Rich Stevens' Bird Trips
February 2005
Highline Canal in Arapahoe County 2/28
I decided to try for a couple of new personal Arapahoe County
birds and look for the Eastern Screech-Owl and White-throated
Sparrow reported by Michael Bloom at the Highline Canal south
of Quincy Avenue. Temperature reached 50 degrees; winds were
around 5 mph. I spent from 7:00am to 12:00pm birding the canal.
I parked near Three Pond Park at the Highline Canal and Colorado
Blvd, then hiked 3/4 mile south to Quincy and continued to 1 mile
south of Quincy. The hike around Three Pond Park turned out to
be interesting with 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks and a Cooper's Hawk
in the taller cottonwoods.
Once near the Wildlife Area 1/4 mile south of Quincy, I found
9 White-crowned Sparrows and 7 American Tree Sparrows.
A male Belted Kingfisher rattled constantly, but would not
allow close approaches for a photo. Two male & a female
Wood Ducks also visited the wildlife area.
During my stay, I observed 3 Pygmy Nuthatches, 6 White-breasted
Nuthatches, and 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches. Anytime I can see
3 nuthatch species in Arapahoe County it is a good day.
The Pygmy Nuthatches were a first Arapahoe County sighting for me.
Black-capped Chickadees, Dark-eyed Juncos, 9 Spotted Towhees,
many Canada Geese, and a couple of Cackling Geese were also
observed. The White-throated Sparrow was never spotted,
however quite a few sparrows stayed under feeders southwest
of the wildlife area. Good looks were difficult to procure.
At 9:10am, the Eastern Screech-Owl came out of his hole in the
cottonwood just north of the wildlife area. Unfortunately, eight
Black-billed Magpies flew over to the tree and harassed the bird
for the next minutes. The owl finally ducked back in and was not
seen again (I left at noon). Two of the Magpies even stuck their
heads into the hole as they loudly called. The Eastern Screech-
Owl was my second first county sighting of the day.
One of the regular walkers of the highline canal came by and
said that at 5:00pm Sunday, there were two Eastern Screech-Owls.
The second showed up 25 yards further North. They were heard
calling back and forth for 30 minutes!
Following the trail south for a mile, I ran into a dark morph
Red-tailed Hawk (about 0.4 miles south) and a Great Horned Owl
(1 mile south). The ponds around Kent Academy held 600+ Canada Geese.
The hike back to my car was uneventful. I do remember this area
from several years ago when a Northern Cardinal was reported
visiting the house next to the first bench North of Quincy.
In addition, there is a pullover to park just east of the
Highline Canal and Quincy (closer than 3 pond park).
It was an enjoyable way to spend the fantastic Colorado Winter
day (and last day of February).
Search For Some Mountain Birds 2/27
Matt Kirby, Greg Ballard, & I searched for some mountain birds.
Temperatures were fair for winter; winds however were quite strong.
We managed to find 3 species of Rosy Finches flying around
Silverthorne (Summit County). A couple of Pine Grosbeaks, many
Pygmy Nuthatches, 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 5 White-breasted
Nuthatches, Pine Siskins, and many Mountain Chickadees were
also found.
Seven Barrow's Goldeneyes continue at the Blue River Water
Treatment Plant (along hwy 9, 3.0 miles north of I70).
It took about an hour to locate 4 White-tailed Ptarmigan at
Guanella Pass (Clear Creek). We had to hike down to the lake
500 yards below the parking area. Three-toed Woodpeckers
were missed at Guanella Pass Campground. Road construction
may have forced them further from the road?
We could not determine if Guanella Pass was open south to Highway
285 and therefore had to drive back to Denver and then south on
Hwy 285 to Pine Valley Ranch Park. Luck was with us however.
A male Three-toed Woodpecker was found in about 15 minutes.
He flew across Buck Gulch Trail at about 200 yards south
of Pine Lake (Jefferson). A Northern Pygmy-Owl briefly
answered our tape. It was south of the lower parking area.
We never did see the owl.
So, we swung around to Reynolds Park (Jefferson).
Unfortunately no Pygmy Owls were heard or seen here.
A Blue Grouse flew from the trees below the main parking area
to the trees south (uphill) of the meadow (south of the parking area).
Jefferson County Birds 2/26
I picked up Donna Fortney and we did the Jefferson County loop.
What a beautiful day for a February winter day! We found a nice
trio of birds this morning!
We were to sit at Building #4, Denver west office complex from
8:00am to 9:00am. The Pine Warbler came by at 8:45am. It never
visited the feeder, but several times went to the ground below it.
When not there, it stayed in the right evergreen tree (as one
faces the building) and about 1/3 from the top.
At Wheat Ridge Greenbelt, two Eastern Screech Owls were in the
previously stated tree. One owl stood on the knothole to the
right of the nesting hole; while the second stuck its head out and
watched us! This tree is found by going just east of the picnic
table (with roof) and looking for a tree leaning from north to
south over path. Picnic table is first encountered if coming from
the Kipling parking area and second if coming from Prospect bridge
and park end of hike. Hole is at top of north-south leaning and
below where tree bends back west.
The Mew Gull was also at the lake at Crown Hill Open Space.
It stayed close to the northern shore.
Later I went through Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe) by myself.
