Rich Stevens' Bird Trips
December; November 2001
Eastern Plains 11/29-11/30
Bryan Ehlmann and I returned from two days of birding on
the southeastern plains. Winds were strong at times;
temperatures were cold. We enjoyed our time birding
out on the plains away from the crowds back in Denver.
Thursday 29
Lake Henry (Crowley County) produced few bird sightings.
Blue Lake (Bent/Kiowa Counties) was also slow.
Fort Lyons Wildlife Area (Bent County) had a few nice birds.
Two Bonaparte's Gulls were flying around at the western end of
John Martin Reservoir. A Swamp Sparrow came out of the cattails
in response to our pishing. We struck out on the Steller's Jay
that has been reported for several weeks.
We ended our birding day at a private ranch southeast of Lamar (Prowers).
A Barn Owl was observed in our friend's abandoned barn.
Friday 30
Two Eurasian Collared-Doves were near the city park in Springfield
(Baca). Nothing was moving around at Two Buttes Reservoir (Baca).
I finally observed the two Northern Cardinals at the woods behind
Lamar Community College (Prowers). A Red-bellied Woodpecker
was just north of the tower in Willow Creek Park in Lamar.
Except for American Tree Sparrows, few sparrows moved about.
Our plan was to head to Pueblo, however we changed our minds and
tried to find the Eurasian Collared-Doves in Bennett (Adams) and
Long-eared Owl near Watkins (Adams) reported on Thursday.
Neither birds cooperated and we struck out. A quick stop at the
South Platte River (88th & Colorado Blvd) (Adams County)
added the male Barrow's Goldeneye to our trip list.
We ended our birding day at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe).
The Pacific Loon was below the dam, just south of its tower.
The Common Loon was swimming offshore at the Lake Loop.
We were surprised at the low number of hawks that were found.
While we did see Rough-legged, Red-tailed, one Ferruginous, and
a few American Kestrels, numbers were way down from past November trips.
Jefferson County Parks 11/28
Bryan Ehlmann and I decided to search for Northern Pygmy-Owls Wednesday.
The day was cold with temperatures in the lower 30s and mild to strong winds.
Unfortunately none were to be found.
Our loop went from many of the Jefferson County parks including
Lair 'o Bear Park, Pine Valley Ranch, Reynolds Park, Red Rocks Park,
and ended our day at Golden Gate State Park.
We made a side trip to Loveland Ski Basin (Clear Creek) where
all three species of Rosy Finches were coming to the feeder
below lift 1 (west end of main parking area).
Birding Metro Denver 11/26
Bryan Ehlmann and I started up to Loveland Ski Basin Monday.
Icy, snowy roads and 5 mph speeds forced us to turn back.
We headed south to Chatfield Reservoir (Jefferson/Douglas Counties).
Temperatures were in the low 30s; skies were overcast most of the day.
We studied the 6,000 gulls around Chatfield reservoir for about 3 hours.
Twenty-nine Bonaparte's Gulls were in the bay east of the southeast marina.
One 1st winter Thayer's Gull flew by, landed for 10 minutes, and then
took off for the southwest corner of the reservoir.
The highlight was an adult basic Mew Gull. The bird flew overhead
twice while we stood at the east bay. It then landed on the sand spit
at the southeast marina where it stood for 20 minutes before
taking off to feed to the northeast section of the reservoir.
Two Common Loons flew into the northeast section and swam around
for 30 minutes. They eventually returned to the southwest also.
Our next stop was Centennial Park (Jefferson County). We walked a
mile up and downstream in search of the Mew Gull reported on 11/24.
No Mew Gull was found along the South Platte River, or at the lake
to the west of the Platte and W. Union Blvd.
We back tracked to Ketring Park (Littleton Historic Park; Arapahoe County).
Few birds were here. The elusive Mandarin Duck was not here today.
The bird wanders to the S. Platte and back to Ketring Park.
(Apparently, on the days that I try to find it at its opposite locations).
Fort Logan National Cemetery (Jefferson County) was our next stop.
The female Greater Scaup reported by T. Jones on 11/24 was still here.
A male and two female Lesser Scaups accompanied her.
Our final stop was Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County).
Few birds and gulls were around today. One Common Loon and
one Pacific Loon persist. We could not find any Swamp Sparrows
near the southern bird platform (Prairie Loop) today.
Hawks observed were dark-morph Rough-legged Hawk,
dark-morph Red-tailed Hawk, and four Western Red-tailed Hawks.
Eastern Plains 11/24-25
Bryan Ehlmann, Sue Dorsey, Rebecca Kosten, and I birded in northeastern
Colorado the past two days. Weather was fair with mild winds; that is
until late this afternoon. We managed to get home before the snow.
November 24
We drove up Interstate 76 and stopped at Prewitt Reservoir (Washington/
Logan Counties). No loons, uncommon gulls, or other birds were located.
Our search in most places was limited by the hunting season.
Our next stop was Jumbo Reservoir (Logan/Sedgwick Counties).
