Rich Stevens' Bird Trips
December 2003
Birding Last Day of 2003
Rebecca Kosten & I did some scouting for Christmas counts Wednesday.
Many metro reservoirs were frozen. We found no uncommon birds at
Standley Lake (Jefferson County).
The two Greater White-fronted Geese are still at Lake Arbor in
Arvada (Jefferson County).
East & West Gravel Lakes in Thornton were 90 percent covered with ice.
Most of the waterfowl were on the South Platte River, which runs
between the lakes (Adams County). A female Barrow's Goldeneye was
just west of the north East Gravel Lakes; she later flew to the lake.
Two male & a female Barrow's Goldeneye were just west of the
green/white water tower about a mile south of 88th avenue (and
Colorado Blvd parking area). They later flew to the southern end of
the north West Gravel Lake. Rebecca found a Long-tailed Duck at the
southern end of the northern East Gravel Lake. Birders wishing to
relocate these birds tomorrow may want to show up at first light and
get them before bike and hiking traffic along the S. Platte moves the
birds around.
Barr Lake (Adams County) appeared to be almost completely covered
with ice. We ended our birding day by watching birds visit the feeders
behind the Visitor's Center. No uncommon birds appeared.
Arapahoe County Reservoirs 12/30
Gary Weston, Gary Zeeto, and I hiked the 7.8 miles around Aurora
Reservoir (Arapahoe County) Tuesday morning. Temperatures reached
50 degrees; winds were mild.
The highlight bird was an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull at mile
marker 2.8. This is probably the same bird that shows up at Cherry
Creek and Quincy Reservoirs (approximately 8 miles apart). The bird
was with 410+ Ring-billed Gulls, 7 Herring Gulls, and a California
Gull. On the Reservoir proper we observed Ruddy Ducks, Redheads,
Common Mergansers, 4 Red-breasted Mergansers, American Coots, and many
Canada Geese. Nothing else uncommon was seen. Only one Bald Eagle.
Later in the day, Donna Fortney and I searched for the Glaucous Gull
at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe). We did not see the bird.
Several dozen Herring Gulls were among 800+ Ring-billed Gulls.
We did find the male Barrow's Goldeneye, but missed the Long-tailed
Ducks if they are still around. Bald Eagles numbered 20+.
Eastern Colorado Plains 12/26-12/28
Four of us birded on the northeastern plains of Colorado this weekend.
Winds were quite strong; temperatures were cold.
December 26
We stopped at Fort Morgan Ponds and hiked to Riverside Park in
Fort Morgan (Morgan County). A flock of 7 Eastern Bluebirds flew
around the north end of the first FM pond. Many White-crowned Sparrows
were along the southern fence line. One White-throated Sparrow was
picked out of 40+ WCSP. Many Canada Geese (No Greater
White-fronted Geese) were in Riverside Park.
Winds were quite strong at Jumbo Reservoir (Logan/Sedgwick Counties).
Sue found a Snow Bunting below the dam at Jumbo. Red Lion Wildlife
Area was quiet. We ended our birding day searching for Short-eared Owls
at the southeast end of Jumbo, CR 24 & CR 5 and Sedgwick Draw;
without finding any.
December 27
Richard Danka had staked out 5 Common Redpolls on his property
(first observed on the 24th). He relocated these birds and
a Harris's Sparrow that has been around for 6 weeks or so.
Another 3 Common Redpolls were found about 4 miles away at another ranch.
A drive over to Sedgwick CR 46 & 89 did not find any Greater
Prairie-Chickens or Sharp-tailed Grouse. We again stuck out
on finding Short-eared Owls.
December 28
We watched the Common Redpolls one last time and headed back toward
Denver. Brush Wildlife Area (Morgan) and Brush Prairie Ponds (Morgan)
were quiet (all cold in the high winds). The few sparrow found
were either White-crowned or Song Sparrows.
Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe) was our last stop. The adult Lesser
Black-backed Gull was standing on the ice to the northeast of the
southwest marina. The male Barrow's Goldeneye was well northeast of
the Lake Loop. If the Long-tailed Ducks were out there, we could not
pick them out. Winds were quite strong; the cold temperatures
convinced us to keep our visit short. The amount of open water was
surprising. The reservoir was 80 percent open (while only about
10-15 percent open on Christmas Day).
Cherry Creek Reservoir Christmas Day 12/25
We stopped by Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County) on our
way home from a Christmas dinner.
The male Barrow's Goldeneye was easy to pick out of a group of
Common Goldeneyes while we were standing on the swim beach.
The amount of open water was limited and the many ducks were
compression into the small areas. Hundreds of Common Mergansers
swam in the distance. One Eared Grebe was counted.
Two small ducks which had the profile of Long-tailed Ducks were
far out. They did dive and stay under water for over a minute which
might indicate they were LTDU. We did not get a positive ID however.
We counted 14 Bald Eagles. 10 adults, 1 white belly 1, 1 3rd year,
2 unknown because of the light.
Jefferson County Birding 12/24
Rebecca & I went Christmas shopping in the morning. We managed
to get our birding fix in Jefferson County in the afternoon hours.
The juvenile Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was again in the three fir trees
north of the chain link fence at the North end of the Red Rocks Grade
School. The many rows of holes on the trees indicate the bird favors
these though it flew briefly to the deciduous trees to the North.
Five American Dippers were found along a 0.5 mile stretch of Bear
Creek at Lair O' Bear Park. Two Mountain Chickadees flew about
the parking area.
Our last stop was Mt Falcon Park. The Wild Turkeys observed
Saturday were probably hiding from the many dog walkers.
A Blue Grouse was found at the North end of the park.
No Northern Pygmy-Owls showed up at dusk.
