Rich Stevens' Bird Trips
March 2004
Birding North of Denver 3/31
Rebecca Kosten & I enjoyed the beautiful spring day by birding North
of Denver. Winds were calm to mild; temperatures reached 76 degrees!
Our plan was to search the traditional Mountain Plover sites on
the Pawnee National Grasslands (Weld County).
We stopped briefly at the north end of Strauss Cabin Lake (Larimer).
Two Tundra Swans continue on the pond just south of the Archery/Trailhead.
We turned East and headed down Highway 14 (from Fort Collins).
Our first stop was the intersection of Hwy 14 & Weld County Road 51.
A Burrowing Owl stood on the ridge 200 yards to the northeast.
Our first Mountain Plover success as 5 Mountain Plovers were spotted
in the field at the southeast corner! We continued East for 0.7 miles
to the first driveway on the south side of hwy 14 (Dyers place).
Two additional Mountain Plovers were on the ridge to the southwest.
This appears to be the same field that borders hwy 14 & CR 51.
We returned to CR 51 and headed North to CR 90. Mountain Plover
are usually observed at the northeast and southeast corners of
this intersection; though none today. The drive along CR 51 is
usually good for Sage Thrashers (we were probably a week or two
early). We did see a Say's Phoebe here!
From CR 90, we turned East and returned to hwy 14 and continued East.
Our next loop was CR 61, North to CR 94, East to CR 63, South to CR
92, East to CR 65, South to Hwy 14. The northeast corner of CR 61 &
94 is another good Mountain Plover location; not today. The Field
to the north of CR 94 especially north from CR 94 and 63 is also a
great traditional location of plover; not today. Along this route
we observed over 200 McCown's Longspurs. Along CR 65, 0.2 miles
north of hwy 14, two Chestnut-collared Longspurs were found!
Once back at hwy 14, we headed East to Crow Valley Campground
(CR 77). The campground was quiet; I do not remember seeing
a bird other than a Northern Flicker.
A Long-eared Owl was observed in the southeast corner of the Briggsdale
cemetery. We looked for Northern Saw-whet Owls in the fir trees along
the north side of the Work Center; without success.
We met a couple from Colorado Springs at the campground who had just
driven CR 61 and observed 3 Burrowing Owls (but missed the plover).
So we went back 13 miles and found the colony 0.1 miles South of CR
61 & 94 (a successful location for at least the last five years).
Our next stop was Loloff Reservoir (in search of the previously
reported Greater Scaup; without success). Our first American Avocet
of the year was observed. A Great-tailed Grackle was found along
the south side of Lower Latham Reservoir (CR 48). We continued
south to Beebe Draw, which was a bust. Then headed East on CR 42
to Kersey Road (which leads south to I76). Two Burrowing Owls
were observed at one of their traditional nesting locations (0.4 miles
West of Kersey Road). Then we headed South on Kersey Road.
Once on I76, we headed southwest to Barr Lake (Adams). A 20-minute
stop did not find the Harris's & White-throated Sparrows. Common
Grackles have found the feeders at the visitor’s center (count was
over 60 birds). Great-tailed Grackles were observed again at the
corral (1.1 miles East of Picadilly Road & Bromley Lane) and the
field east of the log house (0.4 miles south of same intersection).
The DIA Owl Loop was driven next. Finally some success enjoyed
(latest failure was Monday). Two Burrowing Owls were 0.7 miles
East of 128th avenue & Picadilly Road; two Burrowing Owls were
at 120th avenue & Powhaton; six Burrowing Owls were 3.4 miles
East of Tower Road & 96th avenue!!!
Our birding day ended by watching the six Burrowing Owls and
a colorful sunset!
Loveland Ski Basin 3/30
Another cobirder & I traveled to Loveland Ski Basin today.
Weather was fantastic again. Winds were mild and temperatures warm.
News was not good for Rosy Finches watchers. When we arrived at
12:30pm, two Gray-crowned Rosy Finches visited the feeder at Lift #1
for only about 3 minutes. At 3:30pm, one Brown-capped Rosy Finch
came to the feeder again for 2 or 3 minutes. In a total of 2 hours
of watching, these were the only Rosy Finches observed.
The total of the rest of the birds visiting were 2 Pine Siskins
(3 or 4 times), 2 Common Grackles, 2 Red-winged Blackbirds,
3 Mountain Chickadees, and 1 Slated-colored Dark-eyed Junco.
I suggest either coming during a snowstorm such as last Saturday
when all three species were observed or during the first or last
30 minutes of direct sunlight on the feeders (presently 8:10am
and 3:55pm respectively).
I also hiked from mile marker 216 to 218 of Interstate 70 and back.
No birds (no crossbills, owls, grouse) were observed. I did check
on the location of last months Northern Pygmy-Owl and last weeks
Blue Grouse; without success.
