Rich Stevens' Bird Trips
November 2004
Thanksgiving Day, No Turkey, Big Day 11/25
Thanksgiving day, saw no Turkeys, but did come upon 3 Guinea Fowl
(which are not countable). No Turkey dinner (I dislike Turkey),
but thought I would get in some birding. I wanted and planned
on staying within an hour of Denver.
Having staked out several owls the weeks before (ended up to 6
species today), the idea entered my mind to try for a Thanksgiving
big day. One note, other birders with the agreement not to reveal
the locations, pointed out most of the owls to me. I hope this is
not a problem. When I hear of others finding owls, it is nice to
know birders are seeing them; it's not necessary for me to know
the location.
At 12:01am, I watched a Barn Owl at a ranch nearby my home.
He is pretty regular to my neighbor's barns (Denver County).
At 1:01am I was at Castlewood Canyon State Park (Douglas County).
The Northern Saw-whet Owl did not disappoint and was at his usual
location.
My next stop was the trail (believed it is called Bobolink Trail)
that runs along Baseline Road and west of Baseline Reservoir in
Boulder (Boulder County). Several owl species are in here (I will
let others figure out which three with a fourth possibility in the
past of a Northern Pygmy-Owl).
Winds were calm, which was surprising in Boulder. I enjoyed hiking
a mile south and listening to the night sounds. Geese were flying
overhead (I did catch a glimpse of some Canada Geese).
The moon was almost full and seeing was not a problem.
Unfortunately, a Great Horned Owl was the only owl encountered.
A friend in a Leehill Road area of Boulder has a Northern
Pygmy-Owl coming to his yard. The bird did not cooperate and
answer my tape. My friend was to call if the bird showed.
However the owl never did.
With sunrise about 30 minutes away, I headed over to Lake Valley
Pond (Boulder). The three Tundra Swans were feeding along the
west shore. I wanted to get a glimpse, as they seemed to leave
for long periods during the day.
I then made a loop around Boulder, which included Lagerman
Reservoir (hoping for a Short-eared Owls), Six-mile Reservoir,
and Boulder Reservoir.
There were many Ring-billed and California Gulls at Lagerman,
however no uncommon gulls. American Coots, American Wigeon,
Common Merganser, and Red-breasted Merganser were here.
A nice guy who was getting his morning paper allowed me to bird
Six-mile Reservoir from his backyard! Winds here were 20+ mph;
it took a while to scope out the birds. One Long-tailed Duck and
several Buffleheads were along the dam. If there were two Long-
tailed Ducks, the other was not found. The gulls were taking
advantage of the winds and soared in place over the water.
An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was among the 160 Ring-billed
Gulls here. Eventually, the Lesser Black-backed Gull flew over
to Boulder Reservoir to the North. Plenty of House Finches,
European Starlings, Canada Geese, and Cackling Geese were here too.
My first Belted Kingfisher of the day was at the southwest corner
of the lake.
The entrance to Boulder Reservoir was closed and I had to walk
in which was time consuming. So I stayed only about 20 minutes
to quickly scope the lake. Again waves were high with the growing
winds. I was hoping the Pacific Loons reported recently would
still be there. A lone Common Loon was the only loon observed.
A Great Blue Heron, and Double-crested Cormorant stood on the
western shore.
I returned to Lake Valley pond; the 3 Tundra Swans and David
Waltman were there. After getting a better look at the swans,
I headed north towards Lyons.
Eighty+ Bohemian Waxwings were landing in trees along Middlefork Road
(about 100 yards west of Highway 36). They had flown from the ranch
east of Hwy 36 (note to others trying to find them). I took several
photos, well about 60. Unfortunately the morning light was horrible
and they did not come out that well. I will probably put several of
them on the CoBus photo page (most recent witness photos link).
In Lyons I needed to walk around a little and hiked from Bohn Park
over to Meadow Park. The area has been known for Yellow-bellied
Sapsuckers in the past, but not today. Black-capped Chickadee,
Blue Jay, Northern Flicker, American Goldfinch, Pine Siskin,
Mountain Bluebird, Red-breasted Nuthatch, White-breasted Nuthatch,
Hairy Woodpecker and Dark-eyed Junco were added to my trip list.
A Golden Eagle flew over Meadow Park, while an American Dipper
walked along the creek at the northeast end. I waited 15 minutes
at the Mormon Church north of Bohn Park; no waxwings or the
Sage Thrasher showed.
