Rich Stevens' Bird Trips
October 2000
Birding In the Mountains 10/31
Bryan Ehlmann and I decided to attempt to find some Rosy Finches today.
The weather was suspect all day. Our trip to the mountains was
greeted with fog, rain, and snow. Temperatures hovered in the 40's.
We encountered no success in our endeavor and observed few birds
throughout the day. The feeders at the house behind the gas station in
Silver Plume had no avian visitors. No Rosy Finches were found while
hiking around the town. We did see four Cassin's Finches.
No birds were visiting the feeders of the White House at Rose and 2nd streets
in Georgetown either. Not even a Mountain Chickadee made an appearance.
We hiked around Georgetown to the city park and up to 10th street also.
Again no uncommon birds, the park did contain half a dozen American Crows.
Our trek took us to Guanella Pass as the snow started to fall. A quick hike
up the hill to the south-southeast of the parking area was uneventful.
A stop a Guanella Pass Campground on the return trip to Georgetown
did not add to our day list.
We headed back to Denver as the snow started to fall in earnest.
Metro Reservoirs 10/30
I biked around several reservoirs on this warm and calm day.
There was no uncommon birds observed at Aurora or Quincy Reservoirs.
The Great Black-backed Gull was still at Cherry Creek Reservoir.
The bird was 50 yards East-northeast of the southwest marina at 3:50PM.
Eight American White Pelicans flew in while I was in the northeast
corner of the reservoir. An immature Red-tailed Hawk was at the group
picnic area. I did not relocate the Northern Shrike observed Sunday.
While there were many Western Grebes in the center of the reservoir, no
uncommon birds were observed today. One Pied-billed Grebe was at the marina.
Chatfield Reservoir 10/29
Paul Langendorfer and I returned to Chatfield today to see if any
of the warblers and gulls from earlier in the week remained.
Temperatures were in the middle 60's and there was little wind!
We found only one flock of birds south of Kingfisher Bridge.
The flock included 4 Black-capped Chickadees, 3 Ruby-crowned Kinglets,
two White-breasted Nuthatches, and one Yellow-rumped Warbler.
Our trip continued at the southeast marina. A Pacific Loon swam
around the marina as we arrived. It disappeared mysteriously as a
boat passed between us and the bird. We were able to relocate the
loon about an hour later (it swimming along the southeastern shoreline.)
The Black-legged Kittiwake was not found. By word of mouth, we heard
that many birders searched throughout the day, without success.
There were four Bonaparte's Gulls on the sand spit to the north.
A couple of adult Herring Gulls, half a dozen California Gulls, and
50-plus Ring-billed Gulls were also on the sand spit.
Cherry Creek Reservoir 10/28
While running errands today, I stopped at Cherry Creek Reservoir
for an hour or so. It was quite cloudy, foggy, and 50 degrees.
The Great Black-backed Gull stood at the southwest marina from
3:30 PM to 4:30 PM (It was finally chased off by a sailboat).
There was a Northern Shrike in the few trees along the
main road and just west of Cherry Creek itself (east of Prairie Loop).
Chatfield Reservoir 10/27
While the temperature was 38 degrees at 7:00am, it rose to 52 degrees by 12:00pm
on this beautiful and calm fall day.
At 7:00am, the Black-legged Kittiwake stood on the tires at the southeast marina.
He flew around the marina several times during my stay. An adult Bonaparte's Gull
flew around with him. It was quite a treat to compare the two birds. The BOGU was
much faster and had deeper wing beats. While the BLKI wing beats were quite swallow!
Both birds put on a nice show for us.
I then traveled to Kingfisher Bridge area and undertook a four hour search for the
many warblers being observed here during the week. At 9:30am, I was able to locate
the male Black-throated Blue Warbler in a thick area of Russian Olive Trees and
willows. I heard his distinctive chip note long before seeing him. There were
two other birds with him; however they did not make an appearance. Magically,
the birds suddenly disappeared and I could not relocate them.
I returned to the area at 10:15am while following a flock of Black-capped Chickadees.
This time a female Black-throated Blue Warbler was high up in the canopy. When I looked
around, this spot was just 20 yards from the location of the early male BTBW sighting.
The area 0.5 miles from K.F.B. was searched four times without further warbler sightings.