Grand Lake Christmas Count 12/23
Our numbers down to eight; we conducted the first annual Grand Lake
Christmas Count (Grand County). Again winds were quite strong and it
was cold. Temperatures probably did not reach 30 degrees.
The highlight of the day was 24 Barrow's Goldeneyes on Shadow Mountain
Reservoir. No swans today. Open water was scarce.
Our birds observed were 30+ Red Crossbills, 2 White-winged Crossbills
(south of the south parking area for Shadow Mountain Reservoir), many
Pine Siskins, Mountain Chickadees, American Crows, and Common Ravens.
Bird numbers were not high. No Cassin's Finches, Pine Grosbeaks, or
Evening Grosbeaks were found. No owls were observed.
Gary Zeeto & Gary Weston were the only two birders to see the
White-winged Crossbills. Stan Roth & Bill Cryder thought they heard
a Three-toed Woodpecker, but it never was observed.
Guanella Pass & Georgetown Christmas Count 12/22
I joined ten other birders on the CoBus Christmas Count at Guanella
Pass & Georgetown. Winds were outrageous (30+ mph w/higher gusts).
On the trip up, a brief stop at Red Rocks Grade School produced a
sighting of the juvenile Yellow-bellied Sapsucker reported Saturday
by B. Brown. The bird was in the three tallest fir trees North of the
chain link fence around the north end of the school property. A hike
North up the ravine added one or two Northern Saw-whet Owls
and a pair of Western Scrub-Jays for the day.
The group found four White-tailed Ptarmigan on Guanella Pass.
The birds were 75 yards West of the 603 trail & 300 yards South
of the Rosalie Trail. Few other birds were found at the summit.
I joined them at Guanella Pass Campground where we located two
American Three-toed Woodpeckers. One bird was 40 yards south-
southeast of the restrooms (east side of Guanella Pass road).
The other woodpecker was 250 yards south-southwest of same restrooms
(along the Lost Silver Dollar Trail). A few Mountain Chickadees and
Juncos were also in the area. Two Pine Grosbeaks were at the north
end of the campgrounds. Gary Weston located a Northern Saw-whet Owl
near the campgrounds.
On the trip back toward Georgetown, Gary Zeeto found a Swamp Sparrow
along the creek at the east side of the road (approximately 1.4 miles
North of the campground).
Back in Georgetown several locations added interesting birds to our
day. Nineteen Evening Grosbeaks visited feeders north of 10th street.
Fourteen Red Crossbills were in the city park. All three nuthatches
were found in the park also. Six Cassin's Finches were in trees along
Rose Street (the old Rosy Finch feeder location).
Many American Crows, Pine Siskins, Dark-eyed Juncos, House Finches,
and Mountain Chickadees were observed throughout the day. A few
Common Ravens were also counted.
A drive up Mt Evans Road found another Three-toed Woodpecker on
the south side of Echo Lake.
No Rosy Finches were found up Chicago Creek Road (once a
hotspot 5 or 6 years ago).
Fort Collins & Greeley 12/21
So much for my plans were to stay home for the weekend, I decided to try
again for the Brant in Greeley. However as I drove up Interstate 25,
I decided to detour over for a look the Scarlet Tanager in Fort Collins.
It was a MUST that my rear (excuse: behind) was back in Denver by 11:00am.
I ran into Dixie Smith when arriving at Grey Rock Commons Community
(Larimer County). He had just observed the male Scarlet Tanager in
the grape vines at the Salmon colored house on the north side of the
commons. Thanks much to Dixie for saving some time for me! I watched
the bird for five minutes, looked at photos on the owner's computer,
and headed back to Denver.
Well almost! Time was calculated and I figured to have 10 minutes
to search for the Brant and Pine Warbler in Greeley. No geese
were at the Greeley West High School's football field.
The Pine Warbler was not in the trees where it was previously reported.
I moved on to Bittersweet Park (four blocks to the north).
Fortunately, the Brant was almost by itself in the southwest corner
of the lake. I quick 2 minute look and I was out of there.
My return to Denver was 6 minutes before my deadline.
After church in the morning, we decided to search for the Yellow-
bellied Sapsucker reported Saturday at Red Rocks Park (Jefferson
County) by B. Brown. The road to the Red Rocks Grade School was
gated and locked, so we gave up on the idea. One could reach
the area by going into Red Rocks Park and hiking East (we passed).
The trip was not wasted as we stopped at my favorite Mexican
Restaurant (the Morrison Inn) for an early dinner.
Our next stop was Wheat Ridge Greenbelt (Jefferson). We hiked
from Prospect Park to Bass Lake to the Kipling Parking area.
The previously reported Greater Scaup were no longer at Tabor Lake.
Bass Lake was completely frozen. No Eastern Screech-Owls were
encountered during our hike.
Our final stop was Belmar Historic Park (Jefferson). We hoped that
the Prospect Park Greater Scaups had moved the 9 miles over to here.
One male Greater Scaup was in Koonze Lake. Three Lesser Scaup were
also in the pond, but not with the Greater Scaup.
Denver Christmas Count 12/20
I joined Karl Stecher on the Marston Reservoir portion of the count.
Winds were 20+ mph most of the day; temperatures were in the 40s.
Marston Reservoir was 80 percent frozen. However many waterfowl
were concentrated in the open areas. The highlight was a male
Greater Scaup in the southeast end of the reservoir.
Others areas in our section was not birdy. It may have been
the slowest birding day I ever had.
A quick stop at Memorial Lake in Fort Logan National Cemetery
added a female Greater Scaup to our day list.
The highlight of the day was watching the Anna's Hummingbird
that continues at Tina Jones' home. She planned to quit feeding
it on Sunday, so it has probably moved on (hopefully safely).