Not many uncommon birds were around. A flock of 16 American Tree
Sparrows were at the northern campgrounds. No Bald Eagles hung
around the campgrounds today.
Most gulls were Ring-billed with several dozen Herring and two
California Gulls.
Great-tailed Grackles numbered 40 at 0.4 miles south and 50 at
1.1 miles east of Picadilly Road and Bromley Lane (Adams).
Few birds were encountered while driving the DIA Owl Loop.
Arapahoe County Reservoirs 2/25
Bryan Ehlmann, Gary Zeeto, & I checked several Arapahoe County
reservoirs today. Birding was slow, but what fantastic weather
(I am running out of adjectives to describe our superb winter
weather this week). Winds were calm most of the day.
Aurora Reservoir was quiet as we hiked the 7.8 miles around it.
A flock of 14 Tree Sparrows and a female Northern Harrier
were all that were observed.
Quincy Reservoir had many gulls; however none appeared to be
uncommon. Many Canada Geese and a couple of Cackling Geese
swam in the middle.
Cherry Creek Reservoir also had many Ring-billed & Herring Gulls.
The uncommon gulls of last week seem to be gone. Six hundred
plus Common Mergansers swam in the middle of the lake.
We hiked to the south end of the 12-mile Picnic area Beaver Pond.
Water is quite high; shoreline was almost nonexistent. We could
not locate any Wilson's Snipes or Virginia Rails.
A Northern Shrike stood atop a cottonwood tree at the northeastern
end of the campgrounds.
A pair of Great Horned Owls are nesting in the campgrounds.
They were not far from 7 adult Bald Eagles and 5 Red-tailed Hawks.
A sub-adult Bald Eagle was by himself at the western campgrounds.
Great-tailed Grackles continue at 0.4 miles South & 1.1 miles East
of Picadilly Road & Bromley Lane. Barr Lake itself is quiet these
days. No birds were around the visitor center's feeders. Only half
a dozen American Goldfinch came to the feeders on the east side.
Quick trip through Cherry Creek Reservoir 2/24
Only made a quick trip through Cherry Creek State Park.
No uncommon gulls or birds observed.
Half a dozen adult Bald Eagles were at the southeast
end of the campgrounds.
Great-tailed Grackles continue North of Barr Lake (Adams).
Birding Around Denver 2/23
This morning I got up early to see if the Pine Warbler could be found
at Denver West Office Complex. It never came by during my stay.
The Eastern Screech Owl of Wheat Ridge Greenbelt was at the usual
tree west of the Kipling parking area. I received a text message
from Steve Spencer and headed over to Inverness Office Complex
to catch the Brant.
Just saw the Brant at Inverness Office complex. Drive to west end
of south parking area of building #42. I did not even have to get
out of my car. Took 2 minutes.
Eastern Plains 2/22
We got a few hours of sleep and headed out to Hale Ponds
(Yuma County). Two Eastern Screech-Owls answered our tapes.
The first was just northwest of the northeastern pond.
The second was 0.3 miles west along the Republican River.
A flock of 13 Eastern Bluebirds worked the trees along
the road to the east of the northeastern pond.
A pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers was along CR 4 & just
west of Kansas.
We counted at least 7 Long-eared Owls at the Hale windbreak.
A few additional Eastern Bluebirds and a pair of Townsend's
Solitaires were here also.
The campgrounds (Wagon Wheel & Foster's Grove) did not
have many birds (and no uncommon ones).
Another Red-bellied Woodpecker was north of the road running west
from the Wagon Wheel Picnic Area. We found a Brown Creeper here also!
We found some Ross's Geese among Snow Geese. No unusual gulls;
the reported Glaucous Gull could not be located.
Flagler Reservoir (Kit Carson) was slow today. A flock of
sparrows included Tree, Song, and White-crowned. A flock of
20 Cedar Waxwings did not include any Bohemian Waxwings.
Two Mountain Bluebirds seemed out of place here.
No Short-eared Owls made an appearance near sunset.
We were invited to a private ranch North of Arriba for dinner.
The owner took us to a windbreak that had a Barn Owl and
Eastern Screech-Owl. The pair was thought to be an odd combination.
Yuma County 2/21
The CoBus four continued to search for birds on the northeastern
plains. Temperatures were in the 50s; winds were strong all day.
Before first light, we sat at a potential lek on a private ranch
in Yuma County. To our surprise, two male GRPC came out
and boomed. They continued their act for about 30 minutes.
We stopped by a friend's home in Wray and watched her pair
of Northern Cardinals come to the feeders several times.
Sandsage Wildlife Area was slow. Several dozen Tree Sparrows
and half a dozen White-crowned Sparrows were all found.
Wray Fishing Unit was quiet also.
We could not locate the Eurasian Collared-Doves in Wray;
however they are most likely still around (Butte Motel area).
At sunset, we drove Yuma County Road 45 in search of
Prairie Chickens; none were found.
Northeastern Plains 2/20
Bryan Ehlmann, Sue Dorsey, Rebecca Kosten, and I birded
Morgan and Washington Counties today. Weather was again
great; winds were high.
We watched several Long-eared Owls at Jackson Reservoir.
Many Northern Flickers and American Robins were counted.
No sparrows were spotted today. The couple of waxwings
were all Cedar.