I then hiked south for 2.0 miles and still did not locate any additional warblers. Several
flocks of BCCH were found. Three White-breasted Nuthatches and two Brown Creepers
were seen. There were half a dozen flocks of Double-crested Cormorants migrating south.
On the hike back to K.F.B., I came upon a Winter Wren drinking along the edge of the
South Platte River. After two or three minutes, the bird flew under the Russian Olive Trees
and thickets along side the river. The location was 40 yards north of the water filled ditch.
A search of the White-eyed Vireo location (of Monday) produced no sightings. There were
nine Ruby-crowned Kinglets and numerous Dark-eyed Juncos there however.
My day ended at Cherry Creek Reservoir. The Great Black-blacked Gull is still there;
he made an appearance at the southwest marina under another spectacular fall sunset!
Barr Lake October 26
I spent four hours searching for the Blue-headed Vireo found near the CBO office earlier in
the day (and the day before). I could not find the bird.
Two Red-tailed Hawks, an American Kestrel, and a Great Horned Owl hunted below the dam.
A Golden Eagle circled overhead for about 5 minutes and then continued south.
The north shoreline was checked on the way home. None of the birds (Black-bellied Plover,
Dunlin, Sabine's Gull) found last week were relocated.
Cherry Creek & Aurora Reservoir 10/24
As successful as yesterday was, today was not!
I in line skated around Aurora Reservoir in the morning. No uncommon birds were
observed. The Common Loon observed last week, could not be relocated. However it
was a beautiful day with little wind and 50 degree temperatures. There are now many
Ruddy Ducks, Common Mergansers, and two Red-breasted Mergansers on the reservoir.
Three dozen Ring-billed and four California Gulls were the few gulls present.
At Cherry Creek Reservoir, the situation was similar. There were many Ring-billed,
California, and 5 Herring Gulls. The loons found there last week, appear to have
moved on also. There were still several hundred Western Grebes and two Eared Grebes.
Twenty-nine Double-crested Cormorants stood on the logs in the southeastern end.
I have not seen any American White Pelicans here for about two weeks now.
At the south end of the group picnic area, there were two Common Snipe, and
fourteen Baird's Sandpipers. American Goldfinches were the only birds fluttering
about in the grove of trees at the southeast end of the beaver pond.
Denver Reservoirs 10/23
I got in a full day of birding today. Hiked 19 miles, traveled by bus 16 miles and car 46 miles.
The day started out rainy at 4:30am, however it was sunny and 51 degrees at noon.
At 5:00am, I walked from Waterton Canyon to Deerfield Canyon road along Wadsworth Blvd.
I then reversed the hike and walked back to the Kingfisher Bridge area of Chatfield Reservoir.
At 6:50am, I first heard and then observed a Long-eared Owl at the balloon launch area.
There was a Common Loon below the cliffs of the group picnic area at the Heron Rookery.
An immature White-eyed Vireo was 100 yards south of the paved path of K.F.B. This is about
50 yards further south than the usual location that WEVI are observed. Every year, the WEVI
seem to favor the thicker foliage in this area. An Orange-crowned Warbler was also here.
A most enjoyable time was experienced near the Russian Olive Trees and willows, just west
of the end of the paved path of Kingfisher Bridge. Birds observed were a Nashville Warbler,
an adult male Black-throated Blue Warbler, a flock of 19 plus Ruby-crowned Kinglets,
one Cape-May Warbler (highly streaked), and an immature female Northern Parula.
Two Orange-crowned Warblers and a Brown Creeper were also in the mix.
Along the pond just east of K.F.B. there were seven Yellow-rumped Warblers. They were feeding
in the willows on the east and west side of the pond. Above in the cottonwoods, I observed
a Bay-breasted Warbler several times. It was accompanied by an immature Northern Parula
(which I assumed was the same bird observed in the willows just east of here).
As I circled the small pond, I found one or two Swamp Sparrows, one Lincoln's Sparrow
many White-crowned, Song, and American Tree Sparrows. Others observed two Chipping Sparrows.
When I hiked north towards the dam, a Red-tailed Hawk was in the cottonwoods at the balloon
launched area. Many Double-crested Cormorants were in the water below the Heron Rookery.
While sitting on the eastern end of the dam, I could see many Ring-billed and California Gulls.
