Rich Stevens' Bird Trips
May 2002
Adams County 5/31
I met Steve Spencer & Mike Williams at Barr Lake and birded in Adams County.
Temperatures were a record high 91 degrees; winds were mild.
Barr Lake (Adams County) was not birdy today. Four Warbling Vireos
were between mile marker 9.0 (foot bridge) & mm 8.5 (banding station).
Two Spotted Towhees, 1 Gray Catbird, and 1 Hermit Thrush were also
observed. The highlight of the day was a Red-eyed Vireo that was
between the banding station and the shoreline to the west.
Two Swainson's Hawks flew overhead. Western & Eastern Kingbirds were
everywhere. A pair of Orchard Orioles were at the picnic area east of
the Pioneer Trailhead. Bullock's Orioles were building nests in several
locations. No uncommon birds were found below the dam or at mm 6.0
(the grove of trees near the Bird Observatory Office).
One Burrowing Owl was at the northwest corner of Lochbuie Ponds.
We next drove my favorite owl loop north of Denver International Airport.
Burrowing Owls were found at:
2 at 3.4 miles East of 96th ave & Tower Road
1 at 0.7 miles East of 120th ave & Picadilly Road
2 at 0.5 miles South of 128th ave & Picadilly Road
2 at 128th ave & Powhaton Road
2 at 1.0 mile south of Buckley Road & 88th ave
Another surprise occurred at Trussville Road and 120th avenue.
Steve spotted a male McCown's Longspur in breeding plumage.
In several hundred trips along this loop, I have never observed
a McCown's or Chestnut-collared Longspur in the area.
Birding Jefferson County 5/30
Thursday I lead the CoBus trip to Apex Mountain (Jefferson County).
While we did not see any uncommon birds, we did enjoy watching
some of the foothills birds preparing to nest.
No uncommon warblers were found at the trailhead (usually a good
location in past year's migrations). We found one of our target
birds a male Indigo Bunting soon after the start of our climb.
The bird was 50 yards west (uphill) of Heritage Square Shopping Center.
We did not find a Blue Grouse during our 2-mile hike.
Other birds observed: 7 Virginia's Warblers (several building nests),
5 Yellow Warblers, 1 Orange-crowned Warbler, 3 Gray Catbirds,
5 male & 3 female Lazuli Buntings, 2 Plumbeous Vireos, 3 Warbling Vireos,
1 Western Flycatcher, numerous Spotted Towhees, Bullock's Orioles,
2 male & 1 female Black-headed Grosbeaks, and 1 male MacGillivray's Warbler.
Since we were in the area, we drove to Golden and hiked Clear Creek
from Washington Street to 1/2 west of Billy Drew Centennial Bridge.
The Ovenbird reported by Bob Spencer 5/28 was not found by us.
We ended the trip with an hour hike at Wheat Ridge Greenbelt (Jefferson).
No uncommon birds were found. A Yellow-billed Cuckoo was just east of
the eastern parking area (off Kipling) and south of the beaver ponds.
Cherry Creek Reservoir 5/29
Wednesday morning I took another cobirder to Cherry Creek Reservoir
(Arapahoe). She and I sat at the 12-mile Beaver Pond for about an hour.
Nothing unusual was found. Two American Avocets and 4 Wilson's Phalaropes
walked the mud flats. A Virginia Rail walked below us along the shoreline
(as we sat at the most southern wooden bench). A Common Snipe called
to the south. Three species of Teal also fed in the shallow waters.
The Buff-breasted Sandpipers observed on Saturday were not seen.
We stopped briefly where Cherry Creek crosses the main road.
We observed 4 or 5 Yellow Warblers, American Goldfinches, and
a Black-capped Chickadee. The Kentucky Warbler reported last
Friday did not make an appearance.
Search For Bendire's Thrashers 5/27-5/28
Gary & Dianne Weston, Rebecca Kosten, Gary Zeeto, and I decided to
search for Bendire's Thrashers in the San Luis Valley Monday and Tuesday.
We did not find any, but enjoyed exploring a different part of Colorado.
Our search was North of Del Norte along CR 38 & FR 659 (Saguache County).
For some reason? reports of the birds are from late June and early July?
We wandered around for two days; without success.
We did see a Peregrine Falcon in the Russell Lakes area Monday afternoon.
A stop at Alamosa Golf Course produced sightings of a Palm Warbler,
Northern Parula, and Black-and-White Warbler. I heard later that
John Rawinski had observed the latter two birds earlier in the day.
We also drove the roads south of Fort Garland.
Gary Zeeto found a Black-throated Sparrow and
Gary Weston first spotted two Sage Sparrows.
This is a traditional location for Sage Sparrow sightings.
Tuesday we worked out way home by way of the San Isabel
National Forest (Custer). After dark we went owling from
the area of the Spring Creek Trail to 3 miles north along highway 165.
Two Flammulated Owls and two Northern Saw-whet Owls were heard.
We managed to see one of the Saw-whets!
We arrived back in Denver at 4:00am.
Birding East of Denver 5/26
Rebecca Kosten & I traveled to Elbert County Sunday.
On a private ranch which Gopher Creek runs through, we observed
a male Magnolia Warbler, a male Chestnut-sided Warbler, and
a Northern Waterthrush. Migration has a few surprises left in it!
We stopped at the Dickcissel location along Elbert County Road and
found two Dickcissels. Still no Bobolinks are there this year.
We did not find any Bobolinks along Castlewood Canyon Road
west & south of Castlewood Canyon State Park (Douglas County).
Our birding day ended at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe).
