Rich Stevens' Bird Trips
January 2004
Aurora Reservoir & Barr Lake 1/30
Gary Zeeto and I circled the 7.8 miles around Aurora Reservoir
starting at first light this morning. What a beautiful winter
day in Colorado! We enjoyed our 5-hour hike much!
About 1500 gulls (mostly on the southern side) were at the reservoir.
Unfortunately, we picked out no uncommon gulls, but one. A dark-
mantled gull was observed several times. However it stayed far
enough away for avoid a positive id. It tentatively was thought
to be the Lesser Black-backed Gull that has been reported four
times in the past month. The bird eventually flew across Quincy
Road to the Aurora dump (less than a mile away).
In the afternoon we staked out a home and feeders along the highline
canal in Aurora where five Eurasian Collared-Doves were reported
on Tuesday (but not since). The doves never made an appearance.
My birding day ended once again at Barr Lake (Adams).
I watched the many sparrows (White-crowned, American Tree,
Song, 1 White-throated, and 1 Harris's) visiting the feeders
behind the visitor's center. When not at the bushes under
the feeders, they spent time in the two tall bushes at the
southwest corner of the building. The Harris's Sparrow was
easy to pick out in the bushes. While the White-throated
Sparrow did not show up until after sunset.
Just after sunset, 10's of thousands of Canada Geese (with some
Snow and Ross's) flew in from the turf farm north of the state park.
The noise was awesome!
Boulder & Broomfield Counties 1/29
I enjoyed a long day in Boulder County Thursday. Having a meeting
in Boulder in the afternoon, I decided to spend the day up there.
At first light, I circled Brunner Reservoir for a couple of hours.
I did not find the Brant among the 2000+ Canada Geese standing on
the ice at 7:00am. After sunrise about 7:15am, a Greater White-fronted
Goose flew in from the north. I checked the fields and golf course to
the north and fields in Highland Park to the East; without success.
I see someone did report the bird around 2:30pm at Brunner.
Next I headed up to Prince Lakes and ran into Stan Roth and Bill
Cryder. We split up and watched gulls at Prince Lake #1 and #2,
Marfel Lakes, and also checked Thomas. The gulls moved around much.
An adult and 1st year Glaucous Gull were at #1. The adult moved
briefly to #2. While the 1st year and Glaucous-winged went by Marfel.
Note: However, we are not convinced that the Glaucous-winged Gull
is not a hybrid of some type (Possibly with a Herring?).
A brief stop at Teller Lakes Open Space added a Great-tailed Grackle
to my day list. While Boulder Reservoir, Valmont Reservoir, and
Walden Ponds were slow.
After dark, I searched unsuccessfully for Pygmy and Eastern-Screech
Owls at at Walden Ponds and the Boulder bike trail east of South
Boulder Road.
Birding Around Metro Denver 1/24
Today Rebecca Kosten & I stopped by several parks while doing
our chores. We did not enjoy the success that many other birders
reported. Arbor Lake (previous Greater White-fronted Geese)
had few geese. Sloan Lake, Bible Park, Lakeside Park, Brunner
Reservoir, Tom Frost Lake, McKay Lake, and Dahlia Ponds
added few birds to our day list.
A Greater White-fronted Goose was found at the lake at 68th and
Sheridan. I do not know the name of the lake by the Yacht Club;
the geese flew to the surrounding fields just after our arrival.
We checked the many fields and golf course around Brunner Reservoir
and Highland Park. The Brant and Greater White-fronted Goose were not
found among the dozens of small groups of Canada Geese observed.
The highlight of the day was watching the partial albino Red-tailed
Hawk that hangs around Sheridan & 104 (the golf course and
Margaret’s Pond; Adams County).
Gull Search in Boulder County 1/23
After receiving a text message from Steve Spencer I headed up to
Prince Lakes (Boulder County) to look at the gulls. I took about
120 photos to study the many gulls at Prince Lake #1. No birds
were on Prince Lake #2.
My birding day ended at Barr Lake (Adams). Besides a beautiful
sunset, I enjoyed watching a Harris's Sparrow and White-throated
Sparrow behind the Nature Center. The Harris's Sparrow stayed
mostly in the bushes to the southwest of the building. While the
White-throated Sparrow came from the bushes West of
the building to scurry along the ground below the feeders.
The bushes and feeders were watched from the mowed path west
of the building and directly north of the Kestrel Box. A pair of
American Kestrels was inspecting the nesting box and I tried
to stay away from it. Unfortunately, the benches west of the
feeders are too close to the feeders to sit and watch birds.
On the way home after sunset, several thousand Canada Geese
were still at the turf farm at 128th and Tower Road. Also there
were 40+ Snow Geese and at least 2 Ross's Geese.
Northern Colorado 1/14-1/15
Wednesday 14
After hearing of the White-winged Crossbills near Gross Reservoir
(Boulder County), I headed up north. There are always possibilities
of Bohemian Waxwings and Crossbills the Boulder County foothills in
the winter. I was however, unable to relocate the White-winged
Crossbills or Red Crossbill accompanying them. No waxwings
were encountered either.
After dark I searched for Northern Pygmy-Owls or any other owls
around Gross Reservoir; without success. I also did not find any
Eastern Screech-Owls at Walden Ponds or Northern Pygmy-Owl near
Baseline Reservoir (it has been several weeks since a report of either).
Thursday 15
I headed further North with another Cobirder to Pawnee National
Grasslands (Weld County). A brief stop at Greeley West High School
(Weld) did not produce a sighting of the Pine Warbler. A Ruby-crowned
Kinglet fluttered about the first fir tree west of the brown shed on
the North side of the tennis courts. A male American Kestrel startled
me when I noticed him in the third tree west of the shed. He later
worked his way through each of the fir trees on the North & West sides
of the tennis courts. This did not help in finding any other birds.
The Ruby-crowned Kinglet buried himself in the middle of his tree.
Next I drove up to Crow Valley Campground near Briggsdale (Weld).
A 2-mile hike from the Work Center to the campground to the cemetery
and back to my car encountered few birds. A couple of Northern Flickers
were in the campground. Nine American Tree Sparrows were in the
thickets near the entrance to Crow Valley. The low number of birds
observed is a surprise. I cannot remember the last time a hike
through Crow Valley Campground in the winter did not add
a Great Horned Owl to my trip list.
A two-hour drive around the county roads in search of Snow Buntings and
Horned Lark proved fruitful. We found 3 Snow Buntings in a flock of 40
Horned Lark on CR 96. I had not learned of Joe Himmel's report of
6 Snow Buntings on CR 92 until my return to Denver this evening.
CR 92 was one of the roads driven during our trek. We did not
find any Snow Buntings at other locations.
The only birds found while driving around the town of Briggsdale were
three House Finches, many Starlings, and many House Sparrows.
We ended our day at the CR 124 ponds. The Gyrfalcon was not around
this evening. A flock of 200+ Horned Larks at CR 122 & CR 75 did
not contain any Snow Buntings.
Note: A bonus to birders who read my trip reports (not reported on
Cobirders). I found a Northern Saw-whet Owl and Long-eared Owl at
Crow Valley. If you write me personally, I will provide directions to
the birds. Also, I can provide directions to a Northern Pygmy-Owl
observed at Loveland Ski Area on 1/13. As a new policy, I am
reluctant to publicize owl locations so to minimize disturbances.
Loveland Ski Area 1/13
I did not find many birds today, but enjoyed a 4-mile hike
from Loveland Ski Basin to Loveland Valley and along their
cross-country ski trails. Only five birds were encountered
during the whole hike. Temperatures were around 30 degrees;
winds were mild for the ski area (15-20 mph).
The sunlight on the snow topped mountains contrasted with
the shadows of the fir trees and produced a memorable sight.
The calmness in the woods where the wind was blocked added
a tranquil peacefulness to the pleasurable hike!
The juvenile Gray-crowned Rosy Finch (observed last Friday) was at
the lift #1 feeder at 1:00pm. After 1:30pm, it was not observed again.
Two Mountain Chickadees roamed the willows along the creek that
runs from the Basin to Valley area.
Two Common Ravens fed on the snow banks at the Valley parking area.
I watched the feeder at Lift #1 for a total of 2 hours.
Only the one Rosy Finch visited during that time.
That's it! Where are the birds?
Another Beautiful & Warm Winter Day 1/11
In anticipation of another warm Colorado winter day, I decided to
drive up to Crow Valley Campground & Pawnee National Grasslands.
Maybe a Common Redpoll or Snow Bunting would show up; none did.
Temperatures again reached 61 degrees; winds were mild.
Before first light, I drove around the Wellington Wildlife Area
(Larimer & Weld Counties). No Short-eared Owls or other uncommon owls
were observed. Two Great Horned Owls were along or near CR 64 & CR 3.
A quick trip up to Weld County Roads 124 & 75 area did not produce
a sighting of the Gyrfalcon. I did see 2 Ferruginous Hawks. It was
a great day for Ferruginous Hawks as I encountered 7 altogether.
Two Golden Eagles were also observed West of Nunn.
Several flocks of Lapland Longspurs were also found.
Crow Valley CG was pretty quiet. No owls were found at the
campground, cemetery, or work center.
My birding day ended with a hike along the South Platte River from the
88th Avenue & Colorado Blvd parking area. A female Barrow's Goldeneye
was on the S. Platte about 80 yards South of the green & white water
tower. A male Barrow's Goldeneye was at the southern end of the
Northern East Gravel Lake (just east of same water tower).
The North end of the Southern East Gravel Lake contained the most
waterfowl. A dozen Red-breasted Mergansers, 50+ Common Mergansers,
Redheads, 2 Canvasbacks, 1 Ruddy Duck, 4 American Coots, Mallards,
Gadwalls, Northern Shovelers, Ring-necked Ducks, Lesser Scaup, and
a Pied-billed Grebe were observed here. Additional waterfowl at
the North end of the Northern East Gravel Lake included several
Hooded Mergansers and several dozen Buffleheads.
Both Northern & Southern West Gravel Lakes were completely frozen.
A surprise was a Long-tailed Duck at the North Dahlia Ponds (observed
from 0.2 miles East of Dahlia & 88th Avenue). This looked like the same
bird observed by Rebecca Kosten & me on 12/31 (on East Gravel Lakes).
Birding Around Metro Denver 1/10
While doing chores Saturday, I birded some metro locations.
Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County) Mostly frozen (95 percent),
I could not find the Barrow's Goldeneye & Long-tailed Duck of last
weekend. Two thousand Common Mergansers were congregated into
a small open area in the middle of the reservoir. If any uncommon
ducks were in the mixed, I could not pick them out.
Fort Logan National Cemetery (Denver) Memorial Lake was mostly frozen.
The female Greater Scaup was not observed. Over eleven thousand
Canada Geese were on the lakes and cemetery grounds. One Greater
White-fronted Goose accompanied a small group of Canada Geese
on the hill south of Memorial Lake. Photo on CoBus photo library.
Red Rocks Grade School (Jefferson) The juvenile Yellow-bellied
Sapsucker was being watched by Dave Elan & Carol English when
I arrived. The bird moved along the ravine and school fence
line to the west of the three fir trees it recently visits.
It moved around much and also landed in trees both north & south,
next to the school. A Brown Creeper and Spotted Towhee were
in the willows around the three fir trees.
Wheat Ridge Greenbelt (Jefferson) Few birds were around.
I could not find any Eastern Screech-Owls in their favorite trees.
Note: A male & female Northern Cardinal were observed Friday
along the Wheat Ridge Greenbelt. They have been seen approximately
0.3 miles East of Kipling. Especially look around house with
the pink wooden fence!!! I did not find them Saturday (during
a 15 minute search).
Loveland Ski Basin & Loveland Pass 1/9
Another cobirder and I visited Loveland Ski Basin today.
Temperatures may have briefly reached 30 degrees.
However above tree line, winds were 40+ mph.
In the 2.5 hours I watched the feeder, only one Gray-crowned
Rosy Finch and 2 Mountain Chickadee visited. Larger flocks
of Gray-crowned & Brown-capped Rosy Finches are being reported,
usually after or during a snowstorm. Several Rosy Finches and
a Pine Grosbeak were observed in the trees while my friend was skiing.
At the Blue River Water Treatment Plant, Barrow's Goldeneyes included
8 males, 3 females, and a 1st year male. Common Goldeneyes numbered
over 30 ducks. It is a good place to compare 1st year male Barrow's
and Common Goldeneyes.
It took two hours to locate 3 White-tailed Ptarmigan at Loveland Pass.
The birds were 800-1000 yards east-southeast of the summit's parking
area. Snowshoes would have been a tremendously help; unfortunately
I did not have any with me. The west side was checked first; without
success. At least three dogs ran around the west side of the road.
Waterton Canyon 1/7-1/8
Bryan Ehlmann & I took advantage of the full moon and camped in
Waterton Canyon (Jefferson County) last night. Temperatures were
a crisp 10 degrees around midnight. Fortunately, winds were
mild to calm.
We started up the 7-mile hike around noon. Several Spotted Towhees
and 3 American Dippers were observed on the hike along the river.
After dark, we heard and saw a Northern Pygmy-Owl about 0.1 miles
south of the reservoir. Unfortunately, no Northern Pygmy-Owls were
found on the hike out of the canyon this morning. A Golden Eagle
soared overhead near the entrance.
We stopped at Morrison on the trip home. It took about 10 minutes
to find the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker at Red Rocks Grade School.
No Eastern Screech-Owls or uncommon ducks were observed at
Wheat Ridge Greenbelt (Jefferson).
Chasing Last Years Uncommon Birds 1/2
Rebecca Kosten & I enjoyed an incredible day of birding. Weather wise
we ran into quite a mix (snow, rain, sunshine, and high winds).
Our first stop was Red Rocks Grade School (Jefferson County).
The juvenile Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was not at the three tallest
fir trees just north of the grade school as in previous visits.
It was found in the trees down the ravine about 70 yards west of
its favorite trees. It was quite vocal, which helped in locating it.
Next we stopped at Arbor Lake in Arvada (Jefferson).
The two Greater White-fronted Geese were on the ice in the northeast
corner. Photos of the birds were added to the CoBus Photo Library.
After lunch we drove to Cattail Pond in Loveland (Larimer). The four
adult and 1 juvenile Trumpeter Swans and Greater Scaup were easily
found with the help of a scope. They were quite far from CR 16H.
Our next stop was Greeley West High School (Weld). The Pine Warbler
cooperated and showed itself in less than 5 minutes. The bird was in
the two tall fir trees just south of 35th Avenue & 22nd Street.
I took a couple of witness shots, but did not get high quality photos.
With a few hours of light left, we headed to Weld CR 124 Ponds.
The Gyrfalcon was standing on a telephone pole about 8 poles South
of CR 124 Ponds. Unfortunately a little too far away for any photos.
Our last stop of the day was Lower Latham Reservoir (Weld).
We arrived quite late (well after sunset) and did not see any
Short-eared Owls flying around south of the reservoir.
The temperature dropped 20+ degrees during our drive back
to Denver. We did enjoy the good start to our 2004 bird list!
Cherry Creek Reservoir 1/1
I accompanied a friend on the Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County)
Christmas Count. Temperatures briefly reached 50 degrees.
Birds were scarce. I hiked the southern side of the lake and did not
see one bird along the way (except when scoping the reservoir from
the Lake Loop).
Highlights of the day, we observing the Long-tailed Duck from the Lake
Loop. Three Virginia Rails and two Marsh Wrens were observed by all
during a hike from the 12-mile picnic area to the Beaver Pond to the South.
The male Barrow's Goldeneye was observed to the West from the swim
beach.
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