A drive along Old St Vrain Road did not find any Lewis's
Woodpeckers today. A stop at the bridge at the west end of the
road did add a Townsend's Solitaire and Brown Creeper to my trip
list. A drive to the first restroom/pullover up Highway 7 added
Steller's Jay, Gray Jay, Cassin's Finch, and Common Raven to my
list. I decided not to go all the way to Allenspark (having not
heard of any Rosy Finch sightings yet this year).
In Boulder County I stopped and found a Long-eared Owl and
Wilson's Snipe along a drainage. While here, a rancher stopped
to see what was up? After talking awhile, he took me over to
his ranch and showed me a group of 5 additional birds. It took
an hour of my day, but now I know a wintering roost of Long-eared
Owls. There were plenty of American Crows and House Sparrows.
A side trip to Rabbit Mountain in search of Bushtits came up
empty. A Downy Woodpecker and Spotted Towhee used the feeders
at the first house on the west side of the road toward Rabbit
Mountain. Several American Kestrels, a Merlin and a Rough-legged
Hawk were observed along the road. A flock of 8 Pinyon Jays flew
from behind the only house north of the parking area to the trees
on the hillside to the east.
My final stop in Boulder County was Jim Hamm Park. The adult
Mew Gull stood on a small island at the west end of the pond.
I wondered if this was the Mew Gull that had appeared the last
several winters? Didn't it have a bad foot? I did not get a
good look at this bird's feet in any case. A Red-tailed Hawk
flew low overhead and most of the gulls flew across the road
to Union Reservoir. Many Gadwalls were also here.
I spent 30 minutes scoping Union Reservoir (Weld). Birds added to
my trip list included California and Herring Gulls, Western Grebe,
Pied-billed Grebe, Northern Shoveler, Eared Grebe, and a Marsh
Wren! I noticed the large black gull but could not make an ID.
Guess others later identified it as a 2nd winter Great Black-
backed Gull. If it was out there, I missed the Red-throated Loon
found by Joe Roller on Friday.
I headed up to Lon Hagler and noticed a flock of waxwings along
Interstate 25 at a mile south of Loveland Exit 257. I pulled
over and counted 14 Bohemian Waxwings feeding in the Russian
Olive trees on the west side of I25.
Cattail Pond was passed on the way to Lon Hagler (Larimer).
Four Trumpeter Swans swam in the middle. Also here were plenty
of Ring-necked Ducks, Redhead Duck, Lesser Scaup, a pair of
Hooded Merganser, at least 2 Greater Scaup, and a female Canvasback.
I put photos of the Trumpeter Swans on the CoBus photo library.
Winds were calm at Lon Hagler Reservoir and I enjoyed 45 minutes
of sitting, resting, and watching the many gulls. The Black-legged
Kittiwake was easy to pick out. Bonaparte's Gulls numbered over
110 birds. Several California Gulls and dozens of Ring-billed Gulls
were counted.
Winds were stronger when I arrived at Fossil Creek Reservoir
(Larimer). A male Barrow's Goldeneye was in the southeast
corner with a dozen Common Goldeneyes. I was not able to find
any Greater White-fronted Geese. Tens of hundreds of Canada Geese
covered the lake and obscured the view of many other birds.
My only Northern Pintail Ducks and Ruddy Ducks observed today
were here. A lone Bald Eagle stood in a tree on the north side.
Next I drove the county roads over to and east of the Wellington
Wildlife Areas. Several flocks of Horned Larks were found.
One flock included 2+ Lapland Longspurs. A Prairie Falcon,
Ferruginous Hawk and Northern Shrike were also encountered.
While trying to photograph the Northern Shrike, I heard a flock
of geese overhead. The flock was 100+ Snow Geese with several
small Ross's Geese included.
Thirty minutes before sunset I stopped at Long Pond (Larimer).
I drove down Warren Drive from the south end of Long Pond.
Three Cedar Waxwings were one tree. No Bohemian Waxwings were
found, however it was late in the day to find them.
Back at Long Pond, the 1st basic Glaucous Gull swam with many
other gulls in the middle of the lake. I also managed to pick
out an adult Thayer's Gull. A pair of Wood Ducks was along the
western edge. I had mentioned to the birders who I showed
the Long Pond gulls that I had not noticed an American Robin
all day and it was getting late.