Many Western Grebes swam in the distance; no jaegers could be found today.
I then hiked the bike path from Chatfield Reservoir to South Platte Park (Mineral/Santa Fe).
There were several flocks of Black-capped Chickadees, however few warblers.
At the bird blind overlooking pond number 4, I found a flock of warblers that included
9 Yellow-rumped Warblers, 2 Wilson's Warblers, and a Townsend's Warbler along with 10
Black-capped Chickadees. Several American Kestrels and a Belted Kingfisher stood in the trees.
Eastern Plains of Colorado 10/19-10/21
With the threat of winter-like weather this weekend, I chose to return to the Eastern Plains
of Colorado for several days. Until Saturday afternoon, the weather was warm with little wind.
October 19
Birding four hours at Barr Lake started the trip. While I did not locate last week's
American Golden-Plovers, the Dunlin was still there. He was 500 yards south-southeast
of the northern end of the dam. A dozen Baird's Sandpipers were accompanied by two
Least Sandpipers and a lone Spotted. Eleven American Pipits sauntered along the shoreline.
My favorite owl loop on the trip to Barr Lake found Burrowing Owls only at one location.
There were two owls west of Tower Road, just north of Pena Blvd (little bowl, down the hill).
(See August 5 report for directions to "owl loop".)
The Sabine's Gulls were not observed today. There were 800+ Franklin's Gulls, hundreds
of Ring-billed Gulls and dozens of California Gulls. Double-crested Cormorants
(numbering over 150) are still in the south-southeast corner.
A flock of 28 Yellow-rumped Warblers and 9 Ruby-crowned Kinglets fluttered about
in the trees lining the northwestern road around the reservoir (mile marker 5.2).
At Jackson Reservoir (20 miles west of Fort Morgan) , there were few sandpipers.
A few Baird's, Long-billed Dowitchers, and two Sanderlings were just about it.
Many American White Pelicans and American Avocets still persist. Nothing uncommon
was observed in the flock of 21 Yellow-rumped Warblers in Cove Campground.
No owls were found in a search around the three campgrounds along the western edge.
Prewitt Reservoir (20 miles east of Fort Morgan) produced similar results. Baird's
Sandpipers were the few sandpipers present. The 50 American White Pelicans were
joined by many Ring-billed and California Gulls. No terns or Hooded Gulls were found.
Below the dam, the trees contained no "little" birds. One Common Snipe was in a
small pond formed by the outlet canal. The place was void of sparrows.
Two Great Blue Herons hunted in the ponds to the north.
My birding day ended at Sedgwick Bar Wildlife Area. Two Eastern Bluebirds were in
the trees along the river. The sparrow population consisted of many White-crowned,
14 Song, and 2 American Tree Sparrows. Male and female Downy Woodpeckers
also made an appearance. A Great Horned Owl called in the distance.
October 20
I stayed the night at my friend's Sedgwick County ranch where the Sharp-tailed Sparrow
was observed last week. He had not seen the bird since last we found it on October 13.
Sand Draw Wildlife Area had the usual sparrow compliment. I did find two Field Sparrows
along the eastern border of the corn fields. Many American Crows were in the fir trees.
One Sharp-shinned Hawk chased some House Finches along the southern border.
At the southwest corner, a Harris's Sparrow was in the deep thickets by the parking area.
Frenchman's Creek Wildlife Area was similar. No uncommon sparrows were found
among the dozens of little brown birds. One Loggerhead Shrike hunted along the southern
fence line. Two Spotted Sandpipers searched for food along the water's edge.
A brief drive along Yuma CR 45 (about a mile east of highway 385) resulted in no
Greater Prairie-Chicken sightings. This is a good location for out of season sightings.
I ended my birding day at Sandsage Wildlife Area. As usual, this area had many sparrows.
There were two Harris's Sparrows and a Field Sparrow along the river, north of the
parking area. There were hundreds of sparrows along the dirt road on the northern side of
the wildlife area. Many White-crowned, Tree, and Song Sparrows take advantage of the
thick weeds along this road. Toward sunset, two Great Horned Owls hunted from the taller
cottonwoods. One Common Snipe was also along North fork of the Republican River.
October 21
I started the day by birding along the Republican River below Bonny Reservoir and just
west of Kansas. There was a flock of nine Eastern Bluebirds foraging in the cottonwoods.
