Rich Stevens' Bird Trips
January 2003
Sand Creek 1/29
I birded with Mark & Ann Eaton of Illinois today.
We drove to Jackson Reservoir (Morgan County) to search for
Long-eared Owls. None could be found. Last summer the rangers
cleared out about 75 percent of the undercover at the western
campgrounds. This seems to have destroyed a historical
wintering roost for Long-eared Owls.
Two Bald Eagles were observed out on the ice.
Barr Lake (Adams County) was quiet also.
The Red-bellied Woodpecker was observed along Sand Creek again.
The bird was 50 yards south of the bike path and 0.5 miles
west of Airport Road (formerly Buckley Road).
Birding Around Denver 1/27
It was a beautiful winter day in Colorado.
Temperatures reached into the 60s and winds were mild.
I spent two hours in the morning walking around the neighborhood
where Bushtits were reported this weekend. The area centers on
S. Colorado Blvd & Mineral Avenue. Several homes at Harrison and
Mineral had great habitats and feeders for birds. No Bushtits
showed up however. I did see a female Downy Woodpecker,
1 Townsend's Solitaire, and a White-breasted Nuthatch.
After doing research at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science,
I hiked around Ferril Lake. The Greater White-fronted Goose was
not at the lake, however I did find the bird at the small pond
south of the Zoo. I watched the bird from 3:30-3:45pm. It took off
with about 80 Canada Geese and flew to the golf course to the north.
Search for Chicken-like Birds 1/21-1/25
Len Tyler & I set out to see however many of the seven Colorado
"Chicken-like Birds" we could find in one week. I thought 4 out
of 7 would be better than good.
Tuesday 21
At first light we planned to drive Yuma County Road 45, a known area
for Greater Prairie-Chicken sightings. Our quest took less than 30
minutes as we found a Greater Prairie-Chicken walking the hillside
to the west of the windmill, 1.0 mile east of Highway 385!
We continued the CR 45 loop and unfortunately did not find any
additional Prairie Chickens.
We stopped at friend's home in Wray and watched a pair of Northern
Cardinals visit her feeders for 30 minutes. Then we moved on to
Bonny Reservoir. It was quiet at the state park; no uncommon birds
could be found (including zero owls?). A 2-mile hike along the
Republican River east of Hale (namely the Hale Ponds area) added
7 Eastern Bluebirds and a male Red-bellied Woodpecker to our trip list.
In late afternoon we hiked Mike Higbee Wildlife Area (Prowers County).
No uncommon sparrows were found today. A Red-bellied Woodpecker
was observed earlier at Lamar Community College (Prowers).
Wednesday 22
At first light we hiked around the Campo Lesser Prairie-Chicken Lek.
No birds were found. We went back to Springfield and searched for
Eurasian Collared-Doves previously reported in town. Today none
could be found.
We wandered around the county roads east of highway 287/385 after lunch.
A Barn Owl was found in one abandoned ranch home.
The last two hours of light were spent hiking the two-track gravel
road located 1.2 miles east of the entrance to the Campo Lesser
Prairie-Chicken Lek. We scoped the many hills to the west as we
hiked further south of CR G. Len first spotted a Lesser
Prairie-Chicken about 1.8 miles south of CR G. Minutes later
a second bird was found within 20 yards of the first bird.
"Legend" has it, that there is a lek somewhere in this area
and that over 500 birds visit it in the spring?
No Short-eared Owls showed up as we drove CR M west
towards Cottonwood Canyon. The drive was worthwhile as
we heard a Western Screech-Owl at the camping area (draw to
the south) within 20 minutes of our visit.
We continued on to Gunnison County.
Thursday 23
Finding Gunnison Sage-Grouse in winter is less productive than
finding the proverbial needle in a haystack. In the morning we
searched CR 38 south of Gunnison airport; without success.
After lunch we looked for Rosy Finches around Gunnison, again
not having any luck.
We headed over to Black Canyon National Park to search for Blue Grouse.
Luck shined on us, we found a bird crossing the road (about 0.5 miles
from the west end of the self guiding car tour. Near dusk, we
listened for Northern Pygmy-Owls, but heard none this night.
Friday 24
At first light we drove past the Waunita Springs Lek but
found no Sage-Grouse. Our luck improved at Houston Gulch.
A Gunnison Sage-Grouse was feeding 20 yards west of
CR 43 approximately 0.2 miles after the cattle guard.