We searched unsuccessfully for the Kentucky Warbler reported on Saturday.
The American Woodcock reported last Sunday did not show either.
Birds observed along Cherry Creek within 100 yards of the main road
2 Black-crowned Night-Herons, 2 Great Blue Herons, 1 Green Heron,
1 Common Yellowthroat, 1 Marsh Wren, and many Yellow Warblers.
We sat for an hour at the south end of the 12-mile beaver pond.
As we watched and listened to the various birds, a male sandpiper
displayed for a female. He was relentless and somewhat harassing.
The birds turned out to be 2 Buff-breasted Sandpipers!
Rare spring migrants and maybe the first report for Cherry Creek!
More on them below!
Also observed here 4 Cinnamon Teal, 7 Blue-winged Teal,
2 Green-winged Teal, 6 Wilson's Phalaropes, 2 Common Snipes,
9 Common Yellowthroats, 2 Killdeer, and 2 Virginia Rails (heard).
Two additional Common Snipes were heard at the Natural Area
Northwest of Cherry Creek & the main road.
At Prairie Loop Pond (just east of P.L.), 2 Great Blue Herons
and 10 additional Black-crowned Night-Herons. There was
much less water at the pond west of the Prairie Loop and
only one Black-crowned Night-Heron.
No Bobolinks were found at the Lake Loop or elsewhere.
No sandpipers along the southwest shoreline (too many people & dogs).
Buff-breasted Sandpipers: We watched the two birds for 50 minutes.
I sent text messages to a dozen birders. With most people out of town,
only Steve Spencer showed up and saw the birds while we were there.
Initially we observed a sandpiper with buffy head and little markings
on its breast (unlike a Pectoral Sandpiper or breeding plumage Ruff
which was considered but by no means expected).
The bird had yellow legs, which seemed longer than a Baird's Sandpiper
or White-rumped Sandpiper's legs (which are black). The male Buff-breasted
Sandpiper displayed for the female (we presumed a female) by spreading
his wings and running around her. We could see the blackish lines of
the whitish underwing as he faced us.
The male did us a further favor by flying over our heads and then
returning to the female. Was he checking us out? During this flight
Rebecca and I noticed from below that the bird had a buffy face,
dark crown, contrast between the buffy body and white underwings,
and a thin bill that was yellow at the base and black at the tip.
This bird flew directly over our heads and not more than 15 feet above.
As the bird landed we could see that its body was dark and had no
wing stripe. The tail was brown with no noticeable white on it.
It was quite a treat to watch the behavior. The female was not interested
and continually moved about to different parts of the mud flats.
It was a nice end to a beautiful day.
Temperatures were in the low 70s and winds were not existent.
Wheat Ridge Greenbelt 5/25
I spent four hours at Wheat Ridge Greenbelt (Jefferson County).
What a great day, no wind and 70 degrees! After birding the
Eastern Plains in winds of 20-50 mph this week, today was enjoyable.
The most interesting birds found (in order of sightings):
1. Yellow-billed Cuckoo was in the cottonwoods on the bike path just
west of the eastern parking area. The bird was in area where water
runs under bike path. The cuckoo was working its way eastward.
2. Blackpoll Warbler was singing in trees on the north side of the
main path and 0.3 miles west of the eastern parking area. I heard
the bird singing before I saw it. The joy of no wind!
The warbler was working his way westward.
3. Northern Waterthrush was 0.1 miles west of the Scout Corral.
The Waterthrush walked along the canal and was "chipping" away
(actually it is more of a metallic chink). It was headed west
at my last sighting of it.
4. Ovenbird was first observed on the path running south from
the tree bridge path. It flew to the west into the deep thickets.
Later I observed the bird deep in the thickets just east of the
Tree Bridge plank way.
5. American Bittern was in the southwest corner of Bass Lake.
The bittern was scared out of the cattails by two male
Red-winged Blackbirds that chased it. The bittern stood atop
the cattails and sang several times before it went back down.
I got to watch it for 10 minutes first!
Another cobirder John Flavin saw a Sora in the cattails on the
northwest side of Bass Lake. He also observed a Yellow-billed Cuckoo
in the cottonwoods west of Bass Lake and south of West Lake.
My count of Western Tanagers was 39 males & 11 females.
This was in a stretch of 2.0 miles of the greenbelt.
All five Bullock's Orioles observed were males.
Two Western Wood-pewees sang and hawked insects.
Four Gray Catbirds sang in the thickets east of
the Tree Bridge plank way. Two Spotted Towhees
were a little east of here. One Swainson's Thrush
walked the forest floor east of the Scout Corral.
I heard the "Fitz-bew, Fitz-bew" of a flycatcher and
later saw the Willow Flycatcher catching insects.
Six species of swallows flew swiftly around the greenbelt.
Several Mallards have young and one Canada Goose pair had
a family of four young-ins.
A lone Swainson's Hawk flew overhead.
A pair of Cooper's Hawks is nesting in the area.
Birding Eastern Plains 5/21-5/24
I finished a long week of birding on Colorado's Eastern Plains.
Winds were strong most of the time (and energy draining).
Tuesday 5/21
Most of the day was spent at Prewitt Reservoir (Washington/Logan Counties).
Winds were clocked at 30mph with gusts to 50mph. Most of the interesting
birds were observed in the first 2 hours of the day.
Below the dam in or below the Russian Olive Trees along the outlet canal
just east of the resident manager's home: Chestnut-sided Warbler,
Veery, Ovenbird, Tennessee Warbler, American Redstart, and
White-throated Sparrow.