Colorado Plains Birding 12/14-12/19
I headed out to scout for Christmas Counts on the Southern and
Eastern Plains of Colorado this week. Weather was quite variable.
December 14
My departure from Denver (4:00am) was timed to arrive at Maria
Reservoir (Huerfano County) at first light. Winds were 40mph+
with gusts up to 80mph (according to the radio). Six Tundra Swans
were along the south side of the lake. Three Trumpeter Swans were
further from highway 10 along the south side of the reservoir.
My next stop was Greenhorn Creek in Colorado City (Pueblo). There is
a road leading down to the creek from mile marker 32 of highway 165.
It took about 30 seconds to find the Winter Wren in the weeds at the
cement water diversion gate. The bird worked its way up stream about
40 yards and then returned to its original location. Dave Silverman
showed up and got to see the bird on its trip back downstream.
David pointed out a winter plumaged Common Yellowthroat, which
"hangs out" in the cattails about 40, yards east of the diversion gate.
Its subtle green & yellow colors stood out brilliantly in the
dried winter cattails and grasses. A Gray Catbird was about
60 yards upstream from the diversion gate.
David and I next drove over to Little Graneros Creek at the
Greenhorn Drive crossing. We searched for possible male and female
Purple Finches observed on the 12th. Several dozen House Finches
were located, but no Purple Finches.
My next stop was Greenhorn Meadows Park. David had observed a
Winter Wren along the creek (the only place where it runs north-south
in the park). The Winter Wren was not located, but two Lewis's
Woodpeckers were in the cottonwoods near the ball fields.
David had mentioned that Evening Grosbeaks could be seen near the
Municipal Pool in Colorado City. None were there when I arrived.
Seven Western Bluebirds were on fence around the tennis courts.
There was a road along the golf course with led to the parking
area (with fountain) below Lake Beckwith Dam. A flock of five
Mountain Bluebirds with 2 Eastern Bluebirds was two hundred
yards west of the tennis courts.
Continuing West, I ran into a flock of 20+ sparrows in the bushes
around the third tee. A Field Sparrow was among this group.
David had mentioned seeing a Field Sparrow and Vesper Sparrow
at the parking area (with fountain) on the 12th. This parking
area was just another 60 yards west of tee #3.
Several Ruby-crowned Kinglets and 2 Lesser Goldfinches were
in the cottonwoods around the above parking area.
Many Juncos (mostly Slate-colored) were also here.
The return trip to my car added a flock of Cedar Waxwings to
my trip list.
My birding day ended at Pueblo Reservoir (Pueblo County).
A male Barrow's Goldeneye was with 110 Common Goldeneye below
the dam. The adult Great Black-backed Gull was observed from
the sailboard launch area. Several Canyon Towhees were around.
At sunset I hiked a mile of the Pueblo Wildlife Area (accessed
from 96). I was hoping for a Western Screech-Owl sighting/hearing,
but had to settle for a calling Great Horned Owl.
December 15
I pulled into Lake Henry about 11:30pm and walked the west side of the
reservoir to the northwestern grove of trees. A Western Screech-Owl
answered my tapes at 12:10am. I could hear many geese on the lake,
but of course saw none.
At first light I searched for Short-eared Owls. No owls were seen
though I could see for miles in every direction. The sunrise was
beautiful with clear skies to the east and the pending snowstorm
moving in from the west.
The plan was to look for the previously reported LeConte's Sparrows at
John Martin Reservoir (Bent County). A hike along the west side of
the reservoir was not birdy. A flock of White-crowned Sparrows
contained one White-throated Sparrow (just below the parking area for
the prison, southeast of the cemetery). It started to snow about this
time (9:00am). By 10:00am, visibility was zero and my scouting trip
was postponed.
The blizzard cleared out about 2:30pm. Two Great Horned Owls, one
American Kestrel, and several Robins moved about the Fort Lyons National
Cemetery. The western Fort Lyons Wildlife Area added 2 Song Sparrows,
2 Northern Harriers, 2 Red-tailed Hawks and another Great Horned Owl
to my day list. Unfortunately no Marsh Wren could be found.
Lake Hasty campgrounds were quiet. One Rough-legged Hawk stood in
the trees on the south side. A hike from the group picnic area east
to the Arkansas River and then south and west back to the campgrounds
was interesting. My only Great Blue Heron of the day was here.
More interesting, a Greater Roadrunner picked on a dead carcass.
Two additional Great Horned Owls were counted.
A male Red-bellied Woodpecker flew around the town southeast of
the Ranger's Station. Not much else moved about.
I took a quick look at the reservoir proper. Tens of thousands of
Common Mergansers, hundreds of Common Goldeneyes, and hundreds of
gulls were below the dam. Since the CFO was conducting a Christmas
count, I decided to let them count the birds for me and pick up the
numbers later. No uncommon birds were picked out. One American
White Pelican swam in the large raft of ducks.
My birding day ended at the Rocky Ford Sewage Ponds (Otero).
Again I looked for Short-eared Owls at the sewage ponds and garbage
dump. None appeared. Three Northern Harriers, 5 White-crowned
Sparrows, and a White-throated Sparrow were observed.
Winds were quite strong by now; maybe keeping the owls from flying?
On the trip over to the sewage ponds, I stopped at a friend's ranch
and tried unsuccessfully to take photos of a Barn Owl. The bird
stayed a little too far away in the dark barn for a good photo.
December 16
I returned to Lake Henry before sunrise, but again found no
Short-eared Owls. A trip over to Sugar City did not locate
the Peregrine Falcon that is sometimes found around the grain
elevator. Another friend had a Barn Owl at his place.