We sat at the feeders in Log Lane Village for about an hour.
The Purple Finch did not show, however many House Finches
and House Sparrows were around and causing much disturbance.
Prewitt Reservoir was quite slow. A few American Tree Sparrows
were about it. The Eastern Screech-Owl was not out below the dam.
Ovid Woods (Sedgwick County) added two Eurasian Collared-Doves
and a male Red-bellied Woodpecker to our trip list.
Jumbo Reservoir (Logan/Sedgwick) peaked our interest.
Two Greater White-fronted Geese walked along the northeast shore.
A Barn Owl was found in the northern woods. A Merlin was also
found flying overhead as we popped out of the woods.
Rebecca found a female Northern Cardinal below the road at the
northwest corner. Unfortunately, none of the rest of us could
relocate it. The campgrounds were quiet.
No Short-eared Owls flew about the southeast corner of the
property this evening.
Around Denver 2/19
Rebecca Kosten & I birded around the Denver area today.
Weather was fantastic again.
The Pine Warbler did not appear during our short stay
(at Denver West Office Complex, building #4; Jefferson County).
I understand that the bird shows earlier (7:30-9:30am) now.
The adult Mew Gull was swimming in the center of the lake at
Crown Hill Open Space (Jefferson).
We checked the two cemeteries in Brighton for Eurasian Collared-
Doves or whatever. Nothing was found.
Great-tailed Grackles continue at 0.4 miles South & 1.1 miles
East of Picadilly Road & Bromley Lane (Adams).
A drive around the DIA Owl Loop only added a couple of
Horned Larks to our day list.
Foothills & Plains 2/18
Cheryl Treadway & I started our birding day waiting for
civil twilight and Short-eared Owls at Lagerman Reservoir
(Boulder County). No owls showed this morning.
A few miles away we found 2 Long-eared Owls on private land.
Our next stop was Fawnbrook Inn in Allenspark. Three Black
Rosy Finches were among 40+ Brown-capped and 10+ Gray-crowned
Rosy Finches that visited the feeders at the southwest corner
of the Bed & Breakfast Inn. A flock of 20 Evening Grosbeak
came by twice during the hour stay. Pygmy Nuthatches,
Red-breasted Nuthatches, Pine Siskins, a Downy Woodpecker,
and Mountain Chickadees were also observed.
When we returned to Lyons, we searched Old St Vrain Road for
Northern Pygmy-Owls & Lewis's Woodpeckers; without success.
Apple Valley Road was quiet also. We drove up CR 71N in search
of Pinyon Jays; again without success.
A drive to Rabbit Mountain was more successful. A flock of
10+ Pinyon Jays flew around the evergreen trees east of the
parking area.
We searched several bodies of water for a Trumpeter Swan.
The Lake Valley swan was not there this morning. One was
observed on a private pond northeast of Lake Valley Pond.
Quite a few lakes & ponds were scouted for uncommon birds
without finding any. We checked Dodd Reservoir, Lagerman
Reservoir, Valmont Reservoir, Prince Lake #1 & #2, Erie Lake,
Lake Thomas, and Lafayette Holding Ponds to name a few.
One adult California Gull was among 2000 gulls at Lake Thomas.
A couple of Canvasbacks were at Erie Lake.
A drive through Dacono added 2 Eurasian Collared-Doves to our
day list. While Elmwood Cemetery in Brighton was quite slow.
We found 60+ Great-tailed Grackles between 1.1 & 1.3 miles
East of Picadilly Road & Bromley Lane.
We had not seen any Horned Larks yet today and therefore decided
to drive the DIA owl loop. No Snow Buntings or Lapland Longspurs
were found, however Horned Larks were plentiful.
I had not been stopped by the DIA security patrol in 5 or 6 years,
so I decided to drive as many of the gravel roads north of the
airport until stopped. We did stay on public, county roads and
crossed no gates or no trespassing signs.
Note added 2/19: Just so no one thinks that I trespass, which
I have not knowingly ever done, I use to look for sparrows
around the gas storage tanks north of DIA (8-10 years ago).
About 4 years ago, a security officer stopped one evening to
see what I was doing. I mentioned to him that if I wanted
to cause harm (or anyone wanting to cause trouble), the gas
storage tanks were quite open to the public.
It was not two weeks later, that a chain link fence was
constructed around the tanks. That's quick work for
city employees.
Some of the roads appeared to not be traveled on in awhile.
Two Prairie Falcons, three Ferruginous Hawks, and seven
Red-tailed Hawks were found during our trek.
A DIA employee was at one windbreak and we stopped to ask
permission to check for owls. I figured to be told to move on,
but was given permission (hey, one never knows until you ask?).
While walking up and down the evergreen trees, Cheryl kicked up
a Short-eared Owl! It was worth the stop!
After dark we back tracked to Barr Lake to search for Barn Owls;
none were found. Our two-day list of owls observed was not bad
(Long-eared, Short-eared, Northern Pygmy, and Great Horned Owl).
Winter Birding 2/17
Cheryl Treadway and I headed North on this beautiful winter day.
It was great to see the sun again after a couple of cloudy cold days.
We did not find much at Crow Valley Campground (Pawnee National
Grasslands, Weld County). No Long-eared or Northern Saw-whet
Owls around, we headed down my favorite route to Jackson Reservoir.