A 1st winter Great Black-backed Gull was standing along the southern
shoreline. Three Bonaparte's Gulls flew over during our stay.
We ended our day at Ovid (Sedgwick County). Few birds were
moving around in the woods or at local feeders.
November 25
Our birding day started at Lake McConaughy where seven species
of gulls were observed. Many Bald Eagles were also around.
We spent the rest of our day criss-crossing the country roads
doing a hawk count in Sedgwick, Logan, and Morgan Counties.
Two-way radios and cellular phones allowed our two cars to cover
more territory and keep in contact. We really hoped for a Snowy Owl
(talk about looking for a needle in a haystack). None were found.
Raptor highlights included 9 Golden Eagles, 3 Ferruginous Hawks,
7 Merlins and many Rough-legged Hawks and Red-tailed Hawks.
The best hawk was an Swainson's Hawk at Jumbo Reservoir!
The hawk was in the trees at the north end and east of the house.
We ended our birding day at Jackson Reservoir (Morgan County).
One Long-eared Owl was located. A flock of 9 Yellow-rumped
Warblers was also found. No uncommon sparrows were found today.
We rushed home to miss the snow!
Thanksgiving Birding 11/22
Rebecca Kosten and I enjoyed a great Thanksgiving Day by hiking and
birding several metro reservoirs. The day was cool and mostly cloudy.
Did you all catch the sunrise this morning; it was fabulous.
Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe county)
We hiked down from Parker Road at 6:30am. We were walking through the tall
grasses 50 yards east of the dam and observed a Sage Sparrow. The bird was
on the sandy road marked by “authorized vehicles only” that goes west and
then north along the dam (just before main road turns south to parking area
below dam’s tower). I prefer to enter the state park from this direction
because I am able to check the small group of evergreen trees in the
northwest corner for owls and such! Never found any, however one of these
days it is going to pay off! Also, I like to walk the tall grasses and
search for sparrows; again someday this will pay off!
We watched the sparrow for 20 minutes before moving on to the reservoir
proper. Note: Steve Spencer & Mike Williams looked for the bird from 3:00pm
to dark and could not relocate it. (I would check the willows and sandy
beach area south of the group picnic area if I wanted a chance to relocate
the bird). The bird was my first Arapahoe County Sage Sparrow!!!
We sat at the “physically challenged fisherperson’s pier” for 30 minutes.
Two Bonaparte’s Gulls flew about the southern picnic area with the
gull-like overhangs. (For those not familiar with the area, the covers
over the tables look like gulls with their wings stretched out).
One Common Loon was swimming in the southeast corner of the reservoir.
A Pacific Loon followed it wherever it went. A second Common Loon was
at the western end of the reservoir. Thirty-one Western Grebes and
several dozen Eared Grebes swam far in the distance to the southwest.
We thought that the Red-necked Grebe was with them, however did not
add it to our trip list. The bird stayed far away in the middle area.
Our next stop was Marsten Reservoir (Denver County).
Many birds were on the reservoir Thursday and we scoped the lake for
2 hours. The huge numbers of birds present dampened our hopes of
finding the White-winged Scoter. For example, we counted 681
Common Mergansers on the smaller lake to the southwest of Marsten.
(Are these two lakes connected?
We could only see about 2/3 of this smaller lake.)
At the southern end of Marsten and to our delight, a female White-winged
Scoter and female Surf Scoter were swimming close to each other.
A raft of 118 Canvasbacks with American Wigeons and Redheads mixed in,
made searching for the scoters a challenge. A raft of American Coots
must have numbered 400. Then there was a group of birds way to the
southeast that were too far away to properly identify at all.
We counted 8 Common Loons; however could not find the Pacific Loon
observed by Loch Kilpatrick earlier in the day. The numerous gulls
appeared to be Ring-billed, California, and a couple of Herring Gulls.
There were 2 Double-crested Cormorants and 24+ Red-breasted Mergansers.
After eating lunch, which was difficult to do (who knew that McDonald’s,
Burger King, and all were closed?), we ended our birding day by hiking
the South Platte River at Colorado Blvd & 88th avenue. We hiked from the
parking area, along the west side of the Platte upstream to highway 224
and back along the west side (approximately 4 miles).
The male Barrow's Goldeneye was below the outlet tower at the most
northern East Gravel Lake. Thousands of Northern Shovelers and
hundreds of Northern Pintails were in the Eastern Gravel Lakes.
The West Gravel Lakes contained a few dozen Common Goldeneyes.
No Goldeneyes were on the river itself.
The Barrow's Goldeneye was the only uncommon bird observed today.
Return to Clear Creek County 11/21
I was curious to determine if the White-tailed Ptarmigan stayed in the
same location overnight. Skies were again clear; winds were mild.
The feeder at Loveland Ski Basin was again visited by many
Rosy Finches. We observed 58 Gray-crowned, 16 Brown-capped,
and 3 Black Rosy Finches during our one-hour stop at the feeder at Lift #1.