I rushed over to the northern section of Wellington WLA to see if
any Short-eared Owls would come out after sunset. My favorite
spot to watch for owls at Wellington is just uphill (north of the
first parking area passed along CR 3, north of CR 64).
It was now 4:45pm and after sunset. The evergreen trees here
added Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow,
Western Meadowlark, and American Robin to my day list!
I watched 2 male and a 1 female Northern Harriers hunt in the
field to the east. A Great Horned Owl called to the southeast.
Unfortunately no Short-eared Owls made an appearance.
In Fort Collins I stopped at a friend's home where his Eastern
Screech-Owl answered my tape. I also checkout a location
mentioned on "cobirds" recently where another Eastern Screech-Owl
cooperated and answered. I was reluctant to use my spotlight in
a residential area and was satisfied with just hearing the owls.
It was now 8:00pm and I decided to break my "one-hour from Denver
rule" and headed to Cameron Pass. Several locations (about 14)
were checked for Boreal Owls. One Boreal Owl answered my tapes at
10:30pm just west of the summit! The best and usual location just
east of the higher Joe Wright Reservoir parking area was quiet
this night.
I stopped at the Colorado Forest Visitor's Center several miles
west of Cameron Pass (Jackson). Again winds were calm, however
I did not hear any birds (or bears).
My day total ended up at 99 species.
Arapahoe County Parks 11/24
I went out to do chores and spent most of the day birding in
Arapahoe County.
Three thousand+ Canada Geese fed on the golf course (Arapahoe)
and field to the west (Denver) of Havana & Alameda Blvds.
One Greater White-fronted Goose was observed among them.
My next stop was Cherry Creek Reservoir. A Pacific Loon swan
about 200 yards northeast of the southwest marina. Two+
Bonaparte's Gulls flew along the shoreline near the picnic
tables with gull wing overhangs. A Common Loon swam in
the southeast corner.
Common Merganser numbers seem to be way up; several hundred
Western Grebes were out there also. At least eight Double-crested
Cormorant were out feeding. A lone Canvasback Duck swam around
the marina area. Gulls included 36+ Herring, 7 California, and
800+ Ring-billed Gulls.
I counted 11 Red-tailed Hawks. Seven were seen in the northwest
corner of the park. Their old hunting grounds are now covered
with several new campgrounds. A pair of Northern Harriers
hunted over the campgrounds. A lone adult Bald Eagle stood
in a tree near the swim beach.
Quincy Reservoir did not have any uncommon birds that I could pick
out. Most gulls were too far away to ID (did not have my scope).
My day was shot for productive chores, so I decided to hike Aurora
Reservoir. The bike path is 7.8 miles around. The park used to
be in the middle of nowhere out on the Colorado plains. However
people, homes, and a high school are quickly circling the area.
The Trumpeter Swan observed Monday was not around today.
A Common Loon was in the southeast corner. Nineteen American
Tree Sparrows flew about at mile marker 2.8. Two Song Sparrows
were in the cattails at mm 4.5.
A flock of Great-tailed Grackles was back at the corral
(1.1 miles east of Picadilly Road & Bromley Lane; Adams County).
A drive along the DIA owl loop added a Ferruginous Hawk,
many Horned Larks, and 2 Red-tailed Hawks to my day list.
Daylight ended before I could reach Barr Lake State Park.
Mountain Birding 11/23
Bill James, Bob Manley and I birded in the mountains on Tuesday.
I thought there would be enough snow on Guanella Pass (Clear Creek
County) for the White-tailed Ptarmigan to leave some nice tracks,
but not enough to make the hiking difficult. Unfortunately, no
birds were found. The snow is not deep yet (more expected today),
however winds were 50-70 mph. We could hardly stand up at times.
Focusing binoculars on anything was close to impossible.
No Rosy Finches were found around Silver Plume, Georgetown, or
Loveland Ski Basin (Clear Creek).
At Pine Valley Ranch Park (Jefferson) it took about 1.5 hours to
find a Three-toed Woodpecker. A male finally crossed Buck Gulch
Trail about 300 yards uphill (South) of Pine Lake. Not much else
moved around.
We ended our birding day by checking several parks for Northern
Pygmy-Owl & other birds. The Northern Pygmy-Owl heard about
2 weeks ago at Lair O' Bear Park did not show up this evening.
Morrison Road along the east side of Red Rocks Park was quiet
also. Previously, a check around the school and chapel did not
turn up a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Perhaps one will show up
again like last year?