We headed back to Gunnison and east on Hwy 50 to Hwy 285
and North to Vail. We decided on not trying to make it to Craig and
Hayden, but to head to the Greater Sage-Grouse Lek at Coalmont.
A quick detour to Loveland Ski Basin added Brown-capped and
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches to our trip list. Black Rosy Finches
and the White-throated Sparrow eluded me again.
A stop at 409 South 5th street found all three species of
Rosy Finches visiting Jo Seltzer's feeders!
We spent the last 2 hours of light scoping the hills around the
Coalmont Lek for Greater Sage-Grouse. None appeared this evening;
though many tracks of Sage-Grouse were around the surrounding area.
No Boreal Owls were heard during several stops along highway 14
(Cameron Pass Summit, Joe Wright Reservoir Parking area,
mile marker 62.8--sighting several weeks ago).
Saturday 25
After getting a good night's sleep for a change, we headed to
Guanella Pass (Clear Creek County). Nine White-tailed Ptarmigan
were located east of the 603 trail (500 yards south of its
junction with the Rosalie Trail).
Len wanted to search for Northern Pygmy-Owls and we headed to
the area around Deckers where several were reported weeks ago.
None were found. We also checked previous locations without
success (Red Rocks Park, White Ranch Open Space, and Mt. Falcon Park).
Sunday 26
On the trip to take Len to the airport, we took time to hike
the Sand Creek bike trail from 30th & Sable to Airport Road.
The Red-bellied Woodpecker hanging around the cottonwoods 0.5
miles west of Airport Road was not found during our 2 hour trek.
A Ferruginous Hawk did fly overhead while we were about a mile
west of Airport Road.
Boulder County 1/20
Rebecca Kosten and I were in Boulder County when we received
Eric Zorawowicz’s message about the White-winged Scoter.
Our birding day follows. Winds continued strong as they
had been all weekend.
At first light we were outside of Fawnbrook Inn in Allenspark
(Boulder County). Several dozen Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches
and half a dozen Brown-capped Rosy Finches were identified.
Many Pine Siskins, Black-capped Chickadees, Mountain Chickadees,
and a flock of 30+ Evening Grosbeak stopped by. The Evening Grosbeaks
only showed up one time for about 10 minutes. Thanks Loch Kilpatrick
for letting us know that the Rosy Finches are returning to Fawnbrook!
Our next stop was a search for the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker reported by
Steve Spencer at Bohn Park, Lyons. Our 1.5-hour search did not turn
up the sapsucker in the park, the woods, or the surrounding streets.
We next drove over to Lafayette Holding Ponds and watched the
White-winged Scoter reported by Eric. Thanks much for letting
Colorado Birders know about the bird! The bird looks like the 4,
1st year birds that many cobirders observed at Aurora Reservoir
from 11/22 to 11/24 (not to imply that it is the same bird).
We proceeded to the Presbyterian Church Pond at 61st and
Valmont Road. The Trumpeter Swan was standing near the shore
in the southwest corner of the pond!
Within 20 minutes we were looking at a second Trumpeter Swan at
Fairways Drive & Neva Road (Left Hand Reservoir area). There are
definitely two birds. We could have arrived 5 or so minutes earlier,
but for a stop to watch the Llamas on Niwot Road. A Harlan’s Hawk
was observed near this location.
After an early dinner in Boulder we headed back to Denver by way of 88th
and Colorado Blvd. A quick walk to the green/white water tower (approx.
a mile south) added 2 male and 2 female Barrow's Goldeneyes to our day list.
Our birding day ended at the ponds east of Dahlia (only 0.3 miles east of
above intersection). The pond is “L” shaped and only half can be observed
from either 0.3 miles east or 0.3 miles south of Dahlia & Colorado Blvd.
An immature male was observed from the south location and an adult female
from the east location.
Clear Creek & Pueblo Counties 1/18-1/19
I birded Saturday & Sunday with Canadian birder Todd Pepper.
Our success was greatly influenced by the tremendous winds
encountered during the two days.
Saturday 1/18
At first light we stood near the feeder at lift #1 at Loveland Ski Basin
(Clear Creek County). Only Gray-crowned & Brown-capped Rosy Finches
visited during our hour stay. The White-throated Sparrow did not come
during that time, however was observed later in the day by a group of
birders from Houston.
We searched for White-tailed Ptarmigan at Guanella Pass (Clear Creek)
for about 3 hours. No birds were found. Winds were clocked at 70+ mph.
For many minutes at a time, we could not even see the ground at our feet.