Just south of Hale Ponds, a male Red-bellied Woodpecker was in the taller trees.
Two Common Yellowthroats were also along the Republican River.
Many Song Sparrows and American Tree Sparrows were added to the day list also.
At 0.4 miles east of CR LL.5 & CR 4, a White-throated Sparrow was with
a flock of White-crowned and American Tree Sparrows along CR 4.
There was little bird activity at Wagon Wheel Campground (Bonny Reservoir).
Many House Finches and House Sparrows, no Purple Finches were found in the flocks.
At the Picnic Area of Wagon Wheel, an Osprey hunted along the southern edge of the
reservoir. There was a late House Wren in the thicker bushes (east of the picnic pond).
One Great Horned Owl flew out from the fir trees. Two Spotted Towhees also were sighted.
A check of Foster Grove Campground and Hopper Ponds produced few sightings.
I made the decision to head for Denver as the winds started to increase.
My day ended at Flagler Reservoir (20 miles east of Limon). Few birds were observed
as I checked the southeastern edge of the reservoir. One Common Yellowthroat was
in the marsh below the northern dam. At the northeastern border, I sat out the last minutes
of daylight. In the past (however not today), Short-eared Owls have hunted in the hills to
the northeast. Somewhere in the distance, two Great Horned Owls called back and forth.
Cherry Reservoir Again 10/18
I checked Cherry Creek Reservoir again today. There were no Hooded Gulls
observed for the fourth day in a row. It was a beautiful day to bird however,
warm 80-degree temperatures and little wind.
I did observe the adult Lesser Black-backed Gull again this evening.
A surprise, the juvenile Pacific Loon was joined by another Pacific Loon
and two Common Loons. There was much boating activity and only
five gulls visited the southwest marina the last half hour of daylight.
Cherry Creek Reservoir 10/17
The reservoir was checked for Hooded Gulls for the fourth day in a row.
At 5:30pm, the Great Black-backed Gull was at the southwest marina for 10 minutes.
At 6:15pm, the Lesser Black-backed Gull came to the marina and stay until it
was too dark to see any field marks (7:05pm). No Hooded Gulls were observed
during my two-hour wait at the southwest marina. I did not find the Pacific Loon
while scanning most of the reservoir. However, there are several "inlets" that
cannot be observed from the southwest corner of the reservoir.
Birding Reservoirs Around Aurora 10/16
My day started by circling Aurora Reservoir twice this morning. The only uncommon bird
observed was a Common Loon (southeast corner). The temperatures were around 60 degrees
and there was little wind, beautiful morning!
An hour at Quincy Reservoir did not produce any uncommon sightings.
The last two hours of the day were spent at Cherry Creek Reservoir. No Hooded Gulls were
observed again this evening. The Great Black-backed Gull flew over the southwest marina;
however he was chased away by boat activity. The Lesser Black-backed Gull and juvenile
Pacific Loon were observed in the distance to the east of the marina.
Cherry Creek Reservoir 10/15
I returned to Cherry Creek Reservoir for the last two hours of daylight. No Hooded Gulls
were observed during that time. I did have a juvenile Pacific Loon pointed out to me
(in the distance to the north). The Great Black-backed Gull spent an hour at the
southwest marina. It was eventually chased off by a passing sailboat. Boat activity
around the marina kept the number of gulls around the marina down to a minimum.
Cherry Creek Reservoir 10/14
I am still catching my breath from a three-hour trip to Cherry Creek Reservoir. While watching
a fantastic sunset the following birds landed at the southwest marina at 6:17pm.
Great Black-backed Gull (adult) I have observed the bird seven times over the last five weeks
(first found by B. Brown; thanks much). The GBBG usually is in the southeast corner when
there is much boat traffic (especially weekends). After sunset, the bird has been coming to
the southwest marina. He has adhered to this pattern five times.
Adult Basic Black-headed Gull: As soon as the bird landed next to some Ring-billed Gulls,
I could tell that it is not a Bonaparte's Gull. He was slightly smaller than the RBGU and
nowhere near the size of a Bonaparte's. The bill was a dark red (darker toward the tip) and
he had red legs. The black line behind the eye started below the eye and extended up over the
top back of the head. The bird stretched his wings twice to give me a look at the dark inner
primaries on the underwing. I watched the bird until 6:56pm when I could no longer see details.