The Pine Grosbeak showed up again today, as well as the Gray Jays!
We drove next to Georgetown where we watched 21 Evening Grosbeaks
come to feeders at 209 9th street. Feeders at Rose & 2nd streets
are now empty (at the request of the neighborhood people).
Twenty-one White-tailed Ptarmigan were in the same location as yesterday.
We did not approach closer than 100 yards so as to not disturb the birds.
We stopped at Guanella Pass campground on the trip back to Georgetown.
Two (possibly three) Three-toed Woodpeckers were 300 yards south of
the campground entrance. They flew about the firs on the east side
of Guanella Pass Road. Many Mountain Chickadees were also counted.
Rebecca Kosten and I dropped off Steve Spencer and Sue Dorsey
then proceeded to Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County).
We only had an hour of daylight left. No Winter Wren or
Swamp Sparrows were found in a short search at the bird
observation platform at the Prairie Loop (south side of reservoir).
Two Common Loons were observed from the "physically challenged
fisherperson's dock" on the north side. Light was fading fast
and many birds in the distance could not be identified.
Two Bonaparte's Gulls accompanied many Ring-billed &
California Gulls at the swim beach area. A Great Horned Owl
called off in the distance from the campgrounds to the north.
Clear Creek County 11/20
Jennifer Rycenga (from San Francisco), her Georgia birding friend, and
I enjoyed quite a good day of birding in Clear Creek County Tuesday.
The weather was fabulous with sunny skies and mild winds.
Our first stop was the feeder at Lift 1 of Loveland Ski Basin.
Forty-eight+ Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches, 12+ Brown-capped Rosy Finches,
and 2 Black Rosy Finches visited the feeder during our one hour stay.
Several Hepburn finches were among the birds. There were several
flocks of Rosy Finches (species ratio changed during visits to
feeders and we watched a flock eat and then fly northeast).
A male Pine Grosbeak watched from atop a fir tree beside the feeder.
When the Rosy Finches departed, he came down to the feeder and a
female appeared from somewhere. They ate for 10 minutes or so;
the male always kept himself between the female and us.
Many Mountain Chickadees also came to eat.
A pair of Gray Jays also made an appearance.
During our visit, we showed three employees of the ski area
how to identify the three species. We thanked them much for
keeping the feeder full of seeds. We are quite grateful.
Our next stop was Guanella Pass summit. We walked around for
approximately an hour and found 57 White-tailed Ptarmigans.
We did not have time to search for the Three-toed Woodpeckers
near Guanella Pass Campground.
When getting gas in Georgetown, Jennifer noticed a fast moving
cloud about 3000 feet above us. A closer look revealed a flock
of 450-500 Snow Geese flying to the west.
Birding Metro Denver Lakes 11/19
I enjoyed a good day of birding in metro Denver. My day started at 6:30am
at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County), which was too early
(dark and cold). Temperature was 30 degrees, winds 10mph; dark
and cold, snow covered the ground. Did I mention, it was cold!
I circled the reservoir starting at the southwest marina because the
1.5 miles of rocks below the dam are no fun to traverse when dry.
I thought the snow-covered rocks to be too dangerous. (Usually
I hike from the northwest corner and head over the rocks first).
This turned out to be a good decision!
At sunrise around 6:45am, I watched a basic adult Lesser Black-backed Gull.
It stood on the telephone pilings at the southwest marina for approximately
20 minutes and then took off over my head and flew to the south.
I wonder if this bird ended up at Pueblo Reservoir this afternoon?
I did not find the bird again during my 4.5-hour stay.
Another interesting gull stood on the pilings also. I thought it to
be a 1st winter Great Black-backed Gull. I see that Bob Spencer
also thought such about 5 hours later.
Two Bonaparte's Gulls flew along the shoreline at the picnic area
(with gull shaped overhangs). Four Hooded Mergansers swam along
the shoreline here. Many American Tree Sparrows hunted on the ground.
One Red-necked Grebe was observed from just east of the Lake Loop.
I later found it again while sitting at the "Physically challenged
fisherperson's dock" on the north side.
From the dock I could see at one time, 3 Pacific and 2 Common Loons.
I did not find the Red-throated Loon today.
A third Common Loon was in the bay by the swim beach.
My trip wish list was the Winter Wren reported Sunday at the Bird Platform
on the south side. I could not locate the bird today. While standing on
the path down to the reservoir (50 yards west of bird platform), I watched
a Virginia Rail run along the reservoir and across the path.
A Swamp Sparrow popped up on the cattails about 15 feet east of here!
There may be several Swamp Sparrows between the path and the birding platform.
When I reached the Swim Beach (northwest corner) the dark-morph
Rough-legged Hawk was in a large cottonwood. He did not allow my
close approach and eventually flew to the cottonwoods east of the
bird platform.
While walking through the cottonwood grove at the swim beach a
Western Red-tailed Hawk and dark-morph Red-tailed Hawk flew
overhead (coming from the northern campgrounds).
