Rich Stevens' Bird Trips
October 2002
Foothills Birding 10/31
Bryan Ehlmann & I went searching for Northern Pygmy-Owls this morning.
Visits to locations of previous reports came up empty. Early morning we
tried White Ranch Open Space and Red Rocks Park. The weather was
quite poor. Strong winds, foggy and snowy conditions were the norm.
We then drove up to Loveland Ski Basin. Several small flocks of
Rosy Finches included all three species. Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch 9+,
Brown-capped Rosy Finch 3+, and Black Rosy Finch 1. Many
Mountain Chickadees and 2 Pine Grosbeaks also came around.
A small flock of Rosy Finches was on the granite rocks at the
north side of Silver Plume. They looked like all Gray-crowned.
A flock of Cassin's Finches was in the trees by the old gas station.
We next traveled to Pine Valley Ranch. No Northern Pygmy-Owls made
an appearance. We found one Three-toed Woodpecker along the south
side of Pine Lake. We did not venture far from the parking area.
Lair o' Bear Park was quiet. No Pygmy-Owls were found here either.
Back home, two Black-capped and two Mountain Chickadees were visiting
my feeders. One Western Scrub-Jay has been around for 8 days now!
Denver Reservoirs 10/29
Bryan Ehlmann & I went down to Chatfield Reservoir (Jefferson/Douglas Counties)
this morning. The weather was horrible with strong winds and snowy conditions.
It is this time of year and usually during a storm that Murres and
Murrelets turn up at the reservoir. We however did not find any today.
We did observe two Common Loons and a Pacific Loon.
Our next stop was Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe). I was hoping the
Swamp Sparrow found Sunday would make an appearance. When we
arrived at the bird platform at the Prairie Loop, winds were coming off the
water at 20+ mph. We departed thinking that the Swamp Sparrow would
not venture out of the cattails and into the wind.
By standing on the larger rocks and looking over the cattails to the west,
we did see the 10 Long-billed Dowitchers and the Black-bellied Plover.
Several Bonaparte's Gulls were standing with 57 Ring-billed Gulls on
the sand spit. Three Wilson's Snipes, eight Killdeer, and a flock of
fourteen American Tree Sparrow were there also.
Two Common Loons swam off to the east. Double-crested Cormorants numbered
over 30 birds. The high waves made counting the hundreds of Western Grebes
difficult. Six Pied-billed Grebes were swimming near the northeast boat ramp.
Cherry Creek Reservoir 10/28
Four of us birded the last 3 hours of light at Cherry Creek Reservoir
(Arapahoe County). Temperatures dropped 20 degrees during our visit.
Sunshine disappeared and clouds came in quickly on the strong winds.
An immature Rough-legged Hawk hovered over the dam.
A female Northern Harrier flew low over the Lake Loop.
The bird platform at the Prairie Loop provided the best view of
the reservoir's birds today. Many gulls stood on the sand spit.
An adult and immature Common Loon circled the reservoir.
Four Bonaparte's Gulls stood on the sand spit.
Two Forster's Terns and a Common Tern made an appearance also.
Ten Long-billed Dowitchers and a Black-bellied Plover searched
for food in the mud flats. Four Wilson's Snipe came out of the
cattails below the bird platform. Half a dozen Killdeer joined the mix.
Four dozen Double-crested Cormorant remain at the southeast end.
Hundreds of Western Grebes and 4 Pied-billed Grebes swam in the distance.
A couple of Song Sparrows joined half a dozen American Tree Sparrows.
The Swamp Sparrow did not show today.
Thanks to Bryan Ehlmann, Sue Dorsey, and Donna Fortney for
the great company and extra eyes to search for the birds!
Boulder County 10/27
Daniela Heck-Garrett & I visited Boulder County today.
The temperature reached 40 degrees, winds were mild.
An adult Bald Eagle stood on a highway sign at Interstate 25 and Highway 66.
It was a little strange to see the bird only six feet off the ground and
along a busy highway. Later we learned of a prairie dog village just west
of where he stood.
At the Davis home north of Lyons we waited patiently for Pinyon Jays to show.
The cloudy skies and cool temperatures seem to keep the birds hidden.
A pair of White-breasted Nuthatches and a dozen Dark-eyed Juncos
sporadically visited the many feeders. A flock of six Pygmy Nuthatches
made an appearance also. An immature Golden Eagle soared in the distance.
A lone female Hairy Woodpecker visited the suet feeders several times.
A single male Western Bluebird stopped by and sang repeatedly.
A little misguided he might have been calling for a mate definitely
late in the season.
Finally a flock of 40+ Pinyon Jays pillaged the feeders. The boisterous
flock called constantly to their comrade in arms as they scattered seeds
everywhere. A few grabbed the feeders spilling seeds while small groups
waited impatiently for the bounty to fall to the ground.