Adult Basic Laughing Gull: I was quite content and watching the two gulls when at 6:31pm
another gull landed 8 feet from the BHGU. I am thinking a second Black-headed Gull and
WOW. The dilemma was that this bird was not only darker in the mantle; it was bigger too.
The black line behind the eye and extending over the top back of the head was less defined
(more diffuse). The bill was thicker, drooped, and black (I could see the red bill of the
Black-headed Gull through my scope). The feet appeared Black. It then occurred to me that
I was looking at an adult basic Laughing Gull. He also raised his wings once and I observed
that the primaries were black on the underwing as on the upper wing.
David, you left too soon! We had spent an hour scoping the gulls in the southeast corner of
the reservoir, the southwest marina and also the swim beach. While there were several hundred
gulls, we did not see any uncommon ones. After David left, I did locate a flock of nine
Yellow-rumped warblers with 6 Black-capped Chickadees in the trees west of the swim beach.
At the marina, I had mentioned to a passer-by that the scene was my TV (yellow leaves, blue sky,
and red sunset) however much more entertaining. I seldom have expectations, though the conditions
were right for a great sunset. Thanks to the birds for another great ending to my day!
Barr Lake and Sedgwick County 10/12-10/14
On my return to Sedgwick County, I stopped four hours at Barr Lake
I had followed my favorite owl loop on the trip to Barr Lake (see 8/5 report).
There were 3 Burrowing Owls 3.4 miles East of Tower Road and 96th Avenue.
Another Burrowing Owl was observed 0.7 miles East of 120th and Picadilly Road.
First, I spent an hour behind the CBO Office (east of the dam's north end),
in an unsuccessful search for the Golden-crowned Sparrow reported 10/9.
There were many Tree and White-crowned Sparrows.
I then drove down to 144th avenue, parked, and hiked the shoreline back
toward the dam. A juvenile Sabine's Gull flew along the shoreline several
times. The bird eventually landed just below the northern end of the dam.
On the hike, I ran into a lone Dunlin several times. He was working his way
toward the dam also. There were Baird's Sandpipers, one Least, and two or
three Lesser Yellowlegs observed. Many California and Ring-billed Gulls also.
I then hiked south along the shoreline to the southwest corner of the reservoir.
At two of the sand spits, there were many gulls including many Franklin's Gulls.
I did not locate the Black-headed Gull. At the two most southwestern sand spits,
there were pairs of American Golden-Plovers. Several of the sandpipers flew to
the southeast shore of Barr. Also observed, many Double-crested Cormorants.
I eventually gave up my search for the Black-headed Gull and headed northeast.
I ended the day at my friend's ranch in Sedgwick County. He had found a strange
orange looking sparrow on 10/11. At 6:04pm, we relocated the orange sparrow.
It was a beautiful adult Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow! The orange faced bird
with a gray crown, orange streaked breast and white belly was unmistakable.
Over the course of the next two days, we observed the bird three more times.
The ranch held many White-crowned and Tree Sparrows. Along his creek, we also
located a juvenile Harris's Sparrow. A flock of nineteen Spotted Towhees was observed.
Unfortunately, no Eastern Towhees accompanied them.
Saturday morning (10/14), we looked briefly for the bird, however it did not appear.
On the trip back to Denver, I searched for the two Sprague's Pipits found on 10/11.
The short hour search did not turn up more SPPI.
Sedgwick County and Chatfield Reservoir 10/11
I started out birding Ovid Woods (along Lodgepole Creek, Ovid) on Wednesday.
There was a male Red-bellied Woodpecker at the north end of the woods.
About 100 yards north of highway 138 and 2nd street, a male
Northern Cardinal appeared from the woods.
I then proceeded to Sedgwick CR 59 and CR 30 searching for Sprague's Pipits.
The trip was planned for Monday, however after Mr. Leukering's lack of success
Sunday, I thought to wait a couple of days. I experienced no better success.
Two Sprague's Pipits were located on a friend's private land however.
I received an emergency call and high-tailed it back 220 miles to Denver
only to find that it was not an emergency.