We decided to drive into Silverthorne for Dinner. Along the way, we
stopped at the Blue River Water Treatment Ponds. No Goldeneyes
were there. A male and female Wood Duck (my first for Summit County)
swam among Gadwalls and Mallards.
A Brief Drive through Barr Lake Area 3/29
Rebecca Kosten & I birded briefly around the Barr Lake area.
The weather was fantastic with mild winds and temps around 60 degrees.
No Burrowing Owls were found on the DIA Owl Loop (drivable part,
we did not hike Buckley Road along the East side of the Rocky
Mountain Arsenal).
Two White-crowned Sparrows were the only two sparrows
coming to the visitor center's feeders. A Loggerhead Shrike
stood atop the bushes where the sparrows usually hid and fed.
Approximately 20 Great-tailed Grackles were at the corral
1.1 miles East of Picadilly Road & Bromley Lane.
Weld County Snowstorm 3/28
Rebecca Kosten & I birded in some nasty weather Sunday. We ran into
snowstorms several times. However, we still enjoyed the drive on the
Pawnee National Grasslands (Weld County) even with the lack of birds.
No Mountain Plovers were found at the historical locations.
Two Chestnut-collared Longspurs and many McCown's Longspurs
were sighted along CR 96 (1.5 miles West of CR 77). Again no
Mountain Plovers. This is part of the self-guided car tour
(free maps at campgrounds). A Ferruginous Hawk and
Prairie Falcon flew by during the hour search.
At Crow Valley Campgrounds, a Brown Thrasher moved about
the willows at the north end and probably our highlight of
the day. No much else, one Long-eared Owl. Nothing moved
around north of the campground and east to the work center.
Lower Latham Reservoir (Weld) was difficult to see anything
with the bad weather. Should have gone by Loloff to look at
Greater Scaup, but did not.
We did see the Harris's and White-throated Sparrows in the bushes
at the southwest corner of Barr Lake's visitor's center (Adams).
The big highlight of the day for any of my trips up that way is
the Burrito at the Texaco Station at Kersey Road & Highway 34.
His fresh made sandwiches are fantastic!
Fremont County 3/27
I enjoyed a long day of birding by joining the DFO/AVAS trip
to Canon City. After we left the pouring rain in Denver, the off
and on sunshine in Canon City made for a nice day.
We first hiked a mile or so of the Arkansas Riverwalk (Fremont
County). Some of the birds observed were a Turkey Vulture,
White-breasted Nuthatch, and Cinnamon Teal. L. Wilcockson found
a Harris's Sparrow at mile marker 3/4. We looked for the elusive
Swamp Sparrows without success. A mysterious sparrow was followed
in the area of the Swamp Sparrows, but never identified. I also saw
a small wren with a very short tail, which also was never identified.
At a private yard on the south side of Canon City, we watched
a Curve-billed Thrasher, Scaled Quail, and Canyon Towhee.
Valco Ponds added just about every duck one sees in Colorado
including a pair of Cinnamon Teal, Green-winged Teal, and a
Blue-winged Teal. Gordon found 7 Franklin's Gulls in the field
north of the ponds. Virginia Rail called from the cattails
and several Marsh Wrens also.
Three of our cars (including the one I was in) got lost on the way
to the Florence Sewage Ponds. It turned out to be a bonus. Eight
Eurasian Collared-Doves were in the small park at Meadowlark
and Loma Streets. We had missed the Eurasian Collared-Doves
in Canon City (at the Circle Drive area).
At the sewage ponds, 14+ Franklin's Gulls flew overhead.
Our trip was over and C. Blakeslee, Gordon, and I decided to
stop by Penrose on the way back to Denver. Chris spotted an
Eurasian Collared-Dove at 8th & A streets in Penrose (Fremont).
We hiked around Brush Hollow Wildlife Area for about an hour.
Two flocks of Bushtits (about 20) were encountered in the
Pinyon Pines. Unfortunately we did not find any Juniper Titmice
or Ladder-backed Woodpeckers today. A Great Horned Owl sat
on a nest below the dam. Many White-crowned and Song Sparrows
fluttered about. A pair of Canyon Towhees walked the rocks.
A lone Osprey hunted over the reservoir.
On Interstate 25 near Castle Rock, a Swainson's Hawk flew
from a telephone pole and over our car!
Cherry Creek Reservoir 3/26
Rebecca Kosten & I rode our bikes through Cherry Creek State Park
(Arapahoe County). While temperatures were warm; winds were 20-40 mph.
This made the ride rather unpleasant and identifying water birds difficult.
No uncommon gulls were located. The highlight was the male Cinnamon Teal
which remains on the pond east of Cottonwood Creek loop.
Colorado Mountains 3/23-3/25
Bryan Ehlmann & I enjoyed an interesting two days in the Colorado
Mountains. As every spring, the weather changes from hour to hour.
We ran into two snowstorms between some great sunny and calm times.
