,
3 female Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Yellow Warblers, 12+ Cedar
Waxwings, many Western Wood-pewees, 1 Cordilleran Flycatcher,
1 Brewer's Sparrow, and several Chipping Sparrows.
Another treat was a pair of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers which
fluttered along the trail and gave us great looks from
just a few feet away.
We searched Chatfield Reservoir proper from the Heron Rookery
overlook and the southeast marina. The Pacific Loon was not there
either. Neither was it at are final stop, Marston Reservoir.
A female Black-chinned Hummingbird and several female Broad-tailed
Hummingbirds were observed while sitting an hour at Tina Jones'
house in Bowmar (Jefferson).
Pine Valley Ranch Park & Pike National Forest 8/15
Thanks to Merlynn Brown for the Prothonotary Warbler report!
We relocated the Prothonotary Warbler on the west side of Pine
Lake (Pine Valley Ranch Park, Jefferson County). New county bird
for Bryan Ehlmann and me! We searched unsuccessfully for the
Northern Pygmy-Owl. An American Three-toed Woodpecker was
found on the return trip at 400 yards south of Pine Lake and
80 yards east of Buck Gulch Trail.
Earlier Monday, we watched the Great Black-backed Gull at the
southeast sandbar at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County).
A dozen American White Pelicans remain. No sandpipers on the sandbar.
Birding 8/14
Four of us birded quite a few locations today.
We found the Great Black-backed Gull also at the southeast sandbar
at Cherry Creek Reservoir.
Our next stop was Chatfield Reservoir (Jefferson/Douglas Counties)
where Bryan, Sue, Rebecca and I watched the Pacific Loon.
We then relocated the Red-eyed Vireo along the S. Platte River
at about midway of the second pond.
We stopped at Winkler Ranch along Castlewood Canyon Road
(Douglas). If any Bobolinks are still around, we did not
see them. Mountain Bluebirds are still easy to find.
A dozen Turkey Vultures flew over Castlewood Canyon State Park.
Our next stop was Elbert County Road (at 4.1 miles south of
Hwy 86, Elbert County). Again Dickcissels should still be
around; however we did not hear or see any.
After that we went hunting for Common Poorwills at several
Elbert County locations where they had been reported in past years.
Unfortunately, we did not find any Poorwills or Short-eared Owls.
Denver Area Reservoirs 8/12
The choice was chores or birding, so opted for a trip to Chatfield
Reservoir (Jefferson/Douglas Counties). Overcast skies and low
fog made for a pleasant walk.
I hiked along the east side of the South Platte River from
Kingfisher Bridge to the second pond. The Pacific Loon was
feeding along the eastern shore; unfortunately I hiked the western
shore. The family of Common Mergansers is getting bigger and was
also feeding along with Double-crested Cormorants, and Canada Geese.
An American Redstart was fluttering about the northern edge of the
2nd pond's woods. Also observed along the hike were 2 Yellow-
breasted Chats, 1 Gray Catbird, 3 Western Wood-pewees, and
a flock of 20+ female/immature Black-headed Grosbeaks.
A lone male Black-headed Grosbeak was found on the trip back
to my car. Lark Sparrows numbered over 80. Half a dozen
Cedar Waxwings and 8 Spotted Towhees were also observed.
Almost forgot, one male Bullock's Oriole was found at the
northern end of the clearing between the two ponds.
It is getting late in the season to find the males.
The adult Bald Eagle observed last Friday flew over again.
The Osprey from last Friday was not found.
I drove through Cherry Creek Reservoir on my way home.
The Great Black-backed Gull was on the southeast sandbar.
Several California Gulls and 2 dozen Ring-billed Gulls
stood on the poles around the southwest marina.
Sableridge Area of Aurora 8/11
While trimming bushes at a Sableridge home, I observed
the White-winged Dove drinking from the puddle at
Billings and Blackhawk Way at 7:00am.
Several hikes around the neighborhood later in
the day did not relocate the bird.
Sableridge Area of Aurora 8/10
I hiked the Sableridge Subdivision loop of Arizona to Billings
to Blackhawk Way to Carson Way several times today.
On the fifth trip, the White-winged Dove was found on the
roof of the house southwest of Arizona and Carson Way.
Cherry Creek Reservoir 8/9
During a rest from chores I returned to Cherry Creek Reservoir.
The Great Black-backed Gull was again on the poles around
the southwest marina.
Return to Cherry Creek Reservoir 8/8
While doing chores, I drove through Cherry Creek Reservoir
around noon. It was quite hot and sunny.
The Great Black-backed Gull walked around the poles at the
southwest marina. The Swainson's Hawks were again in their
nesting tree near the Cottonwood Wetlands Pond.