I got good looks, but again missed any photo opportunities.
My goal was to find the previously reported Inca Dove. I was
going to give it 2 hours and move on. The bird was found in
2.5 hours in the firs along the first alley south of Prudence Lane.
A Sharp-shinned Hawk in the area kept the bird count down.
While hunting for the Inca Dove, I came across a 1st winter
Harris's Sparrow. The bird was along the first alley East of
Virginia that ran south from Washington. It stayed in the yard
where the alley turned from north-south to east-west (and
returned to Virginia). Two Mourning Doves were down this alley.
Armed only with the information that White-winged Doves were observed
in the south and west parts of town, I searched along Otero County
Road EE. Luck was on my side and I noticed many doves flying around
the house at the northeast corner of Industrial Park Drive & CR EE.
At least 14 Eurasian Collared-Doves were in the area. Five White-
winged Doves came to the feeders in the front yard. They wandered
across CR EE to the feeders and also to 0.5 miles east down CR EE.
While driving around Rocky Ford, many Eurasian Collared-Doves were
observed. The greater concentrations were 38+ at CR 19 and CR GG
and 73+ at CR 19 & CR FF.5. All together I counted 189 Eurasian
Collared-Doves invading Rocky Ford.
After a quick lunch I birded the eastern side of Rocky Ford Wildlife
Area (Otero). While hiking the eastern border I came across a
Northern Mockingbird just south of the ponds. A male Belted
Kingfisher hunted here also. Further south two White-throated
Sparrows accompanied 41 White-crowned Sparrows. A Harlan's
and Western Red-tailed Hawk flew overhead.
Two Wilson's Snipes walked along the Arkansas River. A pair of Downy
Woodpeckers and a male Hairy Woodpecker worked the cottonwoods.
Two Loggerhead Shrikes hunted along the fence line. One caught a mouse
and almost hit me in the head as he tried to fly away with his prize.
A highlight was finding a Long-eared Owl in the grove of Russian Olive
Trees and Firs just south of the cultivated field (with short green
something or other). The owl was south of and about halfway split
the field. I moved off to not disturb it and make it move.
My next stop was Lake Holbrook (Otero). It was quiet, but did add
two additional Loggerhead Shrikes and a Golden Eagle to my day count.
The day was getting short and I ended it with one of my favorite
winter birding events. I try to pick an isolated area with a
possibility of sparrows to hike and watch the fantastic Colorado
Winter sunsets. Ordway Wildlife Area (Crowley) was chosen;
it was a great choice!
The weedy dried pond West of the main reservoir was filled with
sparrows. The hope for LeConte's Sparrows did not materialize, but
the 189 White-crowned Sparrows and 73 Song Sparrow kept my interest.
While counting sparrows I decided to count the number of Snow Geese
flying overhead the last 30 minutes before sunset. The number
reached 14,600+ Snow Geese with several hundred Ross's Geese
among them. The noise they made was awesome and added a
pleasant aura to the experience.
The sunset was again breathtaking as it set over the Spanish Peaks to
the southwest and Pikes Peak to the northwest. Two Great Horned Owls
jumped in with their "who who's awake?, me too"!
I pulled into Cottonwood Canyon (Baca County) around 11:00pm.
The area had received 6-8 inches of snow on Monday and driving
through the snowdrifts and muddy roads was tricky.
A check of the Carrizo Creek Picnic Area did not find any owls.
It took about 10 minutes to locate two Western Screech-Owls at
the camping area at CR 5 (also CR M) & Carrizo Creek in the canyon.
I watched them for 30 minutes before retiring.
December 17
At first light I drove the 2.0 miles south-southeast to the cattle
guard. This my favorite Rufous-crowned Sparrow location did not
disappoint. Three Rufous-crowned Sparrow were foraging among the
rocks. Mourning Doves numbered in the 120+. Two Spotted Towhees
called up the canyon. Twenty-two Wild Turkeys ran across the road.
Nine Mountain Sheep were in the flat snow covered green fields.
Six Lewis's Woodpeckers were observed later back at the camping area.
The draw to the south contained a male Ladder-backed Woodpecker,
14 Lewis's Woodpeckers, 2 American Tree Sparrows, and a pair of Mallards.
A flock of 18 White-crowned Sparrows came for a drink at Carrizo Creek
and CR M. A first year Harris's Sparrow was with them. They
eventually flew to the bushes on the south side of CR M (and
west of the south draw).
I had to check my other favorite draw (the western draw that runs
south from 0.7 miles west-southwest of the camping area). A hike up
this draw 1.0 miles added 43 Bushtits, 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, a male
Golden-crowned Kinglet, 34 Mountain Bluebirds, a pair of Downy
Woodpeckers, pair of Hairy Woodpeckers, and another Ladder-backed
Woodpecker to my trip list. The only Bewick's Wren of the excursion
into Cottonwood Canyon was observed here (usually there are dozens).
Four Western Bluebirds surprised me as they flew through the draw.
Two Western Scrub-Jays were also a surprise. Six Canyon Towhees
and a singing Canyon Wren were deep in the draw.
On the drive out of Cottonwood Canyon, several Red-tailed Hawks,
14 Chihuahuan Ravens, 3 Townsend's Solitaires and another 29 Mountain
Bluebird were found. Other raptors found were 5 Ferruginous plus a
dark morph Ferruginous Hawk, 2 American Kestrels, 1 Prairie Falcon,
1 Golden Eagle, and 2 Rough-legged Hawks (one a dark morph).
I stopped by several friends' ranches on the trip out and got to see
another two Barn Owls. A third Barn Owl was sighted at the DOW ranch
nine miles East of Hwy 385 (along Hwy 160) and 1 mile south. I could
not locate this bird however, but did find a Sharp-shinned Hawk.