March 23
Loveland Ski Basin (Clear Creek County) was checked briefly for
Rosy Finches. Only two Gray-crowned Rosy came to the lift #1
feeder during our 30-minute stop.
Seven male and five female Barrow's Goldeneye were at the
Blue River Water Treatment Plant in Silverthorne (Summit).
No Rosy Finches were found in Kremmling (Grand).
We enjoyed a colorful sunset at the Coalmont Lek (Jackson).
However we watched a storm rolling in from the East.
At least five Greater Sage-Grouse were observed on the
road into the lek.
Our birding day ended at Cameron pass where we searched for
Boreal Owls. One bird was found just west of the pass' summit.
No additional owls were found from the upper parking area of
Joe Wright Reservoir to 2.0 miles west of Cameron pass.
We stopped about every 0.5 miles and played a tape; without
further responses. It was snowing and winds were howling.
March 24
At first light, we watched three Sharp-tailed Grouse come to
the 20-mile road lek south of Hayden (Routt). We rushed over
to the 80 route leks where in past years Sharp-tailed Grouse,
Greater Sage-Grouse, and Blue Grouse could all be observed.
Unfortunately, the road was blocked and we turned around.
Thanks to Steve Spencer for a phone call telling us about
that (about 8 hours too late :-)
We ended our birding day checking out the leks north of Craig
(leks off Highway 13). No further birds were encountered.
We decided not to head to Grand Junction (another 90 miles West)
as both of us are returning to western Colorado in a week or two.
March 25
I decided to get some exercise (tired from sitting in a car for
two days). So, I rode my bike from 40th avenue RTD park and
ride to Barr Lake and back (44 miles) as I followed the DIA Owl
loop. The five Prairie Dog Villages where Burrowing Owls
eventually show up were checked without finding any owls.
Those locations are (in order of best success):
3.4 miles East of 96th Avenue & Tower Road
Powhaton Road & 128th Avenue
Picadilly Road & 112th Avenue
0.5 miles North of Picadilly Road & 128th Avenue
0.7 miles East of Picadilly Road & 120th Avenue.
I did have success along the Eastern side of the Rocky Mountain
Arsenal. This road is now closed to vehicles and requires a
3.0-mile hike or bike ride to explore. One Burrowing Owl was
observed on the East side of the Buckley (Adams County) about
0.5 miles north of the Eagle Watch Bunker (bird was 80 yards
east of road, up on the hill). Another bird was observed on
the West side of the road (Denver County) about 20 yards beyond
the fence and 1.5 miles North of the bunker.
Along Buckley I also observed 2 American Kestrels,
1 Ferruginous Hawk, and a Prairie Falcon!
Barr Lake Area 3/22
Another cobirder & I visited Barr Lake (Adams County) this
afternoon. Winds were calm; temperatures reached 78 degrees.
I hiked from the Visitor's Center to the north end of the dam
(3.0 miles) and then back. Few ducks were around the dam today.
Three boats probably moved the ducks to the closed to boats area.
Therefore, no Long-tailed Duck or Barrow's Goldeneye were observed.
The Great Horned Owl still sits on her nest.
The Harris's Sparrow & White-throated Sparrow were observed
in the bushes at the southwest corner of the visitor's center.
Both cooperated and were observed while I was sitting on
the bench behind the building.
Great-tailed Grackles were observed both at the corral 1.1 miles
East of Picadilly Road & Bromley Lane (in the field just north of
the corral) and in the field 0.5 miles south of same intersections
(near log house).
No Burrowing Owls along the DIA owl loop yet.
Rocky Mountain Arsenal Tram Tour 3/20
Another cobirder and I joined the tram trip at the Rocky
Mountain Arsenal. The weather was great; birding was slow.
Birding wise, this trip is low on my list of events.
This trip is focused mostly on deer (Mule & White-tail).
Seldom did the tram stop long enough at the lakes for proper Id
of birds. Also, we did not go anywhere near the Prairie Dog
villages where possible Burrowing Owls may have been.
We did manage to see Common Goldeneye, Lesser Scaup, Redhead Duck,
Gadwall, Mallard, American Coots, Common Merganser, and a pair of
Canvasbacks. The Trumpeter Swan, which had been wintering was gone.
The highlight of the day was a Great Horned Owl.
We stopped next at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe). The few
gulls included Ring-billed, 9 Herring Gulls, 14 California Gulls,
and an adult Thayer's Gull. Ducks were too far away to ID.
Highlight of Cherry Creek S.P. was a male Cinnamon Teal on
the Cottonwood Creek Pond (formerly Prairie Loop).
Estes Park & Barr Lake 3/19
Friday, we enjoyed this beautiful last day of winter with
a trip to Estes Park. Temperatures reached 78 degrees
and winds were mild most of the day.
A quick stop at Jim Hamm Park (Boulder County) did not
find the Mew Gull last observed on 3/12.