At CR 84 & 85, a Merlin stood in the tall trees at the southeast
corner. Several Lapland Longspurs were found along CR 85 & North
of CR 80. More Lapland Longspurs were along CR 105 & South of CR 80.
At least 18 Long-eared Owls were at Jackson Reservoir (Morgan).
The flock of Cedar Waxwings (with 2 Bohemian Waxwings) found
Sunday was not around today. The small flock of White-crowned
Sparrows accompanied by a White-throated Sparrow was further
south today (closer to Lakeside Campground).
We turned back toward Denver after lunch. Nothing was moving
around Banner Lakes (Weld). Great-tailed Grackles were in the
feedlot next to the Natural wood house 0.4 miles south of
Picadilly Road & Bromley Lane.
A quick stop at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe) added an
adult and 1st year Glaucous Gull to our trip list. It was such a nice
evening that most of the gulls stayed in the middle of the lake
during our visit from 5:00pm to 5:45pm. Several adult Bald Eagles
continue to roost at the south end of the campgrounds.
After dinner we decided to go owling. A Northern Pygmy-Owl
was heard calling in the Deer Creek subdivision below the park
(Jefferson). A check north to White Ranch Park near Golden
Gate State Park did not located any additional owls.
Cherry Creek Reservoir 2/16
Just made a quick hour stop today at Cherry Creek Reservoir.
Temperature was 26 degrees; winds were calmer than yesterday.
A second adult Glaucous Gull showed up today at Cherry Creek
Reservoir (Arapahoe County). Both were at the same time on
telephone poles around the southwest marina. Gulls observed
between 4:20pm to 5:20pm Wednesday.
Iceland Gull (2nd winter)
Glaucous Gull (1 adult)
Glaucous Gull (2nd, adult)
Glaucous Gull (3, 1st year)
Great Black-backed Gull (2nd year)
Thayer's Gull (1 adult)
Ring-billed Gull (hundreds)
Herring Gull (several hundred)
California Gull (near boat ramp)
Nine adult Bald Eagles were at the south end of the campgrounds.
Where do the sub-adult Bald Eagles go?
Note: T. Heinrich, C. Heinrich, and I discussed that the possible
Iceland Gull did not look like an Iceland Gull. We noted the lack
of color in the mantle, possibly some yellow in the dark eye,
bill color not pink, and size might be a bit small.
Others have now pointed out that there is a leucistic
Ring-billed Gull around the area also. So when was the
last time the Iceland Gull was truly observed?
Castlewood Canyon & Cherry Creek State Parks 2/15
With most of our officers leaving for warmer places in southern
Texas and California, it is my turn to "hold down the fort".
It snowed most of Tuesday; temperatures never reached 35 degrees.
I decided to drive down to Castlewood Canyon State Park
(Douglas County) and try and relocate a Northern Saw-whet Owl
we found several weeks ago, never did find the bird.
It was snowing heavily on the western side of the park;
looked like they had received 3-4 inches by the time I arrived.
Many Dark-eyed Juncos, Black-capped Chickadees, Mountain
Chickadees, and one White-breasted Nuthatch visited the feeders
at the Visitor's Center. Three Mountain Bluebirds added color
to the drab landscape as I left the eastern side of the park.
No way to tell if any Turkey Vultures or Golden Eagles were
around. It is early for the Vultures; however there have
been several reports long the Front Range already this year.
I ran into a strange mammal on the western side (Castlewood
Canyon Road). It was much bigger than a fox and slightly
smaller than a Mountain Lion. Grayish in color (light was
horrible though) with a long bushy gray tail, rounded face
and rounded ears? Cannot think what it could be.
One Wild Turkey roosted in a pine tree south of bluebird boxes
36-38 (could not read numbers that well, covered with snow).
At 4:00pm, I picked up Mitchell Hiatt and we headed to Cherry
Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe). Many gulls stood on the telephone
poles around the southwest marina. Many additional gulls came
in around 5:00pm. By then light was horrible, temperature was
26 degrees, and we looked into a 15+ mph wind.
The Iceland Gull came in and stood on the closest end of the
telephone poles (as we stood at the end of the sidewalk).
Unfortunately light was terrible. I did put several photos
on the "recent witness link" at the bottom of the CoBus photo
library page.
Other gulls observed included:
Glaucous Gull (1 adult)
Glaucous Gull (3, 1st year)
Great Black-backed Gull (2nd year)
Thayer's Gull (1 adult)
Ring-billed Gull (hundreds)
Herring Gull (several hundred)
A quick drive by the campgrounds on our way out added
eight adult Bald Eagles (roosting on south side) to my day list.
Birding Around Denver 2/14
Birded around Denver on this great winter day.
Temperatures reached into the 60s; winds were strong.
It was possible to see nine species of gulls in the Denver
area today. This is almost unheard of, but quite a treat!
Pine Warbler showed briefly at Denver West Office Complex
(Jefferson County) early in the morning. It did not return
from 1045am to 2:00pm.
The adult Mew Gull was on the north shore of Crown Hill Open
Space pond (Jefferson). Photos on the CoBus photo library.
