Rich Stevens' Bird Trips
December 2002
Clear Creek County 12/29
Marietta Deming from Illinois & I birded in Clear Creek County Sunday.
Temperatures were only in the 30s and winds strong most of the day.
We were not able to get up to Guanella Pass. Maybe a 4-wheel drive
would have made it, however we did see several of them have problems.
Snow is predicted for 3 of the next 7 days, so access may continue to
be limited at least for the next week or so.
We sat near feeder #1 at Loveland Ski Basin for 4 hours (and again
later for another hour). No Black Rosy Finches showed. We did see
at least 5 Brown-capped Rosy Finches (2 adults, 3 juveniles) and
80 Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches. Two male and a female Pine Grosbeaks,
4 Gray Jays, many Mountain and Black-capped Chickadees visited the feeder.
The definite highlight for me was the appearance of an adult tan-striped
White-throated Sparrow. I am lucky to see a dozen White-throated Sparrows
a year in Colorado; Marietta picked up on the id in just a few seconds!!!
The sparrow visited the feeder throughout the day and stayed on the
feeder during the last 30 minutes of light. When not there, the bird
"hid" in the tree lined gully just south of the feeder.
Andrews & Righter, "Colorado Birds" shows most White-throated Sparrow
reports below 8,600 feet. Only one report above at 11,500 on Pikes Peak
at timberline on Sept 6, 1971. Our sighting was at 10,600 feet!
The Rosy Finches were skittish, perhaps due to the many skiers.
Normally they do not seem to be bothered by the skiers going pass
the feeder, however it was the first time I have visited on a Sunday.
One of the lifts by the feeder is only running on Saturday and Sunday,
so weekday visits may be more productive (they have been for me).
We also scoped the summit at Loveland Pass for an hour or so.
No White-tailed Ptarmigans were found.
Bonny Reservoir & Cherry Reservoir 12/28
I stayed for only part of the Bonny Reservoir (Yuma County)
Christmas count today. Eight birders are participating.
Some of the birds counted before I left:
Eastern Screech-Owl
Long-eared Owl
Barn Owl
Great Horned Owl
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Eastern Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
Ross's Goose
Yellow-rumped Warbler (2)
Common Yellowthroat
At 3:30pm, Donna Fortney and I ran into several other
birders at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe).
We found at the 12-mile beaver pond:
1 female Rusty Blackbird
1 Marsh Wren
2 Virginia Rails
4+ Song Sparrows
4 Killdeer
40+ Green-winged Teal
1 adult western Red-tailed Hawk
1 adult dark-morph Red-tailed Hawk
Birding Around Denver 12/27
Tom Wicks and his father called at 5:00am and we decided to bird around
the Denver Metro area. It was 22 degrees at 5:00am, temperatures warmed
into the 50s, however by then winds reached over 20 mph.
We first searched for the Surf Scoter reported on Christmas at Chatfield
Reservoir (Jefferson/Douglas Counties). We did not have success in
locating the bird. A search for the Winter Wren reported below the
Heron Overlook was not successful either.
Fort Logan National Cemetery (Arapahoe) was our next stop. The adult female
Greater Scaup was not found; however we did watch a 1st year Greater Scaup
at Memorial Lake. Two Lesser Scaups, a pair of Ring-necked Ducks, a pair
of Common Goldeneye, and 400 Canada Geese were in the small open water
area of the mostly frozen pond. Veteran's Lake to the west was mostly
frozen; however five Greater White-fronted Geese stood near the open water.
We next decided to hike Clear Creek from Washington Avenue and then the
South Platte River downstream (north) to Colorado Blvd & 88th avenue.
Few birds were encountered until we were 800 yards west of the confluence.
At this point, an adult winter plumaged Harris's Sparrow was feeding
between the fence and bike path. The bird was accompanied by three adult
and two White-crowned Sparrows. Perhaps this is the Harris's Sparrow
reported by David Laliberte,10/20 ("at confluence of S. Platte & Clear Creek)?
Sixty yards east of here, a mixed flock of birds included 41 American Tree
Sparrows and 87 Dark-eyed Juncos (including Pink-sided, Oregon, Gray-headed,
Slate-colored, and 2 White-winged Juncos). Along the Clear Creek bike path
we also observed an adult Red-tailed Hawk and 2 Belted Kingfishers.