I hiked east and then south around the reservoir.
A possible Eastern Towhee was heard briefly but never observed.
(My second trip in a row where I thought an Eastern Towhee was heard;
basically in the same location along the eastern edge of the reservoir).
A lone Plumbeous Vireo worked the cottonwoods just west of
the eastern parking area.
Wednesday 5/22
Winds continued to be 20mph with gusts up to 40mph.
Roger Danka had a male Magnolia Warbler on his ranch in Sedgwick County.
One White-throated Sparrow was found along the creek through his property.
An adult male American Redstart fluttered about in Wray City Park (Yuma).
My birding day ended with a hike along the North Fork of the Republican River
at Sandsage Wildlife Area (Yuma). Two Great Horned Owls hunted from
the tall cottonwoods at the eastern end. A Northern Waterthrush
walked along the river near the western end.
Many White-crowned Sparrows and Chipping Sparrows were on the property.
One White-throated Sparrow was along the fence line as I walked the
road between the north and south parking areas.
Thursday 5/23
Winds were strong again today 20+ mph. I found two Yellow-billed Cuckoos
at first light. They were between the eastern Hale Ponds and the
Kansas border. If they had not been calling, I would have missed them.
A flock of 7 Eastern Bluebirds were along the South Fork of the Republican
River. Two Red-bellied Woodpeckers were in the taller cottonwoods.
A Great Crested Flycatcher called when I hiked the Hopper Ponds
area of Bonny. It took 20 minutes to pick the bird out of the
tall cottonwood trees east of the ponds.
Friday 5/24
Gary Zeeto met me in Lamar (Prowers). We planned to survey birds
on several private properties; however we did see some nice birds
on public property also.
We located the Hooded Warbler and an American Redstart in the woods
behind Lamar Community College. A Green Heron gave us a brief look
before it flew south beyond the property.
We checked for the Worm-eating & Chestnut-sided Warbler reported
Thursday at Neenoshe Reservoir (Kiowa). Neither bird was found,
however we did see an Ovenbird and Black-and-White Warbler.
At Fort Lyons Wildlife Area (Bent) we found my second Magnolia Warbler
of the trip. The bird was along CR JJ, 2.5 miles east of CR 16.
Another American Redstart was here also.
At Lake Henry (Crowley), Gary found a Chestnut-sided Warbler.
We later come upon a Red-eyed Vireo and Veery deeper in the woods.
I returned Gary to La Junta and returned home.
As stated earlier, we did some bird counts on private and closed
public property. While there is no public access, I thought
I would report the following birds to let birders know what is around:
Bent County: Painted Bunting (male), Northern Parula (male),
Gray-cheeked Thrush, American Redstart, Red-eyed Vireo
Kiowa County: Palm Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler
Crowley County: Northern Waterthrush, Yellow-throated Vireo,
Black-billed Cuckoo, Greater Roadrunner
I am glad to be home for a few days!
Chatfield Reservoir 5/20
I spent 8 hours wandering around Chatfield Reservoir.
The temperatures were in the 60s on this overcast day; winds were mild.
There were quite a few birds on the east side of the South Platte River
(south of Kingfisher Bridge). Over 70 Yellow Warblers zoomed about the
cottonwoods and willows. Two male American Redstarts pursued a female
bird. Singing Warbling Vireos numbered over 8. Several Gray Catbirds
and Spotted Towhees also were singing.
A lone female Rose-breasted Grosbeak passed through. Later a pair of
Black-headed Grosbeaks came by too, offering a nice opportunity for
comparison with the female Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
A lone Least Flycatcher sang just south of the bridge.
Western Wood-pewees, Western Flycatchers, and
a possible Hammond's Flycatcher fluttered about.
American Goldfinch sang atop the trees.
There was quite a chorus of birds.
A male and female Northern Parula zipped through the woods
allowing brief views. They were chased by another bird,
which I was not able to identify. One of the male
American Redstarts chased two Warbling Vireos.
He was clearly outnumbered.
Another American Redstart and two Orange-crowned Warblers
moved about on the west side of the river. Another 2 dozen Yellow
Warblers were on this side. A Sharp-shinned Hawk hunted deeper
in the woods. Five Turkey Vultures flew overhead.
Great Blue Herons and a lone Black-crowned Night-Heron flew up
the river to the rookery further south. Seven Gray Catbirds
were just south of the paved path. Barn, Cliff, Tree, Bank,
and Northern Rough-winged Swallows hawked insects over the river.
I could not locate the Northern Waterthrush and Nashville Warblers
reported on Sunday afternoon. Still it was an enjoyable hike.
A couple of Song Sparrows walked along the water's edge at
the Balloon Launch area. These woods were quiet.
Search for American Woodcock 5/19
Rebecca Kosten & I went to Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County)
at 3:30am. We hiked around the area where Cherry Creek crosses the
main road from 3:30am-6:00am. The American Woodcock reported on
5/17 did not make an appearance during our stay. We enjoyed the
adventure of walking around the dark in the middle of the night.
The woods were quite noisy even at 4:00am. It increased much by 5:00am.
After Rebecca left to take a nap, I hiked to the 12-mile beaver pond
and the woods to the south. Eleven Common Yellowthroats were
between the main road and the north end of the beaver pond. A pair of
Lesser Goldfinches and many American Goldfinches were here also.
The beaver pond contained 3 Cinnamon Teal, 5 male & 2 female
Blue-winged Teal, a pair of Green-winged Teal, 4 Long-billed Dowitchers,
2 Common Snipe, 7 Wilson's Phalaropes, 1 Killdeer, and 2 Virginia Rails.
Nothing really uncommon but still it was enjoyable to watch the birds
feed in the swallow pond in the morning light.