To salvage the day, I traveled to Chatfield Reservoir. It has been several
years since I had observed the three Jaegers in the same year so I was
hoping to see the juvenile Parasitic Jaeger observed the day before.
I hiked the Dam's road to the point where Paul Langendorfer and I observed the
adult Pomarine Jaeger on Sunday. Sure enough the Pomarine Jaeger and
juvenile Parasitic Jaeger were still there.
I sat down and watched the two birds for several hours. It was interesting to
observe the different feeding patterns (strategies) of the two birds. I was
rewarded for the long drive by getting to videotape the Pomarine Jaeger twice
from eye level and only 20 yards away. During my visit, he made five circles
around the reservoir. He took two trips past me before he stayed 100 yards away.
I also videotaped the Parasitic Jaeger from about 100 yards.
As someone wrote earlier, the Parasitic is much more energetic (uses more energy)
in his hunts. The Pomarine seemed to use the wind more to his advantage.
The difference in wing beats, body shape and size was great to observe.
The Pomarine's wingspan was amazing from my vantage point.
As a final treat, three Ring-billed Gulls seemed to get tired of the harassment
by the Pomarine Jaeger. All three chased the Pomarine around the reservoir for
a complete circle. Watching the turn of events was fascinating.
One of the juvenile Sabine's Gulls also flew directly below me. I could not see
the Common Loon, Caspian Tern, or Lesser Black-backed Gull from my vantage point.
A juvenile Thayer's Gull did make a pass near the dam's tower.
Two Ospreys circled over the southeast end of the reservoir.
Thanks to the birds for supplying another great ending to my day!
I have to be in Julesburg tonight. So I am off in 30 minutes in hope of finding
some Sprague's Pipits from a public road.
Northern Colorado 10/10
After presenting a talk at the Greeley Audubon Society, I camped on the Pawnee National
Grasslands. It was my favorite time of the month to camp because of the full moon.
There was no wind either and many sounds of the night could be heard.
Before settling in for the night, I took a four-mile hike in the Murphy's Pasture area.
Many flocks of Sandhill Cranes could be heard overhead. At one moment, I could see
a flock of several hundred birds "fly across" the moon! (Quite a treat)!
I also hiked around the campground and thought a Long-eared Owl was heard.
On Tuesday morning, I repeated the four-mile hike into Murphy's Pasture. Very few
species were observed. There were many Horned Larks and one flock of about 80
Sandhill Cranes. No Longspurs could be found.
At Crow Valley Campground, the first bird observed was a Long-eared Owl. It was
"kicked up" by two other birders walking along the western edge of the campground.
An adult male Merlin appeared to be chasing the owl (or just following).
Later, an immature Red-tailed Hawk was found in the southwest corner. My stay at
the campground lasted four hours. While the species numbers were small, I did see
two flocks of Yellow-rumped Warblers, two male MacGillivray's Warblers,
six Ruby-crowned Kinglets, one Golden-crowned Kinglet, and a lone Hermit Thrush.
Several additional flocks of Sandhill Cranes flew overhead.
A House Wren was in the willows in the southwest corner. I had not observed a
HOWR in several weeks. No Brown Thrashers were found; this area usually has a few.
I also walked out the northwest gate of the campground. While trying to identify
what turned out to be a Northern Flicker, a Sharp-tailed Grouse came out of the
tall grasses 250 yards east of that gate. The bird walked 20 yards along the shorter
grasses and then disappeared back into the tall weeds. I could not relocate the bird,
even from a higher vantage point up the hills to the south.
I stopped briefly at Riverside Ponds and found the Philadelphia Vireo in about 30 minutes.
The bird was just east of the parking area, northwest of the Poudre River.
After eating lunch in Fort Collins, I traveled to Estes Park to deliver another talk.
In the last two hours of daylight, I walked along the Matthews-Reeser Bird Sanctuary
(located behind the visitors center at hwy 34 & 36). Besides observing many Elk,
there were two Townsend's Warblers with a flock of 21 Yellow-rumped Warblers.
Two Ruby-crowned Kinglets also joined the group. On the way back to my car,
a Nashville Warbler jumped out of the willows just east of the wooden golf course fence.
After sunset, I looked briefly for Northern Pygmy-Owls at the YMCA of the Rockies
(along highway 66). No owls were seen or heard in the faint light.
