Eastern Plains and Beyond 4/1-3/29

March 28-29

March 30

• Ovid Woods
  Northern Cardinal (male)
  Red-bellied Woodpecker (male)
  
• Ovid Wildlife Area (Sedgwick CR 29 and Platte River)
  Northern Cardinal (male and female)
  
• Jumbo and Little Jumbo Reservoirs
  Not much!
  I stayed around until dark searching for Short-eared Owls (without success)
  

April 1

• Pawnee National Grasslands and Crow Valley Campground
  Not much!
  
• Latham Reservoir
  Greater Yellowlegs
  Lesser Yellowlegs
  
• Beebe Ponds
  Not much!
  It started to snow and I headed for home!
  

Around Denver 3/28

• South Boulder Creek Trail
  Trumpeter Swan (immature);
  still at pond ½ mile east from Marshall Road and highway 93 (South end of Boulder)
  
• North of Barr Lake
  Great-tailed Grackle (9+); cattails at mile marker 19 of interstate 76
  (just west of Buckley Road exit)
  
• Barr Lake
  Harris's Sparrow; still at nature center feeders
  
• South of Barr Lake
  Burrowing Owl (2+); just north of first bridge
  east of intersection of 120th avenue and Picadilly road
  (about ½ mile east of intersection)
  

Southeastern Colorado 3/23-3/26

March 23

• Swallows Road (Pueblo County, mile marker 302 of highway 50)
  Curve-billed Thrasher (just south of Tejon)
  I recorded over 15 minutes of quality singing from bird.
  Thanks to Paul Hurtado for suggesting area!
  Scaled Quail (9+; Tejon and Woodstock)
  Sage Thrasher (4+; just south of Tejon and Woodstock)
  Loggerhead Shrike (swallows road, south of Tejon)
  
• Pueblo Reservoir
  Four Loons on Reservoir
  Yellow-billed Loon
  Pacific Loon (2)
  One unidentified loon, not a Pacific Loon
  
• Valco Ponds
  Greater Yellowlegs (1)
  
• Lake Meredith
  Great-tailed Grackle (2) (Crowley county road G, where Meredith backs up to road)
  
• Rocky Ford
  Eurasian Collared-Dove (5+)
  
• Rocky Ford Sewage Pond
  Lesser Yellowlegs (2)
  Franklin's Gull (1, alternate plumage)
  Great-tailed Grackle (2)
  
• Lake Cheraw (Otero)
  Ross's Goose (1)
  
• La Junta Sewage Ponds (Otero)
  Sage Thrasher (2)
  
• Cottonwood Canyon (Baca)
  Northern Cardinal (male) (south draw)
  Eastern Phoebe (1, south draw)
  Chihuahuan Raven (8)
  

March 24

• Cottonwood Canyon
  Eastern Phoebe (4)
  Northern Cardinal (male, western canyon)
  Western Screech-Owl (2, calling at 4:00am)
  Long-eared Owl (south draw)
  Northern Goshawk (south draw)
  Cooper's Hawk (camping area)
  Sharp-shinned Hawk (western canyon)
  Say's Phoebe (4+)
  Rufous-crowned Sparrow (5; 1.0 to 1.4 miles up eastern canyon)
  I left Cottonwood without a Lewis's Woodpecker sighting
  for the first time since my first visit in April 1992.
  
• Picture Canyon
  Scaled Quail (14+)
  Ruby-crowned Kinglet
  
• Burn at Pasture 7B (Baca CR M and Hwy 287)
  I walked around this quite large burn. (1.2 miles by 1.3 miles)
  Franklin's Gull (1, adult alternate plumage)
  Ferruginous Hawk (1)
  Mountain Plover (2, at south-central end)
  
• Pasture 14G (across from Washington Work Center)
  Burrowing Owl (1)
  
• Baca CR J and CR 36
  Vesper Sparrow (20+)
  Lark Bunting (3)
  Scaled Quail (2)
  
• Lesser Prairie-Chicken Lek
  Lesser Prairie-Chicken (7 males)
  Sage Thrasher (2; 0.2 miles east of entrance to lek on CR G)
  Krider's Red-tailed Hawk (1.4 miles east of lek)
  

March 25

• Baca County
  Baca County Road 29 and Hwy 109 (road to Two Buttes)
  Baca CR 29 and CR UU
  Short-eared Owl (one each at above intersections; at first light)
  
• Two Buttes Reservoir
  Barn Owl
  Greater Roadrunner (1 on dam, 2 heard at northern end of dam)
  White-throated Sparrow (7+; thickets just below dam)
  Blue-winged Teal (male and female)
  Ross's Goose (2, with 2500 Snow Geese)
  
• Lamar Community College (Prowers)
  Common Grackle (16+)
  Ruby-crowned Kinglet
  
• Higby Wildlife Area
  Harlan's Hawk (2)
  Ferruginous Hawk
  
• Hammit Wildlife Area
  Dark-morph Red-tailed Hawk
  I searched unsuccessfully for my first Swainson's Hawk of 1999,
  along highway 50 from Lamar to Kansas border.
  
• Holly Rest Stop (hwy 50 and Kansas border)
  Burrowing Owl (2, north side of hwy 50
  where one of the largest Prairie Dog villages of Colorado is located.
  
• Thurston Reservoir
  Sandhill Crane (550+)
  Great-tailed Grackle (male and female)
  
• Neenoshe Reservoir
  Clark's Grebe (12+)
  Dark-morph Red-tailed Hawk
  

March 26

• I searched again along highway 50 to Kansas
  for my first Swainson's Hawk of 1999; without success.
  
• Highway 287 and Prowers CR PP
  Sandhill Crane (2000+)
  Snow Goose (500+)
  Ross's Goose (4+)
  
• Pond at Highway 287 and Highway 50
  Franklin's Gull (5, alternate plumage)
  
• Fort Lyons Wildlife Area (Bent)
  Great-tailed Grackle (2)
  

Boulder County 3/21

• Jim Hamm Pond
  (from 8:30am to 12:00pm)
  Bonaparte's Gull (adult basic)
  Thayer's Gull (adult)
  California Gulls (5 or 6)
  Herring Gull (2 adults)
  (We returned from 12:56pm to 1:10pm)
  Mew Gull (chased off by return of many Ring-billed Gulls)
  
• Walden Ponds, Valmont Reservoir, Baseline Reservoir
  Not much!
  
• South Boulder Creek Trail
  Trumpeter Swan (immature)
  

Northeastern Plains 3/18-3/19

Friday 19

• Logan CR 46 and CR 89
  I walked back (5:30 am to 7:00am) to dirt road that splits corn fields in half.
  Then I hiked 1 mile north to last cultivated field.
  The male was booming in tall yellow grass just to the west.
  The female was at the windmill back at CR 46 and CR 89.
  Greater Prairie Chicken (male and female, with two more males heard)
  
• Ovid Woods
  Northern Cardinal (male and female)
  Brewer's Blackbird
  
• Ovid Wildlife Area (south of town, along the Platte river)
  Northern Cardinal (2 males and female)
  
• Julesburg Wayside Park
  Not much!
  
• DePoorter Lake
  Northern Bobwhite (5)
  American Tree Sparrow (30+)
  
• Nebraska/Colorado State Line
  I stood for 15 minutes at state line;
  the Nebraska Common Crane did not fly overhead :-)
  The idea of chasing the Common Crane was considered,
  but it had not been reported since 10:30am Wednesday.
  
• Jumbo Reservoir
  Golden Eagle (immature)
  
• Prewitt Reservoir
  Not much; 4 American White Pelicans
  Ross's Goose (1)
  
• Jackson Reservoir
  Great-tailed Grackle (12+; below dam)
  Long-eared Owl (2+)
  Ended evening at northwest corner searching for Short-eared Owls; without success!
  

March 18

Beautiful day, little wind!

• South Platte and Dahlia
  Searched two hours for Oldsquaw; without success!
  
• Riverside Park, Fort Morgan
  Greater White-fronted Geese (6)
  
• Little Jumbo Reservoir
  Greater White-fronted Geese (2)
  
• Jumbo Reservoir
  Snow Geese (20,000+)
  Ross's Goose (2+)
  I ended evening searching CR 3 (southeast corner) for Short-eared Owls; without success!
  

Castlewood Canyon State Park 3/16

Birding Around Denver 3/15

• Wheat Ridge Greenbelt
  Greater Scaup (male; still at prospect pond)
  Eastern Screech-Owl
  (from eastern parking area of wgb, first tree that overhangs main trail;
  you actually walk underneath the owl).
  
• South Platte River/ 88th avenue
  Nothing interesting along main bike trail,
  On Dahlia, ½ mile south of 88th avenue, pond to west:
  Barrow's Goldeneye (male and female)
  along with 20 male and 2 female Red-breasted Mergansers.
  
• Barr Lake
  Sandhill Crane (one in field west of CBO mobile home)
  Harris's Sparrow (still at feeders behind nature center)
  
• 120th and Picadilly: Unsuccessful search for Short-eared Owl.
  

Eastern Plains 3/14

• Jackson Reservoir
  Long-eared Owls (up to 10)
  Great-tailed Grackle (12+) ranch below dam, east of parking area
  Dark-morph Red-tailed Hawk
  
• Muir Springs
  White-throated Sparrow (2) western trail, 0.4 miles south of parking area
  
• Riverside Park, Fort Morgan
  Not much!
  
• Barr Lake
  Did not relocate Harris's Sparrow showing up most of this winter!
  

Eastern Plains of Colorado 3/1-3/5

March 1

• Jim Hamm Park (Boulder county)
  Mew Gull (was on sandbar from 6:12am to 6:42am,
  it was chased away by a Red-tailed Hawk)
  
• Union Reservoir
  Thayer's Gull
  
• Lower Latham Reservoir (Weld)
  Not much!
  
• Jackson Reservoir
  Long-eared Owl (14+)
  Great-tailed Grackle (40+)
  
• Prewitt Reservoir (Washington)
  Not much!
  

March 2

• Jumbo Reservoir
  Glaucous Gull (adult)
  
• Ovid Woods
  Northern Cardinal (male)
  Red-bellied Woodpecker (male)
  
• Bonny Reservoir (Yuma)
  Dozens of Ross's Geese with hundred's of Snow Geese
  American White Pelican (my first of the year)
  Eastern Screech-Owl (1 heard at Hale Ponds)
  Eastern Bluebird (9 at Hale Ponds, 16 at Wagon Wheel picnic area)
  Red-bellied Woodpecker (male, female at Hale ponds)
  

March 3

• Two Buttes Reservoir
  White-throated Sparrow (14+) just west of first parking area below dam)
  Brown Creeper
  Wild Turkey (5)
  Greater Roadrunner (1, ranch north of dam)
  
• Springfield, CO
  I searched two hours unsuccessfully for the Eurasian Collared-Doves;
  there were two Common Grackles at Allstate motel.
  
• Lamar Community College
  Field Sparrow (1, woods near brown pump house)
  Gray Catbird (woods across from maintenance shed)
  
• Higby Wildlife Area
  Eurasian Collared-Doves (2, first ranch house west of Higby)
  They have been reported in September 98 (Komar) and May 97 (Nelson)
  at Lamar Community College. Maybe there is yet to be discovered cell in Lamar.
  
• Holly Rest Stop, Hammit Wildlife Area
  Not much, I picked up ticks (insects) at both places.
  
• Thurston Reservoir
  Sandhill Crane (thousands)
  Snow and Ross's Geese
  American White Pelican (5)
  
• Upper Queens, Neenoshe, and Neesopah Reservoirs
  Not much; American White Pelicans at each place.
  

March 4

• John Martin Reservoir
  Eastern Bluebirds (5)
  
• Fort Lyons Wildlife Area (Bent county)
  Swamp Sparrow (1)
  Ross's Goose (2+)
  Sandhill Crane (18)
  
• Bent CR HH and Highway 194
  Sage Thrasher (4)
  
• Bent CR 3.5 and Highway 194
  Great-tailed Grackle (10+)
  
• Lake Holbrook
  Northern Shrike (2)
  
• Rocky Ford, CO
  Eurasian Collared-Dove (9+)
  
• Pueblo Reservoir
  Not much!
  
• Big Johnson Reservoir
  Not much!
  

March 5

• South Boulder Trail
  Trumpeter Swan (immature)
  
• Foothills Reservoir/ McCaslin Lake
  Mountain Bluebirds
  
• South Platte River (88th avenue parking area)
  Barrow's Goldeneye
  (male and female; persist at pond south of water tower, west of biking trail)
  
• Barr Lake
  Harris's Sparrow (behind nature center,
  it did not come to feeders, but stayed in thickets to the south)
  

Cherry Creek Reservoir 2/28

Around Denver 2/26

• South Platte River at 88th Avenue
  Barrow's Goldeneye (male and female) At Pond west of trail
  100 yards south of water tower (south of 88th avenue)
  
• Barr Lake
  Harris's Sparrow (persists at feeders behind the nature center)
  
• Picadilly Road and 120th avenue
  Northern Harrier (9)
  Searching for Short-eared Owls; without success!
  There must be something in field to keep 9-12 Harriers busy for weeks now!
  

Wheat Ridge Greenbelt 2/25

• Wheat Ridge Greenbelt (Prospect Park)
  Greater Scaup (male, continues at Prospect Pond)
  Red-breasted Merganser (2 males, 2 females)
  Northern Cardinal (female, across footbridge east; from Bob Spencer's Owl tree
  (by yellow post)to footbridge to the east; thickets on north side of trail to Clear Creek)
  
  Inspired by the female Cardinal sighting I decided to walk the three miles to Johnson Park
  (previous sightings of 2 males and female in one day along this hike).
  There were no further Cardinal sightings,
  but a Sharp-shinned Hawk was standing guard about ½ mile west of Johnson Park.
  A male and female Wood Duck were along creek at Anderson Park.
  One of my favorite spots along this hike is 0.6 miles west of Johnson Park.
  At the orange-mesh guard rail last year I had two March, Field Sparrow sightings
  and a May, Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
  
  The Eastern Screech-Owl did not make an appearance while I was there today.
  

Clear Creek County Birding 2/24

• Georgetown, CO
  Rosy Finches (all three species) north of 2nd and Rose Avenue
  
• Guanella Pass
  I search two hours around summit for White-tailed Ptarmigan
  My sixth search of 1999 was not successful.
  
• Guanella Pass Campground
  I stopped on the way back to Georgetown to look for
  Three-toed Woodpeckers. No success today, but they have been
  spotted here in the past.
  
• Echo Lake
  Attempt to relocate the Three-toed Woodpecker found around lake
  on January 23. No success, but a beautiful view of Mt Evans
  makes the hike worthwhile!
  

Birding Douglas County 2/23

• Parker Regional Park
  Not much!
  On the small pond 0.4 miles west of parking area
  Common Goldeneye (52)
  Ring-necked Ducks (81)
  
• Castlewood Canyon State Park
  Seldom can one bird here without much wind.
  A few times in winter, the sun will shine and no wind!
  
  Along the path to bridge overlook and then along the canyon wall:
  Canyon Wren (2; on top of the rocks feeding and calling)
  Golden-crowned Kinglet (4; always a difficult bird you me to see)
  Red Crossbill (1 male and 2 females)
  Townsend's Solitaire (3)
  Mountain Chickadee (12+)
  White-breasted Nuthatch (flock of 9)
  
  Lewis Woodpecker (2) (At Lake Gulch Road and Castlewood Canyon Road)
  Mountain Bluebird (24) (Just north of above intersection)
  Lewis Woodpecker (3) Cottonwoods north of Winkler Ranch House
  
• Cherry Creek Reservoir
  Many Ring-billed Gulls accompanied by:
  Herring Gull (2 adults, 2 1st winter)
  California Gull (3 adults)
  Redhead Ducks (180+)
  Not much else!
  

Birding Estes Park

• McCaslin Lake (Boulder County)
  Trumpeter Swan (adult)
  February 16th bird is still there though hunkered down along the western bank
  because of 70+ mph winds.
  
• Lake Estes (Larimer County) Mild winds compared to the plains, overcast skies.
  Barrow's Goldeneye (male and female along the southern ice edge)
  Common Raven (dozens)
  Common Goldeneye (3 pairs)
  Common Merganser (6)
  
• 1271 Meadow Lane, Estes Park
  Common Redpoll (made a 4-minute appearance at 9:02am)
  Pygmy Nuthatch (12+)
  Cassin's Finch (6+)
  Pine Siskin (6+)
  
• Lyons, CO (Boulder County) (By 12:30pm, winds were much diminished from 6:30am; overcast skies, 40 degrees)
  Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (50 yards south of the playground equipment
  of the St. Vrain Restoration Project Park (south Lyons)
  Golden Eagle (adult, flew overhead)
  American Goldfinch (many)
  Pine Siskin (6+)
  
• South Boulder Creek Trail (Marshall Road and Highway 93)
  Trumpeter Swan (smaller immature with more brown head;
  photos from February 15 on Most Recent Bird Photos)
  
• Barr Lake (Adams county)
  Harris's Sparrow (in winter plumage)
  Northern Harrier (female)
  Bald Eagle (adult on nest; rumor has it she has laid an egg!
  Prairie Falcon (at 120th and Picadilly Road
  

Douglas County 2/19

• Chatfield Reservoir
  Not much!
  
• Castlewood Canyon
  Lewis's Woodpecker (3+) (Winkler Ranch; south of park)
  White-breasted Nuthatch (4)
  Red-breasted Nuthatch (2)
  Pygmy Nuthatch (5+)
  
• Cherry Creek Reservoir
  Not much!
  Searched for Short-eared Owls at Prairie Dog
  Village at southeast corner; without success!
  

More Boulder County 2/17

• Lyons, CO and Meadow Park
  I hiked around Meadow Park and Lyons for three hours
  Searching for Yellow-bellied Sapsucker that was reported 2/15
  No success; few birds, but an adult Golden Eagle soared overhead
  For 10 minutes or so.
  
• McCaslin Lake
  Trumpeter Swan (adult)
  
• Viele Lake and South Boulder Creek
  A stop at Viele Lake in southern Boulder did not produce a Trumpeter Swan sighting.
  I then drove 0.7 miles south to South Boulder Creek trail (Marshall Road and highway 93).
  There was one immature Trumpeter Swan here.
  If you look at the recent photos, the immature Trumpeter was the smaller
  one with the more brown head (observed on 2/15).
  

Boulder County 2/15

• South Boulder Creek
  Located south of Boulder at the intersection of Marshall Road
  and Highway 93 there is pullover parking for Trail
  At a pond 1/2 east of parking area:
  Trumpeter Swan (2 immatures)
  

Eastern Plains 2/11-2/12

February 12

• Barr Lake (Adams County)
  Harris's Sparrow (change from juvenile to adult plumage is quite evident now)
  
• Riverside Park, Fort Morgan (Morgan County)
  Ross's Goose (1, at most eastern pond)
  
• Prewitt Reservoir (Washington County)
  Eastern Bluebird (4 males, below the dam, east of manager's residence)
  Dark-morph Red-tailed Hawk
  Northern Goshawk (along Interstate 76 at exit 102;
  I see that Todd Dilley observed this bird also today.
  It was a most unexpected place to find a Northern Goshawk.)
  
• Muir Springs Wildlife Area (Morgan County)
  White-throated Sparrow (adult, western path, 0.5 miles south of parking area)
  Brown Thrasher (2, western path, 0.7 miles south of p.a.)
  Swamp Sparrow (eastern path, 0.7 miles south of p.a.)
  Dark-morph Red-tailed Hawk (it has been around for months)
  Brown Creeper (1, around parking area)
  Northern Bobwhite (18+)
  
• Jackson Reservoir
  I hiked southern, western, and northern boundaries.
  Thayer's Gull (1st basic, southeastern corner)
  Long-eared Owl (22+) I accidentally walked upon them in campground area.
  Dark-morph Red-tailed Hawk (2)
  Brown-headed Cowbird (my first of 1999)
  

February 12

• Hale Ponds; east of Bonny Reservoir (Yuma county)
  Eastern Bluebird (9 males, 5 females)
  Red-bellied Woodpecker (male and female)
  I searched three hours for the Varied Thrush of January 2; without success.
  
• Bonny Reservoir
  Long-eared Owl (2, woods at picnic area of wagon wheel cg)
  Not much else at Wagon Wheel, Foster's Grove, or Hooper Ponds)
  
• Flagler Reservoir
  Not much; I was still searching for Short-eared Owls found in past years; without success.
  

Denver Plains 2/10

More Denver Birding 2/9

• South Platte River/ 88th avenue parking area
  I hiked from 88th avenue to 74th avenue
  Barrow's Goldeneye (male and female; at pond west of
  bike path, 50 yards south of water tower!
  
• Wheat Ridge Greenbelt
  Eastern Screech-Owl did not make an appearance (4:30pm)
  American Dipper (along Clear Creek, near owl tree)
  Greater Scaup (male; Prospect pond)
  Red-breasted Merganser (female, Bass Pond)
  

Birding Denver 2/8

• McLellan Reservoir
  Not much on unfrozen reservoir; two Pied-billed Grebes
  
• South Platte Nature Center (Mineral/Santa Fe)
  Not much; a few Song Sparrows
  
• Chatfield Reservoir
  Not much
  Herring Gull (two adults)
  Thayer's Gull (one adult)
  Ring-billed Gull (120+)
  
• Cherry Creek Reservoir
  Ring-billed Gull (1000+)
  Herring Gull (2 adults, 1 juvenile)
  Thayer's Gull (1st winter)
  Bald Eagle (1 adult)
  

Around Denver 2/5

• Wheat Ridge Greenbelt
  Greater Scaup (male) at Prospect Pond
  Red-breasted Merganser (8 males) Prospect Pond
  Eastern Screech-Owl made no appearance!
  
• South Platte River/78th parking area
  Barrow's Goldeneye (male, just south water tower)
  Barrow's Goldeneye (2 male, female; 100 yards south water tower)
  
• Barr Lake
  Harris's Sparrow (juvenile; feeders behind nature center)
  Ross's Goose (with many Canada at mile marker 8.4)
  
• Castlewood Canyon (Winkler Ranch south of park on CR 51)
  Lewis's Woodpecker (4)
  I stayed to listen for Northern Saw-whet Owl; without success!
  

Larimer County 2/1