A female/immature Red-breasted Merganser, many Common Mergansers,
American Coots, Western Grebes, Buffleheads, American Wigeon,
several Common Goldeneyes, and a few dozen Eared Grebes rounded
out my list of birds for the reservoir trip.
Next I stopped at Marsten Reservoir (Denver County) on my way to
Belmar Historic Park. One Pacific Loon and at least 2 Common Loons
were observed from behind the homes along the western side.
My next stop was Belmar Historic Park (Jefferson County).
I found at least one of the male Greater Scaups reported
Saturday by Bill Schmoker (thanks Bill).
Added to my trip list were 2 female Canvasbacks, 1 male Redhead Duck,
and a Golden-crowned Kinglet (trees east of small eastern pond).
My day ended at Wheat Ridge Greenbelt (Jefferson County).
Few birds swam about in Prospect Pond. Fewer birds were observed
in the woods during a hike 1 mile either side of Prospect Bridge.
Trip to Jackson Reservoir to see the Meteor Shower 11/18
While I could not talk my non-birding brother who is visiting from
California into going birding, I did talk him into traveling to
Jackson Reservoir (Morgan County) to look at the meteor shower.
Since I was already there, I hiked around Jackson Reservoir for a little
birding :-) I got in a couple hour hike before boredom hit my brother.
One Long-eared Owl was found north of Pelican Campground.
A White-throated Sparrow was in the thickets just south of
campsite 12 of Pelican Campground. I could not find the
Red-bellied Woodpecker reported on 11/4.
As usual, there were many American Robins and Northern Flickers around.
Two Blue Jays and a flock of 14 Yellow-rumped Warblers were also present.
At least 7 American Bald Eagles are also here now. Shorebirds were scarce.
One male Merlin was near the campground entrance.
It was a fantastic meteor shower and enjoyable birding hike.
A quick hike up the South Platte River at 88th Avenue
I managed to escape from entertaining guests this weekend for a quick
2-hour hike up the South Platte River at 88th avenue and Colorado Blvd.
The 2-mile hike was uneventful from the western side. On the return trip
to my car I took the eastern side of the South Platte River.
Suddenly a Peregrine Falcon soared by over the river. I do not know
another word to use; the bird was fast. Just as I settled down from
the great sight, a second bird zoomed on by (maybe 20 seconds later).
This bird stopped on a telephone pole near the green and white
water tower (1 mile south of 88th avenue & Colorado Blvd).
One hundred yards north of the green/white water tower, a male
Barrow's Goldeneye was swimming in the northern most East Gravel Lake.
I had no time to wait for sunset and rushed back home.
The East Gravel Lakes contained thousands of Northern Shovelers and
hundreds of Northern Pintails. I would not expect the Pintails to
spend the winter while the Shovelers usually do stay around.
Birding Metro Denver Reservoirs 11/16
I traveled around metro Denver today in search of loons.
Winds were mild; it was 38 degrees at 6:00am.
As I dropped south down into Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County)
from Parker Road, I was greeted by the chatterings of a Northern Shrike.
This is the third straight year a bird has shown up in November (wintered?)
between the bike path and the campgrounds to the east.
A female Belted Kingfisher was rattling at the swim beach when I arrived.
I walked the northern shoreline of Cherry Creek Reservoir and found many
loons. Eleven loons at one time were observed from the "physically
challenged fisherperson's dock". I could identify 7 Common Loons and
3 Pacific Loons. One bird kept its head tucked in its back the whole
two hours I watched it. Identification was just not possible.
(Though the back looked spotted and the face quite white; Red-throated?).
Also observed were one female/immature Red-breasted Merganser,
three Hooded Mergansers, and dozens of Common Mergansers.
Over one hundred Western Grebes and 41+ Eared Grebes were seen also.
Two Bonaparte's Gulls flew along the shoreline at the picnic area
(with the Gull shaped overhangs). Many Ring-billed were here also.
My next stop was Chatfield reservoir (Jefferson/Douglas Counties).
Seven Bonaparte's Gulls were flying about in their usual northeast corner.
Two Common Loons were observed from the Fox Run Picnic Area.
I did not locate the adult Red-necked Grebe reported last weekend.
A Prairie Falcon flew over the maintenance office around 12:00pm.
On to McLelland Reservoir (Arapahoe county) where flew birds were around.
My final stop was Marsten Reservoir (Denver County).
A lone Common Loon was swimming in the southwest corner.
It was another beautiful fall day in Colorado;
the temperature was 64 degrees at 2:00pm!
Southeast Colorado 11/14-15
November 14
Bryan Ehlmann, Steve Spencer, Mike Williams and I traveled down to
Pueblo Reservoir (Pueblo County) for the mid-week CoBus bird trip.
Temperatures were warm; winds were calm to mild.
At first light we found the two Black Scoters and Surf Scoter at
the gravel pond east of the nature center. We could not pick out
the Greater Scaup reported earlier in the week.