Arapahoe County Reservoirs 11/21 & 11/22
I took advantage of this beautiful winter day (58 degrees, winds
calm) to ride my bike around Aurora Reservoir (Arapahoe County).
My hope was to come across a large blackish gull that has been seen
on 3 of my last 5 trips out there. In this I had no luck today.
However, there were many birds on the reservoir. The highlight was
a Trumpeter Swan. Unfortunately it was chased around the lake by
wind surfers. Hopefully it will be too cold for people in the next
few days and the bird will not be disturbed.
Other birds encountered included 1 Common Loon, 4 Red-breasted
Mergansers, many Ruddy Ducks, many Redheads, Common Mergansers,
and several pairs of Hooded Mergansers. Gulls included 14 Herring,
5 California, and 800+ Ring-billed Gulls. No uncommon gulls or
ducks were found.
Quincy Reservoir had many ducks and geese; nothing exciting
was found when I scoped the lake for an hour.
A stop at Cherry Creek Reservoir added 2 Pacific Loons and 5+
Bonaparte's Gulls to my day list. Quite a few Herring Gulls,
half a dozen California Gulls, and 1400+ Ring-billed Gulls were
spread around the lake. Canada Geese numbers are increasing.
Several Cackling Geese were out there (probably many, but I error
on the side of cautiousness). Double-crested Cormorants numbered
around 9 or 10.
A brief stop here on Sunday had also included a Common Loon
(which I did not find today). Bonaparte's Gulls numbered around
25+ Sunday. A few Tree Sparrows fluttered about the campgrounds.
Dark-eyed Junco numbers were quite high at the campgrounds.
I counted 82, mostly Oregon & Pink-sided races. A few
Slated-colored and 2 White-winged were included in the mix.
Mountain Birding 11/18-11/20
Over the weekend, Bill James, Bryan Ehlmann, Bob Manley and I went
up in the mountains. The search for owls, snow buntings and Rosy
Finches was a bust. Weather was horrible as we ran into several
snowstorms (especially around Ouray).
We did find a Rough-legged Hawk, several dozen Sandhill Crane and
plenty of atrocious weather. The roads off highway 50 around Gunnison
did not invite much exploring either. We limped back to Denver with
an all night drive from Saturday into Sunday expecting another 6-8
inches of snow at home. Fortunately, that did not materialize.
Reservoirs Around Denver 11/17
Several of us returned to Aurora Reservoir (Arapahoe County) this
morning to search for the large dark gull observed yesterday.
The bird was not around today. We did find the 2 Common Loons
in the southeast corner of the lake.
Two Common Loons and two Bonaparte's Gulls were observed at
Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe).
On the way home, I drove over to Barr Lake (Adams). I could not
locate any Bohemian Waxwings in about a 1.5 search. The subdivision
northeast of 152nd avenue to 160th avenue bordered by Gun Club Road
to Harvest Road was checked. Sixty+ Great-tailed Grackles were at
the corral 1.1 miles East of Picadilly Road & Bromley Lane.
Arapahoe County Reservoirs 11/16
I spent this fantastic Colorado winter day checking out several
reservoirs in Arapahoe County. Temps in the 60s; winds calm.
A hike around was quite enjoyable in spite of few birds around.
Two Common Loons swam around the southeast corner of the lake.
Tree Sparrows are increasing in numbers, about 48+ seen today.
A surprise large gull was quite dark. It appeared to be a first
year Great-blacked Gull; however I never was close enough for good
looks and a proper ID.
A few Eared Grebes, many Western Grebes, dozens of Ruddy Ducks,
several dozen Redheads, half a dozen Common Mergansers, and
4 Red-breasted Mergansers were added to my day list.
Quincy Reservoir had many gulls and Canada Geese. No uncommon
birds were found. If the Long-tailed Duck and Barrow's Goldeneye
are still around, I could not pick them out.
I ran out of daylight before reaching Cherry Creek Reservoir.
Several Bonaparte's Gulls flew around the dam tower area.
The waterfowl in the middle of the lake could not be identified
in the waning light.
Pinery Pond South of Parker 11/15
I traveled south to the Pinery to look for Glenn Walbek's Little Gull
at the Golf Course Lake. The adult basic Little Gull was quite
active and flew within 15 yards of us several times. Several adult
and a 1st year Bonaparte's Gulls were there also. It was nice to be
able to see the size difference between the Little & Bonaparte gulls.
Return to Cherry Creek Reservoir 11/12
Not much time for birding today, I did run by CCK.