Reluctantly we moved on the other searches.
On the way to Kremmling (Grand County), we stopped for 15 minutes and
watched 10 male & 4 female Barrow's Goldeneyes at the Blue River Water
Treatment Plant (Summit County). This pond is located along highway 9
(3.0 miles north of Interstate 70). An adult Golden Eagle was standing
on a telephone pole approximately 12 miles south of Kremmling.
Our next stop was 409 S. 5th street in Kremmling. Jo Seltzer came out
and visited with us as we watched 50+ Rosy Finches. A large number of
the birds were Black Rosy Finches (all three species observed).
We spent the last two hours of daylight parked at the Coalmont
Greater Sage-Grouse Lek (Jackson County). Probably not worth the time,
we stopped because of Greg Curtis and my sighting of a bird the Saturday
before. While there were many tracks, no Sage Grouse were found.
On the way back to Denver by way of Fort Collins, we stopped at several
locations to listen for Boreal Owls. Again winds were over 40+mph and
the search was doomed from the start.
Sunday 1/19
At first light we drove around Pueblo West (Pueblo County) searching
for Scaled Quail. We did not find any, but did locate Todd’s lifebird
Canyon Towhee. Winds were again quite strong today.
It took only 10 minutes to find the female Varied Thrush at Pueblo
City Park (Pueblo County). Pressed for time, we did not search for
the Eurasian Wigeon which both of us had observed before.
We only budgeted 15 minutes to look for a Canyon Wren at Red Rocks
Park (Jefferson County). While I know they are there, it was not
enough time to locate one.
Todd had come to Colorado to find a Ferruginous Hawk and still had not seen
one or found one during his Thursday drive to Pawnee National Grasslands.
I took him over to Sable Avenue & 30th street where two were observed
during my last three visits. Of course, none were found.
Todd had to rush to the airport and I suggested driving by the east side of
Rocky Mountain Arsenal (Adams County) on the way to DIA. I chose to go
along and hike the 4 miles back. Fortunately an adult Ferruginous Hawk flew
off the ground and landed in a telephone pole near the Eagle Watch bunker!
Todd departed and I hiked the eastern side of the arsenal. Few birds
were observed, however I did see a Red-breasted Nuthatch in the
evergreen trees outside the southern end of the arsenal. A flock of
9 White-crowned Sparrows, 2 Western Meadowlarks, and a dozen
House Finches were just about everything seen.
If Todd is reading this, I passed Sable & 30th street on my way home.
A Ferruginous Hawk was standing the large cottonwood just east of
the intersection!
South Platte River at 88th Avenue 1/17
I did a half-day of birding with UK birder Len Tyler.
Winds were mild, but it felt cold all afternoon.
We decided to hike the South Platte River from 88th avenue and
Colorado Blvd down to Highway 224 and back. American Tree Sparrows
were a priority for Len and we only found a few.
Our hike went south on the West side of the river and returned by way
of the gravel road the runs along the east side. Few uncommon birds
were encountered during our hike south. West Gravel Lakes (north and
south) contained only a few Ring-necked Ducks and Common Goldeneyes.
When we reached the confluence of the South Platte River and Clear Creek,
we detoured west along Clear Creek for 1000 yards. The Harris's Sparrow
that has been reported for at least a month now, was observed with a
flock of 8-10 White-crowned Sparrows. The birds were first seen in
the willows around the first bench as one walks west from the confluence.
They worked their way east to the metal drain 50 yards east of the bench.
I am convinced with better looks at this bird, that the Harris's Sparrow
I found several weeks ago around the pond at the southeast corner of
highway 224 and the Platte is a different bird than this one which seems
to stay in its own area (metal drain to 1000 yds west of confluence).
Returning North along the Platte, many Hooded Mergansers were at the
pond above. No uncommon gulls were found. Our only flock of American
Tree Sparrows observed today was at the northeast corner of this pond.
One Song Sparrow accompanied the flock.
When we reached a point 100 yards North of the green/white water tower,
3 male and 2 female Barrow's Goldeneyes were observed in the northern
East Gravel Lake. The two females seemed more interested in one male.
After about 30 minutes, the two ignored males flew around us and to
the S. Platte just north of the green/white tower.
Len departed and I decided to hike over to the ponds east of Dahlia.
The Long-tailed Ducks have been "hanging around" the pond 0.3 miles east
of Dahlia & 88th avenue. This pond is "L" shaped and must be viewed
from along 88th avenue and also Dahlia Street in order to see all of it.