The telephone poles around the southwest marina at Cherry Creek
Reservoir (Arapahoe) were visited by 7 species of gulls from
3:00pm to 5:15pm. The probable Iceland Gull stayed quite far
off to the north. So, Saturday's 8-gull species day was repeated.
Gulls observed off and on:
Prob. Iceland Gull (2nd winter)
Glaucous Gull (adult, 3, 1st winter)
Great Black-backed Gull (2nd winter)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (2nd & 3rd winter)
Thayer's Gull (adult, 1st winter, 3rd winter)
California Gull (adult)
Ring-billed Gulls (various)
Herring Gull (various)
Eastern Plains 2/13
Rebecca Kosten and I ventured out on to the Eastern Plains Sunday.
The weather was fantastic with temperatures around 60 degrees and
unfortunate winds of 15+ mph.
About 60+ Great-tailed Grackles were 0.4 miles south of Bromley
Lane & Picadilly Road (Adams County).
Winds kept many birds from flying around today. We did see
a Prairie Falcon, 2 Rough-legged Hawks, 2 Red-tailed Hawks,
and a Golden Eagle. The Golden Eagle was flying over the
pond northeast of Kersey Road & I76. We observed two
Eurasian Collared-Doves in Keenesburg.
We found Long-eared Owls numbering 22 total in three locations in
Morgan County. I put photos of several of the birds on the CoBus
photo library. Also added the 2nd winter Great Black-backed Gull
found Saturday at Cherry Creek Reservoir.
At Jackson Reservoir (Morgan) we enjoyed an hour walk around the
campgrounds and the south end of the dam. Rebecca found 2 or 3
Bohemian Waxwings among 210 Cedar Waxwings that were flying
around Cove Campground. I found a White-throated Sparrow among
5 White-crowned Sparrows in the bushes along the water east of Pelican CG.
A Merlin was in a tree about 0.4 miles east of the parking area
below the dam. Two Great-tailed Grackles stood in one of the
tall cottonwoods at the first house southeast of the parking area.
Three Wilson's Snipe were below the bridge over Bijou Creek and
Hwy 144. For a third time since 1/15, we sat at feeders in Log
Lane Village. After 45 minutes a female Purple Finch made an
appearance. Thanks to Walker for first reporting the bird and
pointing out the many feeders!
Riverside Park in Fort Morgan held many Canada Geese (several
Cackling also). The Cemetery was quiet (one Ruby-crowned
Kinglet).
We ended our birding day by parking at sunset near a location
thought good for Short-eared Owls. We were not disappointed
as 1 or 2 Short-eared Owl flew across a field a hundred yards
west of us!
Cherry Creek Reservoir 2/12
I arrived at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County) at
1:00pm and stayed until 5:30pm. Light varied throughout.
Also, not having talked to anyone, I had the pleasure of
“discovering” the many great gulls on my own. It's always
more enjoyable to see what I can find first before comparing
notes and seeing what I missed!
There were 8 species today; fantastic! Most were observed
by dozens of birders throughout the day.
Probable Iceland Gull (2nd winter)
Glaucous Gull (adult)
Glaucous Gull (1st yr)
Glaucous Gull (2nd; 1st yr)
Glaucous Gull (3rd; 1st yr)
Great Black-backed Gull (2nd winter)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (2nd winter)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (3rd winter)
Thayer's Gull (3 adult)
Thayer's Gull (3rd winter)
Thayer's Gull (1st winter)
Plus: Ring-billed and California Gull (and one hybrid somewhat
looking like a California Gull) The gulls really put on a show
at 5:00pm.
Tens of hundreds flew down to the little piece of ice still left
near the picnic area at the southwest corner. However many more
stood on the rocks below the dam and hundreds flew out in the
center until dark.
Email added by Gary Weston:
Richard Stevens & I went owling last night.
Had a fairly successful night with 2 Northern Pygmy-Owls,
2 Eastern Screech-Owls, and a Great Horned Owl.
We have decided not to post locations. Anyone wanting to
see a particular species can write CoBus, Bryan Ehlmann,
Richard Stevens, or myself and we will do our best to show
or give directions. We feel this way; visitation of any
one location will be minimized.
Return to Denver 2/11
After just a couple of hours of sleep, we were back at Cameron
Pass looking for Boreal Owls. Winds were quite strong again this
morning (4:00am) and it was snowing quite heavily. Again we did
not hear any owls calling.
At first light we back tracked to Gould. To our surprise, three
Common Grackles were visiting the feeders at the Rustic Cabins Store.
We sat for an hour at the Colorado State Forest Visitor's Center,
which turned out to be rather disappointing. Two Red-breasted
Nuthatches and a dozen Mountain Chickadees were all that showed.
A walk around the Forest Service Property added only a Downy and
Hairy Woodpecker to our day list.
Near Chambers Lake we went for a couple mile hike in hopes of
finding a Three-toed Woodpecker or Northern Goshawk. The only
birds seen were a couple of lone Common Ravens.
A stop at Elephant Rock was uneventful. A pair of Peregrine
Falcons nests most years on the high cliffs to the north.
We did not see any movement or birds flying overhead.
Our trek was timed so as to reach the string of campgrounds and
picnic areas along highway 14 in the afternoon. We stopped at
each of them and searched for owls. In total we found (heard)
2 Northern Pygmy-Owls and 1 Northern Saw-whet Owl.
Watson Lake near Fort Collins did add a Golden Eagle to our day
list. Not much else was about.