I heard reports by two people of a Snowy Owl at the Public Shooting
Range along CR W (8 miles West of Hwy 385). A brief stop and hike up
the hills to the North did not find the bird. The reporters were not
birders and sometimes to the inexperienced a Barn Owl looks white
enough to be mistaken for a Snowy Owl.
In Springfield, 10 Eurasian Collared-Doves were west of the grain
elevators (at College & 13th streets).
Two Buttes Reservoir (Baca) was not birdy. A Barn Owl peered
out of the rocks below the dam and on the north side of the creek.
It later flew to the red rocks on the south side of the creek.
The highlight of the day was a Winter Wren. The bird responded to my
tapes while I stood east of the road/dam below the ponds. He worked
his way up and down the small fast running stream.
Sparrows were scarce (unusual). Only one White-crowned Sparrow
was observed. While the American Robin count was well over 250+.
My daylight birding day ended at the woods behind Lamar Community
College (Prowers). I watched the feeders for an hour. Many White-
crowned Sparrows and a surprise Chipping Sparrow visited many times.
I arrived at Bonny Reservoir (Yuma) around 9:00pm and spent the
next three hours searching for owls. There was zero wind at this time.
The quarter moon gave enough light that I could see without a flashlight.
The occasional creaking tree, crackling ice as it shifts or a chirping
bird were all that I could hear. The reservoir was circled as much as
possible (some roads are closed).
At Wagon Wheel Campground a small sized owl, which looked like an
Eastern Screech-Owl, flew from the campsites near the boat dock to
the eastern side campsites (40-41). I was not able to relocate the bird
for further inspection.
The Eastern Screech-Owl, which "hangs around" Hale Ponds, did not call
during my search. Later I heard two Great Horned Owls in the vicinity.
December 18
Thursday I woke at 4:30am and again went owling. An Eastern Screech-
Owl was heard north of the Republican River and north of the most
Eastern Hale Pond.
After daylight, I watched a Virginia Rail and 2 Marsh Wrens around
this pond (just north of the pipe gate across the road). A covey of
17 Northern Bobwhite was accidentally scared up from under
a bush to the west of the same pond.
The following birds were observed on my traditional four-mile hike
along the Republican River to Kansas and back to Hale Ponds.
The hike took 2 hours:
Red-bellied Woodpecker (2 males, 1 female), White-breasted Nuthatch (2),
Common Yellowthroat (winter plumage, Republican River about 200
yards west of Kansas), Red-tailed Hawk (2), Rough-legged Hawk (1),
Prairie Falcon (1, south of CR 4).
On the drive to Hale a flock of 13 Eastern Bluebirds were encountered
(near the half dome shed). Later in the day a second flock of 8 birds
was observed 0.4 miles East of CR 4 & LL.5. I returned to the first
location where the other flock still continued.
I spent two hours birding the Hale windbreaks. Eight to thirteen
Long-eared Owls were counted. I observed eight in one tree. The
others broke down to: Row 5 (1) Row 6 (3) Row 7 (8) Row 8 (1) I do not
think that any flew toward my uncounted rows, but one never knows?
A hike along the Republican River north of CR LL.5 added another
Red-bellied Woodpecker and 2 Belted Kingfishers to my day list.
An adult Golden Eagle flew to the northeast of here (this area is
below the Bonny Reservoir dam). A female Northern Harrier also
flew by. Back East, two Spotted Towhees were in a bush near the
second farmhouse east of LL.5 & CR 4.
Two Barn Owls were observed on private property in the count circle
(by help and permission of the landowners). Another birder reported
seeing a Barn Owl fly out of the firs early in the morning near the
boat dock at Wagon Wheel.
From Bonny Reservoir's dam many Canada Geese, Snow Geese,
and a few Ross's Geese could be seen in the few open water
spaces of the reservoir. One Pied-billed Grebe was also counted.
Again I will let the CFO/DFO people get the exact count and
pick that up later from them.
Several additional Marsh Wrens were observed in the Hopper Ponds area.
Missed the Wild Turkeys today.
The last hour of light was spent driving around the Sand Hills
northwest of Idalia. The hope was for a Greater Prairie-Chicken sighting.
None were found, but the drive around the grass prairies lit with the
late afternoon winter sun was quite enjoyable.
I stopped briefly at Fox Ranch Nature Conservancy. A local had reported
seeing Greater Prairie-Chickens in the area; again none were found
this evening. I did run into 17 Wild Turkeys on their property.
December 19
My plans to wander around Pawnee National Grasslands and search for
the Gyrfalcon changed when I heard about the Yellow-throated Warbler.
So I headed to Canon City in search of the Yellow-throated Warbler and
Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers.
Canon City was reached before sunrise. The few bodies of water in the
small town were checked for the previously reported White-winged
Scoter. All were pretty much frozen and no White-winged Scoter
(Valco Ponds, Memorial Park, Sewage Ponds, and the Golf Course).
At first light I walked the end of Tunnel Drive Road. One of the two
Rufous-crowned Sparrows followed a Canyon Towhee around
behind the small brick building. A second bird appeared in
the rocks further up the canyon wall.
When I reached the Abbey in Canon City (Fremont) a quick drive around
it showed how big the campus was. It appeared I was in for a long
search? A slight jolt of genius hit my tired brain after seeing
several green maintenance trucks driving around the campus. When they
stopped I asked them if any people with binoculars had been looking at
some of their trees. One of the fellows pointed to two trees that
seem to get the attention of several people. Sure enough as I drove
over to the trees I could see the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker clinging to
the side of the one the pines. While trying to photograph the shy
bird (never did get a photo), I noticed 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets and
the Yellow-throated Warbler in the tree above!