A lone Clark's Nutcracker came to the top of one of the Ponderosa Pines
as we departed. His cries were easy to recognize.
Daniela and I stopped at Baseline Reservoir on the way out of Boulder.
Two Common Loons swam and dived in the southwest corner. A small group
of Common Mergansers and a lone Hooded Merganser hunted in the distance.
Several large rafts of birds were too far away to properly identify.
Our final stop was Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe). No gulls were at
the southwest marina and we drove to the Prairie Loop. As we stood at
the bird platform, eight Long-billed Dowitchers fed at our feet.
Four-dozen Ring-billed Gulls stood on the sand spit. A Forster's Tern
was among them. Out of nowhere, a Common Tern joined the Forster's Tern
and we were able to compare the two for 10 minutes. The larger
Forster's Tern with his stockier body and thicker bill made the smaller
Common Tern with its thinner bill and shorter legs seem quite small.
A Wilson's Snipe walked the cattails below us.
A 1st winter Swamp Sparrow was a welcomed surprise as
he walked out of the cattails several times. He hopped up
several times to the rocks at the bird platform providing us
with great looks at this secretive sparrow.
Owling 10/26-10/27
Maybe being a glutton for punishment, Bryan and I decided to stay up
all night and search for owls in Jefferson & Boulder Counties.
We stopped a several places in Boulder (Baseline Reservoir,
Walden Ponds, South Boulder Road). No owls were found.
A drive up Eldorado Canyon past Doudy Draw and South Mesa Trails
was not successful either. We finally heard an Eastern Screech-Owl
at the end of Eldorado Canyon.
Next we drove up Flagstaff Road (known for Flammulated Owls) and
continued to Gross Reservoir (previous Northern Pygmy-Owl sightings)
and again struck out.
Finally we circled around to Golden Gate State Park and White Ranch
Open space; previously reported Northern Pygmy-Owls were not found.
The Northern Pygmy-Owls at Red Rocks Park were not around either.
The night was enjoyable; winds were mild most places visited.
Pueblo 10/26
Daniela Heck-Garrett and I traveled to Pueblo this morning.
We found the male Eurasian Wigeon with dozens of
American Wigeons at the small pond in Pueblo City Park.
The Blue-winged Warbler was observed briefly along the
creek north of the Frisbee golf area of the park.
On next stop was Eleven-mile Reservoir (Park County).
Few birds were on the reservoir today.
A Northern Goshawk flew out of the woods just outside
of the southeast entrance to the State Park.
We experienced better success at Spinney Reservoir (Park).
Eleven Surf Scoters were swimming below the dam at the
eastern end of this State Park. Seven Greater Scaups
were along the north shore approximately 1/3 from the
western end of the reservoir. We could pick out no
loons or Red-necked Grebes.
On our return to Denver, we ran into snow at Fairplay
and did not get out of it until Morrison.
Birding the Eastern Plains 10/21-10/25
Rebecca Kosten and I enjoyed a week of birding on the
Eastern Plains of Colorado. The mixture of weather encountered
made the trip interesting. We experienced temperatures from the
20s to 60s. We ran into rain, snow, and a little bit of sunshine.
Monday 21
We hiked the 7.8 miles around Aurora Reservoir (Arapahoe County) in
the late morning. Winds were 10-15mph with temperatures in the 40s.
The Surf Scoters reported previously were not found today.
We did find the adult Lesser Black-backed Gull that seems to be
traveling between Aurora & Cherry Creek Reservoirs. The bird was
at the shore just north of mile marker 4.8.
A 1st winter Mew Gull was discovered next to a group of gulls at
mile marker 4.0. The narrow bill caught our attention. We then
noticed the overall brown coloring of the underwing, upper wing,
and tail of the bird.
We counted over 1900 gulls, mostly Ring-billed. Several dozen
California and 2 adult Herring Gulls were also among the mix.
A Swamp Sparrow was found in the cattails at the cove,
mile marker 2.5. The bird was 70 yards north of the bike path.
Forty-six Sandhill Cranes nosily flew overhead while we were
at the south end of the reservoir. They circled a few times
but did not stop as they continued south.
We stopped at Jackson Reservoir (Morgan) at dusk.
An Eastern Screech-Owl called from the thickets just south of
Pelican Campground. No Long-eared Owls could be found.
We stopped briefly at Pioneer Park on the west side of Sterling (Logan).
The two Eastern Screech-Owls previously reported could not be found tonight.
Our day ended at Tamarack Ranch Wildlife Area (Logan). Again we
found an Eastern Screech-Owl. This bird was 1.5 miles east of CR 55.
A Great Horned Owl called from the camping area along CR 55.
Tuesday 22
The weather today was not good. Winds were strong; temperatures were
in the 30s. The day overall was pretty miserable.