The Eastern Towhee was spotted along Fish Creek about 4 minutes
after our arrival. The bird foraged along the creek approximately
0.1 miles west of Rockwood Circle (3.4 miles West of Highway 36
and Fish Creek Road). We watched the bird for 20 minutes while
sitting on the large rock along the trail and just east of the
tree bending over 45 degrees toward the south.
We continued walking along Fish Creek road for 0.4 miles to
Sanborn Drive. The previously reported Harris's Sparrow was
not found in a 20-minute search.
Our next stop was Strauss Cabin Lake by way of the Archery
Trailhead (along the west frontage road of I25 from the
Prospect Avenue Exit 268). The two Tundra Swans were
easy to pick out in the distance (at northern end of lake).
We headed toward home with a stop at the Barr Lake area.
Great-tailed Grackles were found north of the corral
(1.1 miles East of Picadilly & Bromley) and the field
north of the log home (0.5 miles South of Picadilly & Bromley).
The White-throated Sparrow was standing in the bushes at the
southeast corner of the visitor's center. A few minutes later the
Harris's Sparrow was found in the bushes 20 yards to the southwest.
We did not take the time to search for the Barrow's Goldeneye and
Long-tailed Duck below the dam. They could not be observed through
a scope while standing at the boat dock.
Our birding day ended with a drive around the DIA owl loop.
Still no Burrowing Owls, we did see the Golden Eagle observed
several weeks ago (again along the north end of the runways).
Southeastern Colorado 3/15-3/18
Bryan Ehlmann & I traveled down to southeast Colorado in search of
Lesser Prairie-Chicken and early migrant birds. The weather was
fantastic for winter; winds varied from mild to quite strong.
Monday 15
Our first stop was Fountain Creek Regional Park (El Paso County).
Few uncommon birds were observed. Twenty+ Eurasian Collared-Doves
were flying about.
Pueblo Reservoir (Pueblo) was slow, however we did not take
the time to scope the large lake. A trip over to the Swallows
Road area did add 2 Scaled Quail and a Curve-billed Thrasher
to our trip list. No Sage Thrashers were around this afternoon.
It is a little early for swallows; we observed none.
Tuesday 16
We spent the morning searching the three Lesser Prairie-Chicken leks
that are known to us. Three Lesser Prairie-Chickens visited the
Campo Lek (Baca). No Cassin's Sparrows were found (and not
expected as it is again too early). The other two leks were
empty (but not visited until after sunrise).
A Sage Thrasher was found while hiking the gravel road that
goes North from CR G at the turn south for the Campo Lek.
A Burrowing Owl was found along CR G as we headed to Campo.
Two Lark Buntings were at the farmhouse at one of my favorite
intersections (CR J & CR 36). The southeast corner had a Scaled
Quail and 2 Vesper Sparrows (short of my first date of 3/12 by
several days).
We drove around each of the county roads looking for additional
birds. A couple more Sage Thrashers and an Eastern Screech-Owl
were found. A visit to a friends ranch was a welcomed rest stop;
he had not observed any uncommon birds recently.
Ten Eurasian Collared-Doves were around the grain elevators
(College & 13th streets) in Springfield.
Wednesday 17
We spent the night in Springfield (Baca) and headed out at first
light. Nine Eurasian Collared-Doves were around the grain elevators
(College & 13th streets). A check of Pasture G (across from the
Washington Work Center) added a second Burrowing Owl to our trip
list. A Great Horned Owl was in the windbreaks at the work center.
The Upland Bird Management Area (Baca County) was slow. We did
observe a Short-eared Owl flying around the windmill about 1.0 mile
east of the parking area. No sparrows were around (this is one of
my favorite Cassin's Sparrow locations).
Picture Canyon was slow. We hiked to the pictograph area (0.7 miles
south of the parking area) and another 0.7 miles to Oklahoma border.
A few Rufous-crowned Sparrows (2) run across the rocks. A Greater
Roadrunner was near the small pond at the pictograph area. American
Kestrels and a Prairie Falcon flew overhead.
We headed to Cottonwood Canyon. Once in Cottonwood Canyon,
we hiked to the cattle guard 1.4 miles northeast.
Five Rufous-crowned Sparrows were located along the hike. Most (3)
were in the rocks just north of the cattle guard. Many Canyon
Towhees were passed along the walk. A few Canyon Wrens called
from the rocks above. A Greater Roadrunner also called from the
rocks southwest of the camping area.
The draw across the road from the campground (old cabin area) added
Lewis's Woodpeckers and a male Ladder-backed Woodpecker
to our trip list. Two Rock Wrens called near the draw (running
south) from 0.7 miles southwest of the campground.
The area is still not too birdy (early in the year), however the air
was filled with bird songs. Only one Say's Phoebe was found. In a
few weeks the canyon will be filled with them. No Eastern Phoebes
were around yet.
At around 7:00 PM, two Western Screech-Owls started calling from
the camping area.