Four Common Loons swam in the middle of the reservoir.
Four Double-crested Cormorants stood on the SW marina.
Two Bonaparte's Gulls were there also.
Two White Pelicans were on the logs in the SE corner.
Near dusk, I looked for owls along the south side.
No Long-eared Owls found; a Great Horned Owl was
just East of the Cottonwood Creek Loop. It was
a surprise; they are not as common as past years.
A flock of American Tree Sparrows flew about the north
end of the campgrounds. Fifty American Robins also
were here. Dark-eyed Junco numbers are up. Count was
at least 20 Oregon, 12 Pink-sided, and 6 Slate-colored.
I ran out of daylight before reaching Barr Lake (Adams).
Half a dozen Great-tailed Grackles were at the feed lot
at 0.4 miles South of Bromley Lane & Picadilly Road.
Note: Above paragraph reads strange, I meant that I observed
the Grackles on the way over to CCK. There was not enough
daylight to check Barr Lake on the way back home.
Another pair was at the corral 1.1 miles East of intersection.
Cherry Creek Reservoir 11/11
I dropped by Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County) on my way
home from doing chores. Temperatures in 40s; winds mild.
Four Bonaparte's Gulls flew over the southwest marina. Four Common
Loons and a Pacific Loon swam in the middle of the lake. There was
no better view from either side of the reservoir. A Sharp-shinned
Hawk flew through the trees south of the marina and captured a House
Sparrow for dinner. Two late Pelicans swam around the marina.
At least two Double-crested Cormorants remain also.
Summit County 11/10
Bryan Ehlmann and I decided to checkout a Varied Thrush report in
Silverthorne (Summit County). The bird had been coming to a feeder
located in the Wildernest Area for the past 2 days. Unfortunately,
he did not come by today (during our 2 hour sit).
We did see a flock of 10+ Brown-capped and 2+ Gray-crowned
Rosy Finches while driving along Buffalo Mountain Drive.
However no feeders that they might be visiting were located.
Loveland Ski Basin, Silver Plume, and Georgetown birding was slow.
Weather was cloudy with off and on snow during our trip.
Cherry Creek Reservoir 11/9
Got back to Denver late in the afternoon, I just had enough daylight
to checkout the birds at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County).
All together the loon count was 2 Pacific and 4 Common. Most of the
time they were in the middle of the reservoir. Western Grebe count
was down to less than 500. No Pelicans were observed and Double-
crested Cormorants numbered only 6 or so.
There was no sign of the Jaeger reported earlier in the day.
Weather was still nice, but changes are in the air.
Gunnison 11/8
I took advantage of Steve Owdom's knowledge of the Gunnison area
and learned of four locations good for Gunnison Sage-Grouse.
One good location this year has been between the roads at the fork
of 38 & 38A roads (south of the airport). We found 1 or 2 birds
(not seen at the same time, so we were not sure of number).
A male Barrow's Goldeneye was observed on Blue Mesa Reservoir.
Surprisingly, no loons could be found.
A drive to Taylor Reservoir was not productive. Later in the
afternoon, we found a flock of 7-9 Gray-crowned Rosy Finches
flying over north Gunnison. Several small flocks of Sandhill
Cranes also flew over.
If Jim Berry is reading this, I was unable to figure out
how to contact you. Please write!
Southern Colorado 11/7
Steve Owdom and I birded in Colorado Springs & Pueblo.
It was another beautiful day to enjoy the outside in Colorado!
Birding at Fountain Creek Regional Park (El Paso County) was quite
slow. We found one Yellow-rumped Warbler and one Marsh Wren
along the loop below the nature center.
At Pueblo Reservoir (Pueblo), we managed to find the Red-throated
Loon and 2 Common Loons. Stops at many locations did not help in
finding the Red-necked Grebe reported earlier. Several Canyon Wrens
moved about the campgrounds on the south side. No uncommon gulls
were observed. After dinner we looked for owls at the Pueblo
Wildlife Area. One Great Horned Owl was all found.
We had better luck at Beaver Creek WLA (Fremont).
A Northern Pygmy-Owl responded to our tape from
west-northwest of the end of the road into the area.
A report of a bear in the area limited our hiking around after dark :-)
No owls were found in a 2 hour search along Phantom Canyon Road
(especially at mile marker 14).