While driving around Pueblo Reservoir we observed 2 Red-necked Grebes,
2 Common Loons, and a Pacific Loon. Half a dozen Bonaparte's Gulls
flew along the shoreline at the Fisherman's Point area.
No other uncommon gulls were found during our three-hour stay.
We hiked around Valco Ponds and the Arkansas River in hopes of
finding last weekend's Red-shouldered Hawk; again without success.
Next we drove south to Huerfano Reservoir (Huerfano County).
No uncommon birds were added to our day list.
We were enjoying the trip so much, that we decided to head toward
Lamar (Prowers). Our birding day ended with a hike around Rocky Ford
(Otero) in search of Inca Doves. Again, we found none, but enjoyed
the search. Days are short now and we ran out of light for birding.
Thursday 15
At first light we checked Upper Queens, Neenoshe, Neesopah, and
Neegronda Reservoirs (Kiowa) for uncommon gulls. No gulls or loons
were around. We stopped briefly at the Feedlots of Lamar (Prowers),
but gave up hope of seeing the Inca Dove reported there several weeks ago.
Nothing moved about at the Lamar Community College woods either.
Our next stop was Road FF.5 in Rocky Ford (Otero).
Two Eurasian Collared-Doves were north of here on CR GG.
You could not find a larger flock or the Inca Doves reported last on 9/20.
Nothing was on Rocky Ford's Water Treatment Facility Ponds;
we found one White-throated Sparrow at Rocky Ford Wildlife Area.
No uncommon hawks were located (like the Red-shouldered Hawks
that "hung out" here the last few years).
We scoped Lake Meredith (Crowley) and observed at least two
Bonaparte's Gulls and one Common Loon. Lake Henry added two
additional Bonaparte's Gulls to our day list. No loons,
uncommon grebes, or gulls were about this day.
We ended our day at Flagler Reservoir (Kit Carson) waiting
for Short-eared Owls to come out. Approximately 15 minutes
after sunset, Bryan found a bird working the hills to the
northeast of the dam. It was a nice ending to our birding trip!
Standley Lake 11/13 Afternoon
The winds picked up in the afternoon, however temperatures were in
the warm high 60s. Unfortunately, few uncommon birds were found.
I did not locate the Red-throated Loon reported on 11/10.
One Common Loon and one Pacific Loon were swimming in the northwest
corner of the reservoir. Many Western Grebes and a few Eared Grebes
were scattered across the lake.
Cherry Creek Reservoir 11/13 Morning
The morning started with no wind; the water surface was like glass.
Mild winds came up around 0830. Temperature was 40 degrees at 0600.
I arrived at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County) at 5:30am
and parked at the northwest corner (outside of park). I walked
across the dam in the dark to time arrival at southwest marina
at first light (about 6:40am). I then circled the reservoir.
The best vantage point was the “physically challenged fisherperson’s dock”
on the north side. I could see at one time 4 Common Loons, 4 Pacific Loons,
and one Red-throated Loon. I observed some of the birds on my trek along
the south side; however the fishing dock provided the best views. There are
places on the south side where the whole reservoir cannot be scoped.
Several notes, first the Red-throated Loon does not look like the bird I
observed 10 days ago at Standley Lake. (I did not see the one reported
last weekend, so do not know if it was the same bird as previous reports).
The loons acted differently than I have previously observed. They flew
from one end of the reservoir, back and forth several times. At first
I thought I was seeing additional birds come in, however as I sat at
the previously mentioned dock, the birds flew back and forth at least
three times? There were no boats to scare them. In my experience,
they usually just swim around the lakes.
When I reached the swim beach area, there were 18 California Gulls,
57 Ring-billed Gulls, and 2 Bonaparte's Gulls!
Flocks of American Tree Sparrows were everywhere. Four or five dozen
Common Mergansers, 5 Hooded Mergansers, and 3 Red-breasted Mergansers
were also on the reservoir. A pair of Common Goldeneyes swam about also.
Bonny Reservoir 11/11-12
What beautiful weather Colorado has been enjoying. I have not
observed many uncommon birds that last two days, however
what a pleasure it has been to hike around.
I decided to drive to Bonny Reservoir (Yuma County) since it
was dark at 5:00pm Sunday afternoon. The Eastern Screech-Owl at
Hale Ponds responded to my tape around 10:30pm. I searched for
Long-eared, Short-eared, and Barn Owls, however found none.
The night was still and quiet as I walked around for a couple of hours.
Monday 12
Twelve Eastern Bluebirds were along the Republican River at Hale Ponds.
A male Red-bellied Woodpecker worked the cottonwood tree just west of
the Hale ponds. One Common Yellowthroat was found along the Republican River,
not much else during my 4-mile hike at Hale Ponds. One House Wren was
at northern end of the eastern most pond.
The reservoir itself contained many Canada Geese and Snow Geese.
I picked out at least two Ross's Geese. Two Common Loons were
offshore between Foster's Grove and North Cove campgrounds.
No Long-eared Owls could be found. Three Wild Turkeys walked
about just east of the Hopper Ponds area. I found few birds,
however enjoyed the calm winds and warm temperatures.