Thursday 18
We arrived at the CoBus bird ranch (Las Animas) after midnight.
Tapes were played of Northern Saw-whet Owls and Northern Pygmy-Owls;
no owls responded this night.
A hike around the area was not productive. It was still a little
early for Kingbirds, most sparrows, orioles, and tanagers. Our
reliable Northern Saw-whet Owl was found with just a little effort.
Birding had been slow, so we decided to skip Lake Dorothey Wildlife
Area and headed west to Trinidad State Park (Las Animas). Not much
was observed here. However we did pick up our first two swallows
of 2004 (2 Tree Swallows)!
Heading North, our next stop was Lathrop State Park (Huerfano).
Again birding was slow. A Greater Roadrunner was observed in
the northwest corner of the park. Rangers claim that the birds do
nest in the State Park.
A check of Maria Reservoir did not find the swans that had
wintered here.
We looked for the Winter Wren in Colorado City (last reported on
1/17), but did not find it. A quick stop at Greenhorn Meadow Park
(Pueblo County) added 2 Lewis's Woodpeckers to our trip list.
Again we stopped at Valco Ponds and Pueblo Reservoir.
No swallows had showed up in the past few days.
We bypassed looking for Band-tailed Pigeons at Greenhorn Mountain
(Teller) as daylight was quickly disappearing by the time we
passed Highway 24.
Birding Around Denver 3/14
I enjoyed the beautiful winter day by visiting South Platte Park
in Littleton (Arapahoe County).
At first light, I hiked the 2.5 miles to Chatfield Reservoir and
back. Birds were few, but I did pick up my first Cinnamon Teal
of the year underneath the Mineral Avenue Bridge. The male bird
was here for 3 hours.
The five lakes of the park are passed during the hike.
Lake #1 & #4 had no birds. Lake # 2 had Hooded, Red-breasted,
and Common Mergansers. Lake #3 added two Pied-billed Grebes
to my day list. A Virginia Rail walked out of the cattails at
the south end of Lake #5. Chatfield Reservoir itself was slow.
I joined the Cooley Lake hike in hope of seeing the Mew Gull
reported three weeks ago. This lake is closed to birders except
during the 2nd Sunday of the month hike. Unfortunately, there
were no gulls on the lake at all. One male Northern Pintail Duck,
two Pied-billed Grebes, and many American Coots were there.
The hike from here to West Bowles Avenue (about 2 miles) was slow
also. I hoped to see the hybrid Hooded Merganser X Common Goldeneye
that has been around for about 2 years; I did not. A few Green-
winged Teal and Ring-billed Gulls were most of the birds observed.
It was too nice a day to go home, so I headed over to Barr Lake
(Adams). I hiked from the Visitor's Center to the West end of
the dam (about 3.0 miles) in hope of seeing the Long-tailed Duck
reported Thursday and Friday. It was never found in a 3-hour
search. I did see 5 or 6 Greater Scaup while scoping from the
west end of the dam. The male Barrow's Goldeneye first reported
by Glenn Walbek on Saturday was swimming just below the eastern
end of the dam (accompanied by 18 Common Goldeneyes).
My birding day ended with one of my favorite activities as I sat
and watched the sparrows coming to the feeders at the visitors center.
The White-throated Sparrow was again quite cooperative and showed
up right away and stayed in the open for 20 minutes. It took
about 40 minutes before the Harris's Sparrow jumped up from
below the bushes at the southwest corner of the building.
I should have mentioned before, that the best place to see the
White-throated Sparrow is from the bench behind the building
(at southeast corner). The Harris's Sparrow seems to move
between the bushes at the southwest corner to the two bushes
20 yards west. The White-throated Sparrow seems to stay in
the bushes closer to the building.
No owls were found along the DIA Owl Loop. The Northern Harrier
count was higher than previous trips (7 females, 2 males).
Douglas County 3/13
Chores required us to go to Parker (Douglas County) on Saturday.
So, we stopped at the 20-mile pond (CCC Bar Water Treatment
Facility). A quick walk around this pond (about 0.5 miles)
produced sightings of a Horned Grebe, Lesser Scaup, and
Common Goldeneyes. The Barrow's Goldeneye reported last
week was not here. Several Red-tailed Hawks flew overhead.
Nothing unusual was spotted at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe).
Waves were too high to allow identification of the many ducks,
which stayed in the middle of the lake.
Nothing unusual was spotted at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe).
Waves were too high to allow identification of the many ducks,
which stayed in the middle of the lake.
Gull Search In Boulder County 3/12
Another fantastic day in Colorado with warm temps and mild winds.
Several cobirders spent the day looking for gulls in Boulder County.
Early morning, the adult Mew Gull first reported by Woods on
Thursday was standing on the small island at Jim Hamm Park.
The bird walked around a bit and appeared to have a limp.