The first year male and adult female Long-tailed Duck were observed
from 0.2 miles south of Dahlia & 88th avenue Friday. The adult female
was only 20 feet off the west shoreline. I could only see her by
climbing the small hill and looking down on the shoreline.
After watching the Long-tailed Ducks for 20 minutes, I decided to walk
around the northeast arm of the pond (just to check that there was not
a third Long-tailed Duck). None were found. However I noticed two
swans in the pond 100 yards north of 88th avenue. These turned out
to be two Mute Swans. Anyone notice these before? I have not?
A Prairie Falcon was in a tree about 75 yards north of 88th avenue
and the Platte on my return to the parking area.
A Quick Birding Trip around Denver 1/16
It was another beautiful winter day in Colorado.
Temperatures never reached 40 degrees, but the sun shone all day.
I was not planning on birding today and completed many chores this morning.
On the way to a dinner party in the afternoon, I stopped at 30th and Sable
(just south of Interstate 70 & Chambers; Adams County) to search for a
Ferruginous Hawk for a friend. I ended up hiking the bike path two miles
along Sand Creek over to Airport Road.
The plan was for a quick look around for the Red-bellied Woodpecker and
back to my car. My wait was less than 2 minutes when the Red-bellied
Woodpecker answered to the old trick of kissing the back of my hand.
The male woodpecker was in the cottonwoods on the hill 50 yards
south of Sand Creek (south of the tree bridge across the creek,
0.5 miles west of Airport Road).
On the hike back to 30th & Sable, an adult Ferruginous Hawk was
observed flying east along the creek at Chambers. Just west of here,
a Northern Shrike was keeping watch in a small willow next to the creek.
Back at 30th & Sable, another Ferruginous Hawk was standing in the large
cottonwood along the bike path and east of the Roadway Trucking Company.
This was the same location that Steve Spencer reported seeing one last
weekend (and where I had one two weeks ago).
I met Gary & Dianne Weston at City Park (Denver County) at 4:00pm.
We walked around Ferril Lake and the small pond south of the City Zoo.
The Greater White-fronted Goose was nowhere to be found. Hundreds of
geese were leaving Ferril Lake and flying to the golf course to the north.
Instead of following them, we decided to wait for their return.
Seven minutes after the 5:00pm sunset, the Greater White-fronted
Goose accompanied by 80 Canada Geese flew in from the north!
Return to the Foothills 1/14-1/15
I headed for Pike National Forest and Mt Evans to test some camping
equipment for a friend who owns a sporting goods store. The weather
was an interesting mix. Highs were 60 degrees Tuesday & 30 Wednesday.
It snowed off and on Wednesday and winds were up to 70 mph above tree line.
Tuesday 14
In the afternoon I hiked the South Platte River from Carson Nature Center
(Arapahoe County) to Oxford (Denver County). In mind were hopes to see
the Yellow-crowned Night-Heron tentatively reported near the Nature Center,
the Mandarin Duck or hybrid Common Goldeneye X Hooded Merganser that are
reported sporadically south of Bowles Avenue.
I found several herons, but no Yellow-crowned Night-Heron in the vicinity
of the Yellow-crowned Night-Heron sighting. Two Great Blue Herons were
roosting in a large cottonwood just north of the Nature Center.
Fifty yards north of here I spotted an adult and juvenile Black-crowned
Night-Heron hidden deep in some willows that hung over the South Platte
(location was north end of orange plastic fence along the river).
A Prairie Falcon flew over the northern end of the lake on the west side
of the river. Thirteen species of waterfowl searched for food in the
swallow river. Ring-billed Gulls were the only gulls found.
Wednesday 15
I camped overnight in Pike National Forest (Jefferson County).
I was along Forest Road 550 and near the Tramway Trail.
No Northern Goshawks were found around their nesting area.
I hiked into the Skipper Trailhead and then north to Buck Creek.
One Three-toed Woodpecker was found 100 yards north and 40 yards
east of the trailhead. The trails and roads were snow covered
and slippery at times.
I decided to circle around to Pine Valley Ranch Park and try the
trails here. A Three-toed Woodpecker was foraging along the south
side of Pine Lake. Several Hairy Woodpeckers were also here.
The trip was timed to be at the west end of the Narrow Gauge Railroad
trail near dusk. Here, a Northern Pygmy-Owl responded briefly to a tape.
However it was never seen.
My plan was to camp on Mt Evans Wednesday night. However the snowstorm
in the surrounding areas changed those plans and I turned back toward Denver.