Once we reached the South Platte River our hike continued North on
the east side of the river. The ponds north & south of highway 224
(at the S. Platte) were frozen. The river itself held many waterfowl.
An adult Peregrine Falcon stood on one of the tall metal electric poles at
the railroad tracks & S. Platte River. It eventually flew 1/4 mile north,
then turned around and flew over our heads as it continued south toward
Denver. An adult Bald Eagle stood on the ice at Northern East Gravel Lake.
A female Barrow's Goldeneye was spotted on the southern East Gravel Lake
(80 yards south of the green/white water tower). A male Barrow's Goldeneye
was on the river 120 yards north of the same water tower. A second male
Barrow's Goldeneye was later found on the Northern West Gravel Lake.
We ended our birding day with a walk 0.3 miles east along 88th avenue.
The female Long-tailed Duck was still at the second pond east of 88th avenue
and Dahlia. The 300+ Common Mergansers on the pond were pulling many little
fishes out of the pond. Perhaps this is the reason the Long-tailed Duck has
picked this pond to winter upon?
Cherry Creek Reservoir 12/26
I watched the Rusty Blackbird at the south end of the 12-mile beaver pond
for about an hour this afternoon. The bird flies around just west of the
most southern bench along the east side of the pond.
Two Wilson's Snipes briefly came out of the cattails. A Virginia Rail
also emerged from the cattails just north of the said bench.
A Red-tailed Hawk soared overhead. A female Northern Harrier also
flew over the cattails. In the distance, a Great Horned Owl called.
Most of the reservoir proper is covered with ice. The waterfowl grouped
in the small open spaces, made identification difficult. If the male
Barrow's Goldeneye is still around, I could not pick it out.
Several hundred gulls stood around on the ice. They were mostly
Ring-billed. I did count 9 adult Herring Gulls and 2 California Gulls!
In addition, 2 adult Bald Eagles waited patiently the edge of the open water!
South Platte River at 88th Avenue 12/17
While doing some research at DMNS, I took the time to walk over to
Ferril Lake at Denver City Park. The two Greater White-fronted Geese
continue at the lake. They occasionally feed with the Canada Geese
on the lawns to the east and south of the pond.
In the afternoon, I hiked the South Platte River starting from 88th
avenue & Colorado Blvd to highway 224 and back (approximately
6 miles). While it was pretty cold, the walk was interesting because
of the many waterfowl that gather along this stretch every winter.
Two adult Barrow's Goldeneyes were 40 yards south of the green
and white water tower. One of the birds eventually flew to the
southern of two West Gravel Lakes.
A 1st year male Barrow's Goldeneye was on the Platte 300 yards
south of said water tower (tower is about 1 mile south of 88th
and Colorado). An adult female bird was here also and later
relocated at the pond east of the Platte and just north of 74th avenue.
All birds moved around much because of a ATV that drove back and
forth on the gravel road that runs along the east side of the river.
Digiscopers, this is a good location to watch and photograph waterfowl.
For the most part, the birds are less skittish because they are use to
people walking the bike path that runs along the west side of the river.
The adult female Long-tailed Duck continues at the 2nd pond east of
Colorado Blvd & Dahlia (approximately 0.3 miles east of 88th avenue
parking area). What a beautiful bird!
Return To Cherry Creek Reservoir 12/16
I stopped by Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County) for a short
visit while doing chores this afternoon. Most of the uncommon
birds found last Friday were not found. I ran into Don Beltz who
had observed the male Barrow's Goldeneye on the East side of the
Lake Loop. Sure enough the bird was still there when I went back.
(I had spent 20 minutes looking at a raft of Goldeneyes and missed
the darn bird. Several Goldeneyes were feeding and diving frequently.)
Cherry Creek Reservoir 12/15
I made a brief trip to Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County).
The Rusty Blackbird was not found in a two-hour search. At least
three other birders also did not find the bird. On the reservoir
proper, I found little. Most of the gulls reported Friday were either
gone or in the middle of the reservoir. I did not even find the
Black Scoters or Long-tailed Ducks. Two other birders reported
seeing one female Black Scoter in the middle of the reservoir.