Denver Reservoirs 10/8
Paul Langendorfer and I visited several Denver Reservoirs this Sunday afternoon.
First we traveled to Chatfield Reservoir. Two juvenile Arctic Terns were on the sand
spit at the southeast marina. Two Common Terns and many Forster's Terns were
there also. It was great to study all three species at the same time.
Our good fortune brought us a sighting of an adult light phase Pomarine Jaeger.
The bird stayed several hundred yards off shore. He did fly several times and
allowed us to study his body shape and wing panels.
There was a juvenile Sabine's Gull off in the distance also!
We ran into an American Tree Sparrow on the hike back to our car.
We then proceeded to Cherry Creek Reservoir.
Not much was happening at the south marina and we circled to the north side swim
beach. There were just a few Ring-billed Gulls there.
Fortunately, we decided to stop by at the south marina on our trip out of the reservoir.
The Great Black-backed Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull we almost side by side
on the telephone poles that outline the marina. One more stop never hurts.
The only tern observed was a lonely Forster's Tern.
Denver Reservoirs 10/6
Bryan Ehlmann and I enjoyed an interesting day of birding reservoirs around Denver today.
We searched McLellan Reservoir for 1 hour. We did not find any uncommon birds,
just a few American Coots. A light snow fell during our time there.
We spent 1.5 hours at Marsten Reservoir. There were many Double-crested Cormorants,
California Gulls, and Ring-billed Gulls. The Pomarine Jaeger was not relocated.
Chatfield Reservoir was not checked; it is only a few miles from McLellan Reservoir.
Added later; I forgot that Bryan did point out a Sabine's Gull flying in the
southwest corner of the reservoir. I did see it after several minutes also!
Our 3 hours at Cherry Creek Reservoir were more fruitful.
At the southwest marina, the Lesser Black-backed Gull and Great Black-backed Gull were
standing (not far apart) on the logs outlining the area. There were many Ring-billed Gulls too!
At the swim beach, there were many California Gulls and Ring-billed Gulls. Best bird,
the Caspian Tern was standing along the water's edge and allowed us to film it for
about 10 minutes. Off to the west, one Common Loon was in the nearest bay.
In the trees that line the western edge of the swim beach, we found several flocks of birds.
One flock contained 42 Yellow-rumped Warblers. A second flock consisted of
7 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, a male and female Golden-crowned Kinglet,
two Orange-crowned Warblers, and 6 Black-capped Chickadees.
We did not find the Townsend's Warblers and Prairie Warbler observed
Thursday by Loch Kilpatrick. Again, it snowed during our whole search!
Birding Southern Colorado 10/4-10/5
October 4
Bryan Ehlmann and I journeyed to John Martin Reservoir. We managed to relocate
the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper first found by Van Truan on 10/3. It flew in from
the south with a dozen sandpipers (north of CR JJ; 1.5 miles East of CR 17).
Afterwards, we back tracked to Higbee Cemetery south of La Junta. We sat on the picnic
table in the southeast corner for about 2 hours. The adult male Vermilion Flycatcher
was observed off in the distance to the East. He was flying around the trees behind
the ranch house. About 15 minutes later, Bryan observed an immature bird in the
the large cottonwoods along the canal east of the cemetery. We watched for another
twenty minutes before giving up on finding the adult female.
We ended the day on private property in Las Animas County. The nesting Hepatic Tanagers
found early in the year, could not be located. After dark, a Northern Saw-whet Owl was
heard calling nearby. Its call has been bothering the rancher's wife for weeks.
In Cottonwood Canyon, a Western Screech-Owl called around the camping area.
A Great Horned Owl was heard quite a ways to the southwest.
No Common Nighthawks were heard or seen tonight or tomorrow morning.
October 5
We had hoped to locate the Northern Cardinal that has been in the area for the past
two years. We experienced no success with that endeavor. A Red-headed Woodpecker
was found in the southeastern draw along with many Blue Grosbeaks and two Turkey Vultures.
A male Ladder-backed Woodpecker was in the south draw (behind the abandoned cabin).
Five Wild Turkeys were along the road, 0.4 miles east of our campsite.
A Greater Roadrunner crossed the road 1.0 east of the camping area.
Three Rufous-crowned Sparrows were in the rocks 1.4 miles east of the camping area.