Locations of previous Northern Pygmy-Owl sightings at White Ranch north
of Golden (Jefferson County) and Red Rocks Park (Jefferson) were checked.
No Northern Pygmy-Owls were encountered.
Mountain Birding 1/11
St Louis birder Greg Curtis and I ventured up to the mountains.
The day started out well, however we ran into snow after sunset.
We were fortunate today and only an hour was required to find
White-tailed Ptarmigan on Guanella Pass (Clear Creek County).
Nine birds were counted off the 603 trail, southeast of the
highest parking area (500 yards uphill; 200 yards southwest).
On the drive back to Georgetown, a Three-toed Woodpecker was
found just north of the restroom at Guanella Pass Campground.
We stopped for 30 minutes at Loveland Ski Basin (Clear Creek) and
watched the feeder next to lift #1. Several Brown-capped Rosy Finches
and 14 Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches visited the feeder. Greg saw the
White-throated Sparrow while I went to get some hot chocolate.
We decided to move on to Kremmling because I have not observed
Black Rosy Finches at lift #1 in my last four visits (1-5 hours long).
A Golden Eagle was overhead as we drove up Highway 9 toward Kremmling
(Grand County). We were approximately 12 miles south of Kremmling at
the time. Many American Crows and several Common Ravens were also seen.
All three species of Rosy Finches visited the feeders at 409 South 5th Street
during our one-hour stay! Black Rosy Finches out numbered the other two
species! (Black 11; Brown-capped 7; Gray-crowned 5; numbers are down
from last years count). Home owner Jo Seltzer tells me that the best
times to see the Rosy Finches are: 7am, 9am, 11am, & 3pm.
It was then decided to return to Denver by way of highway 14 and
Fort Collins. We stopped at the road to the Coalmont Lek and hiked
around a bit. One Greater Sage-Grouse was scoped on the hill to
the east (approx. 0.5 miles south of the lek).
It was dark by the time we reached Walden and snowing as we approached
Cameron Pass. A stop at last week's Boreal Owl sighting (hearing)
was not productive. Winds were quite strong and we could hear little else.
Stops at Cameron Pass Summit and Joe Wright Reservoirs parking area
also were not successful in hearing any Boreal Owl tonight.
Neither were stops and the campgrounds along highway 14 successful
for Northern Pygmy-Owl or Northern Saw-whet Owl sightings tonight.
Busy Week of Birding Colorado's Eastern Plains 1/5-1/10
Bryan Ehlmann, Sue Dorsey, Rebecca Kosten, and I explored birding
in Southeast Colorado this week. The weather was great all week.
Temperatures reached 50-70 degrees; winds were mild to strong.
Sunday 5
We stopped at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County) on the trip
to Pueblo. The Rusty Blackbird previously reported at the south end
of the 12-mile beaver pond could not be located during our one-hour stay.
No uncommon gulls or waterfowl were on the frozen reservoir.
Fountain Creek Regional Park in Colorado Springs (El Paso) was quiet.
No uncommon birds came to the feeders behind the visitor's center.
Monday 6
The female Varied Thrush was cooperative and appeared just after our
arrival to Pueblo City Park (Pueblo). She was along the creek near
the picnic table below the Frisbee golf course. The Eurasian Wigeon
is still at the pond in the northeast corner of the park.
We did not find the Great Black-backed Gull at the north or south marina
area of Pueblo Reservoir. Several Canyon Towhees scurried about the
fenced in area at the north marina.
Swallows Road west of the reservoir was quite productive. We counted
four Curve-billed Thrashers, two Sage Thrashers, one Northern Shrike
and a covey of 51 Scaled Quail!
Canon City Riverwalk (Fremont) was quiet. We could not locate any
Harris's Sparrows in the fields at the eastern end (off MacKensie Avenue).
We did find a flock of 14 Bushtits and 2 Great Horned Owls!
It took about an hour to find a Rufous-crowned Sparrow at Tunnel Drive.
The bird was around the first group of rocks 200 yards west of the old
building area. No Greater White-fronted Geese were at the sewage ponds.
We checked the Florence Marsh for Swamp Sparrows, but did not find any.
Tuesday 7
We started our day at the Fort Lyons Wildlife Easement (Bent).
One or two LeConte's Sparrows (two birds were never seen at
the same time) jumped up from the marshes east of CR HH & 16.
A couple of Swamp Sparrows were in the area also.