At the private ranch we stayed (Sedgwick), our friend Richard had
staked out 6 Sprague's Pipits. He thinks they have been around
for about a week. He also showed us 2 Harris's Sparrows and
3 White-throated Sparrows.
Rebecca and I drove the county roads in northern Sedgwick County.
We happened upon 2 additional Sprague's Pipits just west of CR 36 & 51!
Wednesday 23
The weather was worse today. Winds were stronger and temperatures
lower. Snow covered the ground early in the morning at some locations.
We visited Ovid Woods (Sedgwick) at sunrise. A female Red-bellied
Woodpecker searched for food on the dead trees even with the
equipment shed. A male Northern Cardinal flew by about 100
yards south of here. In total our stay in the woods was about
3 hours! No birds came to the few feeders we checked.
The Ovid Sewage Ponds were quiet.
We hiked through Julesburg Wildlife Area (Sedgwick). Another
Red-bellied Woodpecker was found about a mile east of the
parking area. On the return trip we came upon a
Field Sparrow just east of our car.
Sedgwick-Barr Wildlife Area was quiet; as was the Julesburg
Wayside Rest Stop area (both Sedgwick County properties).
We ended our birding day at DePoorter Lake. We came across
5+ Northern Bobwhite along the road that runs southeast from
the parking area. A flock of five Harris's Sparrows were along
the South Platte River. Not much else uncommon was observed.
We did count 3 Song, 9 American Tree, and 17 White-crowned Sparrows.
Thursday 24
We woke up to more snow, strong winds, and cold temperatures.
After in warmed up a little (into the high 30s), we relocated
1 Harris's Sparrow, 2 White-throated Sparrows, and 2 of the
previously reported Sprague's Pipits! Nothing new was found
and we headed south toward Wray.
Sand Draw Wildlife Area added only Spotted Towhees to our trip list.
We stopped in Wray (Yuma) to visit a friend. A male and female
Northern Cardinal are still regularly visiting her feeders.
We then hiked one of my favorite places on the plains, Sandsage
Wildlife Area. While no Eastern Screech-Owls were found today,
two Great Horned Owls hunted along the Republican River.
Two White-throated Sparrows were observed among the 150+ sparrows
examined. The total was 89 White-crowned, 48 American Tree,
9 Song, 2 Clay-colored, 2 Brewer's, 3 Savannah, and 2 Lark Sparrows.
The number of American Tree Sparrows surprised us. While we
observed 9 at Aurora reservoir on Monday, the number seemed
high for this early in the season. We expected Swamp and
Vesper Sparrows, but found none. We hoped for LeConte's
and Baird, but found none. A Harris's Sparrow was found
along the river approximately 80 yards from the parking area.
A brief stop at Wray Fishing Unit was not productive.
Our birding day ended with a drive along CR 45 North of Wray.
We hoped to run across a Greater Prairie-Chicken, but did not.
We did find an immature Harris's Sparrow along the road.
Friday 25
The day turned into the best weather day of our trip.
At first light we birded the Hale Ponds area (below the dam at
Bonny Reservoir, Yuma County). Two Red-bellied Woodpeckers and
9 Eastern Bluebirds were found during a 2-mile loop through the area.
A covey of Northern Bobwhite was kicked up west of the ponds.
Few birds were around the Hale Store or below the dam. Another
Red-bellied Woodpecker was the only interesting bird along the
Republican River (below the dam). The Eastern Screech-Owl that
hung around the campground this summer was not located.
Wagon Wheel campground was slow. A male Red-naped Sapsucker
worked the trees around the campground. Nothing interesting
was found on the reservoir proper and we headed west.
Our birding day ended at Flagler Reservoir. No uncommon birds
were found today. Forty sparrows at the northeast corner were
mostly White-crowned Sparrows (2 Song Sparrows).
No owls were observed at dusk.
Cherry Creek Reservoir 10/20
Rebecca Kosten & I drove down to Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County)
to relocate Loch Kilpatrick's Lesser Black-backed and Bonaparte's Gulls.
No gulls stood on the sand spit at the southeastern end of the reservoir
when we arrived. It was such a beautiful day that we decided to circle
the reservoir on foot. Winds were mild; temperatures were in the middle 60s.
The only downside to hiking the whole reservoir is the hike over
1.5 miles of rocks (with no path through them) below the dam.
The few gulls at the swim beach were Ring-billed and 2 California Gulls.
The hike turned out well worthwhile. Eight hundred gulls stood on
the sandbar below the dam (100 yards north of the southwest marina).
The adult Lesser Black-backed Gull stood at the far edge of the sandbar.
At least 2 adult Herring Gulls and 58 Franklin's Gulls were among
the many California and Ring-billed Gulls.
The bird stretched its wings several times and flew up briefly.