Birding Around Denver 11/6
Did not get home from owling until 4:00am, so I got a late start at
birding. What a fantastic day. Temperature was 72 degrees at noon;
winds were still to calm.
It took a while, but the 2 Common Loons were observed in the
southeast corner of Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County).
A first year California Gull stood on a log in the same corner.
This bird has been around for at least a week. I have photos if
anyone would like to see them. Did not think it was that big a deal,
but a Colorado birding author claims that they are rare in Colorado.
The two Pacific Loons were swimming around in the cove northeast
of the dam tower. I put photos of the two birds on the CoBus
photo library page (recent witness photos). Also here are photos
of the 2 Least Sandpipers found on Thursday morning.
I only found 3 American White Pelicans today (down from 24 on
Thursday). Double-crested Cormorant count was less than a dozen.
After lunch, I scoped Quincy Reservoir (Arapahoe). A Long-tailed
Duck swam close to the near shore. The bird was observed between
the shed and restroom on the north side of the reservoir. Quincy
Reservoir is closed for the next 4 months; so one has to scope from
just outside of the locked gate. I hoped to find a loon or scoter,
however the Long-tailed Duck was a nice bonus!
Note: that at times, the duck was too close to the shoreline
to be observed from outside of the gate.
The last hour of daylight on this beautiful day was spent at Barr
Lake (Adams). The Harris's Sparrow again visited the feeders
behind the Visitor's Center. Great-tailed Grackles continue
south of Picadilly Road & Bromley Lane.
Search for Owls and Rosy Finches 11/5
Steve and I drove up to Clear Creek County; weather was fantastic!
Mostly we searched for people willing to let us put up a feeder
for the Rosy Finches and Pine Grosbeaks (now that the Loveland
feeder has been taken down). Several prospects were hopefully found.
Birds were few this day. A few Steller's Jays were the only birds
observed (other than American Crows and Common Ravens).
No other birds were observed in Silver Plume or Loveland Ski Basin.
The Blue River Water Treatment Plant had no birds on it today.
(This is usually good for wintering Barrow's Goldeneyes).
A sign said that Loveland Pass was closed; so we did not even
check to see if that was true. Weather was superb, there was
little snow on the ground. Perhaps there was some type of
maintenance going on, but we could not see why it would be closed.
The pair of Surf Scoters were no longer on Evergreen Lake.
A Northern Pygmy-Owl responded to our tape played at the Eastern
end of Lair O' Bear Park (Jefferson County).
No owls were found when we walked Morrison Road from the Red Rocks
Park entrance to Morrison. The Pygmy Owls of White Ranch Open Space
was not calling this night either.
Northeastern Plains 11/4
Steve Owdom and I stopped by Cherry Creek Reservoir at first light.
Again birding was slow. Twenty-four Pelicans and a dozen
Double-crested Cormorants remain. Hundreds of Western and several
Clark's Grebes continued to swim in the middle of the lake.
Aurora Reservoir was slow also. The two Common Loons were still
near the cove at mile marker 3.0; the Pacific Loon was not found.
Steve Owdom and I birded Roger Danka's ranch near Julesburg.
Roger has a Harris's Sparrow coming to his feeders.
Three White-throated Sparrows are found back on his property.
Red Crossbills have found his ranch for the first time.
His pair of resident Eastern Screech-Owls did not disappoint
and came out to warm up in the morning sun.
Roger saw a male Northern Cardinal, however we had been
unable to relocate the bird.
We received a text message about a Whooping Crane near Anton.
The last several hours of daylight we spent searching the county
roads around the small Colorado town for the bird; without success.
Northeastern Plains 11/3
Steve Owdom and I headed to Jackson Reservoir (Morgan County).
It was much warmer than yesterday; winds were still quite strong.
Sandpipers were mostly Baird's Sandpipers, 2 Least Sandpipers, and
2 Black-bellied Plovers. We did not locate the Dunlin reported on
Sunday. No unusual gulls or ducks. Just the usual stuff at the
campgrounds; no Long-eared Owls could be found.
Crow Valley Campground (Weld) was slow. We did find a White-
throated Sparrow in the northern edge. No Common Redpolls or
other uncommon birds were observed. We did locate a Long-eared Owl.
No Saw-whet Owls were found in a two-hour search.
We saw no uncommon birds at Lower Latham Reservoir (Weld).
The Harris's Sparrow was at the Visitor Center's feeders when we
arrived. A few Great-tailed Grackles were at the ranch 0.4 miles
south of Picadilly Road & Bromley Lane. Three dozen or more
Great-tailed Grackles were just east of the Landscape Business
of same intersection.