Sparrows were scare! Several White-crowned, two Song, and a flock
of American Tree Sparrows comprised my small list of sparrows observed.
No uncommon migrating sparrows crossed my path.
Last Chance Rest Area (Washington County) did not have any birds.
Barr Lake 11/11
I spent several hours at Barr Lake (Adams County). I sat for an hour
and watched Red-winged Blackbirds, White-crowned Sparrows and four
Black-capped Chickadees come to the feeders behind the nature center.
A hike from mm 9.0 to 8.0 did not produce any uncommon birds.
A female Downy Woodpecker worked a tree by the trail. The number of
Canada Geese between the trail and the water numbered in the tens
of thousands. There were three Snow Geese and one Blue Goose.
I did find a Hermit Thrush at mile marker 8.2!
I walked around the woodpiles at the bird observatory.
No birds at all were around.
The shoreline below the dam did not have any shorebirds
(Dunlin from last week may have moved on). The only gulls
observed were many Ring-billed, a dozen California, and
several Herring Gulls. Many Western Grebes, some Eared Grebes,
and at least two Horned Grebes were about. No loons could be located.
Boulder County 11/10
Bryan Ehlmann, Sue Dorsey, Ann Bartareau and I birded Boulder County Saturday.
Winds were mild; temperatures cool, skies were sunny most of the day.
At first light we hiked the Mt. Sanitas Trail searching for the
Fox and Field Sparrows observed earlier in the week.
Neither bird made an appearance during our stay.
Next we drove north to Lyons and Bohn Park. We could not locate the
Black-and-White Warbler reported Friday. A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
(female) was in the woods near the trail just west of the ball fields.
She gave us a nice 10-minute look before flying deeper into
the woods, which are private property.
Our next stop was Fawn Brook Inn in Allenspark. No Rosy Finches came
to the feeders during our 2-hour stay. A male Pine Grosbeak and a
pair of Mountain Chickadees did come by however!
We headed south to Long Lake. A slim hope of running into a
White-tailed Ptarmigan was entertained. We did not find any ptarmigan,
however a Three-toed Woodpecker was near the Lunning Trailhead.
Our birding day ended near Nederland. No Rosy Finches could be found
here (or Ward for that matter). A flock of 9 Evening Grosbeaks did
come to feeders in Ward. Many American Crows were around Ward.
Check of Cherry Creek Reservoir 11/9
I made a brief stop at Cherry Creek Reservoir this morning. No loons,
uncommon grebes, or gulls were observed during the hour stay.
Three Bonaparte's Gulls flew by the "handicapped fisherperson's dock.
The odd Canada Goose is back after a 9-month absence.
Photos are on photo library link.
Three Common Mergansers and hundreds of Ring-billed Gulls were swimming
in the far distance. Four dozen Western Grebes were joined by half a
dozen Eared Grebes. Winds were calm; the water surface was like glass.
No jaegers were chasing the gulls. Land birds were scarce.
Chatfield Reservoir 11/8
I checked Chatfield Reservoir (Jefferson/Douglas Counties) Thursday morning
with the hope that last night's storm brought in a Murre or Murrelet.
Most Chatfield reservoir sightings are in the first two weeks of November
and after a snowstorm. Unfortunately, I did not find any today.
I once again found a Common Loon off in the distance to the southern part
of the reservoir. Twelve Bonaparte's Gulls were again feeding 30 minutes
after first light in the northeast corner of the reservoir.
Few other uncommon birds were located.
The woods south of Kingfisher Bridge were quiet and I missed
the Cackling Goose found by Sean Niland near the swim beach.
Clear Creek County 11/7
Six of us went on the CoBus bird trip to Guanella Pass. The weather
was poor with high winds (30 mph plus), clouds and later snow.
We took two-way radios and spread out to count birds in a one-mile
radius of the summit. The only sparrows spotted were White-crowned.
Several dozen American Pipits were flying about.
Two groups of White-tailed Ptarmigan were observed. One pair below
the Rosalie Trail to the north and three additional birds were 200 yards
west of the parking area and Guanella Pass Road. No hawks flew over during
our four-hour stay; however one Prairie Falcon made a brief appearance.
Our next stop was Guanella Pass Campground. Bryan and Sue came upon a
female Three-toed Woodpecker approximately 200 yards west of the campground.
They were hiking the Lost Dollar Lake trail, 20 yards south of CG.
Ann Bartareau and I found a male bird 60 yards southeast of the parking area.
Two pairs of Pine Grosbeaks were up the hillside of the trailhead
(below the switchbacks up to the Guanella Pass Summit).
One Brown Creeper was flying about searching for food on the pine trees.
We observed a wren which did not give us longer enough looks for an ID.
A stop at the feeders at Rose and 2nd streets in Georgetown found them
empty and void of birds. American Crows were the only birds in city park.
We sat watching the feeders at Loveland Ski Basin for about an hour.
This was after putting our own sunflower seeds into them.