Our birding day ended with a several mile hike up Rist Canyon.
No Northern Pygmy-Owls (or any either kind) was found.
A Canyon Wren called near Whale Rock. Red-breasted and
White-breasted Nuthatches seemed rather numerous.
Snowmobile Trip 2/10
Bryan Ehlmann and I met a friend who had three snowmobiles and
we headed north of Steamboat Springs and Hahn's Peak for the day.
This once a year trip is quite a treat to go where few people
visit during the winter. Now if they could only make those
machines run silently!
During the day we ran into a group of about 150 Blue Grouse
(one year we had several thousand). Three Red Crossbill
flocks numbered a total of 57 birds. At the extreme eastern
side of our trip Bryan found four White-winged Crossbills!
We will have to remember the location and see if they can
be relocated in the late spring when cars can get into the area.
It's not far from where Dan Bridges and I found WWCR back in 1997.
They are known to wander much however.
A Northern Goshawk was another highlight.
We may have observed two, but only got positive IDs on one.
The day was not nearly long enough, but all enjoyed the
spectacles! We even heard an avalanche, however did not
get close enough for further inspection. After dark,
we listened for owls, but none called this night.
Routt & Jackson Counties 2/9
Bryan & I headed to Steamboat Springs in Routt County.
I will mention a non-birding highlight. About 3:00am Tuesday
morning Bryan Ehlmann and I were driving from Kremmling to
Steamboat Springs along hwy 40 (it was snowing quite heavy).
At mile marker 173.2 we caught a Lynx in our headlights
(it was about 25 feet in front of the car by the time we stopped.
The Lynx looked at us a couple of times and lunged to our right
and caught a white rabbit. It stood on the road and "ate" while
we watched for 20 minutes, then took the rest and walked off.
We soon discovered why it was at that particular spot, as we
counted 11 additional white rabbits along the shoulder in 50 yards.
We arrived in Steamboat around 5:00am and searched the ski area
and Fish Creek for owls; without success this night.
At first light we drove Old Fish Creek Road (now Anglers Drive)
in search of Sharp-tailed Grouse. None could be found. It had
snowed all night and roads were quite slippery which made the
going interesting.
Seeing few birds we decided to check on a location of previous
Rosy Finch sightings north of town. The feedlot 7 miles west
of Steamboat Springs and 3 miles north of Highway 14 did not
have any Rosy Finches today.
We did count about 120+ Black-billed Magpies. Several American
Kestrels and Red-tailed Hawks were observed during the trek.
Almost forgot that we also found a Prairie Falcon. It's not
unusual to see them at higher altitudes, but do not know about
scarceness in this area. We see them quite often at Guanella Pass.
We returned to Steamboat Springs and walked Yampa Street
between 9th and 4th streets (temperature was 11 degrees).
Two Bohemian Waxwings were in the Crabapple tree behind the
Pizza place at 5th & Yampa Street. They later flew toward
Pine Street between 5th & 6th streets. The area had plenty
of Crabapple trees and the waxwings could wander anywhere.
At 9:30am, we returned to Angler Drive and discovered
54+ Sharp-tailed Grouse at the top of the trees in the end
loop of the road. We were scoping the many tracks in the
ditch below, turned around, and were amazed at all the grouse!
Photos on the CoBus photo library.
After watching the grouse for awhile we headed back toward
Rabbit Ears Pass (hoping for a Northern Goshawk or whatever).
Weather had improved and we decided to head to the Coalmont
Greater Sage-Grouse Lek.
Again we enjoyed luck as Bryan picked out a Greater Sage-Grouse
on the ridge east of Road 26, 0.5 miles North of Highway 14.
We had noticed many tracks on the ridge and after 15 minutes
managed to see a bird moving about the Sagebrush.
We continued to drive the loop that Road 26 makes back to Hwy 14.
A stop at the entrance to the lek did not add additional birds.
The road in was snow covered and higher than we thought our
vehicle to handle. We stopped again at the north end of the
loop and scoped the ridge to the south. Again we could see
many tracks and finally picked out another Sage Grouse.
After a late lunch in Walden we headed over to the "old famous
Rosy Finch house". Unfortunately, Rosy Finches have not visited
in about 3 years now. Only a few White-crowned Sparrows and
Mountain Chickadees come now.
A drive into Arapahoe National Wildlife Refuge did not find any
birds. It seems that every year there is a report of a Gyrfalcon,
not for us.
Near sunset we drove south along Road 25. We stopped at 1.0 mile
south of highway 14 and scoped the ridge to the west. (I suspect
that there is a lek near this area but because it is private land
I have never been able to confirm). Bryan eyes again picked out
our third Greater Sage-Grouse of the day!
After dark, we searched Cameron Pass for Boreal Owls;
without success and headed back to Steamboat Springs.
Summit & Clear Creek Counties 2/8
Bryan Ehlmann & I birded the mountains today. It snowed with
strong winds off and on; temperatures hovered around 20 degrees.
We met up with the CoBus group and headed to Silverthorne.
Feeders there added 60 Rosy Finches (3 species plus several
Hepburn's). Two Pine Grosbeaks, 3 species of nuthatches,
Pine Siskins, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers were also found.