Bryan and Sue found the Northern Cardinal south of here while
Rebecca and I searched the easement area to the west for owls.
No owls were discovered today.
We circled around and checked several locations for the Eastern Towhee,
but probably were never in the correct area. Four Eastern Bluebirds
were in the group picnic area below the John Martin Reservoir dam
(Lake Hasty area). A Red-bellied Woodpecker was in the campground area.
Vogel Canyon (Otero) was quiet. A couple of Scaled Quail scurried
across the road as we drove into the area. A dozen Mountain Bluebirds
added color to the drab landscape.
Wednesday 8
We spent the night at the CoBus Bird Ranch in Las Animas County.
Bryan and I had gone owling and found 2 Western Screech-Owls and
a Northern Saw-whet Owl last night. We took Sue and Rebecca back
and relocated the Northern Saw-whet Owl.
We wandered around looking for sparrows and owls. A flock of 28
Lapland Longspur was off Carrizo Mountain Road. The only birds not
observed so far, a Ferruginous Hawk and several Rock Wrens were
added to our trip list. Furnish Canyon (Baca County) was quiet.
We stood briefly on the spot where Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado meet!
and continued to Black Mesa. Black Mesa (Oklahoma) was quiet also.
Previous locations of Barred Owls came up empty after dark.
Two Western Screech-Owls were heard in Cottonwood Canyon near Carrizo Creek.
A Great Horned Owl called at the Carrizo Picnic Area off CR 5.
Thursday 9
We found 3 Rufous-crowned Sparrows in Cottonwood Canyon this morning.
The birds were in my favorite search location 1.4 miles east-southeast
of the camping area. Two Canyon Wrens, Bewick's Wrens, Rock Wrens,
Canyon Towhees, and 5 Wild Turkeys are also observed.
Our next stop was the Upland Bird Management Area (Baca). Few birds
moved about, no sparrows were found. We did see two Ferruginous Hawks as
we passed through Comanche National Grasslands. Picture Canyon provided
us with a Greater Roadrunner and covey of Scaled Quail for our trip list.
Two Buttes Reservoir (Baca) was quiet also. We did find a White-throated
Sparrow with a flock of White-crowned Sparrows below the dam and west of
the first parking area. No Winter Wrens could be found. One Canyon Wren
called from the rocks to the north.
Lamar Community College (Prowers) had a few Blue Jays and one Red-bellied
Woodpecker. The Northern Cardinals eluded us again. The cemetery had
a pair of Red-breasted Nuthatches, 4 White-breasted Nuthatches, and
half a dozen Townsend's Solitaires.
We spent the night at a friend's home in Kansas east of Bonny Reservoir.
Friday 10
We ventured into Kansas and checked St. Francis for the previously
reported Pinyon Jays. They reported the same number of birds that
Rebecca & I observed 35 miles southwest at Bonny Reservoir on 12/3.
We could not find them. We struck out in locating any Eurasian
Collared-Doves in Goodland, KS also.
We were getting tired and made a quick search around Bonny Reservoir
(Yuma County). Eastern Bluebirds and Red-bellied Woodpeckers were
counted below the dam (Hale Ponds area). No Short-eared Owls
were found. Long-eared Owls were still at their winter roost.
Wagon wheel campground was quiet.
We stopped in Wray (Yuma) to say hi to another friend, watch her
pair of Northern Cardinals and then turned our car toward Denver.
Rebecca and Sue were dropped off at my house; we picked up
Gary Weston and headed off for some owling.
Our trek took us by way of the east side of Riverside Reservoir (Weld).
We hoped to duplicate the Snowy Owl sightings from last year. The last
hours of daylight were spent driving the roads north of Riverside.
We did find another Ferruginous Hawk, 2 Prairie Falcons, and
20+ Lapland Longspurs (among two flocks of Horned Larks).
We decided to hunt for Boreal Owls on Cameron Pass (Larimer & Jackson Counties)
and maybe find a Northern Pygmy-Owl at the campgrounds along highway 14.
We stopped every 0.5 miles from Joe Wright Reservoir's parking area
(mile marker 68) and to the west to mile marker 57 (just east of the
Colorado State Forest's Visitor's Center). The weather was perfect
this night. We could hear a pin drop as there was zero wind
(unusual for this area). The quarter moon and millions of stars
lit up the ski!!!
The area around the reservoir and Cameron Pass' summit were quiet.
We briefly heard one Boreal Owl 1.9 miles west of the summit
(this would be mile marker 62.8, as summit is mm 64.7).