The Yellow-throated Warbler hangs out in the pines near the blue/gray
shed and Pepsi & Gatorade machines at the southwest corner of the
soccer fields. It wandered in the pines to the west, but never
crossed the road. Another surprise while watching the two birds, an
adult male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker chased an adult female around the
area. They landed several times and allowed great looks. However,
they seemed to prefer the pines just south of the Hedley House
(Visitor's sleeping quarters).
My next stop was Brush Hollow Wildlife Area (Fremont). Maybe the
White-winged Scoter had moved here; it had not. Several dozen Common
Goldeneyes and Gadwalls were in the open water. A flock of Bushtits
fluttered about below the dam. Two Juniper Titmouse and a male
Ladder-backed Woodpecker were in the taller cottonwoods.
A flock of 26 Pinyon Jays flew around the Pinyon Pine trees.
It was only noon, so I decided to drive up to Greeley and try and
find the Brant. After the three-hour drive, I spent the last hours
of daylight scanning thousands of geese at Bittersweet Park (Weld).
The park is four blocks north of the Greeley West High School's football
field (which had no geese at all). No Brant was found, but I did see
two Greater White-fronted Geese. Just before sunset, most flew up to
search for food I assume. The commotion and noise was awesome!
Near dusk, I rushed over to Lower Latham Reservoir (Weld). A Short-
eared Owl popped from off the ground and stood on a fence post for 10
minutes before flying around trying to catch a meal. I was parked at
the inlet canal on County Road 48. The owl was 100 yards south-
southwest and just left of the large, round, beige tank.
I returned home after 7 days on the road.
Denver Reservoirs 12/13
Four of us birded several reservoirs in the Denver Metro area today.
Weather was fairly nice. Winds were mild; temperatures in the 50s.
The male Eurasian Wigeon was observed after scanning a large number
of ducks on the island west of the banding station at Barr Lake (Adams).
It took about 20 minutes to pick out the wigeon. The bird was
seen earlier and later in the day by separate groups of birders.
Two adult and a subadult Bald Eagle were hunting along the east
side of the lake. Few other birds moved about.
Next we hiked the South Platte River from the 88th & Colorado Blvd
parking area (Adams County) to the railroad tracks 1.5 miles south
(upstream). We chose to hike the east side of the river so to
scope the river and the East Gravel Lakes.
An adult male and two adult female Barrow's Goldeneyes were observed
about 50 yards south of the East Gravel Lakes Dam Tower. A second
adult male Barrow's Goldeneye was observed 30 yards north of the
green/white water tower as we continued our hike south. Many
Northern Shovelers, Gadwalls, Common Goldeneyes, and a few
Buffleheads and Green-winged Teal were also found.
We stopped at Standley Lake (Jefferson) as our trek continued west.
Many Common Mergansers and a pair of Clark's Grebes were in the
middle of the lake. A lone Pacific Loon swam near the north shore
and west of the island.
Our final stop was Chatfield Reservoir (Jefferson/Douglas Counties).
We could only pick out one of the reported Long-tailed Ducks
(as light was quickly diminishing).
After sunset we headed up Deer Creek Canyon in search of Northern
Pygmy-Owls. None were found tonight, but we did have the highlight
of our day. A Short-eared Owl was standing on the signpost for
the Cathy Johnson Trail, Part of Ken Caryl Ranch Metropolitan
District Open Space located 2.5 miles up Deer Creek Canyon Road
from Wadsworth! Short-eared Owls have been reported at Chatfield
(2.6 miles East), but never up this canyon before.
Brief Stop At Cherry Creek Reservoir 12/11
Stopped by Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County) while
doing Christmas shopping. Strong winds made it feel cold.
Found the male Barrow's Goldeneye (observed from Lake Loop),
but not the Long-tailed Duck. There was little open (unfrozen)
water, maybe 10 percent. The concentration of waterfowl was
great and Long-tailed Duck could have been hidden among the
many Common Mergansers, Western Grebes, and Goldeneyes.
One of the two Double-crested Cormorants remains around
the southwest marina. It's really late for him to be around.
The number of Herring Gulls has greatly increase this week.
I counted at least 37 adult and 4 juvenile birds. Common
Merganser numbers are over 700 and Western Grebes only 41.
The Dark-morph Red-tailed Hawk was near eastern end of
Lake Loop and Northern Harrier near Jet ski area.
Birding Northeastern Colorado 12/9-12/10
Bryan Ehlmann & I drove up to the northeast corner of Colorado on
a scouting trip for future Christmas counts. The weather was nice for
December & winter. Winds were mild; temperatures were in the 40s.
We did not hit the major reservoirs and wildlife areas. Instead
groves of trees on private lands were checked for owls and such.
A Short-eared Owl flew over Sedgwick Draw (Sedgwick County)
at dusk on the 9th.
Richard Danka has a Harris's Sparrow and two White-throated Sparrows
in the riparian area behind his house. An Eastern Screech-Owl
continues in the area also.
We stopped at Morgan Ponds (Morgan) on the way back to Denver.
It was pretty quiet. Three male Eastern Bluebirds were between
the first pond and the South Platte River. No American Woodcock
could be found.
Riverside Park (Morgan) the other end of the Morgan Ponds wildlife
area was quiet also. Except for the noise of 2000+ Canada Geese
that is.
We missed the Eurasian Wigeon at Barr Lake (Adams) again.
There are too many ducks for the Wigeon to hide among.
Owl Search On the Northeastern Plains 12/8
Gary Weston, Steve Spencer, and I enjoyed a four-falcon day!!!