An adult Red-tailed Hawk flew over three times and scared
the gulls into flying around. After the third time, half of
them (including the Mew Gull) did not return.
Prince Lake #1 had no gulls on it. Prince Lake #2 had approximately
800+ Ring-billed Gulls. Marvel Lakes were void of gulls.
At Valmont Reservoir, we picked out a 1st year Glaucous Gull.
Debra Spahn observed this gull at Baseline Reservoir earlier
in the morning. She watched it fly north (toward Valmont?).
At Baseline Reservoir, we watched a 1st year Lesser Black-backed
Gull for about 20 minutes. After a time, it flew north.
There was at least one adult Thayer's Gull here also.
Birds flew when jogger with dog passed by.
We did not stay for their return as gulls circled reservoir.
Boulder Reservoir had no uncommon gulls.
On the way back to Denver, we passed the pond at 124th avenue,
1/2 mile West of Hwy 85 (Adams County). The Greater Scaup
reported yesterday by Tina Jones were not observed.
We also checked on Brunner Reservoir (Broomfield County) to see
if the Brant was still around. Few Canada Geese were about the lake
and the fields to the North. A dozen Lesser Scaup were on the reservoir.
The partial albino Red-tailed Hawk was at Margaret Pond in Westminster.
The bird has been at Sheridan & 104th Avenue for several years now.
We ended our birding day at Barr Lake (Adams). I sat on the benches
outside of the visitors center. The adult White-throated Sparrow
and immature Harris's Sparrow visited the feeders several times.
Mostly they stayed in the bushes at the southeast corner of the
building.
I ran into Terry Michaels who said he had observed a Long-tailed
Duck below the dam at the East end on Thursday. I could not find
it, but see that Faulkner reported the bird off the west end of
the dam today (too far away for my equipment).
Great-tailed Grackles were again observed at the corral (1.1 mile
East of Picadilly Road & Bromley Lane) and 0.5 miles south of
the same intersection (north of the log house).
No hawks or owls were found on the DIA owl loop (Adams/Denver
Counties). My first date for Burrowing Owls is 3/25 for the DIA owl
loop (and 3/15 for Comanche National Grasslands, Baca County).
Barr Lake 3/11
What a beautiful day in Colorado. Temperatures were in the 60s
and winds were mild.
CoBus has received three reports of Common Redpoll along the
Front Range in the past two days. Conifer, Genesee, and Ward.
All at private feeders.
I spent two hours Thursday watching private feeders in Genesee
(Jefferson County). The bird did not appear during my stay.
It was enjoyable watching American Goldfinch; Red-breasted,
White-breasted, and Pygmy Nuthatches; and Mountain Chickadees.
A brief stop at Barr Lake on the way home found the Harris's Sparrow
but not the White-throated Sparrow coming to the visitors center feeders.
I walked from the footbridge to the east end of dam to the north.
Two Great Horned Owls sat on nests.
Forty+ Great-tailed Grackles were at the corral 1.1 miles East of
Picadilly Road & Bromley Lane. Another 10+ at the feedlot 0.5 miles
South of same intersection (next to log house).
Arapahoe County Reservoirs 3/10
Four of us went on the CoBus Trip to Aurora Reservoir
led by Gary Weston. The weather was pleasant during our
7.8-mile hike around this reservoir out on the plains.
Winds did pick up around noon.
All three species of mergansers were found (Red-breasted (4),
Common (50+), and Hooded (3). Horned and Eared Grebes are back.
Two Western Grebes and 2 Pied-billed Grebes were also observed.
Ducks included Redheads, Ruddy Ducks, Northern Pintails, Mallards,
Gadwalls, Lesser Scaups, American Wigeons, Green-winged Teals, and
Common Goldeneyes. Two Double-crested Cormorant stood sunning
themselves at mile marker 3.0.
A Northern Shrike hunted along the southeast fence line. Sparrows
included many American Tree Sparrows and 6 Song Sparrows.
A Bald Eagle stood in the tall cottonwood below the dam.
Several American Kestrels and Northern Harriers hunted over
the Aspens and willows. Two Downy Woodpeckers worked the trees
around the store. Two Common Grackles were a surprise sighting!
It will not be long before there will be too many of them around.
Of course House Sparrows and European Starlings were everywhere.
Gulls included two nice uncommon ones, a 1st year Thayer's Gull and
an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull. Also observed were 4 California
Gulls, 30+ Herring Gulls, and 600+ Ring-billed Gulls. Many Dark-
eyed Juncos (including 2 White-winged) fluttered about the willows.
Our next stop was Quincy Reservoir (Arapahoe). Gulls numbered
800+, however no uncommon gulls were picked out. At least two
California Gulls and 20+ Herring Gulls were in the mixed.
Our final stop was Cherry Creek Reservoir. There were over 1200+
Ring-billed Gulls; we could not pick out any uncommon gulls.