Eight Gray-crowned Rosy Finches made several trips to the feeder.
The feeders in Silver Plume were empty and no birds hung around them.
Aurora Reservoirs 11/6
Bryan Ehlmann and I checked several Arapahoe County reservoirs today.
We walked around Quincy Reservoir (outside the fence) and scoped into
the lake at several locations. Nothing uncommon was found.
Next, we hiked the 7 or 8 miles around Aurora Reservoir. Again few
uncommon birds were found. One Bald Eagle flew overhead and
continued north. One Red-tailed Hawk was the lone hawk sighting of the day.
Metro Denver 11/5
Bryan Ehlmann and I decided to see how many Loons we could locate in the
metro Denver area on Monday. We were not all that successful; however we
enjoyed a beautiful, warm, sunny day of birding! What a great Colorado fall day!
We arrived at Chatfield Reservoir (Jefferson/Douglas Counties) at 6:00am.
Way too early, we sat in the dark overlooking Plum Creek Delta along the
eastern end of the dam. Sunrise was at 6:42am and was worth
the wait as the sky was lit up with fantastic colors!
Unfortunately, few birds were in the area. We walked along the dam to the
west and encountered 14 Bonaparte's Gulls feeding 100 feet below us.
A Red-tailed Hawk hovered below us just west of the dam's tower.
He seemed more interested in his prey and allowed us to watch him
hunt for 20 minutes again 100 feet directly below us.
From the swim beach, we could see a lone Common Loon to the south.
There were hundreds of Western Grebes, dozens of Eared Grebes,
a few Horned Grebes, and two Clark's Grebes also.
The Red-necked Grebe observed last week was not found.
Next we drove up to Marsten Reservoir (Denver County).
This Denver water system reservoir is approximately 6.5 miles north
of Chatfield Reservoir (up Wadsworth Blvd). We could scope the
reservoir with reasonable views from Layton Avenue and slightly north.
Two Pacific Loons and three Common Loons joined many American Coots,
Buffleheads, Western Grebes, Eared Grebes, and six Double-crested Cormorants.
Just northwest of Marsten is a pond (part of Federal Prison at Quincy & Lowell)
south of Foothills Golf Course. Fourteen adult male Hooded Mergansers and
3 immature/female birds swam near the southern border.
Our next stop was Standley Lake (Jefferson County). Again we traveled north up
Wadsworth Blvd to 88th avenue (approx. 15 miles) and then several miles west to
the reservoir. Standley Lake had few uncommon birds.
We found no loons and scoters. Many American Coots and Western Grebes
and a few Redhead Ducks were about all we observed.
A lone Double-crested Cormorants stood sunning himself on the island.
We next decided to hike the South Platte River at Colorado Blvd
& 88th avenue (Adams County).
On the drive over, we passed Westminster Park (Sheridan & 104th avenue)
and I remarked to Bryan that someone had reported a white
Red-tailed Hawk that "hung out" at the park. I said we should return
sometime and look for the bird and as we passed the park, suddenly
we observed a white hawk in a cottonwood tree at Margaret's Pond
(Legacy Ridge Parkway & 104th avenue).
We pulled over and I took several photos of the bird.
(Posted in the Photo Library)
Our birding day ended with a two-mile hike up the South Platte River
from Colorado Blvd & 88th avenue. Few birds have arrived for their
winter stay. However, East Gravel Ponds (ponds just east of Platte)
contained many Northern Shovelers, Gadwalls, and Northern Pintails.
No Barrow's or Common Goldeneyes or less common Oldsquaws have arrived yet.
The Common Loon observed on the third pond south of 88th avenue last week was gone.
The sunset was obscured by clouds; we enjoyed the hike back to our car in
the dark with no wind and flocks of Canada Geese calling overhead!
Pueblo County & Mountains West 11/2-4
November 11/2
Rebecca Kosten and I headed for Park County by way of Pueblo Friday.
Winds were mild and temperatures in the 60s.
We started our day along the Arkansas River near its confluence with
Fountain Creek. A White-winged and 30 Eurasian Collared-Doves are
occasionally reported here. None made an appearance during our stay.
We next traveled over the gravel pond east of the Pueblo Nature Center.
The two Black Scoters were swimming around and gave us good views.
From here, we headed to Pueblo Reservoir. Our stop at Juniper Breaks
Campground gave us views of three Red-necked Grebes, 2 Pacific Loons,
and 2 Common Loons. Two additional Common Loons were observed
at the north marina area. No uncommon gulls were found until we
stopped at the Fisherman's road area at the west end of the reservoir.
Three Bonaparte's Gulls were flying off shore.
The Surf Scoter reported on 11/1 was not found.
Our trek took us by the Royal Gorge and we stopped briefly to look
for the Peregrine Falcons that have been in the area this year.
Unfortunately, none flew by during our 30-minute stop.
After a several hour drive, we landed at Spinney Mountain Reservoir
in Park County. Nine Surf Scoters and seven White-winged Scoters were
seen swimming below the dam! There were two Common Loons on the water also.