For those not in Colorado, the roads had a dusting of snow at
first light and several inches by the end of the day. We set
out to explore areas for the Nunn and Glover Christmas counts.
We decided to search for Short-eared Owls at Wellington WLA
(Larimer County) at first light. There is much growth in the
area and the days of seeing Short-eared Owls on the fence posts
at Wellington WLA are probably long gone. Nunn Road (Larimer
CR 64/Weld CR 100) is now paved and easy access for more home builders.
We left Denver at 4:30am and arrived an hour before civil twilight.
No Short-eared Owls were found at any of the units of the wildlife
area. Before sunrise, a Great Horned Owl called from the woods at
the northeast corner of Weld CR 64 & 3. No Northern Saw-whet Owls
answered our tapes that were played from the northern parking area
at Wellington WLA. Twice in the past, I have found them in the
firs on the west side of CR 3.
It was no surprise that the Eastern Screech-Owl observed hunting
at Weld County Roads 31 & 102 was not there when we passed
through (it had been several days since the report).
The ponds at Weld CR 124 were frozen when we arrived. No geese or
ducks were around. A Prairie Falcon was found on a fence post on
CR 75 when we drove around to the North side of the 124 Ponds.
Two Northern Harriers hunted in the cornfield at CR 75 & 122
(the field where the Snow Bunting was reported several weeks ago).
Pay dirt! As we approached the north end of the ponds we saw that
the geese were being disturbed. A gray phase Gyrfalcon was flying
around harassing the ducks and geese when we arrived. The bird
later flew to the top of one of the tall metal electric poles
where it stood for 10 minutes or so. We had plenty of time to
get out our scopes and watch the falcon. It later flew along
the electric lines toward CR 124 to the North. The unfrozen
portion of the ponds had over 3000 Canada Geese & 400 ducks.
No owls were found when we stopped at Crow Valley Campground,
the Briggsdale cemetery, and the Work Center. The campgrounds
are closed to vehicles and we had to hike in to search. Our hopes
were for a Common Redpoll or uncommon sparrow. Few birds moved about.
During the morning we observed 8+ American Kestrels, a Golden Eagle,
and a Ferruginous Hawk. Several small flocks of Lapland Longspurs
and large flocks of Horned Larks were encountered.
With a three-falcon day already, we detoured east on CR 84 to CR 85.
I had observed a Merlin at the southeast corner several times this
year and sure enough the bird was there again today. Now that we
had 4 falcons we headed South to Lower Latham Reservoir (Weld)
in hopes of locating one of the Peregrine Falcons that "hang out"
in the area. Unfortunately, it was not to be. Latham was pretty quiet.
We headed East (it was snowing quite heavy now) and looked for
Snowy Owls along the east side of Riverside Reservoir (Morgan)
and Jackson Reservoir (Morgan) as we crisscrossed the county roads
south of Highway 14 to I76. No Snowy Owls, we did find a second
Merlin along the south side of Jackson Reservoir. One Long-eared
Owl was found at the Jackson Reservoir campgrounds.
Other birds counted during the day on private land were a Barn Owl
(Weld County) and Northern Saw-whet Owl (Weld County). Also one
Harris's Sparrow (Weld County). A third friend living on the plains
in Weld has been seeing Rosy Finches (Brown-capped & Gray-crowned),
but none came during our stay.
We slowly worked our way back to Denver with a four Falcon day
as our reward!
Rosy Finch & Boreal Owl Hunt 12/6-12/7
We searched for Rosy Finches & Boreal Owls this weekend.
Weather in the mountains was variable. We ran into several
snowstorms and high winds (40+ mph).
December 6
An hour stop at Loveland Ski Basin (Clear Creek County) did not
produce sightings of any Rosy Finches. The only birds around the
feeder at the western end of their parking area were 3 Gray Jays.
Stops at Georgetown, Silver Plume, and Silverthorne were also
unsuccessful in locating Rosy Finches.
Sixteen Common Goldeneyes were the only Goldeneyes at the
Blue River Water Treatment Pond in Silverthorne (Summit).
No Rosy Finches came to the three or four empty feeders in
Kremmling (Grand). Short drives up Gore Pass and the cliffs
north of Kremmling were unsuccessful in finding Rosy Finches.
Wolford Mountain Recreation Area (Grand) was devoid of birds.
Surprisingly, the high mountain reservoir was mostly unfrozen.
We ended our daylight birding with a short walk around the
Coalmont Greater Sage Grouse lek (Jackson). No grouse were
located. A flock of 14 Horned Lark flew about the lek.
After dinner we searched for Boreal Owls along highway 14 & Cameron
Pass (8:00-11:00pm). Snow felt lightly and at times winds were quite
strong. The full moon lit up the snow-covered ground and allowed
great views of the surrounding mountains. We stopped every 0.5 miles
from 3 miles East of the summit (upper parking area for Joe Wright
Reservoir) to 4 miles West of Cameron Pass. A Boreal Owl may have
called briefly at 0.5 miles East of the summit. Winds were strong
there and the bird was heard only briefly.
Next we drove up Michigan Creek Road to Ruby Jewel Road.
Winds were calm here and we enjoyed the quiet hike 1.0 mile up
Ruby Jewel Road. Again the moon lit snow and trees gave an eerie
but beautiful feel to the hike. Unfortunately, no Boreal Owls were heard.
December 7
Our plan was to return to Cameron Pass and repeat last night's search.
Unfortunately there were blizzard conditions at & between several miles
either side of the pass. We did stop at the summit and Joe Wright
Reservoir at 4:30am, however the strong winds and blinding snow
made hearing any owls impossible.