We failed to find the Northern Pygmy-Owl in the neighborhood.
The ride to Guanella Pass was interesting as roads were snow
covered and slippery. Gary's 4-wheel drive was a must.
Fortune was good to us. We observed 5 White-tailed Ptarmigan
under the wooden fence south of the parking area. Most of us
did not have to get out of the car and be exposed to 50+ mph
winds; temperature was a cool 9 degrees.
A stop at Guanella Pass campground did not find a Three-toed
Woodpecker so we headed back to Georgetown. City Park
was quiet. Red Crossbills are difficult to find this year.
We did see 2 Cassin's Finches at the "old Rosy Finch location"
off Rose and 2nd streets.
Five Barrow's Goldeneyes (3 males & 2 females) remained at
the Blue River Water Treatment Pond (that never freezes).
The CoBus group headed back to Denver and Bryan & I to lunch.
In the late afternoon, Bryan & I drove to Montezuma. A hike
(with the use of snowshoes) up Hunkidori Trail and Saints John Trail
did not find any owls. Winds were strong and we doubted that any
bird could hear our calls.
Metro Denver Birding 2/7
Rebecca Kosten & I searched for several birds in the
metro area today. Skies were overcast; winds were 10-15mph;
temperatures remained around 36 degrees.
We missed the Bohemian Waxwings reported by E.B. Ellis in
Roxborough Village (Douglas County). An hour drive around the
area did not find the birds. No Bohemian Waxwings or the adult
Mew Gull were found at Chatfield Reservoir (Jefferson/Douglas).
After lunch we searched for the adult Mew Gull reported yesterday
at Crown Hill Open Space (Jefferson). Only 3 Ring-billed Gulls
were there during our visit. A check at Sloan's Lake and Belmar
Historic Park turned up empty also.
Our birding day ended at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe).
We quickly found 2 of the 1st year and adult Glaucous Gulls.
The third 1st year gull did not turn up.
Note: The 2nd winter Lesser Black-backed Gull observed was
relocated on 2/11 along with several Thayer's Gulls
A possible Iceland Gull has been around since 2/4.
It has been reported 3 different days by 7 birders.
Photos as documentation would be nice!
Denver West Office Complex Warbler 2/6
We decided to try to find the Pine Warbler after hearing of
Karleen Schofield's report. The male Pine Warbler showed up
about 2 minutes after our arrival at the southwest corner of
Building #4, Denver West Office Complex (Jefferson County).
Rumors of a Golden-crowned Kinglet between buildings #1 & #2
did not work out. We did see a Townsend's Solitaire.
A check for the Eastern Screech-Owl at Wheat Ridge Greenbelt
did not pan out either. It was not really expected to be
out in this cloudy day with temperatures around 35 degrees.
The adult Mew Gull was not at Crown Hill Park.
Perhaps the adult Mew Gull at Chatfield Reservoir
is the same gull as observed here yesterday?
Adams & Weld Counties 2/5
Bryan Ehlmann and I went out searching for owls along the
DIA Owl loop before sunrise. Our first success was finding
a Short-eared Owl flying along the deciduous trees 0.1 miles
North & 0.2 miles West of Powhaton Road & 128th avenue.
Ferruginous Hawks were found along 112th avenue and
overlooking the Prairie Dog village at previous intersection.
Three Red-tailed Hawks and a Prairie Falcon were observed also.
Eighty+ Great-tailed Grackles were in the feeding yard south
of the Nursery at Picadilly Road & Bromley Lane.
The rest of the morning was slow. We did find a Northern Shrike
near Banner Lakes. Two Eurasian Collared-Doves were observed
in Hudson. Several additional Prairie Falcons and 9 Rough-legged
Hawks were found in Weld County.
After lunch, we headed to Cherry Creek Reservoir where an
adult & 1st year Glaucous Gulls were standing on the ice off the
Lake Loop. As luck would have it, a loose dog chased the gulls,
just before I was about to take photos of them.
After dinner, four of us found an Eastern Screech Owl along
Grape Street (East of Montview). We walked to Denver City Park,
however did not find any additional owls.
Metro Denver 2/4
Rebecca Kosten & I headed to Crown Hill Park (Jefferson County)
after lunch. It took about 10 minutes to locate the adult
Mew Gull (first reported by Peter Plage) in the center of the lake.
We watched the gull for about an hour and hoped it would swim
closer to the shore.
When it swam toward the north shore, I quickly walked around
to that side. Of course, the gulls then flew to the south side just
before my arrival. I continued around the lake and returned to
the south side just as a Red-tailed Hawk flew overhead and
chased the gulls back to the center of the lake. Gave up on
getting any photos, as I could see this continue forever.
We ended our birding day at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe).
Two 1st year Glaucous Gulls were observed flying along the south
shore. A pair of Great Horned Owls (one sitting in a nest) was
watched at the campgrounds.
Attempt at a February Big Day 2/3
Early in the week after spending several days on a ranch in
Las Animas County, Bryan Ehlmann & I decided to try for
a Colorado February Big Day.
Unfortunately, the weather was not nearly as good today
as it was during our January trip of 1/26. Canon City had
received 11 inches of snow earlier in the week.
Winds were 10-15 mph at most places we visited.
Our trip did start out well with a drive up Phantom Canyon Road.