During my 3-hour stay in the middle of the afternoon,
light was terrible; I looked toward the sun most of the time.
Metro Denver Waterfowl Count Finished 12/14
Eight of us completed Saturday the three day Denver Metro Waterfowl
count conducted by the Colorado Birding Society. Few uncommon birds
were added to our list today. Temperatures reached 60 degrees to
produce a fabulous birding day.
I did find the two Greater White-fronted Geese first reported by
Thomas Heinrich at Ferril Lake in Denver City Park (Denver County).
When I arrived in late afternoon the two birds were feeding with
many Canada Geese south of Ferril Lake. They later flew back
to Ferril Lake when several dogs ran through the area.
Continued Waterfowl Count 12/13
I enjoyed another beautiful winter day participating in the CoBus Metro
Denver Waterfowl Count. Winds were mild; temperatures reached into the 50s.
My day started with hiking into Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County)
at 6:00am. Yes it was dark, sunrise was 7:15am. I wanted to check on
a couple of owl reports and hoped to hear one; none were heard.
At 7:10am-7:30am, I watched an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull and
1st basic Thayer's Gull. Both stood on the ice, 20 yards off the
southern end of the swim beach. At 7:30am, two adult Bald Eagles
flew within 20 yards of them and they (along with many of the other
gulls) were not seen the rest of my stay.
While watching the gulls, a female/juvenile Black Scoter swam not
far off shore from my position. Two Long-tailed Ducks also swam
in the northwest corner of the open water. Most of the northwest
corner of the reservoir was covered with ice.
The Bald Eagles caused the Black Scoter to fly to the southeast
corner of the lake around 7:40am.
The two Long-tailed Ducks swam to the southwest corner
(toward the southwest marina as far as the ice would allow).
Also observed in the distance were four birds that looked like
Black Scoters. They stayed close to each other during the 1.5 hours
that I watched them swim back and forth from the southwest end to
the southeast end. It was frustrating because they stayed in the
center of the lake and a little too far out to definitely identify.
Around 9:00am, Beverly Guild showed up and we were able to scope
the birds. Of course, by then the birds were only 30 yards offshore.
They eventually flew (I believe because of the Eagles) to just west
of the Prairie Loop. They moved around much, but stayed together.
It was pretty easy to relocated them as a group of four birds.
A few Red-breasted Mergansers were among the many ducks,
geese, and grebes in the center of the lake.
I caught up with Bryan Ehlmann at Quincy Reservoir (Arapahoe).
Few birds were observed here. We checked a dozen small lakes
and ponds (and Barr Lake) during our trek. Nothing really
uncommon was found the rest of the day.
CoBus Metro Denver Waterfowl County 12/12
Bryan Ehlmann, Gary & Dianne Weston, and two other cobirders joined
me in counting birds today. The goal was to hit as many metro Denver
bodies of water (large & small) south of 6th avenue. Our focus was
on the smaller bodies of water that seldom are searched. We did
realize at the start that little would be found at these smaller “ponds”.
Some of the highlights were:
Fort Logan National Cemetery (Denver County); Eastern pond
(I believe it is called Memorial Lake?)
The adult female Greater Scaup has returned (or a female bird has shown
up). There was also an adult female Lesser Scaup. A third bird appeared
to be a first year juvenile Greater Scaup. However we did not see the
wings on this bird. Its head was more pointed at the forehead, giving
the bird a sloped down look toward the back of the head. The bill of
this “juvenile” bird appeared to be wider than the Lesser Scaup (and
similar to the adult Greater Scaup). The “juvenile” bird stayed close
to the adult Greater Scaup (may indicate nothing), while the Lesser Scaup
stayed by herself. The adult female Greater Scaup had more white in her
wings, but more importantly her bright yellow eye contrasted with the
brown eyes of the other two Scaups. Head shape can be subjective and
changeable; the color of the eyes obvious. I watched the birds for over
an hour from 30 meters through 20 power scopes.