The woods south of the beaver pond had 2 Yellow Warblers,
1 Yellow-breasted Chat, 5 Gray Catbirds, and a male Bullock's Oriole.
Again nothing uncommon was found, but it was a pleasurable trek.
Later in the afternoon, I thought I had better see my 2002 Glossy Ibis
before the several reported birds move onward. Rebecca and I drove
north to Fossil Creek Marsh in Fort Collins (Larimer). It took about an
hour before the bird lifted its head for a proper identification.
Twenty White-faced Ibis were here also.
Our birding day ended at Barr Lake (Adams). No uncommon birds were found.
One Hermit Thrush and three Swainson's Thrushes wandered between
mm 8.9 & 8.3. We could not locate the Gray-cheeked Thrush that
I discovered on Friday. Few birds moved about below the dam.
Eight Burrowing Owls were found along my favorite owl loop
North of Denver International Airport's runways.
Elbert County 5/18
I lead a caravan of two cars (6 birders) as we conducted bird counts in
Elbert County this morning. The day was beautiful with temperatures
in the low 70s and mild winds. We did run into a couple of sprinkles
of rain late in the afternoon.
We relocated 7 Burrowing Owls at JD Johnson Road and Log Road
(El Paso). Several McCown's Longspurs were found at two locations.
We could not find any Mountain Plovers along Squirrel Creek Road.
We hiked along Elbert County Road from 4.1 to 4.9 miles south
of Highway 86. This is a traditional Dickcissel location.
It took us 1.5 hours however two Dickcissels were finally seen.
We had heard a bird as we jumped out of the car, but could not
find it. All enjoyed the walk as we heard Brown-headed Cowbirds,
Red-winged Blackbirds, Western Meadowlarks, and Horned Larks
singing during the hike. No Bobolinks were found (the last two
years they have eventually shown up here).
The 2 Dickcissels were 0.2 miles north of the fenced in electric compound
(approximately 4.6 miles south of hwy 86). Two Grasshopper Sparrows
called and showed themselves for a minute or two also.
Parker Regional Park (Douglas County) was quiet.
The Chestnut-sided Warbler was not found below the dam at Castlewood
Canyon State Park (Douglas). Western and Mountain Bluebirds are
nesting south of the park along Castlewood Canyon Road.
Barr Lake 5/17
I enjoyed birding Barr Lake for 7 hours on Friday.
The weather was overcast, cool, and with mild winds most of the day.
My trek took me completely around the 9.0 mile reservoir trail.
I started at mile marker 4.0 at 5:30am.
As usual most of the uncommon birds were found along the section
near the visitors center (southeast side of reservoir).
Four Swainson's Thrushes and one Hermit Thrush were observed between
mile marker 8.9 & 8.4. This is just north of the Visitor's Center.
A flock of 9 Yellow-rumped Warblers, 2 Yellow Warblers and a
Blackpoll Warbler were found at mile marker 8.3.
At 8:30am the flock was along the main road.
While trying to relocate this flock, I ran across a Gray-cheeked Thrush.
The thrush stayed underneath a small group of trees along the shoreline
at mm 8.4. The bird allowed a 2.5-minute look before it dropped back
down to the ground and shoreline.
Continuing around the lake, I heard a Cassin's Vireo below the dam at
mm 6.7. The bird was at the southern end of the trees, which are
along the canal parallel to the dam (which runs northwest to southeast).
While getting better looks at this Cassin's Vireo, I heard the
"kuk kuk kuk" of a Yellow-billed Cuckoo. The bird was just west
of mm 6.7. It later followed the canal to mm 6.5 and then took
the canal, which runs northeast. When I left the cuckoo, it was
in the first willow tree east of the junction to the two canals.
This was my first Adams County Yellow-billed Cuckoo sighting!
Two Snowy Egrets were at the shoreline of the northern most point
of the dam. The water is quite high and exposed shoreline limited.
Other birds found during my 9 mile hike around the lake:
19 Warbling Vireos, 1 Western Flycatcher, 2m, 1f Western Tanagers,
more Bullock's Oriole than could be counted (60+), 1 Western Wood-pewee,
27 Yellow-rumped Warblers, 5 Gray Catbirds, 2 Spotted Towhees,
1 Green-tailed Towhee, 30+ Spotted Sandpipers, 2 Great Horned Owls,
1 Rock Wren, many House Wrens, 1 Marsh Wren, 1 Virginia Rail,
4 Yellow-headed Blackbirds, m, f Great-tailed Grackle,
2 Orange-crowned Warblers, 1 Wilson's Warbler, and
many Swainson's & Red-tailed Hawks.
Burrowing Owls were found along my favorite owl loop on the
trip home. Loop is North of Denver International Airport runways.
(3 BUOW) --3.4 miles East of 96th ave & Tower Road
(2 BUOW) --0.7 miles East of Picadilly Road & 128th ave.
(2 BUOW) --0.5 miles South of Picadilly Road & 120th ave.
(4 BUOW) --3.4 miles Northeast corner of 128th ave & Powhaton Rd
Lochbuie Ponds: 2 owls at NW corner
Birding Northeastern Plains of Colorado 5/15-5/16
Tuesday 5/14
I enjoyed several days of birding on the northeast plains of Colorado.
Winds were 20mph, gusting over 30mph. Rain and fog accompanied
the strong winds. It was a surprise to find any birds.