The bird was on the south side of hwy 14 and far from the road.
No other Boreal Owls called this night. We did see two foxes
around the visitor's center (one red and one black).
After reaching the visitor's center we turned around and headed
back toward Fort Collins. We stopped at the following campgrounds/
picnic areas but heard no Northern Pygmy-Owl or Northern Saw-whet Owls:
(Bogan Flats, Mountain, Century Park, Dutch George, the Narrows,
Stevens Gulch, Upper Landing, Stove Prairie, Ansel Walrous, and Ouzel).
We decided to drive up Rist Canyon Road (52E) mostly to get mileage
marks for future explorations. Setting the mileage at 0.0 at
Rist Canyon Road and 54G Road, one passed 27E Road at 2.4 miles
(cottonwoods here have many previously Northern Pygmy-Owl sightings)
and Whale Rock at 3.9 miles (location of several Northern Pygmy-Owl
reports). Note: Whale Rock is a 4-foot rock painted like a whale.
On the return trip one passes sections of broken down wooden fences
at 0.9 miles east of Whale Rock and 1.1 east of Whale Rock (both
locations have several Northern Pygmy-Owl reports). We stopped
at each location and finally had some success when a Northern
Pygmy-Owl responded to our tapes 0.1 miles east of the lower
section of wooden fence posts (1.2 miles east of Whale Rock and/
or 0.3 miles west of 27E road.
We headed back to Denver finishing a full week of birding!
It is 5:00am and I lead a bird trip in 30 minutes; got to go :-)
Birding Sand Creek in Adams County 1/4
I searched for the Red-bellied Woodpecker reported by Randy Lentz along
Sand Creek & West of Airport Road. The plan was to hike a mile west of
Airport Road and then back, repeat this process three times and then
hike to Sand Creek & Peoria Street (total mileage approximately 10 miles).
It took me 3 hours to complete the 3 2-mile loops near Airport Road.
I did sit in one spot for an hour and watch a water hole that seemed
to be a favorite bathing location for many species.
I was on my last loop and headed toward Peoria when I heard the male
Red-bellied Woodpecker! The bird was in the grove of cottonwoods
approx. 0.5 miles West of Airport Road & 50 yards South of Sand Creek.
At the water/bathing hole I observed dozens of European Starlings,
Black-billed Magpies, 1 Mourning Dove, 1 American Goldfinch,
1 American Robin, many Dark-eyed Juncos (State-colored, Pink-sided,
and Oregon forms). Most of the time three Red-tailed Hawks flew
up and down the creek. I assumed this did not help my effort to
find any birds. Most of the birds appeared after they departed.
The second highlight of the trek (woodpecker being 1st),
an adult Ferruginous Hawk flew overhead for about 10 minutes!
In 1993 & 1994, I hiked this area at least 140 times.
The Ferruginous Hawk was a first in the area for me.
A pair of White-breasted Nuthatches, a male Downy Woodpecker
harassing a female, 6 Northern Flickers, 2 Blue Jays and
a Townsend's Solitaire were also in the cottonwood grove.
Search for the Greeley Black Brant 11/3
I drove North to Greeley in search of the Black Brant reported
yesterday at Bittersweet Park (Larimer County). I scoped each
of the 2000+ Canada Geese on the lake and did not see the
Brant or Greater White-fronted Goose. Winds were mild in
Greeley and temperatures reached 58 degrees.
My route to return to Denver was north on Road 35 to Weld CR 66,
west to Seeley Reservoir, North to Highway 392, East to Hwy 37,
to Kersey Road, South to Barr Lake. The uncommon geese
were not found at the 35 Gravel Ponds or Seeley Reservoir.
An adult male Merlin was sitting on a telephone wire near Highway 392
and CR 66. Several flocks of Horned Larks were found along
Kersey Road (CR 49). Two of the flocks had at least 6 Lapland Longspurs.
A stop at Barr Lake (Adams County) did not add much to the trip list.
A Harlan's Red-tailed Hawk and American Kestrel were observed.
No uncommon sparrows came to the visitor center's feeders.
Birding Metro Denver, 2nd day of 2003!
Sorry for late report, I just got up after spending the night owling
Thursday I enjoyed the second day of 2003 birding.
Boy was it cold before first light. I believe the
temperature was 22 degrees and it felt like it.
At first light I was at Fort Logan Cemetery (Arapahoe County).
There were three female/immature scaups on Memorial Lake.
At least one of the birds was a Greater Scaup and one a Lesser Scaup.