The wind had picked up much and identification of the many ducks
in the center of the reservoir was difficult. If the Barrow's Goldeneye
and Greater Scaup were there, we could not identify them.
Loveland Ski Basin 3/9
I spent five hours at Loveland Ski Basin (Clear Creek)
while another cobirder skied the mountain. The weather was
fantastic for Loveland, which can be quite windy and cold.
Temperatures were in the 30s and winds mild.
I sat watching the feeder at Lift #1 from 11:30am to 2:00pm.
During that time Gray-crowned Rosy Finches visited the feeders
almost constantly. Three Brown-capped Rosy Finches visited
four times, usually when no other birds were there.
A surprise was the visit of an adult and juvenile Black Rosy
Finch which visited several times between 1:00-1:30pm (never
saw them again). I have not heard of a report of Black RF
for several months now. Perhaps there is hope to see more
during the upcoming Grouse Tours in two weeks.
From 2:00-3:00pm, I hiked the road down to Loveland Valley Ski Area
and beyond to I70. A month ago, I found a Northern Pygmy-Owl in the
clearing South of where the frontage road reaches I70 (not today).
Returning West I hiked in the forest and to the upper excess parking
area. I noticed some tracks in the snow and scanned the surrounding
trees. To my surprise a Blue Grouse was perched in a fir tree six
yards from the parking area. It was a male bird watching me closely!
From 3:00-4:00pm, several Gray-crowned Rosy Finches and two
Brown-capped Rosy Finches visited the Basin feeder.
Throughout my stay, 2 Gray Jays passed over the feeder, but never
landed. Several times they carried nesting material!
Six Red-winged Blackbirds unfortunately visited the feeder many
times and scared the Rosy Finches away. American Crows and
Common Ravens were observed often.
One of the manager's of Loveland pointed out that Tuesday and for
about a month, he has been seeing White-tailed Ptarmigan at the top
of the mountain. At 3:00pm he observed 6 birds, 100 feet below the
building at the top of Ptarmigan Roost run (below right side of
lift). He also observed 4 birds 200 feet out from the South Chutes.
Both sightings have been consistent. A lift ticket and ski
equipment are required, as Loveland does not allow people to just
ride the lifts up and back.
He also pointed out as I have that the best time to see Rosy Finches
is during or just after a snowstorm. During Sunday's 8 inches of
snow, he observed 200+ Rosy Finches (5 Blacks, 20+ Brown-capped,etc).
It was such a beautiful day (blue skies, white capped mountains,
green hills) that we decided to drive into Silverthorne (9 miles
west). Five male and 3 female Barrow's Goldeneye swan at the Blue
River Water Treatment Plant (Along Highway 9, 3.0 miles North of I70).
Birding Metro Denver 3/8
To get some exercise, Rebecca Kosten & I hiked several birding areas
in Jefferson County Monday. The weather was fantastic with 60 degree
temperatures and little wind in the morning. Winds turned strong
by the time we reached Cherry Creek Reservoir.
A hike at Wheat Ridge Greenbelt from the parking area off Kipling to
Youngfield Road was not birdy. No Eastern Screech-Owls could be
found. The highlight of the walk came at the boardwalk at the Tree
Bridge trail. A flock of six or seven sparrows walked across the
trail just below the stairs which lead uphill (South) to the
subdivision of homes overlooking the area. To our surprise, four of
these sparrows were adult White-throated Sparrows. We could see the
yellow lores of 4 of these sparrows in the same binocular field.
Two additional sparrows in this flock were not observed well enough
to identify. I do not remember seeing this many White-throated
Sparrows at the same time in Colorado.
Next we hiked two hours at Red Rocks Park (from the Red Rocks Grade
School up the draw to the road below the cliffs at the Trading
center). We did not find the juvenile Yellow-bellied Sapsucker that
had been reported in December to February. Several Canyon Wrens
sang from the red rock cliffs to the west. We even managed to pick
out one of them scurrying across a ledge. The willows and trees were
filled with singing House Finches, Dark-eyed Juncos, two Brown
Creepers, 4 Townsend's Solitaires, and half a dozen Western Scrub-
Jays. Surprisingly, we did not see any raptors fly overhead.
A short hour walk up Apex Park trail near Golden also was not
birdy. Two Spotted Towhees and another Townsend's Solitaire
were about the only birds observed.
Denver City Park (Denver County) was passed on the way home.
The 6 Greater White-fronted Geese were swimming on Ferril Lake.
The great weather (60+ degrees) brought out many people and dogs.
There were few places for the geese to feed.
Note: There are now 80+ Double-crested Cormorants on the nests
on the island at the pond south of the zoo. Gary Weston said
there were none on last Friday. The birds must have come in
during the weekend.
We ended our birding day at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe).
Again few variety birds seemed about. There were 1800+ gulls
on the reservoir. Many Ring-billed Gulls and 58 Herring Gulls
(of various ages). The adult Lesser Black-backed Gull that
seems to move from Cherry Creek Reservoir to Quincy Reservoir
to Aurora Reservoir was not found.