I ended Tuesday at Prewitt Reservoir (Washington/Logan Counties).
Few birds were on the water surface. A White-throated Sparrow and
American Redstart were found in the Russian Olive Trees along
the outlet canal east of the manger's residence.
Shorebirds along the western end included Western, Semipalmated,
Least, Baird's, Stilt, and Spotted Sandpipers; Long-billed Dowitchers,
Wilson's Phalaropes, Killdeer, American Avocets, Black-necked Stilts
and a Willet; and one Snowy Plover.
Wednesday 15
Weather was terrible today. I ran into several rainstorms;
winds were high all day. Standing still at times was difficult.
First light found me at Tamarack Ranch Wildlife Area (Logan).
A Bell's Vireo was on the western side of Highway 55.
A Red-bellied Woodpecker was also here.
I found no warblers or Eastern Towhees this trip.
My next stop was Sedgwick Bar WLA (Sedgwick).
Two male Eastern Bluebirds were along the river and
west of the parking area. Again I struck out on
warbler sightings. Winds were 30mph plus.
At Ovid Woods a male Northern Cardinal was deep in
the northern section. No warblers were found however,
a male Red-bellied Woodpecker worked the trees at the
extreme northern end.
I headed back west to Jumbo Reservoir. Winds were too strong
to find passerines. I thought to look for shorebirds.
One Black-bellied Plover walked the southwest shoreline.
Ring-billed and California Gulls were the only gulls found.
I headed back to Tamarack Ranch WLA and found an Upland Sandpiper
in the field west of Red Lion WLA. Two Burrowing Owls were in
the field also. Tree and Barn Swallows blew past in the wind.
No owls were heard after dark at Tamarack and I headed
to Wray for the night.
Thursday 16
Winds were again more than 20mph.
A male and female Northern Cardinal came to feeders in a friend's yard
in Wray. No warblers came around at all. One Green-tailed Towhee appeared.
A quick stop at Sandsage WLA was not productive. I figured
winds were too strong to find any birds. No owls were about either.
A female Northern Cardinal flew about the evergreen trees at
the Wray Fishing Unit (Yuma). Again not much else moved about.
Few birds flew around Bonny Reservoir and Hale Ponds.
Winds were too strong; I could hear no Yellow-billed Cuckoos
at Hale Ponds. Water level is the lowest in 50 years and
conditions look bleak for the summer season.
My final stop of the day was Flagler Reservoir.
A Northern Waterthrush walked the southeast shoreline.
Again winds reduced any chance of finding additional birds.
Search for Jefferson County Scott's Oriole 5/14
We did not see the bird during our 2-hour stay.
Several other birders also searched and the bird
was not reported in 5 hours.
One Black-headed Grosbeak, many Pygmy Nuthatches,
White-breasted Nuthatches, and 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch
made appearances. Broad-tailed Hummingbirds flew
about everywhere. Mountain Chickadees, European Starlings,
House Wrens, and Violet-green Swallows nested in the house.
A flock of 8 Yellow-rumped Warbler flew by also.
A stop at Wheat Ridge Greenbelt on the return trip to
Denver did not add any birds to our day list.
CoBus Trip to Pawnee National Grasslands 5/13
I lead the CoBus trip to Crow Valley & Pawnee National Grasslands.
Our main goal was Upland Sandpipers. None were found at last
week's reported location or last year's traditional locations.
We did see a Mountain Plover & 2 Burrowing Owls at highway 14 & CR 51.
Two additional Burrowing Owls were observed 1/2 mile south of
CR 94 & CR 61. McCown's and Chestnut-collared Longspurs
were found at several locations along our trek.
Several interesting birds were found at Crow Valley Campground.
Thrushes included 1 Veery, 1 Gray-cheeked Thrush, 1 Hermit Thrush,
and dozens of Swainson's Thrushes. MacGillivray's Warbler and
American Redstart were the interesting warblers.
Plumbeous Vireos were the only vireos found.
We did not find the American Bittern or Little Blue Herons at
Lower Latham Reservoir. Many Marsh Wrens moved about the cattails.
Milton reservoir contained few birds.
Cherry Creek Reservoir 5/12
Donna Fortney, Sue Dorsey, Bryan Ehlmann, and I went in search of
the Red-headed Woodpecker at Cherry Creek Reservoir this afternoon.
Temperatures were in the 60s; winds were mild; it rained part of the day.
We did not find the Red-headed Woodpecker, however several interesting
birds were observed during our 3-hour stay at the reservoir.
Three Franklin's Gulls were with California and Ring-billed Gulls
on the swim beach. A flock of warblers was found between the pond
northwest of the swim beach and the willows at Dixon Grove.
The flock included a male & female Yellow Warbler, 1 Orange-crowned
Warbler, 1 Nashville Warbler! and 9 Yellow-rumped Warblers.
The Nashville Warbler was last observed in the willows along
the shore at Dixon Grove Picnic Area.
One Willet & 5 Spotted Sandpipers walked the eastern shoreline.
Not much was found at the southwest marina.
We checked the beaver pond south of 12-mile group picnic area last.
Twenty-four Red-necked Phalaropes swam in the middle of the pond.
Two Common Snipe called constantly from the southern end (swallow end).
A Virginia Rail and Sora were heard in the cattails south of the pond.
We checked the few taller trees south of the pond. Nothing uncommon
was found. We did see a Loggerhead Shrike and Say's Phoebe!
The only hawk found today was the Swainson's Hawk sitting on a nest
(along main road and east of Prairie Loop, same nest as past years).