Marston Reservoir (Denver):
Bryan and I found only two loons. Both were Common Loons. One in the
southwest corner never showed white flanks, while the other about 1/3
from southern end always exhibited white flanks. Both birds had flat
heads and held their bills level. Other birds seen were three species
of mergansers (Red-breasted, Common, and several dozen Hooded),
2 Double-crested Cormorants, 5 Ruddy Ducks, Western Grebes,
Pied-billed Grebes, Lesser Scaups (no Greater Scaups were picked out),
a dozen California Gulls, a dozen Herring Gulls (no uncommon gulls).
Small Park at Ida & Spotswood (Arapahoe)
One adult Herring Gull had the ice to itself.
Some of the other lakes checked were:
Harriman, Bowles (a dozen Herring Gulls & 4 Red-breasted Mergansers),
Bergan, Hines, Johnson, Gallup, Ketring (Littleton Historic Park, drained
since last summer, they do not expect to fill it until summer 2003), Soda,
Bear Creek, Mary, Kendrick, Kauntze, Ward, and ponds in smaller parks.
Boulder County Birding 12/10
Today was another beautiful winter day in Colorado!
Winds were mild, temperatures reached the high 50s?
I arrived at the Community Gardens northeast of the North Boulder
Recreation Center (Boulder County) at 7:30am and stayed until 12:30pm.
I was able to find three times during my stay both the
Field Sparrow and Harris's Sparrow.
The Harris's Sparrow was observed mostly in the southwest corner of
the gardens. The bird seems to go to the back yard of the brown house
in that corner. There is an orangish brick house with a blackish fence
on its north side (behind the brown house). The Harris's Sparrow went
to that backyard on several occasions.
Richard Trinkner pointed out seeing the Harris's Sparrow go into this
yard (fake Owl in backyard). One time when I walked along the sidewalk,
the Harris's Sparrow was in the reddish bush next to the sidewalk.
I first found the Field Sparrow about 15 feet west of the colored picket
fence in the center of the gardens. The bird moved from here to the first
two taller trees to the west. This seemed to be the area where the bird
spent most of the morning. At 12:20pm, I found the bird further south
along the bike path. It moved to the southern edge of the yard of the
house directly south of the colored picket fence. At one point I watched
the bird for ten minutes in the bushes along the southern edge of this yard.
The bushes are taller than six feet; some of the bushes have choke cherries.
I did not see a Purple Finch. There seemed to be six or seven loose flocks
of House Finches in this large field (over 300+ birds). By 10:00am,
it appeared that most of the House Finches moved on to who knows where.
There are quite a number of feeders in the northwest corner of the area.
These yards and bushes to the south had several hundred House Finches
throughout the morning (but no Purple Finch).
After lunch I wandered over to Walden Ponds (south of 75th avenue & Jay Road).
The previously reported Swamp Sparrow and Eastern Bluebirds were not observed.
Birding Southern Colorado 12/8-12/9
Sunday 8
Rebecca Kosten & I spent Saturday night in Colorado Springs (arrived
too late to identify any of the birds on Big Johnson Reservoir; El Paso).
The weather was nice today, but winds were stronger than yesterday.
At first light, we observed a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in Pueblo City Park.
The bird was in the tall trees along Calle Avenue (40 yards north of the
tennis courts). The male Eurasian Wigeon was still at the small pond
northwest of here (just west of administration building).
We tried to hike most of the northern shoreline of Pueblo Reservoir
during the day (where we could find access). Birds encountered
were 1 Red-necked Grebe, 2 Common Loons, 1 Pacific Loon,
an adult Great Black-backed Gull, and a dozen Bonaparte's Gulls.
We struck out on the previously reported Red-throated Loon and
Black-legged Kittiwake.
After lunch we searched below the dam (Rock Canyon & Valco Ponds areas).
We could not find the Harris's Sparrows, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and
Bohemian Waxwing previously reported.
After dark we headed to Pueblo State Wildlife Area to search for owls.
One Great Horned Owl was the only owl found.
Monday 9
We started our day at Tunnel Drive in Canon City (Fremont).
Only one Rufous-crowned Sparrow was found. The bird was
200 yards west of the old building (north side of Arkansas River).
The Greater White-fronted Geese were not at the City Treatment Ponds
or Memorial Park. The Tundra Swan was not at Valco Ponds, Canon City.