A trip to Bluff Lake Nature Area was uneventful. A Snowy Egret
walked Sand Creek below the bluff. A Black-crowned Night-Heron
was in one of the nearby cottonwood trees.
Cherry Creek Reservoir 8/7
Rebecca Kosten & I drove through Cherry Creek Reservoir after
an early dinner.
The 1st cycle Great Black-backed Gull reported last week was
lying on the telephone poles around the southwest marina.
Several California Gulls and two dozen Ring-billed Gulls were
also there. A pair of Great Blue Herons also stood on the poles.
They seemed to ignore me.
Few other birds moved about. The pair of Swainson's Hawks stood
in their nesting tree at the east end of the Cottonwood Wetlands Pond.
Several Brewer's Blackbirds stood on the bushes at the southwest
corner of the marina parking area (this is where they nested earlier
in the summer).
I did see a Western Wood-pewee feeding a couple of young birds
at the Lake Loop (photos on Photo Library).
Long Lake 8/6
Bryan Ehlmann and I went up to Long Lake in search of Boreal Owls.
Winds were rather strong and made the odds of hearing any owls
close to impossible.
We arrived in the late afternoon and took leisure hikes around
Brainard Lake and Long Lake. An American Three-toed Woodpecker
was first heard drumming just past the JC Lunning Trailhead.
However, our search for Boreal Owls was not successful.
Chatfield Reservoir 8/5
I returned to Chatfield Reservoir today to see if the Pacific Loon
was still around. The loon was still on the 2nd pond along the
East side of the Platte River south of Kingfisher Bridge (this is
about a 1.4 mile hike from the bridge).
Along the way some interesting birds were observed. The "fitz-bew,
fitz-bew" call of a Willow Flycatcher was heard near the
south end of the cement handicap trail. About 100 yards further
south I heard the "chebek, chebek" call of a Least Flycatcher.
Surprisingly, I did not find any Yellow-breasted Chats today.
One Gray Catbird, one Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and several
Spotted Towhees were observed.
I hiked the west side of the ponds today (by wading through the
1 foot deep, 10 foot wide stream at the northern end of pond #1.
A Sage Thrasher was hawking insects at the clearing between the
two ponds. Two American Redstarts were in the first group of
trees at the south end of the clearing.
It appears that the nesting Yellow-billed Cuckoos were done
with their nest. The nesting Long-eared Owls could not be
found today either.
On the trip back, 2 Cedar Waxwings were found along the Platte.
An adult Bald Eagle flew over the parking area at Kingfisher Bridge.
An Osprey flew over the Plum Creek Delta area.
A Drive Around 8/4
It rain all day today which made doing yard work impossible.
So I drove over to Cherry Creek Reservoir. A few American
White Pelicans remain. Not much else was observed.
Burrowing Owls can still be seen at close range at 3.4 miles
East of Tower Road & 96th Avenue. Several Lark Buntings were
around the chain link fence at 112th Avenue & Trussville Road.
A quick drive through Barr Lake did not find any uncommon birds.
One Snowy Egret walked the shore near the boat ramp. Nothing
unusual was found on the water. Mosquitoes discouraged a walk
to the banding station.
Sableridge Subdivision 8/3
I was stuck doing yard work in Sableridge subdivision today.
During breaks, I walked around the area loop defined by Arizona
to Billings to Blackhawk Way to Carson Way. The White-winged Dove
reported on 7/31 was found on my third trip. The dove walked the
roof of the house at Carson Way and Arizona Street.
It seems to move around much. I believe it visits feeders behind
the houses along Billings.
Owling Trip to Boulder County 8/2
Terry Michaels and I had planned an owling trip around Golden and
Boulder last night. We were looking for the Eastern Screech-Owls
at Wheat Ridge Greenbelt when the text message about the
Blue-winged Warbler at White Ranch on 8/1 was received.
Since no owls were out at Prospect Park, we drove over to the
Van Bibber Trail. We were unable to find the Blue-winged Warbler.
It was late and perhaps a search with better light might be more
successful.
Our trip was not successful for owls either. We wandered around
the roads around Golden and then over to Gross Reservoir in
Boulder County. Nothing was making noises last night.
A couple of Common Poorwills flew around the manager’s home south
of Gross Reservoir; that is about it. We couldn't?t raise the
Northern Pygmy-Owls that are sometimes heard west of the office.
Stops along Flagstaff Mountain Road where Flammulated Owls have
been heard in the past were not successful either.
We did enjoy walking around in the cool night air; however it
would have been nice to hear an owl or two.
Good morning anyway, I can see the eastern skies starting to
brighten up!
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