A Cloudy Birding Day 5/11
The day was overcast; temperatures were cool.
Excerpts from Sue Dorsey's Report:
"Richard Stevens and I picked up Rebecca Kosten at DIA and headed to
Boulder Creek in Boulder this afternoon. We chased the birds reported
this morning by David Waltman; thanks very much for the report!
First we hiked along Boulder Creek from Folsom Avenue to 17th street.
We observed 2 male Golden-winged Warblers at the same time.
The warblers were with a flock of birds that went from the tall willows
on the north side of Boulder Creek at Folsom to the willows on the south
side just east of the first footbridge west. This flock also included
1 Cassin's Vireo, 1 Plumbeous Vireo, Virginia's Warbler, 2 Yellow Warblers,
Orange-crowned Warbler, 1 Wilson's Warbler, and 2 Yellow-rumped Warblers.
We also saw 9 or more Empidonax species, which included 1 Least
Flycatcher, 1 Cordilleran Flycatcher, and 2 more Western Flycatchers.
An adult male, adult female, and 1st year male Western Tanager also
came through the area. A female Bullock's Oriole was around too!
Next we drove to the library off Arapahoe Avenue and hiked from
Broadway to 6th street.
The best bird was a Chestnut-sided Warbler near the library.
We did not find the American Redstart, Prothonotary, and
Black-and-White Warbler reported earlier in the week.
We stopped at Cherry Creek Reservoir in Arapahoe County last.
The only shorebird was 1 Willet along the shore at the Gull-shaped
picnic tables. No Caspian Tern turned up. Ring-billed and
California Gulls were the only gulls found." End of Quote!
We most likely observed two Golden-winged Warblers. Sue & I were
looking at a male Golden-winged Warbler at the same time and then
noticed that we were not looking in the same tree. We switched trees
and both found a male Golden-winged Warbler again in different trees.
So keep an eye out for two of them!
I will add that the first warbler that we observed when we arrived
was the Worm-eating Warbler. We observed the bird as we walked to
the first footbridge, crossed Boulder Creek and walked back East
on the North side toward Folsom Avenue. The Worm-eating Warbler
had come out of the thickets just east of the chokecherry bushes.
It gave us a 15 second look before returning into the thickets.
At Boulder Creek near the library, we not only found a Chestnut-sided
Warbler but 4 Yellow Warblers, 2 Orange-crowned Warblers, and a 2nd
Wilson's Warbler for the day. A male Bullock's Oriole was here also.
My day started in Lamar (Prowers County). I left early and headed
up to Flagler Reservoir (Kit Carson). A Northern Waterthrush walked
along the shoreline in the southeast corner. Many Yellow Warblers,
4 Wilson's Warblers, 5 Common Yellowthroats, many Yellow-rumped
Warblers, and an American Redstart added to the warbler count for the day.
Chipping, White-crowned, Song, and 1 Lincoln's Sparrow added to
the sparrow count. One Red-headed Woodpecker was here also.
Again I missed Eurasian Collared-Doves and Great-tailed Grackles
in Flagler. The town seems too small for them to hide;
yet they do for me.
After leaving Boulder, I picked up Bryan Ehlmann at DIA and we headed
back to Union Reservoir. The adult Laughing Gull stood in the northwest
corner. We also observed the Black-bellied and Semipalmated Plovers.
Jim Hamm Park across County Road 1 was quiet.
Burrowing Owls were found at all four sites of my favorite owl loop
North of DIA runways (Adams).
Southeastern Colorado Trip 5/8-5/10
I headed down to southeastern Colorado this week with a slight detour.
Winds have been 20+ mph. This has made finding birds interesting.
Wednesday 5/8
I birded Barbour Ponds (Weld County) at first light. The Common Moorhen
did not make an appearance during my 2-hour stay. I searched every pond
in the State Park. One Common Tern and three Forster's Terns were at
the ponds inside the park. Nine American Avocets, eleven Long-billed
Dowitchers, and two Spotted Sandpipers were observed also.
My next stop was Chatfield Reservoir (Jefferson/Douglas Counties).
Several Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Spotted Towhees, Yellow-breasted Chats,
Yellow Warblers, and Chipping Sparrows were found along the east side
of the South Platte River (and south of Kingfisher Bridge).
It started to rain at 10:00am. A small group of birds came out of
the thickets just south of the pond on the right side of the trail.
The group included the male Kentucky Warbler, a male MacGillivray's
Warbler, a Lincoln's Sparrow, and a Song Sparrow. The two warblers
walked the eastern slope from just south of the pond to 60 yards north.
A check of the western side of the river and south to the area west
of Discovery Pavilion did not add any species to my day list.
I drove down to Pueblo Reservoir in search of the Brown Pelican.
The bird was with many American White Pelicans east of the heron
rookery at the west end of Pueblo Reservoir. This area is accessed
from the Swallows Road several miles west of the reservoir proper.
Two Loggerhead Shrikes, two Scaled Quail, one Sage Thrasher, and
one Curve-billed Thrasher were observed along the Swallows road on
my drive back to Pueblo.
My birding day ended at Two Buttes Reservoir (Baca).
Early in the morning, a Barn Owl called off to the southeast.
Thursday 5/9
I hiked around Two Buttes Reservoir at first light. Birds of interest
observed included an American Redstart, Black-and-White Warbler,
and 2 Common Yellowthroats. Winds were up to 20+ mph. The reservoir
was more birdy than two weeks ago. Brown Thrashers, House Wrens,
Chipping Sparrows, and other summer residents have started to nest.
Lamar Community College (Prowers) was surprisingly quiet.
The interesting birds from last weekend had disappeared.
I did not find the Scissor-tailed Flycatchers that were
reported along highway 385/287 last weekend either.
I checked the group of reservoirs north of Lamar. Warblers were scarce.
Small collections of sandpipers were observed at Upper Queens, Neenoshe,
Neesopah, Jet Lake, and Thurston Reservoir (Prowers & Kiowa).
Chihuahuan Ravens and Burrowing Owls were found west of Neesopah Reservoir.
I headed back down to Cottonwood Canyon (Baca) to meet Gary Zeeto.
Ash-throated Flycatchers, Cassin's Kingbirds, Western Kingbirds,
Mississippi Kites and Blue Grosbeaks have returned to the canyon.
Yellow-billed Cuckoos have not seemed to arrive yet. After dark,
we heard two Western Screech-Owls near the camping area.
Friday 5/10
Gary and I would enjoy one of our best birding days.
Winds were again 20+ mph; temperatures reached the 80s.
Comanche Grasslands Pasture 14G contained 2 Mountain Plovers.
This pasture is across highway 385 from the Washington Work Center
(9 miles south of Springfield). I again missed the
Scissor-tailed Flycatchers reported just south of Lamar.
A stop at the cemetery in Lamar added the Pine Warbler to my trip list.
The woods behind the community college was again quiet.
A male Black-and-White Warbler flew about the locust grove on
the west side of Neenoshe Reservoir (Kiowa). A Gray Flycatcher
was east of here. Bullock's Orioles sang in the tall cottonwoods
near the boat ramp on the western side of the reservoir.
We drove west to the Fort Lyons Wildlife Easement (Bent).
We could not locate the Mourning Warbler reported on
Thursday or the Blackburnian Warbler reported Tuesday.
However a male Golden-winged Warbler, Red-eyed Vireo, and
male Rose-breasted Grosbeak were observed. The grove of trees
at CR HH & CR 16 was disappointingly slow. A Chimney Swift flew overhead.
The western section of Fort Lyons Wildlife Area added an American Bittern,
Virginia Rails, a Sora and Marsh Wrens to our day list.
The woods at Lake Henry (Crowley) had some interesting birds flying about.
Gary spotted a Black-throated Green Warbler and male Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
Several Swainson's Thrushes sulked about the woods. My second Red-eyed Vireo
of the trip worked the western edge of the woods.
Our birding day ended at Higbee Cemetery (Otero).
Several Mountain Bluebirds, a Ladder-backed Woodpecker,
and two Northern Mockingbirds were observed.
No Vermilion Flycatchers were around this evening.
I have not heard of a report of one here since 4/9.
We headed back to our motel in Lamar. No Black Rails were heard
at Old Bent's Fort and Fort Lyons Wildlife Easement during brief stops.
Birding Around Denver 5/7
I searched for the Common Moorhen at Barbour Ponds (Weld County)
for five hours this morning. No Common Moorhen was found at any of the
bodies of water in the area. Parts of the water surfaces cannot be seen.
Next I drove to Chatfield Reservoir and searched for an hour for
the male Kentucky Warbler reported earlier by Glenn Walbek.
Again I had no success.
I did see a Nashville Warbler as I hiked south from Kingfisher Bridge
on the East side of the South Platte River. The bird was at the
southern end of the pond on the east side of the dirt path.
The bird then flew just west of the path and into the thickets
and a dry ravine between here and the river.
I also stopped briefly and watched a pair of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers
building a nest west of this first pond. The Kentucky Warbler was
observed several times during the day, north and east of the second
pond/puddle (the one on the west side of the dirt path).
My birding day ended by driving my favorite owl loop.
Burrowing Owls are at all four stops along the route.
Birding South of Denver 5/6
Paul Langendorfer & I birded around Colorado Springs on this
beautiful spring day. Temperatures were in the 70s and winds mild.
A hike around Fox Run Park (El Paso County) on the north side of
Colorado Springs produced sightings of all nuthatches (Red-breasted,
White-breasted, and Pygmy). Several Yellow-rumped Warblers,
Chipping Sparrows, Mountain Chickadees, and Spotted Towhees
fluttered about this park, which is in the middle of a
Ponderosa Pine forest. One Violet-green Swallow flew over
the small ponds west of the maintenance buildings.
A Great Blue Heron stood atop a Ponderosa Pine Tree near the ponds.
Our next stop was Green Mountain Falls (Teller County).
Eleven Band-tailed Pigeons were coming to a feeder at
the second house north of the end of the road (below falls).
We spent 2 hours hiking around Fountain Creek Regional Park (El Paso).
None of Sunday's uncommon birds could be located. We did see a
male Bullock's Oriole, 2 Lincoln's Sparrows, 1 Green-tailed Towhee,
1 Wilson's Warbler, 1 Orange-crowned Warbler, 4 (3 males, 1 female)
Common Yellowthroats, and dozens of Yellow-rumped Warblers.
After lunch, we drove the loop of highway 94--log road--JD Johnson Road.
Eight Burrowing Owls were found at the northeast corner of JD Johnson Road
& Log Road. The owls stood around underneath the many horses in the field.
From here we connected with Elbert Road and headed to Joe Tenbrink's
favorite Dickcissel location. At the intersection of Peyton Road &
Judge Orr Road we found 2 male McCown's Longspurs. The small ponds
at this intersection contained 5 Wilson's Phalaropes, a pair of
Cinnamon Teal, a pair of Blue-winged Teal, Killdeer, American Coots,
and 2 Northern Pintails. Several Swainson's Hawks flew overhead.
We stopped at Elbert County Road, 4.1 miles south of highway 86.
No Dickcissels or Bobolinks were found during our hour stay.
It is early for Dickcissels, however we had hoped on seeing a Bobolink.
Search for Chicken-like Birds 5/4-5/5
Mary & Seth Osborn & I searched for Chicken-like Birds this weekend.
Weather was warm with mild winds most of our trip.
Saturday 4
We found 23+ Greater Sage-Grouse at the Coalmont Lek (Jackson County).
Birds found at the Colorado State Forest Visitor's Center included
Mountain Chickadees, Cassin's Finches, White-crowned Sparrows,
Lincoln's Sparrows, American Goldfinches, and a Gray Jay.
After dark we heard a Boreal Owl west of parking area at the
Cameron Pass summit. Birds were about 0.2 miles west of summit.
Sunday 5
Two Sharp-tailed Grouse visited the Hayden Leks on Road 20 (Routt County).
Thirty Sandhill Cranes flew into the field east of the Yampa Valley airport.
Only eight Rosy Finches visited the feeder at Loveland Ski Area
(Clear Creek County). However, they included two Brown-capped,
one Black, and five Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches.
It took us about 2 hours to find 2 White-tailed Ptarmigan at the
Guanella Pass Summit. No Three-toed Woodpeckers could be found
at Guanella Pass Campground.
Birding the Front Range 5/3
What a beautiful spring day! Winds were mild, temperatures in the 60s.
I enjoyed one of my better birding days in quite a while.
Steve Spencer and I birded at Chatfield Reservoir (Jefferson County) in
the morning. Steve found a Nashville Warbler along the South Platte River.
The bird was north of where the Discovery Pavilion path reaches east to
the river (about 0.5 miles north of the river/path junction).
Later, we found a Black-throated Green Warbler about 1.5 miles south
of the Kingfisher Bridge. The bird was high in the cottonwoods near
the cement blocks and grape vines for those who know the area.
Also found were Yellow and Orange-crowned Warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets,
2 Hermit Thrushes, and what we thought was a Least Flycatcher.
Steve left for work, I called Donna Fortney and headed to Boulder.
The male Black-and-White Warbler was near the first bridge
over Boulder Creek west of Broadway Avenue. Thanks to
Nathan Pieplow for pointing us to the right area!
The female Prothonotary Warbler was in the cottonwoods just
north of the Boulder Library (the south side of Boulder Creek).
The Prothonotary Warbler eventually flew to the Plum tree and then
to bushes right next to the library (inside the black iron gated area).
She stayed there for quite some time. While we watched her,
Donna who had forgotten her binoculars noticed a larger red bird
with black wings. A male Scarlet Tanager in breeding plumage stood
atop the evergreen trees near the library. He eventually flew over
the library to the evergreen trees on the west side. From there,
he flew toward the Municipal building!
After a late lunch, we headed for Doudy Draw (Boulder County).
The male and female Northern Parula were still in the small grove
halfway between the parking area and the picnic area. Also here were
a Yellow Warbler, 3 Chipping Sparrows, and 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers.
We ended our birding day at Welchester Tree Park (Jefferson County).
I spent 2 hours walking around this small park. I enjoy hiking around
the last two hours of daylight; finding a bird or two is always a bonus.
I found the Worm-eating Warbler after about 1.75 hours.
The warbler was 40 yards east of the dry canal and about
50 yards southeast of the bridge. Also here was 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler, 2 Western Flycatchers, 1 singing
Cordilleran Flycatcher, and 1 Hermit Thrush.
Birding Adams & Weld Counties 5/2
What a beautiful day. Winds were mild; temperatures in the 60s!
I birded in Adams & Weld counties between several trips to the airport.
A drive on my favorite owl loop produced Burrowing Owl sightings:
2 @ 3.4 miles east of Tower Road & 96th avenue
4 @ Powhaton Road & 120th avenue
2 @ 0.7 miles east of Picadilly Road & 128th avenue
3 @ 0.5 miles south of Picadilly Road & 120th avenue
At 10:00am-1:30pm , I hiked the trail at Barr Lake (Adams).
A male Black-and-White Warbler climbed along the branches of
the cottonwoods at mile marker 8.8.
During the hike from mm 9.0 to 7.5, I observed 7 Green-tailed Towhees,
5 Spotted Towhees, 2 Yellow Warblers, 5 Orange-crowned Warblers,
14 Yellow-rumped Warblers, 4 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 5 Hermit Thrushes,
1 Swainson's Thrush, 1 Brown Thrasher and 2 Great Horned Owls.
A Peregrine Falcon stood in a tree at mile marker 8.4.
During the hike back to the visitor's center, I ran into a
Common Poorwill on three different occasions. When it flew
I could see the wide white corners on the tail. The bird let out
a loud "kweep kweep" each time it was accidentally disturbed.
I next drove to Lower Latham Reservoir in Weld County.
Few birds and no sandpipers were about. Many Marsh Wrens
called from the cattails on the south side of CR 48.
At the Beebe Draw Area, male & female Great-tailed Grackles
walked around the pond on CR 42. No sandpipers were there
or along CR 40. Two Burrowing Owls were along CR 42 at
0.8 miles west of Kersey Road.
I stopped at Lochbuie Ponds (Adams/Weld counties) on the drive home.
There was one Snowy Egret at the southeast pond (Weld) and another
along the creek in the southwest corner (Adams).
Two Burrowing Owls were in the northwest corner (Adams).
More Bird Trips
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