We searched briefly the locations of previous Eurasian Collared-Dove
sightings; without success!
After lunch, we headed for Temple Canyon State Park west of Canon City.
The only birds found were two Juniper Titmice. We waited for dark to
search for owls, but heard none.
Our next stop (8:00pm) was Beaver Creek Wildlife Area (Fremont).
Here we managed to hear a Northern Pygmy-Owl (from the parking area)
and in the distance a Great Horned Owl.
We headed back to Denver by way of Phantom Canyon Road.
Frequent stops were made to listen for owls. None were found/heard.
Denver Reservoirs 12/7
Saturday morning Paul Langendorfer & I traveled to Marston Reservoir
(Denver County). We studied the loons there for about 3 hours;
concluded that we were watching 5 Common Loons.
A few Red-breasted Mergansers and 1 Double-crested Cormorant were
among many other waterfowl. An adult Bald Eagle stood in a large
cottonwood on the west side.
The weather was fabulous and I decided to hike Cherry Creek Reservoir
(Arapahoe) from the southwest marina around to the Dam's tower
(approximately 5.0 miles). There was zero wind and the water
appeared like glass!
The adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was standing on ice 20 feet
north of the southwest marina. The many gulls around the marina
included at least 28 adult Herring Gulls and 9 California Gulls.
I continued east looking for Swamp Sparrows in the marshes along
the shoreline. Several Song Sparrows popped out to waterline and
returned to the brush. A Golden-crowned Sparrow came out of the
brush at halfway between the Mountain Lake parking area and
the large log jutting into the water (approx. 100 yards east).
I watched the bird for 6 or 7 minutes and telephoned some other birders.
They called about an hour later to say that the bird was relocated.
I had continued around the reservoir, not waited for them.
Half the reservoir was covered with ice. This concentrated the waterfowl
in the center. I could not identify any Barrow's Goldeneyes or
Long-tailed Ducks in the distance. A female Northern Harrier hunted
in the marsh east of the Prairie Loop. Several Red-tailed Hawks
and one Rough-legged Hawk were observed during my trek.
One Northern Shrike was hunting in the woods just east of the Prairie Loop.
Aurora Reservoir 12/6
I lead the CoBus trip to Aurora Reservoir (Arapahoe County) this morning.
Three of us hiked the 7.8 miles around this reservoir on the eastern plains.
Temperatures reached the low 50s; winds were 10-15 mph.
The two 1st year male White-winged Scoters first reported 11/29 were still
there. The birds stayed mostly in the scuba area during our 4-hour stay.
One Common Loon was the only loon found on the reservoir today.
Other birds observed were 300+ Common Goldeneyes, 5 Common Mergansers,
2 Eared Grebes, 2000 Canada Geese (not one Greater White-fronted Goose or
Brant among them), 2 Redheads, 4 Ruddy Ducks, and 2 Hooded Mergansers.
Gull numbers, which reached over 3000 last week, were down to less than
500 today. However as we departed 100s of gulls were flying in from the
Aurora Landfill (about 3.0 miles northwest of the reservoir).
Birding Eastern Plains 12/1-12/5
Rebecca Kosten & I just returned from an interesting week on
Colorado's Eastern Plains. The weather was quite variable with
snow, ice, rain, and a little sunshine.
Sunday 1
We meandered down to the Lake Meredith (Crowley County) and spent the
afternoon combing the area for the Snowy Owl reported Friday by Stan Oswald.
No luck, bird sightings were few. A Peregrine Falcon was sighted east of
Lake Henry and appeared to fly toward Cheraw.
No Eurasian Collared-Doves or Inca Doves could be found in Rocky Ford (Otero).
Monday 2
We continued our Snowy Owl pursuit by again looking around
Lake Meredith. Our odyssey took us next to Horse Creek Reservoir
and Blue Lake (Otero/Bent/Kiowa Counties). Again few birds
were found. Winds were quite strong most of the day.
Fort Lyons Wildlife Easement was quiet also.
No Swamp or White-throated Sparrows could be found.
A lone Pacific Loon was scoped in the distance at John Martin Reservoir.
Nothing uncommon was encountered at Hasty Campgrounds. The previously
reported Eastern Bluebirds were not around the Corp of Engineers office.