It is definitely the same bird reported at Aurora Reservoir 10/9
and Cherry Creek Reservoir 10/13! There are photos of the bird
on the CoBus photo library. The bird is molting and quite
distinctive in appearance!
Continuing counterclockwise we next stopped at the Prairie Loop.
Another 150 gulls stood at this sandbar. Three adult Bonaparte's Gulls
were among the many Ring-billed Gulls. One tern was here also.
It turned out to be an adult Forster's Tern in basic plumage.
One Red-tailed Hawk hunted over the campgrounds.
We drove my favorite owl loop north of DIA's runways (even though
no owls were found during my last 3 passes). A lone Burrowing Owl
was at the prairie dog village 3.4 miles east & north of Tower Road
and 96th avenue. Last year's late date for the area was 10/18.
An adult Golden Eagle stood in the field about 0.8 miles north and
east of the same prairie dog village.
We stopped at sunset at Barr Lake (Adams) to watch the sparrows at
the nature center feeders. Approximately 50 White-crowned Sparrows
and several House Sparrows feed below the empty feeders.
Thanks much to Loch for reporting the gulls this morning!
Aurora Reservoir 10/18
I lead the CoBus trip to Aurora Reservoir today.
Winds were mild; temperatures were in the low 50s.
We could only locate 2 of the Surf Scoters today. The birds could not
be observed from the bike path; we had to walk down to the water's edge
to find them. The other 3 birds could have been hidden in several of
the other coves not seen from the bike path.
Our sighting was by walking through the small aspen grove that is
just north of the inlet canal north of mile marker 4.0.
The Clark's Grebes and Redheads found Monday were still present.
The number of gulls has drastically reduced since last week.
The number was down to less than 200 birds (mostly Ring-billed
and a few California Gulls).
Eight American Tree Sparrows and one Vesper Sparrow were the
only sparrows counted today. Few other birds were around
(mostly American Goldfinch and Horned Larks).
Continued Search for Owls; Boulder County 10/17
Gary Weston & I continued our search for owls.
Winds were stronger tonight; temperatures dropped into the 30s.
We drove up Eldorado Canyon (Boulder County) to the end.
We did not find the previously reported Eastern Screech-Owls at
Mesa Trail and Doudy Draw. No owls were heard the whole night.
After Eldorado Canyon we drove up Boulder Mountain Park Road
(77 Road) to Gross Reservoir. Here we continued south and west
on 77A to highway 72, then south and west on hwy 72 to Golden.
We enjoyed our trek in spite of hearing no owls.
The air was crisp and clear; thousands of stars were visible.
Unfortunately the night was very quiet.
We checked previously reported Northern Pygmy-Owl locations south
of Gross Reservoir. Previously reported Flammulated Owl locations
on Boulder Mountain Park road were quiet. Northern Pygmy-Owl
locations at White Ranch Open Space and Golden Gate State Park
were also quiet. No Northern Pygmy-Owls called south of Red Rocks Park.
Search for Owls and Greater Sage-Grouse 10/16
Gary Weston & I traveled to Jackson County in search of Greater Sage-Grouse
and owls. The weather cooperated and winds were mild; temperatures were cold.
A brief stop at Poudre Reservoir #3 (Larimer County) did not find the
Common Loons reported on 10/13.
We drove into Arapahoe National Wildlife Refuge (Jackson County) in search
of Greater Sage-Grouse. None were found. Birds were scarce; only one
Red-tailed Hawk was observed. No sparrows could be found (a little strange).
A drive along Jackson County Road 25 at dusk also was fruitless for
Greater Sage-Grouse. A few Dark-eyed Juncos were the only birds observed.
We then entered the Colorado State Forest. We heard two Boreal Owls and
no Flammulated Owls. The easier of the two Boreal Owls to relocate was
found on the following hike. We parked at the end of Michigan Creek Road
(at the circle at the pipe gate). Then we hiked 0.5 miles east to the
fork in the road. Turning left (North) we hiked 1.9 miles to a small
clearing (after a drop downhill). The owl responded to our tape.
We returned to Cameron Pass and hiked 1.0 miles either side of the summit.
No owls were heard here or at the Joe Wright Reservoir parking area.
Our return to Denver was by way of Pennock Pass.
No Flammulated Owls were heard along the drive.
The previous reported locations were quiet tonight.
Return to Guanella Pass 10/15
Indiana birders Tom & Bonny Pericak, Pat Ryan, and I traveled to
Guanella Pass (Clear Creek County). The weather cooperated with
calm winds and temperatures in the 50s. It was a beautiful day;
the view was spectacular as always!
Unfortunately we could not find a White-tailed Ptarmigan during our
4-hour search. We did see 9 or 10 Western Bluebirds, several dozen
Mountain Bluebirds, 1 Pine Siskin, 4 American Pipits, many
Horned Larks, 1 Red-tailed Hawk, and an immature Golden Eagle.
On the way up we checked for Northern Pygmy-Owls at Red Rocks Park
(Jefferson) and Guanella Pass Campground; none were found today.
A Three-toed Woodpecker drummed just west of the restroom at GP campground.
One the trip back to Denver we stopped at Pine Valley Ranch Park (Jefferson).
No Northern Pygmy-Owls were found here either.
Arapahoe County Reservoirs 10/14
It was a slow day at the Arapahoe County Reservoirs. Winds were calm until
9:10am. That is when the predicted high winds started. Winds increased
to 20-25 mph. Walking, biking, and holding my binoculars steady was a chore.
At first light, I biked into Aurora Reservoir. The less than 200 gulls were
all Ring-billed except for 8 California Gulls. New birds observed since
last Wednesday and Friday included 2 Clark's Grebes and 8 Canvasback Ducks.
The 5 Surf Scoters remain at the southern end. They moved one cove east
since last week. This cove offered more protection from the wind.
I would have missed finding them if I had not decided to walk down to
the shore to get a better look at the Clark's Grebes. I walked through
the small Aspen grove just north of the inlet stream located north of
mile marker 4.0. This grove offered a gap in the cattails that surround
the southern end of the reservoir. The scoters were in this narrow cove.
It may have been possible to see them from mile marker 3.0,
however the cattails blocked my view at the time.
Quincy Reservoir's water level is high.
There is no shoreline and no gulls were around.
Cherry Creek Reservoir was slow. The only gulls were Ring-billed,
a few California, and 2 Herring Gulls.
Denver Reservoirs 10/12
Rebecca Kosten and I birded several places around Denver.
At Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County), an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull
was on the sand spit in the southeast corner at 8:40am. It eventually flew
to the west and into the fog. The bird looked like and is probably the
bird observed by Bryan Ehlmann and me on Wednesday at Aurora Reservoir.
It could also be the same Lesser Black-backed Gull reported at
Cherry Creek Reservoir on 9/12-9/13.
For some unknown reason the Prairie Loop was roped off today.
We did not take the time to walk down to the Bird Platform.
In the afternoon, we drove my favorite owl loop north of DIA's runways.
No Burrowing Owls were found. Last years late date for BUOW sightings
in this area was 10/18. I will check at least one additional time this year.
Birds were scarce. Only a few Western Meadowlarks were observed.
We ended our birding day at Barr Lake State Park (Adams).
Winds were steady and temperatures cool.
West of the banding station we observed 1 White-striped Adult
White-throated Sparrow, 5 White-crowned Sparrows, 2 Song Sparrows,
3 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 3 Brown Creepers, and 2 White-breasted Nuthatches.
The White-throated Sparrow was unbanded and in the southwest corner
of the banding area. It stayed around a flock of Dark-eyed Juncos
(not the flock of White-crowned Sparrows).
Two Red-tailed Hawks were our only hawk sightings today.
Aurora Reservoir 10/11
Bryan Ehlmann and I returned to Aurora Reservoir (Arapahoe County).
The winds were 15-25 mph and made biking much more difficult than
Wednesday when winds were calm.
The five Surf Scoters were still in the cove just west of mile marker 3.0.
However they were further from shore today.
A female Merlin stood on the snags west of mm 2.0.
Two Double-crested Cormorants were here also.
The number of gulls was much reduced from Wednesday late afternoon.
They may have been out hunting for food at Quincy or Cherry Creek Reservoirs.
We did not find the two Lesser Black-backed Gulls observed Wednesday.
Several adult and 1st winter Herring Gulls were on the shoreline at
mile marker 3.8. I photographed a larger gull also (see below).
The predominant birds were Western Meadowlarks. The high winds kept
sparrows hidden. We did see a flock of 8-10 Lapland Longspurs on the
beach at the scuba area (mm 6.0). Many Horned Larks walked the beach also.
Note (Added Saturday morning):
Originally I was taking pictures of any gulls not looking like a
California or Ring-billed Gull. I took several shots of what I
thought was a huge adult Herring Gull. Looking at the photos
this morning I saw that the bird was an adult Glaucous Gull!
The bird was in the cove at mm 3.8. It never occurred to me at
the time to look at the wings. This bird's folded wings were pale
while a Herring Gull shows dark or black wings.
The bird was also quite large. It slipped my mind at the time to
look closer with my binoculars at the bird. Bryan had already started
walking back to the bike path and I did not point out the bird to him.
Search for Owls 10/10
Bryan Ehlmann and I decided to search for owls Thursday evening
at Castlewood Canyon State Park (Douglas County).
On the trip over, we stopped at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe).
Again we searched for the Pectoral Sandpipers reported on Tuesday;
without success. While standing at the Bird Platform at the Prairie
Loop, a juvenile Sora came out of the cattails below us.
Several terns were too far out for proper identification. One did
have the black hood similar to the Common Tern observed Wednesday.
While walking along the shoreline and through the trees to the east of the
Prairie Loop we had an interesting experience. A Cooper's Hawk swooped
down on a Northern Flicker that was standing in a tree just above our heads.
The juvenile bird missed and stopped for several minutes on the same tree limb.
No uncommon gulls were found at the swim beach, the southwest marina area or
southeast corner of the reservoir. Approximately 24 Double-crested Cormorants
were sunning themselves on the stumps in the southeast corner.
Castlewood Canyon was slow. We observed a couple of White-breasted
Nuthatches, a Canyon Wren (from the overlook in the northeast corner of the park),
a Sharp-shinned Hawk, a Brown Creeper, and several Mountain Bluebirds.
The feeders by the nature center were visited by Black-capped and Mountain
Chickadees and House Finches. One Spotted Towhee was also in the area.
No bluebirds were found south of the park along Castlewood Canyon Road.
The only owl found was a Great Horned Owl. It flew out of the woods
just south of the entrance to the park.
We drove over to Rampart Range Road (north of the Hayman fire area).
No owls were heard there either.
Arapahoe County 10/9
I returned to Denver at 4:00pm and decided to look for the interesting
birds that Lisa and Sue found yesterday at Cherry Creek Reservoir.
I did not find the Pectoral Sandpipers, however the adult alternate
plumage Common Tern was there. It moved between the Prairie Loop
and the stumps several hundred yards in the water to the southeast.
I received a call from Bryan about the Lesser Black-backed Gull
they found this morning at Aurora Reservoir on the CoBus bird trip.
We threw a couple of bikes into Bryan’s truck and headed east to
the reservoir located about 3 miles east of Quincy and C470.
Due to the lack of time (only a few hours of light left), we decided to
bike in opposite directions around the reservoir. Bryan took clockwise
from the parking area below the dam and I took the counterclockwise direction.
Bryan called on our radios; he had relocated the Lesser Black-backed Gull
at the cove just north of mile marker 4.5. I was at mile marker 3.0
checking the 300 gulls along the shoreline. To my surprise, five
Surf Scoters were about 10 yards offshore.
I hurried over and observed the Lesser Black-backed Gull and then returned
with Bryan to see the Surf Scoters! The Lesser Black-backed Gull was with
800 Ring-billed Gulls, 50 California Gulls, and 1 Franklin's Gull.
Southern & Western Colorado 10/7-10/9
I was reluctant to put this report on "cobirders" because Minh Hsue
and I birded on private land. I cannot obtain permission for others
to visit the property and am sorry for that.
October 7
Minh and I drove down to Lake Meredith to look for the Ruff. When the
bird was not on the north shore we drove around to the south side.
This property is closed to the public. My access was obtained from
a member of the Hunting Club that leases the rights.
The Ruff was with a group of shorebirds that included 3 Black-bellied Plovers,
2 American Golden-Plovers, several Baird's Sandpipers, 2 Lesser Yellowlegs,
and 3 Greater Yellowlegs. I have heard that some of the birds returned
to the north shore later in the day.
Minh and I then rushed to Gunnison in search of a Gunnison Sage-Grouse.
We experienced no success while driving CR 38 south of the Gunnison Airport.
October 8
We rose early and again drove CR 38. We parked at the left fork
(approximately 8 miles south of the airport) and waited.
Just after sunrise, two Gunnison Sage-Grouse walked across the
road and gave us great looks! Later we drove the right fork and
found a third bird approximately 0.4 miles south of the fork.
Our next stop was Black Canyon National Park. Minh picked up his
Blue Grouse lifebird near the west end of the self-drive auto tour.
I played a Northern Pygmy-Owl tape, however did not get a response.
Richard Rowland and I had observed a Northern Pygmy-Owl here in April.
We visited the southern part of Escalante Wildlife Area. It took
about an hour to find two Chukars. They walked along the fields
approximately 1.5 miles west of highway 50.
Our birding day ended at the Colorado National Monument.
We found a Gambel's Quail in the field just outside of
the southern (eastern) entrance to the park.
October 9
Our plan was to search for Greater Sage-Grouse but Minh was quite sick.
American food had gotten to him. So we returned to Denver.
Pawnee National Grasslands 10/6
I enjoyed another beautiful fall day on the DFO Field Trip to
Crow Valley Campground. Thanks much to Jackie King for taking
me along! It was great meeting some of Colorado's other birders!
Crow Valley Campground did not have any uncommon birds,
however the woods were full of activity.
The southern fence line area seemed the most active.
Three Catbirds searched for food together close to the ground.
A Swainson's Thrush and two Hermit Thrushes were southeast of
the group picnic area. A Townsend's Warbler accompanied two
Wilson's Warblers south of the willow field.
An immature Sharp-shinned Hawk hunted in the southwest corner.
Several Spotted Towhees hid in the willows here.
Several flocks of Ruby-crowned Kinglets (numbering over 60 birds)
and Yellow-rumped Warblers (over 40 birds) moved freely through
the campground. Townsend's Solitaires were scattered in the open areas.
Two pairs of Downy Woodpeckers wandered through the trees.
A lone Rock Wren was in the southwest corner.
An adult female Red-naped Sapsucker worked the trees in front
of the Work Center (located 1/2 mile north of the campground).
We found no Saw-whet Owls or Long-eared Owls at the
Work Center or the Briggsdale Cemetery (1/4 mile south).
Pawnee National Grasslands north of the campground contained hundreds
of Horned Larks. We could not pick out one longspur among them.
Forty miles south, Lower Latham Reservoir's water level is quite low.
Many geese, ducks, and gulls were in the distance. Many White-crowned
Sparrows were in the weeds along CR 48. Not much else moved about.
Hundreds of Brewer's Blackbirds were near CR 48 & CR 43.
Even more Red-winged Blackbirds surrounded the pond
South of Weld County Roads 44 & 43.
Beebe Draw ponds area had a few Killdeer and a Common Snipe.
Another hundred or so Brewer's Blackbirds were here.
Two female Northern Harrier's glided through looking for food.
Hawks were scarce, but we did see at least one Swainson's Hawk,
half a dozen Northern Harriers, and a few more Red-tailed Hawks.
Four of us stopped at Barr Lake (Adams) on the way back to Denver.
Again, many Ruby-crowned Kinglets fluttered about.
The highlight was a brief appearance by the Magnolia Warbler that
has been in the park for over a week now. The bird was approximately
100 yards west of the banding station.
Again, I missed the Barn Owls in the Pioneer Trail Area.
Clear Creek County 10/5
Visiting birder Minh Hsue and I birded in Clear Creek County today.
It appears that I am making this trip almost three times a month now.
The view of Mt. Bierstadt is one of the most picturesque in Colorado.
The weather was poor with high winds and cold temperatures.
We managed to find a Red-naped Sapsucker at the Clear Creek Campground
along Guanella Pass road.
At stop at Guanella Pass Campground added two Three-toed Woodpeckers
to our trip list. Both birds appeared to be adults, one male and one female.
A MacGillivray's Warbler was along the creek south of the campground.
It seems late for this warbler to be so high up (10,900 feet).
Our search for White-tailed Ptarmigan at the summit took 2.5 hours.
Two birds were located 50 yards south of the Rosalie Trail as it
skirts the east side of the southeast hill. The birds had many
white feathers; however they are not completely white yet.
Our next stop was Kenosha Pass. By now the winds were very strong.
We drove to the end of the road on the eastern side of the pass.
Then we hiked about 1.5 miles along the road to Twin Cone Peaks.
As the road turns east toward the mountains, there is an Aspen grove
to the south of the last cabin. The aspen grove had two Red-naped
Sapsuckers and a male Williamson's Sapsucker.
One hummingbird flew quickly by, too fast for a proper identification.
However it sounded like a Broad-tailed Hummingbird.
We also observed 9 Wilson's Warblers, 4 Yellow-rumped Warblers,
2 Hermit Thrushes, and 12+ Townsend's Solitaires.
Barr Lake 10/4
I enjoyed the beautiful fall day Friday while birding at Barr Lake.
My goal was to find the Barn Owls reported last week.
While three other birders frequently observed both birds
today, I missed them during my 8-hour stay.
The Barn Owls were observed in the Pioneer Trail area.
They wandered to the trees slightly east of there.
At first light I observed two Hermit, 1 Swainson's, and one
unidentified thrush north of the banding station (mile marker 8.3).
Note: previous years the banding station was mile marker 8.5,
however the State Park Ranger has re-measured the
distances around the 8.8-mile road that circles the
reservoir and mile markers have been moved.
At 9:15am, a Philadelphia Vireo was spotted at mm 8.1
(the Pioneer Trail is mm 8.2). The bird was with an assorted
flock of 30+ sparrows (mostly White-crowned, 1 Lincoln's,
2 Song, and a late Savannah); 1 Orange-crowned Warbler,
1 Golden-crowned Kinglet, and 5+ Ruby-crowned Kinglets.
The flock was south of the canal; the kinglets and vireo
eventually flew north across the main road.
At 10:05am, Glenn Walbek, Loch Kilpatrick, and Eric Zorawowicz
joined in a search to relocate the vireo. We did not find it
again at this time. Glenn did find a beautiful male
Black-throated Blue Warbler (at the north end of Pioneer Trail).
Loch found a Barn Owl in the same area.
Later in the day, 12:30pm I ran into a visiting Japanese birder
(Minh Hsue). He was looking at the Philadelphia Vireo at the
north end of the Pioneer trail. The bird was in the two most
northern willows. He also found a Nashville Warbler a little
to the east (mm 7.8). Loch had reported seeing a Nashville
Warbler and Virginia's Warbler at mm 8.6 a little earlier in
the day. As the "crow or warbler flies" the two spots were not
that far apart. While watching the Nashville Warbler, the
male Black-throated Blue Warbler showed himself again at mm 7.9.
The bird observatory reported recapturing the Magnolia Warbler on
Thursday. I searched several hours north and west of the banding
station, however did not find the bird. I did see 1 Yellow Warbler,
7 Yellow-rumped Warblers, 1 Green-tailed Towhee, and 2 additional
Hermit Thrushes. Many Dark-eyed Juncos were in the area also.
The three birders also reported seeing a House Wren (which I missed)
and of course the Barn Owls several additional times.
I eventually walked below the dam where 2 Common Yellowthroats,
a male Wilson's Warbler, and a Swainson's Thrush were observed
(in willows along canal). No birds were found in the trees
west of the bird observatory office.
Drive through the Eastern Plains 10/3
Rebecca Kosten & I made a loop through Elbert, Lincoln, Kit Carson,
Washington, and Adams Counties. The CoBus trip to Barr Lake was
called off because of weather, so we decided to go for a pleasant
drive through the plains. The morning had rain, wind, and fog.
The sun shone for a time in the afternoon, but not for long.
Swainson's Hawks are still around. We observed 9 at 8 locations,
four counties. Eurasian Collared-Doves were found in three locations,
three counties. Two birds were observed in Limon (Lincoln),
Flagler (Kit Carson), and Bennett (Adams).
Only one Ferruginous Hawk was observed on our trek.
We searched several thickets throughout the drive in hopes of finding
some owls. Two Great Horned Owls at Flagler Reservoir were the only
two owls found all day. Flagler Reservoir was quiet. We did find
one White-throated Sparrow among many sparrows in the
Russian Olive Trees on the northeast corner of the property.
We found no Common Nighthawks all day. Swallows found were
Violet-green Swallow (Elbert), Barn Swallow, Bank Swallow,
Cliff Swallow, and 2 Tree Swallow (Flagler).
Last Chance Rest Stop had few birds (mostly House Sparrows,
one Western Kingbird).
Pine Valley Ranch Park 10/2
Four of us drove up to Pine Valley Ranch Park.
The day was pretty crummy. We encountered rain, high winds, and fog.
We timed our trip to be at Pine Valley Ranch Park (Jefferson County)
30 minutes before sunrise. Our hopes of finding a Northern Pygmy-Owl
were not realized. One Red-tailed Hawk "hung out" near the parking area.
A hike down the Narrow Gauge Railroad produced a Townsend's Warbler sighting.
The bird was in the tall Ponderosa tree near the western gate along the trail.
We searched briefly for Three-toed Woodpeckers. However we did
not venture far into the forest. One male Three-toed Woodpecker
was located up the Buck Gulch Trail. The bird was 80 yards east
of Buck Gulch Trail, up the first draw that goes east from the
trail (maybe 600 yards south, uphill from Pine Lake.
Few birds moved around in the inclement weather.
Rebecca Kosten and I continued our day at Chatfield Reservoir.
We searched unsuccessfully for the Snow Bunting reported last Friday.
No uncommon birds were located during our two-hour stay.
Wheat Ridge Greenbelt 10/1
Gary and Dianne Weston, Rebecca Kosten, and I counted birds at
Wheat Ridge Greenbelt (Jefferson County). Our trek started at 6:30am.
We hoped to find an owl or two but did not. Winds started to
pick up at 9:00am and got stronger as the day progressed.
The highlight of the day was three vireos. A Philadelphia Vireo was
40 yards North and 10 yards east of the Tree Bridge Trail (as it
turns south and goes uphill after wood planks end).
A Red-eyed Vireo was 30 yards North and 30 yards west of
the same trail. The bird fluttered about in the willows above
the Choke Cherry bushes next to the stream.
A Warbling Vireo was just south of the chain link fence and
south of the Prospect Bridge.
Birding was slow with other notables being 5 Yellow-rumped Warblers,
2 male Wilson's Warblers, and one Orange-crowned Warbler.
We could not locate any swallows today.
Black-billed Magpies on the south end of Bass Lake harassed
two Sharp-shinned Hawks.
Rebecca and I continued to Chatfield Reservoir (Jefferson/Douglas).
Birding was slow here. No uncommon birds were observed.
We gave the Snow Bunting sighting one last shot, but came up empty again.
The Chestnut-collared Longspurs reported along the dam could not
be found either. No terns were seen; winds were quite strong by
the time we arrived at Chatfield Reservoir.
The Kingfisher bridge area was quiet also.
More Bird Trips
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