Barr Lake Area 3/7
Rebecca and I went by Barr Lake on the way to dinner Sunday night.
The Harris's and White-throated Sparrows stayed underneath the
two tall bushes at the southwest corner of the visitors center.
Too many Red-winged Blackbirds and House Sparrows constantly
came to the feeders and created much commotion.
Great-tailed Grackles were found at two locations. Thirty+ birds
were in the field next to the log house 0.5 miles south of Picadilly
Road & Bromley Lane. Eight+ birds were around the corral at 1.1
miles East of same intersection.
Another seasonal first on Sunday, we observed 4 butterflies at
Barr Lake while hiking from the visitor’s center to the gazebo
boardwalk.
Northeastern Colorado 3/3-3/6
Wednesday 3/3
Bryan Ehlmann, Sue Dorsey, Rebecca Kosten & I headed toward
Northeast Colorado. Weather was quite variable as we ran
into clear, calm skies and snowy windy conditions also.
At Riverside Park in Fort Morgan (Morgan County) we hiked to Fort
Morgan Ponds and back. No uncommon sparrows were found today;
we did run across 4 male and a female Eastern Bluebirds.
Sedgwick-Bar Wildlife Area and Sedgwick Cemetery (Sedgwick County)
were quiet. At dusk a Short-eared Owl hunted back and forth
across Sedgwick Draw.
Thursday 3/4
Birding was slow today. Weather was poor with strong winds (40+ mph).
Richard Danka was able to show us an Eastern Screech-Owl. Two of
the five Common Redpolls that have been on his property for a month
now, visited his feeders.
Jumbo Reservoir was slow. No Short-eared Owls could be found near dusk.
Friday 3/5
We headed to Ovid (Sedgwick) this morning. The weather cooperated
in the morning but deteriorated by afternoon.
A male Red-bellied Woodpecker stood on the telephones at the end
of the football field at the Ovid school. Eleven Eurasian Collared-
Doves were in the woods at 2nd street and Parker Avenue.
Roger spotted a male Northern Cardinal going through the
woods just south of Parker Avenue.
Sparrows were scarce in the woods, Julesburg Wildlife Area,
and the Sewage Pond area.
We set out for Wray (Yuma) in the afternoon.
Winds continued to be strong.
A stop at a friend's home to say hi, added another male and a female
Northern Cardinal to out trip list. At dusk we drove Yuma County
Road 45 in hopes of finding a Greater Prairie-Chicken; none were found.
Saturday 3/6
We arrived at Bonny Reservoir (Yuma) at 5:00am. A 2-mile hike
along the South Republican River found 3 Eastern Screech-Owls.
After sunrise, we located a pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers at
Hale Ponds and a flock of 17 Eastern Bluebirds (11 males, 6 females)
along CR 4. A brief search of the windbreak at Hale (behind the store)
found 5 Long-eared Owls. There are quite a few more there, however
we did not want to disturb them (high count this winter was 26 birds).
Bonny Reservoir was slow. A pair of Eastern Bluebirds was
observed along the road running east-west at the south side.
Two Wild Turkeys were in the same area.
Last Chance Rest Stop (Washington) had no birds (not counting
House Sparrows). The decision to skip Flagler Reservoir
(Kit Carson) was made because of the high winds.
Birding Around Denver 3/2
Bryan Ehlmann, Sue Dorsey, Lisa Novin, and I conducted a bird count
on this second day of the spring season. The day was rather nice
with temperatures reaching near 50 degrees; winds made it feel cold.
Our first stop was Denver City Park. We entered from 20th street
near Downing. Lucky choice as the six Greater White-fronted Geese
were feeding in the field South of the Boat House and near the
exercise equipment.
We headed up to Colorado Blvd & 88th avenues. Birding was
rather disappointing. Few uncommon birds were around.
Duck and gull populations were low. Perhaps the major
construction with all its noise has moved the birds elsewhere.
We split up and covered the South Platte River from the water
treatment plant near I270 to McKay Road 2.2 miles North
of 88th avenue.
The only uncommon bird was a male Barrow's Goldeneye with
15 Common Goldeneye in the Northern East Gravel Lake.
Dahlia Ponds had few birds on it. A couple of pairs of
Common Goldeneyes, 2 Pied-billed Grebes, and two dozen
Common Mergansers.
They are making a park out of the West Gravel Lakes. Good for
people to come and watch a few ducks, but I doubt it will help the
duck population, especially the Goldeneyes which seem to be shy.
We ran into much construction along Clear Creek from its confluence
with the Platte River to Washington Street (several miles).
New buildings are being constructed on both sides of Clear Creek.
The great sparrow habitat at the southwest corner of the confluence
has now been reduced to dirt. The whole north side of Clear Creek
has met the same fate.
Progress.........
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