Birding Around Denver 11/2
Part 1
At 6:25am Steve Owdom and I stood at Chatfield Reservoir
(Jefferson/Douglas Counties). It was cold. I was on the
southeast end of the dam and exposed to 20+ mph winds with
a temp of 20 degrees at 6:30am. Waiting 15 minutes for
sunrise was a test for my equipment and me.
While the waterbirds around are not time dependent, we hoped to
find a Murre or Murrelet blown in by Sunday's snowstorm. Fog on
the water made seeing waterbirds well (before 7:45am) difficult.
We managed to see 10 Common Loons, 1 Pacific Loon, 2 Surf Scoters,
and a male Red-breasted Merganser. An adult Bald Eagle flew in
around 6:45am. After chasing geese around, he landed right below
me (at Plum Creek Delta end of reservoir).
I walked to Carson Nature Center where Steve picked me up.
Not much along the South Platte River. Did see 3 flocks of
American Tree Sparrows (total 28 birds).
No Scaup on Memorial Lake or Veterans Lake at Fort Logan Cemetery (yet).
Part 2
A note about Chatfield Reservoir. Later in the day, another birder
only found 3 Common Loons and no Pacific Loon. This indicates to me
the point of birding early, which is why we got out in the freezing
cold morning.
We thought the Common Loon count to be 13 birds. There was a raft
of 9 birds below the dam tower, 1 lone bird in the cove to the west
(where the 2 Surf Scoters were observed), and 3 Common Loons
between the swim beach and heron rookery overlook. No word on
location of the "only" 3 Common Loons left later in the day.
The Pacific Loon was alone in the northeast corner with the
Red-breasted Merganser.
I walked in to Chatfield from Santa Fe and birded the eastern and
northern ends of the dam. While Steve birded the South Platte Delta
and western sides.
At 7:45am, I thought I found a Murrelet (I believe it was a juvenile
Long-billed). It was just below me at the northeast corner. When I
tried to approach it (after watching from a distance of 50 yards for
about 20 minutes) the bird took off. It flew to the dam tower,
headed south to the handicap fisherperson's dock, turned North and
headed toward Coley Lake several miles to the North.
Steve picked up the bird in flight (after I radioed him) and also
thought a Long-billed Murrelet was the most likely ID. Notice we are
not reporting this to any list, but hope someone will relocate the bird.
I do not know what other bird it could have been (other than a Murrelet)?
However, I am awful suspicious when finding a rare bird especially when
it was our target bird for the day.
The bird was mostly brown and the size of a small Robin. It did appear
to have a pale throat and short pointed bill. When it flew, I thought
the underwings to have white in them. The bird looked like a cigar
shaped tube with long wings. The only thing that stops me from
certainty is that winds were quite strong. I could not pick out
the white eye-arcs. Perhaps I will never know for sure.
Steve drove over to Coley Lake (which has no public access).
He could not find the bird in his scope. I hiked along the South
Platte River from Chatfield to Carson Nature Center (east of Coley
Lake). I did not find any birds at the five lakes of the South
Platte Park group passed during this hike. There were quite a few
American Tree Sparrows.
Later in the day, we checked Belmar Historic Park, Wheat Ridge
Greenbelt (for Eastern Screech-Owls), and the South Platte River and
Clear Creek from Washington Avenue to 88th Avenue (for Barrow's
Goldeneyes and Long-tailed Ducks). No uncommon birds were found
during our trek. No jaegers were at Luna Reservoir (Weld County).
Snowy Day for Birding 11/1
Steve Owdom came to Denver to miss some of the weather in Gunnison.
Guess that did not work; or maybe he brought the bad weather with
him :-)
We could not get to Chatfield Reservoir (Jefferson/Douglas Counties)
due to the snow roads. We did make it to Barr Lake (Adams County).
The 1st year Harris's Sparrow came to the Visitor's Center feeders
several times. American Tree Sparrow count increased from 1 to 4
since Saturday. A few Dark-eyed Juncos and a dozen White-throated
Sparrows were also observed.
Several dozen Great-tailed Grackles continue to visit the ranch
north of Barr Lake (at 0.4 miles south of Bromley Lane & Picadilly Road).
We tried to get to Jackson Reservoir but turned around on snowy roads.
More Bird Trips
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Rich Stevens at the following address:
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