After watching for 2 hours, I still was not sure of the third bird.
The immature Greater Scaup flapped its wings several times to show
the white strip in the secondaries that extends into the primaries.
The Lesser Scaup's white stripe was confined to the secondaries.
The five Greater White-fronted Geese first reported by Bill Schmoker (12/14)
and reported by me on (12/27) were not on Veteran's or Memorial Lakes.
Veteran's Lake is all but covered by ice since my last visit.
My next stop was Denver City Park (Denver County).
I searched Ferril Lake and the pond to the northwest for
the Greater White-fronted Goose without finding it.
The several flocks of Canada Geese around the lakes did not
contain the bird either. While sitting on a bench to rest and
watch the waterfowl on Ferril Lake a large construction truck
drove by and scared geese up from all over the park. They returned
to the safety of Ferril Lake. The Greater White-fronted Goose
was one of them! After 15 minutes or so, the geese walked back
off the ice to feed on the surrounding lawns.
The Greater White-fronted Goose walked within 10 yards of me!
This bird is the one with the limp. The "healthier" Greater
White-fronted Goose from last week seems to have disappeared.
Today's bird continually called, perhaps hoping his friend would return.
My last stop of the day was the South Platte River. I walked
Clear Creek from Washington Street to the South Platte to the east.
Then north along the west side of the S. Platte to 88th & Colorado.
I walked both sides of Clear Creek from York to the S. Platte in search
of the Harris's Sparrow that I found last week (12/27). It was not found.
As I walked the east side of the S. Platte at hwy 224 (approx. 74th street),
I observed a flock of 14 Dark-eyed Juncos (all slate colored).
One immature White-throated Sparrow and the Harris's Sparrow were
with the flock! They were along the S. Platte and then went to the
trees just north of the Gazebo (by the pond southeast of hwy 224).
They worked the trees along the north side of the pond as I left.
This location is 100 yards east of the confluence of Clear Creek
and the S. Platte and 900 yards east of where I observed the
Harris's Sparrow on 12/27.
My first Herring Gull of 2003 was found on the pond northeast of
highway 224 & the river. An adult female Barrow's Goldeneye was
in the river even with the northern end of this pond.
I found male Barrow's Goldeneyes at 120 yards north of the
green/white water tower and on the southern West Gravel Lake.
However the Barrow's Goldeneyes move around much because of the
dog walkers, bikers, and walkers that use the bike path. So, they
can be found anywhere along this stretch of the S. Platte.
The adult female Long-tailed Duck was on the 2nd pond east of Dahlia
and south of 88th avenue. I ran out of daylight and did not see
(or know about a second Long-tailed Duck, immature) at this pond.
After dark, Gary Weston and I observed a Northern Saw-whet Owl and
Eastern Screech-Owl in Denver County. The landowners reported them
to us; we did not "discover" them. Unfortunately they are on private
land and the owners do not want additional visitors. Anyway keep an
eye out at Denver City Park; we plan to try owling there some night soon.
Pueblo City Park, First Day of 2003
Paul Langendorfer & I made a short first day of the year bird
watching trip. We started out at 7:00am from Denver for Pueblo
and the Varied Thrush, however turned around by the snow.
We headed back to Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County).
The female Rusty Blackbird was walking along the western creek
shoreline upon our arrival. The bird was west of the most southern
bench at the 12-mile group picnic area Beaver Pond! A Virginia Rail,
Song Sparrow, and many Green-winged Teal were also here.
At 9:30am, we gave the road to Pueblo Reservoir another chance.
The female Varied Thrush was at Pueblo City Park (Pueblo County) at
around noon. She was along the creek below the frisbee golf course
and just west of the two picnic tables in the creek. Two mountain
bikers came by and she flew to the cottonwoods to the west.
At the pond east of here, we found the male Eurasian Wigeon and
the 1st year Mew Gull!
The strange goose reported by Paul Hurtado on the Arkansas River a few
days ago was possibly here also. At least from his description, we believe
it to be the bird. Interestingly, there was a similar bird at the southwest
marina at Cherry Creek Reservoir this morning. It is the bird photographed
on 12/27 by John C. Folinsbee (see CoBus photo library). I added one
photo of the Pueblo bird to page with Cherry Creek Reservoir bird.
We spotted several Ruby-crowned Kinglets and a Juniper Titmouse in
the park also, but missed the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.
More Bird Trips
HOME
Please feel free to contact CoBus and
Rich Stevens at the following address:
E-mail: