Rich Stevens' Bird Trips
September 2002
State Parks Near Denver 9/27
Rebecca Kosten and I enjoyed an interesting day of birding.
At first light we were birding in Austin, TX and ended the day
at Chatfield Reservoir (Jefferson/Douglas Counties).
We stopped at Castlewood Canyon State Park on the drive
back from Colorado Springs (where we flew in from Texas).
An immature Northern Parula was observed behind the broken
down farm house just south of the western entrance into the park.
Mountain Bluebirds were the only bluebirds observed.
No Lewis's Woodpeckers have been found in months.
We received a text message from CoBus (from Loch Kilpatrick)
about a Snow Bunting and headed over to Chatfield Reservoir.
Our search for the Snow Bunting lasted four hours and covered
from the Massey Picnic Parking area to the balloon launch area
to the southwest and the dam to the northeast (& Wadsworth Blvd
to the shoreline). Steve Spencer and Mike Williams joined our
futile search for a couple of hours. We covered the area
pretty well, but could not find the bird.
The draw directly across the road from the Parking area held
two Say's Phoebes, a Chipping Sparrow, a Clay-colored Sparrow,
a handful of House Finches, and 5 Yellow-rumped Warblers.
No sign of the Snow Bunting, however we enjoyed our hike.
As we started to leave I noticed a flock of sparrows (mostly Chipping),
however a Sharp-shinned Hawk landed on the yellow and silver post
(#349) along the road. After that, we could not find any birds.
Rebecca and I headed to the Kingfisher Bridge Area.
The Philadelphia Vireo found this morning by Loch and reported
yesterday by Bob Spencer was found in less than 20 minutes.
The bird was up the hill and to the east of the small pond
(east of the trail and just south of the paved path). It was
accompanied by 5 Wilson's Warblers (2 males, 3 females),
1 Yellow-breasted Chat, and a mystery warbler. I will put
photos of the mystery bird on the CoBus photo library by 9:00pm
and would appreciate any comments privately or to “cobirders”.
We headed next to the marina area where 10 terns (most of
which were Common Terns) stood on the sand spit.
Our last stop of the day was Cherry Creek Reservoir.
Two Common Terns were at the swim beach area.
No uncommon gulls were encountered at either reservoir.
Driving my favorite owl loop north of DIA’s runways
produced a count of 40+ Burrowing Owls at the five
locations (prairie dog colonies) along the route.
Aurora Reservoir 9/22
Gary & DiAnne Weston and I hiked around Aurora Reservoir
for a little exercise. Temperatures were in the 70s;
skies were clear; and winds were mild!
The juvenile Little Gull was on the shoreline at the southern end
of the lake. This is near mile marker 3.0.
No other uncommon birds were found during our enjoyable hike.
No uncommon birds were located at Cherry Creek Reservoir.
The place was busy with many people.
Mountain Birds 9/21
Bill & Susie Nally and I birded in the mountains Saturday.
We had a fortunate day at Guanella Pass and found a White-tailed Ptarmigan
in less than an hour. For the past month the bird has been consistently
on the south side of the hill southeast of the top parking area. From the
hilltop the bird was found 300 yards downhill (south) and 15 degrees west.
Several American Pipits, White-crowned Sparrows, Wilson's Warblers,
Lincoln's Sparrows, and a Song Sparrow were observed also.
We found one of the Three-toed Woodpeckers (female bird today) that
live within 300 yards of Guanella pass campground.
Our next stop was Pine Valley Ranch (Jefferson County).
We searched for the Northern Parula that was reported several days ago;
without success. A young male Three-toed Woodpecker was found along
the Buck Gulch Trail, 100 yards south of Pine Lake. The bird was
20 yards east of the trail.
A stop at Chatfield Reservoir was not productive.
We could not locate the Red Phalarope, Little Gulls, or Sabine's Gull
reported yesterday. None of the interesting birds previously reported
at the Kingfisher Bridge area could be located either.
Trip to Blue Lake 9/20
Daniela Heck-Garrett and I traveled south to Blue Lake (Bent/Kiowa Counties).
We searched several hours for the Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher and almost
gave up. Suddenly the bird popped out of the tamarisk trees for a short
insect hunt and returned back deep into the bushes. It was the hottest
part of the day and the bird was not very active.
I would suggest any search to include the loop starting from the junction of
the main canal & smaller older canal that runs east and north. The older
canal then turns west and reconnects with the main canal.
Friday the bird was in the main canal and 500 yards north of the above junction.
Look for a white bone the size of a small skull (but not a skull) in the canal.
The bird was deep in the tamarisk trees on the west side of the canal. It may
have worked its way up to the northern junction of the two canals and then
west on the finger of the older, smaller canal.
We had another surprise in a Gray Flycatcher, which was at the northeast end
of the loop (along the old canal).
The area was quite birdy with some interesting birds with included:
14+ Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, 4+ Wilson's Warblers, many Yellow-rumped Warblers,
2 Eastern Kingbirds, 2 Western Kingbirds, 7+ Say's Phoebes, Mourning Doves,
Western Meadowlarks, a Great Horned Owl.
The many sparrows included 1 Lincoln's, 2 Lark, many Clay-colored,
many Brewer's, 4 Song Sparrows, many Vesper, and 14+ Chipping Sparrows.
We observed half a dozen Swainson's Hawks, 3 Northern Harriers, and
1 Red-tailed Hawk around the reservoir. Several Burrowing Owls were
along CR 10 on the trip into Blue Lake.
Fall Counts on the Eastern Plains 9/17-9/19
Rebecca Kosten, Sue Dorsey, Dianne Weston, Bryan Ehlmann, Gary Weston,
and I just returned from conducting several fall counts on the Eastern Plains.
For the most part, weather cooperated. We did see a couple of short rainstorms.
Tuesday 17
We split up in groups of two, however I believe that all of us observed
the more uncommon birds thanks to our radios and cell phones.
The highlights at Bonny Reservoir:
Gary & Sue found a Worm-eating Warbler in the Russian Olive Trees,
west side of Foster's Grove Campground. They also observed
2 Black-bellied Plovers along the shoreline southwest of the campground.
Bryan & Rebecca discovered a Great Crested Flycatcher just east of CR 3
and Hwy 385. Common Tern & Forster's Terns flew around the southwest end.
Dianne & I counted the Eastern Bluebirds, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and
a Yellow-billed Cuckoo that have spent the summer in the Hale Ponds area.
At dusk Rebecca kicked up a Barn Owl behind the buildings below the dam.
Dianne and I walked south of Wagon Wheel Campground and found a Short-eared
Owl flying low over the prairie (approximately 500 yards south of CG).
We all met at Hale Ponds searching for Poorwills (none found) and heard
the Eastern Screech-Owl to end our birding day.
Other species observed during our trek included Clark's Grebe,
American Bittern, Snow Goose (1, unfortunately not a Ross's),
Osprey, Cooper's Hawk, Wild Turkey, Northern Bobwhite,
Baird's Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs, Wilson's Phalarope,
Red-necked Phalarope, Common Nighthawk, Chimney Swift,
Tree Swallow, Violet-green Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow,
Bank Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow, Red-breasted Nuthatch,
White-breasted Nuthatch, Marsh Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet,
Hermit Thrush, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, American Pipit,
Cedar Waxwing, Northern Shrike, Loggerhead Shrike, Plumbeous Vireo,
Orange-crowned Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler,
Black-headed Grosbeak, Brewer's Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow,
Vesper Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow,
Chipping Sparrow, Lark Bunting, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow,
Lincoln's Sparrow, and a Great-tailed Grackle.
Wednesday 18
We headed for Wray for early morning birding.
Sandsage WLA highlights:
Eastern Screech-Owl (west end)
Harris's Sparrow (island along Republican River)
White-throated Sparrow (2) (fence line along CR CC)
A Northern Cardinal continues at a home in Wray. The homeowner sees
up to 2 males and 1 female. Only the one male came by during our stay.
Sand Draw WLA in Sedgwick County had few birds.
One Sharp-shinned Hawk was in the fir trees at the south end.
DePoorter Lake and Julesburg Wayside Rest Stop were also quiet.
At the Danka ranch, Roger showed us an adult Harris's Sparrow.
Thursday 19
Ovid Woods & Ovid:
A female Red-bellied Woodpecker roamed the north end of the woods.
As we left town, Gary spotted a male Northern Cardinal just west
of Pacific Avenue & 5th (look toward the South Platte River).
Jumbo Reservoir (Logan/Sedgwick Counties)
The reservoir was disappointing slow. No uncommon birds were found.
Bryan did find a Field Sparrow west of CR 95 (northwest corner of reservoir).
Tamarack Ranch WLA produced the most interesting birds of the day.
Rebecca found a Field Sparrow 0.8 miles east of CR 55.
A Yellow-billed Cuckoo was heard 1.2 miles west of CR 55.
We were able to find 1 or 2 Bell's Vireos within a half-mile west of CR 55.
A male Red-bellied Woodpecker roamed north of the South Platte River
(and near CR 55).
We also observed several Red-headed Woodpeckers, Spotted Towhees,
Gray Catbirds, Wilson's Warblers, and an Orange-crowned Warbler.
After returning to Denver, Rebecca and I drove over to Cherry Creek
Reservoir (Arapahoe County) for a brief look. We observed the two
juvenile Little Gulls flying in the northern center of the reservoir.
We scoped the lake from the picnic area with the "gull-covered" tables.
We did not find the Sabine's Gulls or warblers reported previously.
More Denver Reservoirs 9/15
Paul Langendorfer & I enjoyed a warm, windless day of
birding at several Denver Reservoirs.
Our day started at Chatfield Reservoir (Jefferson/Douglas Counties).
Birding was slow and we could not locate any of the uncommon birds
reported previously in the week.
Our luck improved when we checked the cottonwoods near the marina
boat rental shed. An adult Pine Warbler stayed high and in the
middle of the cottonwoods. A female/immature Townsend's Warbler
was spotted also. Many sparrows ran around on the ground.
They included 24+ Clay-colored, 1 Lincoln's, and 2 Lark Sparrows.
We next hiked both sides of the Platte River south of Kingfisher Bridge.
We had a minor goal of finding a House Wren (which never happened).
A Nashville Warbler came down for a drink of water at the small
pond just east of the path (east side of Platte). It appeared to
be a first fall male bird. A couple of Black-capped Chickadees,
one first year Yellow-breasted Chat, and two Spotted Towhees
were the only other birds found here.
At the Kingfisher Bridge we ran into a flock of 14 Black-capped
Chickadees accompanied by 2 Wilson's Warblers and a female Lazuli Bunting.
The west side of the South Platte River was even quieter.
No warblers, wrens, catbirds, vireos, etc. were seen.
The woods were silent; not even the wind was blowing.
We walked past the small pond just east of the entrance to the
Scuba Ponds on our way out of the woods. An American Redstart
and female Lazuli Bunting were at the north end of the pond.
While trying to get a better look at the Lazuli Bunting, we noticed
an "Empidonax" species. The bird attracted further attention
because of its yellow-green "olive" back. After 10 minutes of
inspection, we realized that we were looking at a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher!
NOTES: Below are my thoughts on the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
observed yesterday at Chatfield Reservoir.
Paul and I were trying to get a closer look at the female
Lazuli Bunting. An Empidonax species flew out from the willows
at the north end of the pond just east of the scuba ponds entrance.
The yellow-green "olive" back on a very small bird first attracted
our attention to this interesting bird. I had never seen such
a yellow-greenish back before on an "Empidonax". Further looks
showed that the bird had a bright yellow throat and even brighter
yellow belly. Throat and belly were separated by dark breast band.
At first the bird did not appear to have an eye ring. However it
turned out that the eye ring was yellow and that was why it was
more difficult to see.
The bird appeared to have a large head. The tail was short and
only bobbed up a few times. The bird never flicked it wings.
I noticed that the bill was short with a black upper mandible
and light orange lower mandible. The yellow wingbars stood out
conspicuously. The tertial edges were quite white. The primary
projection was neither short nor long. The head was rounded.
These were the traits and order that I noticed them or thought
of looking at them.
It did not occur right away that the bird was a Yellow-bellied
Flycatcher since there are few records for Colorado. I was
piqued by the strange look of the bird. After watching for
a while the thought of a YBFL came.
I would expect a Cordilleran Flycatcher to have a teardrop
eye ring (not completely rounded as this bird). The yellow
wingbars and white tertials again suggested a YBFL
(less contrast in COFL). I also would expect a longer tail
and longer bill in a COFL. I did not see a crest on the head
sometimes seen on a COFL. The lower mandible
was not a bright orange that I usually see on a COFL.
My conclusion was that the bird was a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher.
The other interesting bird Sunday was a possible Pine Warbler.
I first observed the bird from directly below. The bird had
a longish tail, white undertail coverts, and black tips at
the tail corners. Once a side view was observed I saw yellow
belly, breast, and throat. There were faint black streaks
along the flanks. The wings were greenish with off white wingbars.
The bird stayed high and deep in the cottonwood.
I only got to see the head for about 2 seconds.
The head appeared to have an eye ring and a yellow throat.
The short time the head was observed makes to a little nervous.
I ruled out a Townsend's Warbler because the streaks on the flanks
were not dark black. I did not see any black along the throat.
The head pattern was not that of a Townsend's Warbler.
The wingbars while there were not a strong whitish color.
I ruled out a Prairie Warbler because the undertail coverts were
bright white and not pale yellow. I did not see the pale crescent
below the eye or the dark moustachial crescent below that.
The bird did not have the eye lines and short tail extension of
a fall Blackpoll Warbler. It did not have the facial pattern
of a Blackburnian Warbler either.
Next we drove to Standley Lake (Jefferson County).
We hiked out to the southeast corner of the reservoir.
Among the many gulls just west of the inlet canal we watched
for 30 minutes a juvenile Little Gull. The bird eventually
flew north and west. A Common Tern flew overhead during that time.
We then hiked along the outlet canal to the extreme northeast
corner for a closer look at another group of gulls.
This group included a juvenile Sabine's Gull.
Many Western Grebes and a few Clark's Grebes swam just offshore.
Many sparrows including Clay-colored, Brewer's, Lark, and Vesper
lurked in the weeds along the shore.
Denver Reservoirs 9/14
While running around Denver doing chores Saturday afternoon,
I stopped briefly at Cherry Creek Reservoir. Few gulls were around;
I did not find the Lesser Black-backed Gull observed Friday.
The 11+ terns (Common & Forster's) were not found either.
The reservoir was quite busy as it usually is on Saturday.
There were few undisturbed places for birds to "hide"
between the jet skis and sailboat races. Perhaps the birds
will return on Monday after all the commotion is over.
Quincy and Aurora Reservoirs are not far from Cherry Creek Reservoir.
They are far less disturbed on weekends and may attract more birds.
Rebecca Kosten & I drove over to Barr Lake for the last hour of
light Saturday evening. We hiked along the Lake Bed Trail.
We found a few Red-necked Phalaropes and many Wilson's
on the southern pond. Light was poor and if the Red Phalarope was
out there, we could not identify it. Twenty-one Pectoral Sandpipers
flew in as we scoped the lake. No Buff-breasted Sandpiper or
Black-bellied Plovers were observed.
We found 60+ Burrowing Owls at the five locations along my
favorite owl loop as we drove over to Barr Lake.
Arapahoe County Reservoir 9/13
I joined Bryan Ehlmann and three other birders for the 3rd annual
fall count at Aurora Reservoir. Weather was okay in the morning,
however quickly turned to rain, thunder, and wind by 1:00pm.
Highlights were 2 Common Terns and a juvenile Sabine's Gull.
All birds were along the shoreline just west of mile marker 3.0.
Birds in the past few months seem to gather here.
The Common Terns accompanied at least six Foster's Terns.
Many Double-crested Cormorants and Canada Geese also were here.
Most of the gulls were Ring-billed Gulls. A dozen California Gulls
all in basic plumage were around also.
Sparrows observed Lincoln's, Song, White-crowned, Lark, and Chipping Sparrows.
A few Eastern and Western Kingbirds remain. No Say's Phoebe's were found.
A lone Loggerhead Shrike stood on the barbed wire fence at mm 4.0.
I stopped at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe) on the trip home.
The adult alternate plumaged Lesser Black-backed Gull was on the
sand spit in the southeast corner of the reservoir.
At least two Common Terns were with nine Forster's Terns and two
Black Terns which flew overhead. I found no Sabine's Gulls here today.
My search took about 1.5 hours as northwest marina, Lake Loop,
Prairie Loop, swim beach, and jet ski areas were all checked.
Approximately 160 Ring-billed Gulls and 38 California Gulls stood on
swim beach. Again, all the California Gulls were in basic plumage.
Twenty-three Ring-billed and seven California Gulls were on the
telephone poles that surround the boat marina.
Rocky Mountain National Park and Mountains 9/12
Three of us enjoyed a day of birding in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Weather turned bad as the day progressed; winds were strong.
One White-tailed Ptarmigan was found at the Medicine Bow Curve pullover
(west of Trail Ridge Road trading center). The bird was 300 yards north
of the pullover and 75 yards uphill (east) of the poorly marked trail.
A male Three-toed Woodpecker in Endovalley Picnic area was another highlight.
The bird was 50 yards west of the west end of the picnic area and south
across the creek. He was quite active and moved around much!
We observed other notable birds such as Williamson's Sapsucker,
Red-naped Sapsucker, Green-tailed Towhee, Wilson's Warbler,
Yellow-rumped Warbler, and a Townsend's Warbler. Missed birds
included Blue Grouse, Fox Sparrow, and any hummingbirds.
The bird sanctuary area along the north end of Lake Estes was quiet.
We drove to the Colorado State Forest (Jackson County). The Boreal Owl
reported on August 1 was relocated in almost the same location.
Directions:
Go to the end of Michigan Creek Road (CR 41) hike past the pipe gate
0.5 miles to fork in road. Then hike ~1.9 miles west (left fork).
Area is defined by a small clearing after dropping down a steep hill
after a curve. This is not hard to find once in the area.
Beware that we observed several Aspen trees with large bear claw markings!
Our final trek was to drive back to Larimer County and head to the
top of Pennock Pass. Directions follow:
1. Continue past Mishawaka 13.0 miles to CR 63E (just east of Eggers).
Turn South on CR 63E and follow it to sign to Pennock Pass.
(Sign is about 12 miles or so from Hwy 14).
Turn east on CR 44H and continue to summit.
Return to Fort Collins by #2 (reversed of course).
2. Turn south on CR 27, 3.0 miles west of Mishawaka.
Follow Stove Prairie Road (CR 27) to CR 44H (marked well).
Turn west on CR 44H to Pennock Pass summit.
Summit is marked by wooden fence (but no sign).
From either direction you coming from, you go from driving up to starting downhill.
(Sounds elementary, however in the dark, it can be confusing and change is slight.)
(It was the only fence that we crossed through during the drive.)
From either direction, summit is over 20 miles from hwy 14.
We reversed the directions and took #2 Stove Prairie Road first.
After turning onto Stove Prairie Road there is a clearing where
people camp (about 0.6 miles from highway 14). We stopped and
called in a Common Poorwill here.
Once at the top of Pennock Pass, we drove 1.4 miles and stopped.
A Flammulated Owl was heard here about 1:00am. This is the same
location where Peter Weber and I observed two Flammulated Owls last month.
Fantastic Day of Birding Denver Reservoirs 9/11
Canadian birders Paul MacKensie, his wife, and I enjoyed a fantastic
day of birding. Skies were overcast and winds mild most of the day.
Standley Lake (Jefferson County)
We arrived at Standley Lake approximately an hour after sunrise.
Our plan was to walk to the dam along the east side of the reservoir,
drop down to the shoreline, and continue back to our car.
The weeds on the east side contained many birds. Paul quickly picked
out a Sage Thrasher (there may have been two). Sparrows observed
during the hike were 2 Savannah Sparrows, many Brewer's Sparrows,
2 Clay-colored Sparrows, 1 Lark Sparrow, many Chipping Sparrows,
3 Vesper Sparrows, 1 Song Sparrow, and several White-crowned Sparrows.
We kept our eyes out for the Bobolink reported yesterday,
however did not see it.
Once we reached the shoreline we scoped the lake. Many Western
and 1 or 2 Clark's Grebes were 100 yards offshore. Fortunately
they approached closer as we stood and watched them.
Many American White Pelicans, Double-crested Cormorants,
Ring-billed Gulls, and California Gulls were out there also.
On the sand spit about halfway between the dam and parking area,
we observed 11 terns. The count included 6 Forster's Terns,
4 Common Terns (2 adults, 2 juveniles), and the Arctic Tern (juvenile)!
Paul has observed several times Arctic and Common Terns on
their breeding grounds. He pointed out the difficulty in their
identification. Great job to Tony Leukering for picking out
the bird yesterday without previous knowledge of its presence!
As we watched the small terns, a Caspian Tern fly along the southern
shore and turned north along the dam. A Black Tern flew by also.
Back on the sand spit a small gull caught my eye. The bird turned out
to be a juvenile Little Gull! Several Franklin's Gulls were standing
next to the bird and made for a good comparison. Eventually most
of the birds flew to the west to search for food.
I would suggest to anyone hoping for success in seeing the
uncommon birds is to have patience. The lake is quite large
and the birds have much territory to roam around.
Our next quest was in search of a Brown-capped Rosy Finch.
The feeder at Loveland Ski Basin (Clear Creek County) is still down
(taken out by a bear several weeks ago). Unfortunately the road to
Mt. Evans was closed (because of 6+ inches of snow two days ago).
No rosy finches were found at Silver Plume either. We were out of luck.
We then returned to Denver and Barr Lake (Adams County).
We hiked west-northwest on the new and temporary
Lake Bed Trail to the shoreline.
Two hours were spent searching in vain for the Red Phalarope.
Forty-one Red-necked and twenty-one Wilson's Phalaropes
were on the swallow southern pond. Two Black-bellied Plovers
walked along the western edge of the same pond. Many Baird's,
a few Western, and 2 Least Sandpipers were also observed.
American Avocets, one American Coot, and a few ducks also
hunted for food in the swallow pond.
The Marbled Godwit, Pectoral Sandpipers, and Long-billed Curlews were found.
We noticed a larger sandpiper back in the southwest corner of the mud flats.
The bird was a Buff-breasted Sandpiper! It later flew to within 20 yards
of us. I put several photos of the bird on the CoBus photo library.
Thanks much to Andrew Spencer for finding and reporting the bird Tuesday.
We may have given up our search before seeing it, if not warned of its presence.
Other birds observed during our stay were:
Turkey Vulture (1)
Western Kingbird (24+)
Cassin's Kingbird (1)
Swainson's Hawk (1)
Red-tailed Hawk (2)
American White Pelican (many)
We drove my favorite owl loop on the return to Denver.
Owl numbers were down (probably due to time of day of our visit),
but we did observe several dozen owls spread among the five locations.
A dozen Lark Buntings were along Buckley Road (east side of
Rocky Mountain Arsenal). A Loggerhead Shrike, 2 Lark Sparrows,
many Vesper Sparrows, many Brewer's Sparrows, and
2 American Kestrels were here too.
Colorado Plains 9/9-9/10
Bryan Ehlmann, Sue Dorsey, Rebecca Kosten and I enjoyed two wild days of
birding on the Colorado plains. We ran into a horrendous storm Monday night.
County roads turned to mush. We covered over 600 miles in two short days.
Unfortunately both Bryan & I had to return to Denver to lead bird trips
on Wednesday. It was quite enjoyable to be out of the city, searching
for birds, and listening to the sounds in nature (especially at night).
Monday 9
We spent about an hour at Pueblo Reservoir (Pueblo County).
A Townsend's Warbler and Plumbeous Vireo were found along the
Arkansas River in the Rock Canyon area. We did not find much
uncommon on the reservoir (or its shoreline).
An hour spent in Rye looking for the White-eyed Vireo and
another hour in Colorado City at Green Meadows Park in search
of the Carolina Wren did not produce a sighting.
We next drove and hiked around Lathrop State Park (Huerfano County).
We did not find the previously reported Painted Bunting, Brown Pelican,
and American Redstart. A Green Heron was observed briefly.
The rest of the day was spent on private land in Las Animas County
checking several locations for Hepatic Tanagers. We have not found
one now for about 3 weeks.
Cassin's and Western Kingbird numbers are now dwindling.
We did find a Gray Flycatcher, a flock of Blue Grosbeaks,
several Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Red-headed Woodpeckers,
Lewis's Woodpeckers, an American Bittern, Mississippi Kites,
Cooper's Hawk, Wild Turkeys, Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Common Nighthawks
(no Lesser Nighthawks :-( an Eastern Wood-pewee, many Western Wood-pewees,
6 species of swallows, 2 Steller's Jays, Pinyon Jays, Chihuahuan Ravens,
Bushtits, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, no uncommon warblers, Cassin's Sparrows,
Clay-colored Sparrows, Brewer's Sparrows, Black-headed Grosbeaks, and
several Bullock's Orioles (female/immature birds).
After dark we went hunting for owls. A Western Screech-Owl and
three Great Horned Owls were found. A lone Yellow-billed Cuckoo
called up one draw as we passed through the area.
Tuesday 10
The weather improved a little. There was little wind and
temperatures in the low 60s.
We stopped along highway 109 at the Purgatory River (Otero)
in search of Black or Eastern Phoebes. To our surprise a
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was standing on the fence just north
of the river. The bird eventually flew toward the house
just east of the Higbee Cemetery.
We walked around the cemetery for an hour looking for Vermilion Flycatchers.
None were found (or have been reported since July). We did find a
Curve-billed Thrasher, Mountain Bluebirds, Northern Mockingbirds,
and a Black-throated Sparrow!
We searched briefly for Inca and Eurasian Collared-Doves in Rocky Ford.
Neither was found. We looked for the previously Tricolored and
Little Blue Herons along the Fort Lyons canal near Lake Meredith.
Neither was around today.
Our next stop was Lake Henry (Crowley). The woods in the northwest corner
were jumping with birds and mosquitoes. We observed a Cassin's Vireo,
Red-eyed Vireo, and Townsend's Warbler in the area.
Just north of Lake Henry on highway 71 is Olney Springs WLA and cemetery.
Here we found another Cassin's Vireo and a Chestnut-sided Warbler!
Hugo WLA in Lincoln County was not worth the stop.
Our birding day ended at Flagler Reservoir (Kit Carson).
A Northern Waterthrush was along the southern end of the reservoir.
A White-throated Sparrow was sighted with many other sparrows at
the Russian Olive trees and bushes at the northeast end of the reservoir.
The area below the dam was quiet.
We hung around until dark in hopes of seeing some owls.
A Great Horned Owl called in the distance (to the northwest).
No Short-eared Owls were about tonight.
Barr Lake 9/8
Rebecca Kosten & I searched briefly for the Red-eyed Vireo
reported near the Visitor's Center bridge on Saturday morning.
Unfortunately, we did not find the bird or any uncommon warblers.
Burrowing Owls are still around. We found over 90 birds at the
five locations along my favorite owl loop. The most were along
Buckley Road (the east side of Rocky Mountain Arsenal).
Three Burrowing Owls were also at Lochbuie Ponds Area (northwest corner).
My yard was visited by a female Broad-tailed Hummingbird today.
Another surprise was a Pinyon Jay! This bird is way out of his range.
Rebecca & I watched sunset from the 12-mile beaver pond at
Cherry Creek Reservoir. After sunset, a Green Heron flew up
from the northern end of the pond (this has happened three times
this summer at around the same time of day).
Several Common Snipe and two Virginia Rails can still be found at the
southern end of the beaver pond. A Spotted Sandpiper was here also.
Eastern Plains 9/7
I lead the CoBus bird trip this morning. We were to go to
Barr Lake, however I was outvoted 3-1 and we traveled
to Jackson & Prewitt Reservoirs instead.
Jackson Reservoir (Morgan County)
Birds were slightly lower in number than several weeks ago.
We did find 2 Semipalmated Plovers and 2 Red-necked Phalaropes.
A Townsend's Warbler fluttered about in the cottonwoods at the
west end of the dam (SW corner of reservoir).
A Great Crested Flycatcher was in the cottonwoods along
the western edge of the northern campgrounds.
Prewitt Reservoir (Logan/Washington Counties)
We did not find the Reddish Egret (last reported 9/1) or the
Prairie Warbler (last reported 9/5). A Nashville Warbler was
rambling around underneath the trees where the Prairie Warbler
was found last week.
Two Townsend's Warblers were still in the cottonwoods nearest
the west side of the road leading into the west entrance
of the reservoir. A Northern Waterthrush was along the
creek bed from the outlet canal as it goes from west to
east onto private land.
We could not find any Mountain Plovers on the Pawnee National
Grasslands (Weld County). A Chestnut-collared Longspur and
several McCown's Longspurs were located on Weld CR 96
(road into Murphy's Pasture). The birds were between the
fence at 1 mile west of CR 77 and the windmill 1.0 mile to
the west (approximately 0.5 miles east of windmill).
Burrowing Owls were found at:
0.4 miles east of Hwy 14 & CR 51
Hwy 14 & CR 51
CR 90 & CR 51
0.2 miles south/CR 94 & 61
Lower Latham Reservoir area was quiet (the area close to CR 48 anyway).
We did not scope the water surface and shoreline because they are
quite a distance away. Several Marsh Wrens are still chattering in
the weeds along CR 48. No Great-tailed Grackles were around today.
Burrowing Owls can still be found at Weld CR 44 & 45 and
along CR 42, 0.7 miles west of CR 49.
Clear Creek County 9/5
James Haas and I went to Guanella Pass (Clear Creek County).
It took us five hours and two complete circles of the
Rosalie & 603 trails to find a White-tailed Ptarmigan today.
The Ptarmigan was 300 yards (10 degrees west of directly south)
down the south side of the mountain southeast of the parking area.
Many American Pipits, Brewer's Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows,
Wilson's Warblers, & a few MacGillivray's Warblers were also observed.
No Rosy Finches were found at Loveland Ski Area or Silver Plume.
We drove up Mt. Evans in search of Rosy Finches. A hike to the
west side of Summit Lake did not produce any sightings.
A female Three-toed Woodpecker was found while hiking around
Echo Lake Campgrounds. No additional Three-toed Woodpeckers
could be found during a hike around the lake.
The only hummingbirds found were Broad-tailed Hummers.
Eastern Plains 9/4
Donna Fortney & I birded on the eastern plains.
Temperatures reached the middle 90s; it felt hot.
It took 4 hours to circle Prewitt Reservoir (Logan/Washington Counties).
We did not see the Reddish Egret but did have a few good bird sightings.
Townsend's Warblers were observed at several locations.
Two Townsend's Warblers were feeding on the sunflowers along the road
at the most western entrance to the reservoir. The warblers were
50 yards north of the sign-in and permit box. They flew back and
forth from the sunflowers to the willow trees to the west of the road.
Two additional Warblers were found in the trees along the south side of
the reservoir. They were south of the halfway point of the water.
Another Townsend's Warbler was 40 yards from the dam along the road
that goes toward the resident manager's office.
The definite highlight of the day was a first year Prairie Warbler along
the eastern side of the dam. The bird can be found by going up the
stairs from the parking area off Logan CR Z.5. Walk up the stairs and
head south-southeast. After two red & white signs facing away from the water,
count two green poles further away from the parking area.
The Prairie Warbler was in the Russian Olive trees and willows below the dam.
A Northern Waterthrush and American Redstart were observed along the
canal east of the manager's home. A Great Crested Flycatcher was
feeding on the sagebrush along the road on top of the dam.
The flycatcher was 70 yards east of the cement tower at the outlet canal.
An adult & juvenile Red-headed Woodpecker were just east of the flycatcher.
Many Great Blue Herons were along the water's edge. There were
many shorebirds also, however nothing uncommon was observed.
We next drove over to Greeley and Norma Erickson's home in Greeley (Weld).
The Northern Cardinal and other goodies of Tuesday did not show during
our brief hour visit. We did see a couple of Orange-crowned Warblers
and a first year male Black-headed Grosbeak. Many Wilson's Warblers
Western Wood-pewees and 3 Western Tanagers were around also.
Search for Owls 9/1
Gary Weston, Bryan Ehlmann, Sue Dorsey, and I set out at first light to
search for Northern Pygmy-Owls and other owls in Pike National Forest.
We did not locate any owls, however ran across 3 Three-toed Woodpeckers.
An adult female Three-toed Woodpecker was foraging along the south side
of Pine Lake. A young male Three-toed Woodpecker was 100 yards south of
Pine Lake and 40 yards east of Buck Gulch Trail. A third Three-toed
Woodpecker, a male was 80 yards east of Buck Gulch Trail along the
Strawberry Jack/service road.
We drove FR 550/553 in hopes of spotting a Northern Goshawk,
however we did not run across any.
A stop at Chatfield Reservoir (Jefferson/Douglas counties) did not find
the Northern Parula or the Sabine's Gull reported Saturday.
I ran my favorite owl loop on the way home.
Over 90 Burrowing Owls were found at five locations.
More Bird Trips
HOME
Please feel free to contact CoBus and
Rich Stevens at the following address:
E-mail: