Rich Stevens' Bird Trips
July 2001
Cherry Creek Reservoir 7/30
Rebecca Kosten and I stopped by CCK reservoir while doing chores in Denver.
Temperatures were around 95 degrees; winds were quite strong.
The pond at the wetlands east of the Prairie Loop contained many Mallards,
one Great Blue Heron, one Black-crowned Night-Heron, and one Green Heron.
The only gulls at the southwest marina were Ring-billed and California.
North of Denver International Airport 7/28
After picking up a friend at DIA, Rebecca Kosten and I drove my favorite owl loop.
Temperatures cooled down (from 90s) after 6:00pm, however winds grew strong.
Burrowing Owls were observed:
9 at 128th avenue & Powhaton
8 at 0.7 miles east of 120th avenue & Picadilly Road
10 at 3.4 miles east of 96th avenue & Tower Road
10 at 1.0 mile south of 88th avenue & Buckley Road
2 more owls were at the northwest corner of the Lochbuie Exit of I76 (#25)
We observed at least 2 Grasshopper Sparrows along 114th avenue (the north end
of DIA's runways. Many Lark Buntings were everywhere.
The highlight of the trip was seeing a minimum of 84 Swainson's Hawks along
Trussville Road between 120th avenue & 114th avenue.
We also observed one immature Ferruginous Hawk just south of the Prairie Dog
colony at 3.4 miles east of 96th avenue & Tower Road. Just about the
same location as last Thursday.
Search for Pine Grosbeaks 7/26
Chris Fagyal and I went out looking for Pine Grosbeaks and Golden Eagles.
We missed both but enjoyed the long day of birding. The most notable
birds were the Brown-capped Rosy Finches and Burrowing Owls.
First light found us at the top of Mt. Evans (Clear Creek County).
The only other moving species were 10 Mountain Goats, 2 Marmots,
and 2 Picas. We started downhill and stopped at several turnoffs
searching for White-tailed Ptarmigan. We did not find any, however
our search was cut short because we were birding in the falling snow.
Many American Pipits were found as we descended to Summit Lake.
Ten Brown-capped Rosy Finches were on the snow banks of the far side
of Summit Lake (below the ridge). Unfortunately the falling snow
discouraged us from hiking over to the ridge for a closer look.
American Pipits, a few White-crowned Sparrows, one female Mountain Bluebird,
and one Brewer's Sparrow were found between Summit and Echo Lake.
At the Restaurant near Echo Lake, we now found many Broad-tailed Hummingbirds,
five Rufous Hummingbirds and one female Calliope Hummingbird. We were now in
pouring rain; however it seemed that we were entertaining the guests having
breakfast inside the restaurant. There was much finger pointing and laughing
at us as we stood in the rain taking photos of the hummingbirds
(it is always nice to be entertaining :-)
Several Gray Jays and many Steller's Jays also came by during our hour stay.
At the south end of Echo Lake, we did not see any Three-toed Woodpeckers today.
We did get close looks at three Red-naped Sapsuckers that were drumming on
the telephone poles. An adult Mountain Chickadee fed two fledglings near us!
Few birds came to the feeders in Silver Plume (winter location of many
Rosy Finches). One female Cassin's Finch was the only bird found at
the city park in Georgetown (Clear Creek County).
It was raining hard at both locations.
Our trip took us next to Golden (Jefferson County) to search for Golden Eagles.
One Turkey Vulture was found overhead before the rain and fog made visibility
impossible. The few other birds flying about could not be identified.
We headed east in hopes of getting out of the rain. Many Burrowing Owls were
found on my favorite owl loop north of DIA (Adams County). A Swainson's Hawk
flying low overhead kept the number of owls observed at Powhaton & 128th down
to 2 birds. Seven owls were 3.4 miles east of Tower Road & 96th avenue.
Ten birds were observed 1.0 mile south of 88th avenue and Buckley
(This is the East side of Rocky Mountain Arsenal).
We were fortunate to watch two adult Burrowing Owls feeding an immature bird
that was only 20 feet from the road. The adults would take turns flying
around for grasshoppers while one would stay between the young fledgling
and us. We enjoyed the show for 30 minutes or so!
There were many Lark Buntings, Western Kingbirds, and Western Meadowlarks
along Buckley. One immature Ferruginous Hawk was found along the northwest
corner of the DIA (Denver International Airport) runways.
There are still 50 or so Swainson's Hawks also in the area.
Eastern Foothills 7/25
Another Cobirder and I birded the foothills at first light.
Skies were clear; the day warmed up into the 90s in the afternoon.
We searched for Indigo Buntings at the Apex Trail near Heritage Square.
No Indigo Buntings were located, however two Lazuli Buntings were singing.
Two male Black-headed Grosbeaks, two Virginia Warblers, over one hundred
Spotted Towhees, one Gray Catbird, many Western Scrub Jays, many House Wrens,
six Western Kingbirds, two male Western Tanagers, two Warbling Vireos,
many Lesser Goldfinches (green-backed and black-backed), many House Finches,
and one Green-tailed Towhee were added to our trip list during a two-mile hike.
We counted over 150 Bullock's Orioles during the hike.
We did not find the Prairie Warbler or Chestnut-sided Warbler reported last week.
Our trip took us to Red Rocks Park next. Again no Indigo Buntings were found.
One Canyon Wren stood calling on top of the rocks. Eight White-throated Swifts
flew over the higher rocks south of the trading center.
A pair of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were below the trading post.
Many Spotted Towhees, Bullock's Orioles and Western Scrub Jays flew about.
Surprisingly, no hawks were observed during our six-hour birding trip.
Birding Douglas/Elbert Counties 7/24
Tony Gomme and I birded southeast of Denver today.
The weather was precarious; at times the skies looked
to produce tornadoes or hail. It was cool however.
We found three Dickcissels calling along Elbert Road.
They were at their usual location 4.6 miles south of
Highway 83 and Elbert County Road.
Our next stop was the Winkler Ranch south of Castlewood Canyon Road.
We observed 4 male and 2 female Bobolinks in the field 0.5 miles
south of the ranch's entrance. Many Brewer's Blackbirds flew about also.
Western Scrub Jays, a Cordilleran Flycatcher, five Mountain Bluebirds and
two Western Bluebirds were also added to our trip list. At least fourteen
Turkey Vultures flew overhead at the south end of Castlewood Canyon SP.
We observed two Golden Eagles and two Red-tailed Hawks also.
At Cherry Creek Reservoir, one Green Heron, one Great Blue Heron, and
one Black-crowned Night-Heron were in the weeds along the outlet
canal of the Prairie Loop Wetlands Pond.
One first year Herring Gull stood on the telephone poles that surround
the southwest marina. Lightning and dark clouds chased us back to Denver.
Birding Denver 7/21-7/22
Chris Fagyal and I birded around Denver the past two days.
Calling our trip Denver is misleading; we were stunned that
we traveled 350 miles and stayed within an hour of Denver.
Saturday 21
While on my favorite owl loop north of Denver International Airport we found
a dozen Burrowing Owls at Powhaton Road and 128th avenue (Adams County).
We did not stop at the other four Prairie Dog villages along the loop.
During a 15-mile drive we found many Lark Buntings and 55 Swainson's Hawks.
At Crow Valley Campground near Briggsdale (Weld County), we photographed
Common Nighthawks, Bullock's Orioles, Brown Thrashers, Western Kingbirds,
Eastern Kingbirds, and Lark Sparrows. I captured some good shots of
McCown's Longspurs and Chestnut-collared Longspurs out on the
Pawnee National Grasslands while driving the self-guiding birding tour
(maps can be found at Crow Valley campground).
While McCown's Longspurs were everywhere, Chestnut-collared Longspurs
seemed limited to CR 69 and CR 100. We estimated the Lark Bunting count
at 5,000 or more! No Mountain Plovers could be located.
A Prairie Dog village at CR 94 & CR 61 contained at least seven Burrowing Owls.
The highlight of the drive was watching a Prairie Falcon from 25 yards!
At Windsor Lake (Weld County) we photographed American White Pelicans,
Double-crested Cormorants, and Common Mergansers. The water was higher
than two weeks ago and the island where the Common Tern and Arctic Tern
stood last week has disappeared.
Sunday 22
We were in Pike National Forest near Bailey (Jefferson County) at first light.
A male Three-toed Woodpecker was observed 600 yards south of the park
boundary sign and 2 females and another male were observed 75 yards
north of the Skipper Trailhead. They were kind enough to cross the trail
in front of us. Of course this was after a 3-mile hike down Buck Gulch trail.
We also photographed a female Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Olive-sided Flycatchers,
Cordilleran Flycatchers, Steller's Jays, Mountain Chickadees, Chipping Sparrows
feeding a young fledgling, Mountain Bluebirds, Common Ravens, and American Crows.
Our next stop was Tina Jones' home at 4400 Bowmar, Littleton (Jefferson County).
The temperatures were hot and 4:30pm was too early for the hummingbirds to make
an appearance. So we drove south to Waterton Canyon (Jefferson).
East of the Discovery Pavilion, we filmed a male Blue Grosbeak and male
American Kestrel. A hike up Waterton Canyon produced sightings of a
male Lazuli Bunting. We heard an Indigo Bunting, however it never came
out of the brush. Bullock's Orioles, Western Kingbirds, and Tree Swallows
were everywhere. No hawks or eagles flew about at all!
Our only hawk of the day was not observed until 7:00pm (difficult to believe
we would not see more). An immature Swainson's Hawk stood on the stop light
pole over the intersection of Wadsworth Blvd and Quincy.
A return to Tina Jones' yard at 7:00-7:30pm again did not get us any
hummingbird photos. Two unidentified hummers flew rapidly by.
Tina did see a male Calliope Hummingbird about 3 minutes after our departure.
I am sitting in the shade on my porch (with no hiking boots on!)
after not being home for 23 days (3,450 miles all in Colorado).
I will try and shift through the 300 photos by the end of the week
and put some on the CoBus website.
Continued Hunt for Owls 7/15-20
I continued my hunt for owls. Again various weather conditions and
temperatures were experienced throughout the week.
The afternoon rains probably kept down the number of owls I found.
It seemed to rain just before dark. I wondered how this affected the owls?
Also I became sidetracked toward the end of the week by a Black Skimmer!
During the three-week trip, I traveled 3,150 miles in Colorado and was
accompanied by four different birders at times.
July 15
I tried to find Gunnison Sage-Grouse one more time before first light;
without success again. I then moved on to Ouray and south.
Several Black Swifts were flying over Box Canyon Falls during my brief stop.
A second attempt was made to locate the White-winged Crossbills reported by
Coen Dexter west of Lizard Head Pass. I was driving a two-wheel drive car and
had to walk the last 2 miles to the location. Neither White-winged Crossbills
nor Three-toed Woodpeckers reported July 4 were found during the hike.
The view is worth the trip however!
I birded around Silverton in the afternoon. A male Calliope Hummingbird was
visiting a feeder in town. Few other birds flew about and I shortly left.
Hermosa Park was my next destination. I stopped at Sig Campground off FR 578.
A Three-toed Woodpecker was found about 0.5 miles up the road from the
campground. Two Grace's Warblers were heard high in the trees at the
campground. A Boreal Owl called after dark (approximately 11:00pm).
A two-mile walk did not produce any further owl sightings/hearings.
July 16
Haviland campground was searched for birds in the morning. An Osprey
flying overhead surprised me (my highest altitude sighting of the species).
No additional Three-toed Woodpeckers were found; however three more
Grace's Warblers, many nuthatches (three species), and a male
Williamson's Sapsucker were observed.
Three Acorn Woodpeckers were in their usual location in Wildcat Canyon.
Nothing uncommon was found while searching the Animas River in
Durango or during a short drive south. I stopped in town to see if
the female Harlequin Duck was around; she was not found.
I next headed to Pastorius Reservoir. While this might be a good spot
for wintering birds, it was dead this afternoon. So I drove on to
Vallecito Reservoir. No uncommon birds were found here either.
No owls could be found while checking six campgrounds after dark.
July 17
A stop at Chimney Rock in the morning produced sightings of Broad-tailed
Hummingbirds and a male Rufous Hummingbird. A drive up First Fork Road
(FR 622) found several Grace's Warblers and two Band-tailed Pigeons.
Continuing east, I drove up Piedra Road (FR 631) to Williams Creek Reservoir.
Birds of interest found during the day were several flocks of Band-tailed
Pigeons, two Blue Grouse, and a Northern Goshawk. I heard several
Grace's Warblers, however never observed them. Williamson's Sapsuckers
and Red-naped Sapsuckers were present also.
I went owling after dark and heard a Flammulated Owl near Williams Creek
Campground and a Northern Saw-whet Owl south of Bridge Campground.
Cimmarona CG, Teal Picnic Grounds, East Fork, and West Fork Campgrounds
did not add any owls to my trip list.
July 18
Two Black Swifts joined many White-throated Swifts flying around
Treasure Falls just west of Wolf Creek Pass summit.
I checked Rio Grande Reservoir and Santa Maria Reservoir without
adding any uncommon birds to my trip list. I rested most of the
afternoon as I planned quite a night of owling.
I enjoyed an interesting night of owling. A Flammulated Owl responded
to my tapes near Lost Trail Campground. While Thirty Mile, River Hill,
and Road Canyon Campgrounds were quiet.
While hiking near Slumgullion Pass, two Boreal Owls answered my tapes!
The evening was quite pleasant with little wind for a change.
South Clear Creek CG produced another Flammulated Owl calling
while North Clear Creek Campground was quiet.
Rio Grande CG was also quiet; Marshall Park CG had a Northern Pygmy-Owl!
The bird was quite vocal for 10 minutes and then nothing.
The night ended east of Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge.
A Western Screech-Owl called while I setup my tent for
a well-deserved rest just before the sun started to rise.
July 19
I drove North toward Poncha Pass and Salida. I quick side trip to the
Buena Vista Overlook produced sightings of Pinyon Jays and a flock of
20 Bushtits. Many Mountain Bluebirds were along the Arkansas River
below the overlook. The next planned stop was Hayden Creek.
Many Western Tanagers and a few Evening Grosbeaks were observed
while hiking between Hayden Creek and Coaldale campgrounds.
The plan was to go owling during the night; however at 1:00pm
I received an interesting e-mail. Duane Nelson had found a Black Skimmer
at Jet Lake. I could not resist an attempt at the sighting along with
the Reddish Egret at Neenoshe Reservoir and Pomarine Jaeger at Upper Queens.
Three hours later I was at Jet Lake (this was very good time for me as my
friends know I drive quite slow). After all, I am always looking for birds!
The search for the Black Skimmer at Jet Lake was not successful.
An adult Great Black-backed Gull was standing on the shoreline however.
There are so many bodies of water in the area; the bird could have been
anywhere. I decided to check many of them, however first went to
Neenoshe Reservoir to see the Reddish Egret.
Lo and behold, the Black Skimmer was flying around the northwest end of
Neenoshe Reservoir! While watching the Skimmer, I noticed the white-morph
Reddish Egret in the corner also! The Black Skimmer took off east and
southward as I tried to get a better look at the egret.
I next went to Upper Queens Reservoir to search unsuccessfully for the
Pomarine Jaeger last reported the previous Saturday. The Skimmer had
appeared to come this way; it was not here nor at Lower Queens Reservoir
either. My day ended with an unsuccessful search at Thurston Reservoir.
July 20
I camped at Fort Lyons Wildlife Area. An American Bittern called most of
the night. Three or four Black Rails joined in about 30 minutes before
first light. The many mosquitoes caused me to leave as soon as possible.
A stop at Blue Lake on the way to La Junta, added four Least Terns to
my trip list. Not much else was observed, as I did not travel to the
north side of the reservoir. The day was heating up quickly; the cooler
temperatures experienced in the mountains earlier in the week were missed.
My next stop was the Higbee Cemetery about 16 miles south of La Junta.
A male Vermilion Flycatcher was found in my 30-minute search. He was
in the large cottonwood along the canal and east of the cemetery.
No females were found. A male Ladder-backed Woodpecker, six Mountain Bluebirds,
and two Northern Mockingbirds were also observed from the cemetery.
I checked for Inca Doves in Rocky Ford and did not find any.
Three Eurasian Collared-Doves were off Road FF.5.
Nothing unusual was found at the Rocky Ford Water Treatment Facility
(formerly Rocky Ford Sewage Ponds, as I will go with the name the
locals prefer). Lake Henry had few birds and many mosquitoes.
Lake Meredith did not show much either.
I headed for home (Denver) by way of highway 94 and Elbert Road.
I stopped at Cici Lee's spot for Dickcissel and heard one or two birds.
At Joe Tenbrink's favorite spot (4.5 miles south of Elbert County Road
and highway 83, I found five additional Dickcissels.
Four male and two female Bobolinks were 0.5 miles south of the entrance
to the Winkler Ranch (Castlewood Canyon Road, 2.0 miles south of the
State Park). Half a dozen Mountain Bluebirds and two Western Bluebirds
were also in the area. Many Brewer's Blackbirds showed up also.
My day ended along my favorite owl loop (see website for directions)
north of DIA. I also drove along Buckley Road, the east side of
Rocky Mountain Arsenal. Many Lark Buntings and at least five
Grasshopper Sparrows were observed.
(0.4 miles south of Buckley Road & 88th avenue)
Burrowing Owls were found:
2 owls (3.0 miles north of Buckley Road & 56th avenue)
2 owls (3.4 miles east of Tower Rd & 96th avenue)
5 owls (0.7 miles east of 120th avenue amp; Picadilly Road)
14 owls (Powhaton Road & 128th avenue)
Skies clouded up as I headed for home.
Hunting for Owls 7/10-14
My three-week search for owls continues. I figure to cover almost
3000 miles before the end of the trip. The weather has been quite
variable; at least I am missing the hot weather down on the plains!
July 10
A Spotted Owl was heard while in El Paso County. This will be the highlight
of the trip. The species is protected by law and therefore the location
cannot be revealed. My last Spotted Owl sighting (hearing) was 1996!
I checked Teller County both at Missouri Gulch and Hotel Gulch for owls.
No owls were heard; the locations are known for nesting Flammulated Owls.
July 11
The next part of my trip was to the Wet Mountains especially around the
Ophir Creek and Spring Creek area. Two Blue Grouse were observed
near Spring Creek trail near sunset. Two Northern Saw-whet Owls called
after dark (I was walking the Spring Creek Trail eastward).
I later drove down highway 165 to the north. I stopped every 0.5 miles
and listened for owls. One Flammulated Owl was heard approximately
0.7 miles south of the turnoff for Ophir Creek Campground.
A check of Ophir Creek and Davenport Campgrounds did not find any owls calling.
I eventually ended up at a private ranch along highway 165. A Flammulated Owl
was calling and after 20 minutes I managed to put a spotlight on it!
July 12
I continued southward and visited Lake Dorothey Wildlife Area. This WLA is
accessed from New Mexico by way of Raton. In 1996 there was a flock of
Acorn Woodpeckers observed in the area. While no Acorn Woodpeckers were found
today, I did see three species of Empidonax Flycatchers (Cordilleran, Hammond's,
and Willow). There were many swallows also (Cliff, Tree, Northern Rough-winged).
The area seems to have great potential; I need to visit it in a better time
of year. My trips here always seem to be in the summer and winter seasons.
I spent the night at the Blue Lake area of Cuchara. Again during the night
a Flammulated Owl called around 10:00pm. The bird flew overhead
several times in response to my tape. It did not land near me however.
July 13
In the early morning (4:30am), I was fortunate to get a Northern Pygmy-Owl
to respond to my tapes. The bird was only 0.5 miles west of highway 12.
I never managed a sighting of the owl. The bird stopped calling after
20 minutes or so. A Blue Grouse crossed the road on my trip back to hwy 12.
A stop at Brush Hollow Wildlife Area did not add any interesting birds to my
trip list. The Yellow-billed Cuckoo found last weekend was not found today.
I stopped next at the Royal Gorge. The adult Peregrine Falcon flew overhead
just like last weekend) after only a 15 minute wait. The two juvenile birds
did not make an appearance (maybe one has to go into the park to see them).
I stopped at the Photo Overlook to avoid the entrance fee.
My trek then took me west to Ouray. In the late afternoon, I drove west of
Lizard Head Pass in search of the Three-toed Woodpeckers and White-winged
Crossbills reported last weekend. Neither species were located by me.
Five Black Swifts flew around Box Canyon Falls at dusk.
After a great dinner in Ouray, I traveled back to Gunnison.
July 14
My plan was to rest most of Saturday in Gunnison. I did meet up with local
birder and college student Steve Owdom for a search for Gunnison Sage-Grouse.
We checked several locations without finding any birds.
I returned to a couple of locations near the airport in late afternoon and
again enjoyed no success in the search for the new species (after the
recent split of Sage Grouse into Greater and Gunnison Sage-Grouse).
Hunting for Owls 7/9 Eastern Slope
Chuck Litterst and I headed to the mountains in search of Northern Pygmy Owls.
We arrived at Pine Valley Ranch at 4:30am. We did not hear any NOPO during
our hour search. Several Common Nighthawks fed on the insects over the lake.
Our next destination was Georgia Pass. A hike from the burn area known for
Three-toed Woodpeckers and Northern Pygmy Owls to 0.5 miles from the summit
did not produce sightings of either bird. We did see a colorful pair of
Pine Grosbeaks. Several Lincoln Sparrows were in a marshy area.
Pine Siskins, Audubon Warblers, and Mountain Chickadees fluttered about the
pine trees. One Red-tailed Hawk stood on a telephone pole.
Surprisingly, only one Gray Jay made an appearance during our trek.
Unfortunately, we observed many Brown-headed Cowbirds along lower Michigan Creek
Road as we drove up towards the Georgia Pass summit.
Hunting for Owls 7/5-7/8 Colorado Western Slope
Elisa Enders and I birded western Colorado the last three days.
The temperatures were hot! The winds were hot! Did I mention it was hot!
July 6
At 4:30am, we enjoyed a calling Boreal Owl on the Grand Mesa (Mesa County).
On the trip back down to Grand Junction we ran across (but not over)
a female Blue Grouse 1.1 miles north of Spruce Grove Campground.
We stopped briefly at Cameo (Mesa) once we reached Interstate 70.
At the first closed gate after turning south toward the Book Cliffs
we stopped and observed two adult Chukars accompanied by 38 young!
Fourteen Pinyon Jays flew in while we watched the Chukars.
Two Black-throated Sparrows were also here.
We checked for Scott's Orioles at Rabbit Valley (Mesa) (south and north)
and Brewster's Ridge (several locations); without success.
We observed a male Scott's Oriole immediately after stopping at
Road M.8 & Salt Creek. A few minutes later, we observed a
female Scott's Oriole. We were still uncertain of the female
Scott's Oriole and remained an additional 3.5 hours before
confirming our sightings. The trees are on private land and
we had to wait for them to pop out of the south end of the grove.
Hoping to find three species of bluebirds at Tiara Rado Golf Course
we drove there next. Two Western and three Mountain Bluebirds were
found (however no Eastern Bluebirds made an appearance).
July 7
At 12:00am and again at 4:30am, we observed one and heard another
Flammulated Owl on the Uncompahgre Plateau (Mesa County).
Several Blue Grouse and five Grace's Warblers were observed on our
drive out of the area. A Northern Pygmy-Owl was heard when we
stopped to watch the White-throated Swifts at Carson's Hole on the plateau.
At Box Canyon Falls, Ouray (Ouray County) we watched six Black Swifts and
several White-throated Swifts fly overhead. Two Black-headed Grosbeaks,
one Orange-crowned Warbler, and a Hermit Thrush came down to the creek
during our stay. We also enjoyed the cool spray from the waterfall.
We stopped at the Waunita Springs Sage-Grouse lek (Gunnison County),
however found no birds during an hour scoping of the hills.
July 8
We observed some birds of interest during a two-hour hike at Temple Canyon
State Park (Fremont County). Four+ Gray Flycatchers, 3+ Gray Vireos,
5+ Black-headed Grosbeaks, 2+ Juniper Titmice, 6+ Blue-gray Gnatcatchers,
and 3+ Ash-throated Flycatchers were added to our day list.
Just before first light, we heard a Northern Pygmy-Owl just north of
the state park. Several Common Nighthawks called in the same area.
We next traveled around to the eastern entrance of the Royal Gorge (Fremont).
An adult Peregrine Falcon flew not too far overhead for about 10 minutes.
We enjoyed watching 40+ White-throated Swifts while waiting for the Peregrine
Falcon to flew near the its nest. We did not see the two immature birds reported.
Note: We watched the swifts and falcon from the photo overlook and avoided
the entrance fee charged to spend the day inside the Royal Gorge proper.
A brief stop at Brush Hollow Wildlife Area (Fremont) did not produce a
Ladder-backed Woodpecker sighting. However, a Yellow-billed Cuckoo was
observed in the cottonwoods below the dam. Many Turkey Vultures soared
overhead; none of them were a Common Black-Hawk.
Our last stop of the trip was the Swallows Road (Pueblo County),
west of Pueblo Reservoir. A Curve-billed Thrasher jumped down
from a cactus and then returned to a nest above. She allowed us
a 20-minute look!
Many Northern Mockingbirds and Loggerhead Shrikes were in the area.
Elbert County 7/3
Rebecca Kosten and I had planned to get some work done this morning and
after the temperatures cooled toward evening, head to Elbert County.
We stopped at Parker Regional Park (Douglas County) on our way south
out of Denver. We hiked the cement bike path south to the wooden fence.
While at the wooden fence, we observed a Cassin's Kingbird in the field
to the west. On the trip back to the parking area, we relocated the
singing male American Redstart reported earlier in the day by
Glenn Walbek (thanks much Glen)! We were amazed by the number of
Lesser Goldfinches mixing with several dozen American Goldfinches.
The rain had just stopped and many birds came out and sang like crazy.
A male Bullock's Oriole and Eastern Kingbird also fed on the Elk's Thistle
in the field west of the bike path.
Our next destination was the alfalfa field 4.1 miles south of highway 86
and Elbert County Road (Elbert County of course). We parked 0.6 miles
north of the Red Barn. Seven Dickcissels were observed and we believe
at least another 5-10 heard. They were centered on the field with the
taller, dark green "plants". It was not alfalfa anyway; as a city boy,
I saw a picture of that in a book once :-)
A male Bobolink was off to the east in the wet meadow just west of
Kiowa Creek. Behind us to the west, many Lark Buntings called in the
wild grasses. Several Grasshopper Sparrows and one Red-tailed Hawk
also made appearances. There were many Western Meadowlarks also.
We stopped at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County) on the trip home.
The wetlands east of the Prairie Loop have lost much water to evaporation
with the high 90s temperatures in the past three days.
I circled the pond and on the trip back to the car, two Green Herons
popped out of the taller weeds around the eastern end of the pond.
An adult and immature Black-crowned Night-Heron flew in while we watched
the Green Herons. A Great Blue Heron also hunted in the diminished pond.
One Baird's Sandpiper joined four Killdeers. I had to wait 20 minutes
or so before the bird showed his tail (I was hoping for a really late
White-rumped Sandpiper).
A great afternoon of birding was ended under
one of the most colorful sunsets of the year.
Castlewood Canyon State Park 7/1
Dale and Nancy Kinard of North Dakota, Rebecca Kosten and I traveled
south of Denver to Castlewood Canyon today. Temperatures reached the
high 90s; the strong winds were hot and breathe taking.
During a four-mile hike along the lower canyon trail we found White-breasted
and Red-breasted Nuthatches. Ruby-crowned Kinglets called from the treetops.
A Canyon Wren called from the rocks just west of overlook at highway 83.
Bird of the day was a male Northern Goshawk deep in the trees at the western end.
Two Red-tailed Hawks and many Turkey Vultures flew overhead. The only warbler
observed was a lone Wilson's Warbler. One Townsend's Solitaire was singing.
Later we traveled to the Winkler Ranch south of the park, Castlewood Canyon Road.
We observed at least four males and a female Bobolink in the field 0.5 miles south
of the ranch's entrance. We did not hear the Dickcissel reported last week.
Again, no Lewis's Woodpeckers were found (now in the last nine trips).
More Bird Trips
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