Here temperatures at 3:00am were 15 degrees and winds were zero.
The quarter moonlight reflected off the snow covered cliffs and
trees. We could see well without a flashlight. The lack of
wind allowed us to hear "forever".
However, lack of birds made for little sound except for an
occasional high altitude airplane. Still it was a pleasure to
hike several miles of the canyon in the silence and with the
hope of hearing a Spotted Owl. None were found however.
The two large tree limbs downed in the road did not bother us.
The two snow covered boulders bigger than our tires were a little
worrisome. It took both our efforts to push one of them off the
road. We ventured 15 miles up into the canyon before retreating.
On the trip out, we encountered our first bird, a Northern Saw-
whet Owl! Its eyes caught the headlights and we stopped to watch
it from 15 feet. The owl was in a Pinyon Pine tree along the side
of Phantom Canyon Road (132 road) and 40 yards North of
Oro Junta (signed Oro, 1.2 miles North of 123 Road).
We sat at Beaver Creek Wildlife Area (Fremont) before sunrise.
Our second bird of the day (2 Wild Turkeys) crossed the road
as we drove into the WLA.
No Northern Pygmy-Owls were observed this morning, though
Bryan thought he heard one call briefly from the western end
of the meadow at the west parking area. A Great Horned Owl
did call from the eastern end of the parking area.
Directions to this parking area (because there are two sections
and parking areas) are: from Hwy 50, take Hwy 67 North 1.6 miles
to 123 Road, take 123 road 0.5 miles to 132 road, continue 8.0
miles to Beaver Creek WLA. When you come to fork, take left
fork for left section of WLA.
Roads were snow covered and frozen. Access might be interesting
when it warms up. Anyone familiar with Colorado back roads knows
that they can turn to soup when wet. Many times they are only
1.5 car lengths wide (so turn arounds are limited).
Many birds were encountered on the trip out of the WLA. A flock
of 4 Juniper Titmice, a flock of 10+ Bushtits, Hairy Woodpecker,
Downy Woodpecker, a Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Pinyon Jays
noisily flew overhead, a Sage Thrasher, a Golden Eagle, and
Red-tailed Hawks. The situation (Big Day) was looking good
so far even though we did not count a Northern Pygmy-Owl.
However, our luck quickly diminished. We could not find
the Williamson's or Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers at the Abbey
in Canon City. The Greater Scaup, Ross's Goose,
Greater White-fronted Geese, and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
found last week were not around today.
We had located one Rufous-crowned Sparrow at the Tunnel Drive
location, however knew that our Big Day (for a record anyway)
was not going to happen. We decided to more or less abandon
our attempt and search for birds in areas not covered last week.
A lone Eurasian Collared-Dove was at the northeast corner
of Greydene & Cherry Streets. A Curve-billed Thrasher
and White-crowned Sparrows were found in a private yard
on the east side of town.
A drive up to the Royal Gorge added a Peregrine Falcon
to our trip list. No Rosy Finches could be seen from
our vantage point outside the property.
We next headed to Florence. Six Western Bluebirds flew
about Lakeside Cemetery. The snow was quite deep,
but I managed to get close enough for several photos
(later will put on CoBus photo library).
The area around the small park at Meadowlark & Loma had
several Eurasian Collared-Doves. (This small park had 2 dozen
Eurasian Collared-Doves during our 2004 spring count).
We decided to skip a good Lewis's Woodpecker location at
120 road and Beaver Creek. Construction requires a lengthy
detour and again our Big Day was kaput.
Penrose had quite a few Mountain Bluebirds (91) flying around.
Two Eurasian Collared-Doves were at E Road & 4th street.
A Bald Eagle stood sentinel at Highway 50 & 120 road.
Our decision to give up on the Big Day was reinforced when we
arrived at Pueblo Reservoir (Pueblo County). No uncommon gulls
were around at all. Perhaps they would have returned if we
waited for sunset; we were there from 1:00pm to 2:30pm.
The Long-tailed Duck was off West Fisherman's Point.
Three Common Loons were south of Copycat Road.
Two Pacific Loons were southwest of there.
Eight loons (5 Common, 2 Pacific, and the Red-throated Loon)
were just south of the Sailboard Launch Area. A lone Canyon
Wren was found in the campgrounds south of the Visitor's Center.
We headed to Manitou Springs and observed a Ferruginous Hawk along
Hwy 25. Manitou Springs added Brown-capped and Gray-crowned Rosy
Finches to our day list. We decided to turn toward Woodland Park.
Bryan headed for a nap while I went out to look for a few more birds.
No Band-tailed Pigeons were found at the Chipita ball fields.
I could not find the Three-toed Woodpecker reported near
the Woodland School. A check of several other previous
Three-toed Woodpecker locations did not find one either.
Driving around the Sunnywood Avenue area added two Cassin's
Finches and a Pine Grosbeak to my day list. I ended my birding
day with a walk along highway 67 and found the three nuthatch species.
Early the next morning we did some owling near Divide, CO. Access
was limited due to snowy roads. We did not have any success and
headed back to Denver maybe to try for a February Big Day later in
the month. No bluebirds or the Northern Saw-whet Owl were found
along Castlewood Canyon Road at the State Park (Douglas County).
More Bird Trips
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