Two Mississippi Kites and many American Kestrels flew overhead at Picture Canyon.
Another Rufous-crowned Sparrow was here too! There were many Rock Wrens,
Canyon Wrens, and a Northern Mockingbird. No Curve-billed Thrashers showed today.
In Springfield, we looked for the White-winged Dove observed earlier in the year.
We could not find it; however a male and female Great-tailed Grackle and two
Eurasian Collared-Doves were seen. More than one hundred Cedar Waxwings and
Red-winged Blackbirds were around the northeastern edge of town.
At Two Buttes Reservoir, we found the bird of the day. A Philadelphia Vireo was below
the dam (50 yards east of the first parking area). There were several Brown Thrashers,
many House Finches, Mourning Doves, and Turkey Vultures.
At Lamar Community College, we observed a Red-eyed Vireo across from the maintenance
building. A Warbling Vireo was near the north end of the woods behind the college.
Except for Blue Jays, no other birds were moving around in this small wooded area.
The weather was poor most of the day; we decided to drive back to Denver,
instead of enduring whatever weather tomorrow was going to bring.
Cherry Creek Reservoir 10/2
On this fantastic fall day, I decided to ride my bike to Cherry Creek Reservoir.
Temperatures were in the mid-70's and winds were quite light.
After the 28-mile bike ride to the reservoir, I met up with another cobirder.
We then rode the six miles or so around the reservoir. What a beautiful day!
One juvenile Sabine's Gull was briefly at the swim beach. It was chased away
by a Jet Skier. However, we were able to relocate the bird 600 yards east
(around the corner). Many Ring-billed and a few California Gulls were here also.
From the "disadvantaged fishermen's dock", we observed several interesting birds.
Off in the distance (about 0.7 miles away), the Great Black-backed Gull was standing
on a log sticking out of the water. A speedboat eventually chased him away.
Two or three Bonaparte's Gulls were along the distant shoreline too!
Three Common Terns flew by, however they stayed mostly in the middle of the reservoir.
There were hundreds of Western Grebes and many American Coots.
Again, I could not locate the Caspian Tern found on Saturday. I have a most difficult
time chasing and finding others CATE sightings. While I have found two by myself this
year, my record for chasing them stands at 0 for 9 this year.
We biked around to the southwest marina. An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was lying on
the logs that outline the marina at 5:00pm. The bird was accompanied by 157 Ring-billed Gulls.
Several American White Pelicans and three-dozen Double-crested Cormorants were
also observed during our bike ride. I then started home with only an hour's daylight left!
Jackson Reservoir 10/1
I met up with two other cobirders at Jackson Reservoir. The weather was fantastic!
We watched the adult Pomarine Jaeger for two hours. The bird flew several times and
we were able to see its wings, body, and flight pattern. The twisted bulbous tail streamers
were quite long (maybe indicative of a male bird?). It was a beautifully plumaged bird!
While watching the Pomarine Jaeger, two juvenile Sabine's Gulls flew over it several times.
One Black Tern also flew in the general area. It is getting late in the year for them.
Andrews and Righter, "Colorado Birds" lists only one October record!
One Red-necked Phalarope swam not far from the jaeger.
Off in the distance, a rather dark bird chased several gulls. For several minutes, we thought
there could be another jaeger (at least hoped for another, juvenile bird). The darkish bird
finally flew over us and landed 100 yards to the north. It was a juvenile Peregrine Falcon.
While checking the campgrounds on the west side of the reservoir, I found several flocks
of Yellow-rumped Warblers. Not as many as September 25, they numbered around 30.
An Orange-crowned Warbler was in the mix. Nine Ruby-crowned Kinglets flocked
together in trees near the western entrance to the state park.
I then hiked the south side of the reservoir along the dam. From that vantage point,
two American Golden-Plovers were spotted. The few sandpipers that could be identified
at the long distance were similar to the species observed last week.
Two Swainson's Hawks flew overhead as we left the reservoir. They are still around!
I had stopped at Cherry Creek Reservoir on the way to Jackson Reservoir.
Birds observed were the Great Black-backed Gull, a juvenile Sabine's Gull,
three Bonaparte's Gulls, and eight Common Terns (similar species as 10/2)
The objective of the search, Saturday's Caspian Tern was not found!
More Bird Trips
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