We dropped down the summit to Fort Collins (60 miles) and then
decided to look for Rosy Finches in Estes Park (Larimer). A check
of locations of previous reports (around the Carriage Drive area)
came up empty. Few birds moved about in the 20+ mph winds.
An hour stop at Fawnbrook Inn in Allenspark (Boulder) did not
locate any Rosy Finches. Sixteen American Goldfinch were the
only birds to visit their feeders.
Our search for Rosy Finches was abandoned (in spite of the interesting
scenery enjoyed the past 18 hours) and several Boulder lakes & ponds
were checked for birds (any birds, please).
Foothills Reservoir & McCaslin Lake had few birds.
A late Double- crested Cormorant stood on the island at McCaslin.
Lagerman Reservoir had a few gulls, nothing uncommon and no Swans.
Lefthand Reservoir was also quiet.
Lefthand Canyon Reservoir was also quiet. Nearby Valley Lake Pond
had 3 adult & a juvenile Trumpeter Swans! Finally a bird or two!
We rushed to DIA so that California birder Francis Toldi could make
his flight home.
Our next stop was Standley Lake (Jefferson). The Red-throated Loon
was close to the south shore and observed from the Simms & 88th avenue
parking area. A Common Loon swam to the west and north of the island.
Two Pacific Loons swam north and east of the island. Rebecca also
pointed out six additional loons way to the north. They appeared to
be Pacific Loons, however were quite far away for a proper ID.
Our final stop was Reynolds Park (Jefferson). I hoped to photograph
the Northern Pygmy-Owl that has been observed for off and on for
several months from the main parking area. Our stay was about the
last hour of daylight. At 4:20pm, a Northern Pygmy-Owl responded
to my pitiful imitation of its call. However the bird never came
out of the trees while there was enough light to see it. It was
100 yards south (uphill) and 50 yards west of the main parking area.
No Blue Grouse or American Three-toed Woodpecker were found
on short 0.5-mile hikes to the east and west of the same area.
Eastern & Southern Plains 12/1-12/5
We birded Eastern & Southern Colorado this week.
Weather was unseasonably warm for December.
Winds were calm.
Monday 12/1
Bryan Ehlmann, Sue Dorsey, Rebecca Kosten, and I headed to Bonny
Reservoir (Yuma County) to scout for our upcoming Christmas count.
Many Snow Geese and several dozen Ross's Geese were on the lake.
A pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers was found at Wagon Wheel CG.
Nine Eastern Bluebirds fluttered about west of the Wagon Wheel
picnic area pond.
Another pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers and eleven Eastern Bluebirds
were located at the Hale Ponds area. Best birds of the trip were
3 or 4 Long-eared Owls found in the windbreak at the Hale Store area.
Sparrows were hard to come by, as we only counted eight
American Tree Sparrows and 2 Song Sparrows.
Flagler Reservoir (Kit Carson) was quiet. No Short-eared Owls
appeared near dusk. The hills north of the dam are sometimes
a good place to see them hunt at the end of the day.
Tuesday 22
Hugo, Karval, and Kinney Wildlife Areas (Lincoln) were quiet.
A few American Tree Sparrows and Song Sparrows were all that
were found. We hoped to stumble across a Snowy Owl, but did not.
A search for the Summer Tanager at Fountain Creek Regional Park
(El Paso) was not successful. It had been five days since it was
reported. A Swamp Sparrow and Marsh Wren were in the
cattails at the south end of the pond below the visitor's center.
A Sharp-shinned Hawk stood in a tree overlooking the pond.
Big Johnson Reservoir (El Paso) was 40 percent frozen. We found
one Common Loon, but did not see the White-winged Scoter report
last week. Most birds were too far away to identify.
Wednesday 23
At first light we searched for gulls at Pueblo Reservoir (Pueblo).
A Lesser Black-backed Gull stood on the tires at the South marina.
The Great Black-backed Gull was at the Jet Ski launch area.
The North marina was quiet. Several Canyon Towhees were
found at the campgrounds south of the entrance.
Swallows Road added a Sage Thrasher and 2 Scaled Quail to our
trip list. No Curve-billed Thrashers were seen this morning.
Our next stop was Lake Maria (Huerfano). Ten swans swam in
the lake. They were quite far from the road. We counted four
Trumpeter Swans and at least five Tundra Swans.
Lathrop State Park (Huerfano) added only a Greater Roadrunner
to our trip list. Trinidad State Park (Las Animas) was slow.
Thursday 24
We spent most of the day searching for sparrows on private lands.
No Rufous-crowned Sparrows were found. Few birds moved about.
After dark we hunted previous locations of Northern Saw-whet Owls;
without success. We did come across two Western Screech-Owls
and five Great Horned Owls.
Friday 25
Our search for Northern Saw-whet Owl again came up empty. By the
time we got to Cottonwood Canyon (Baca) it was late morning.
No Western Screech-Owls called during the morning (they sometimes do).
Many Canyon Towhee, Chihuahuan Ravens, a few Rock Wrens and
Canyon Wrens were observed. A male Ladder-backed Woodpecker
was in the draw south of the camping area.
No owls were found up the western draw (0.7 miles southwest of the
camping area). A flock of 300+ Cedar Waxwings were in this draw.
Wild Turkeys were found at several locations (southwest draw, and
northeast of the campgrounds). Two Rufous-crowned Sparrows
were 1.4 miles northeast of the campgrounds (near cattle guard).
We headed back to Denver by way of Carrizo Mountain. Few birds were
found. We did see two flocks of Lapland Longspurs (about 40 birds).
The Arctic Tern was missed again at Pueblo Reservoir. We did see
the Great Black-backed Gull. After dark we looked for a Spotted Owl
on private property near Colorado Springs. The bird was not
found/heard this night.
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