We drove next over to Elevenmile Canyon Reservoir. Two Surf Scoters
were found in our two-hour search. We did not find the White-winged Scoter
and Pacific Loon reported on 10/28. Both reservoirs are quite large and
with the strong winds encountered, birds had many opportunities to hide.
On the trip back to Salida (Chaffee County), we stopped at Antero Reservoir.
Winds were in excess of 20mph and identification of the distant birds was
impossible. The Pacific Loon reported here on 10/28 could still be out there;
we could not find it in the high waves.
Our birding day ended by watching the sunset at Buena Vista Overlook.
Four Pinyon Jays flew through and stopped for just 30 seconds or so.
The birds headed toward the KOA campground area below the overlook.
November 11/3
Saturday, we decided to search for Gunnison Sage-Grouse at first light.
No grouse were found at the Waunita Springs Lek or north on CR 887.
Wood Gulch Road several miles west of CR 887 was also checked;
without success.
We drove over to CR 38 after spending an hour driving CR 887.
No birds crossed CR 38 as we drove 7 miles or so south from highway 50.
Our next search was at Blue Mesa Reservoir. We drove the north side looking
for the Surf Scoter reported 10/30. We found 2 Common Loons about 2 miles
west of the east end of the reservoir. A Pacific Loon was about 5.7 miles
west of the east end. No scoters were found; the reservoir is over 20 miles
long and finding any target bird here can be a chore.
One has to wonder how many loons, other water birds, or jaegers
use this large body of water during migration.
Checking most of the reservoir's surface could take days.
We decided to return to Buena Vista (Chaffee County) by way of
Taylor Reservoir (Gunnison County). We kept an eye out for feeders
along CO 135 in hopes that they might attract Rosy Finches.
An hour detour to Roaring Judy Fish Hatchery did not add many birds
to our day list. Several good birds have been reported here in the past.
A Spotted Towhee and several Yellow-rumped Warblers were observed.
We thought the Spotted Towhee to be uncommon here.
An attempt was made to scope most of Taylor Reservoir.
Two Common Loons were found across from the campground.
Again the water surface is huge and we could only scope a majority of it.
A flock of Red Crossbills (8-10) was at the edge of the campground.
Several Townsend's Solitaires and a Cooper's Hawk were also found.
Our birding day ended at the summit of Cottonwood Pass. Rebecca and I
split up and hiked the mountains north and south of the summit in search
of White-tailed Ptarmigans. We do not know if any have been reported here;
however we did not find any in our two-hour stay. Winds were 30mph plus
and this made just walking a chore.
November 11/4
We stayed in a motel in Salida (Chaffee County) and headed up highway 285
to Buena Vista at first light. A stop at Ruby Mountain campground produced
a sighting of a flock of 20+ Pinyon Jays. I believe this to be part of
the flock that stays between Buena Vista Overlook (4 miles to the north)
and Salida (18 miles to the south). I can usually find Pinyon Jays while
driving the roads between these two points.
We also encountered another flock of Red Crossbills to the east of the
campground. Several Townsend's Solitaires, no woodpeckers were around.
Twenty or so Mountain Bluebirds flew along the fence line at CR 301.
At Granite (Chaffee County), we stopped to search for Rosy Finches.
Several houses have feeders up; the owner we spoke to had observed
only 8 birds one day this fall. A drive around Leadville (Lake County)
did not produce any Rosy Finch sightings either.
We stopped for 30 minutes at Lake Dillon (Summit County) since
our trip took us passed it. No loons or grebes were sighted.
A check of the neighborhood north of Interstate 70 did not find
any Rosy Finches (reported here in past years).
We stopped at Loveland Ski Basin where Rosy Finches had visited feeders
during Chris Escott's and my visit on 10/13. Skies were clear, winds strong,
and no Rosy Finches came by while we sat nearby for an hour.
We hiked around the area and got a brief glimpse of a male and female
Pine Grosbeak passing through. Many Common Ravens were here also.
Feeders in Silver Plume and Georgetown (Clear Creek County) were empty and
no birds visited. We joined the Sunday traffic and headed back to Denver.
Birding Metro Denver 11/1
I made just a few short birding stops today while driving around town doing chores.
Winds were mild; high temperatures were in the low 60s. It was a pretty nice day.
Sue Dorsey and I spent an hour at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County) at
first light. We stopped at the southwest marina. We quickly picked out the
Pacific Loon and one Common Loon just westward of the dam's tower.
From the northeast marina, we found the second Common Loon in the southeast
corner of the reservoir. The many gulls at the swim beach were mostly
Ring-billed, a few California, and two adult Herring Gulls.
Nothing else uncommon was observed during our stay. Few birds flew about
the campground area which is now closed to camping.
This afternoon I passed Denver City Park. I walked around the ponds in the
park in search of the Greater White-throated Geese observed by Paul Langendorfer
last Friday. None were found today; of course his sightings were 7 days ago.
More Bird Trips
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