Our birding day concluded with a walk through the woods at
Lamar Community College (Prowers). No uncommon sparrows or
finches were found. A male Red-bellied Woodpecker and a few
Blue Jays were our only sightings. A female Red-bellied Woodpecker
was located in Willow Creek Park (just north of the college grounds).
Tuesday 3
We spent the night in Burlington (Yuma) and headed out to Hale Ponds before
first light. The Eastern Screech-Owl responded to our tape. The owl has
been northeast of the ponds for several years now and makes an appearance
about every other trip. A flock of 11 Eastern Bluebirds and 2 Red-bellied
Woodpeckers were watched while hiking along the Republican River.
The Barn Owl was below the dam area again. The reservoir proper had many
geese; we identified a few Ross's Geese mixed in. A Common Loon was the
only loon found. While looking for the Northern Cardinals reported earlier
in the week, we observed a flock of 7 Pinyon Jays. They flew into the fir
trees at the parking area of Wagon Wheel Campground. They were first
county sightings for both of us. The cardinals were never found and we headed
north to Wray. A few Lapland Longspurs were found at Highways 36 & 385.
We visited a friend in Wray (Yuma). Her feeders continue to be visited
by a pair of Northern Cardinals and we added some for our trip list.
Sandsage Wildlife area west of town was quiet. The Eastern Screech-Owl
that "hangs around" here was not found today. The many sparrows observed
were White-crowned, American Tree and Song Sparrows. Our birding day
concluded with a drive around CR 45 hoping to see a Greater Prairie-Chicken
or Short-eared Owl; none were found.
Wednesday 4
We woke up to several inches of snow and high winds. We had spent the
night at a friend's ranch in Sedgwick County and headed to County Roads
46 & 89. One Greater Prairie-Chicken was in the northeast corner of
this intersection. We hiked north about a mile to a place where I have
observed Greater Prairie-Chicken booming in the spring; no additional
birds were found. Originally I found this spot as a successful one for
Greater Prairie-Chickens with the help of a now retired Forest Ranger.
Up to fourteen birds have been observed after a dusting of snow
mixed in with Ring-necked Pheasants.
Next we drove the county roads looking for anything and hoping for
a Snowy Owl. Nothing exciting appeared and we worked our way
back to the Julesburg Wayside Rest Stop. Again not much was found.
Four Greater White-fronted Geese were at a small pond off Sedgwick CR 32.
DePoorter Lake (Sedgwick) had few birds. Three Northern Bobwhite
came out of the woodpiles along the river (southeast corner of property).
My hope for an American Woodcock along the S. Platte River was not fulfilled.
We have discovered a winter location of Long-eared Owls. There were
approximately twelve owls on a private ranch north of Julesburg.
Our friend Roger Danka's ranch had a Harris's Sparrow along his creek.
He was visited by five Pinyon Jays on Friday of last week.
Two Short-eared Owls are hunting most nights on his property.
Thursday 5
Our birding day started at first light at Ovid Woods (Sedgwick).
No Northern Cardinals were found; one female Red-bellied
Woodpecker searched for food at the northern end.
Jumbo Reservoir had many ducks and geese, nothing uncommon.
The few gulls all appeared to be Ring-billed Gulls.
Tamarack Ranch Wildlife Area was quiet also. A lone male
Red-bellied Woodpecker was found northeast of the S. Platte River.
No Northern Cardinals or Eastern Screech-Owls could be found.
We searched Sterling for Eurasian Collared-Doves and Pioneer Park
for Eastern Screech-Owls; again not having any success.
Then we headed up to Sterling Reservoir. Two Snow Buntings were sighted
on the south side (approximately 0.5 miles from the parking area).
No uncommon gulls were around.
We drove the many county roads north and west of the reservoir,
again searching for Snowy Owls, Short-eared Owls, and/or whatever.
Our quest took us west toward the Pawnee National Grasslands and
then south to the county roads north of Riverside Reservoir.
We ran out of daylight while driving the deserted county roads
north of Riverside Reservoir. Several large flocks of Horned Larks
were sighted. A few Lapland Longspur were mixed in with two of
the flocks along CR 89.
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