Completion Of My South Platte River Trek

February 26, 2007

My trek of the South Platte River through Denver was completed today. Winds were again out of the south 5 to 10mph; temperatures reached 40 degrees. In the last three weeks I hiked and counted birds along the S. Platte from Chatfield Reservoir to 96th avenue. Total distance approximately 27 miles; birding hours totaled 21.

I hiked from the dam at Chatfield Reservoir to the Arapahoe Power Plant north of West Dartmouth Avenue today (Denver County). No uncommon birds were counted; hundreds of ducks and geese were observed.

A Cooper's Hawk was in the riparian area just north of the South Platte Park Carson Nature Center. Most of the lakes and ponds passed were still snow/ice covered.

I did not relocate any of the Greater Scaup reported in the past two weeks. The hike was quite pleasant with the cool breeze and sun at my back.

After the hike, I returned home by way of Castlewood Canyon State Park (Douglas). Only a few House Finches flew around the Visitor Center. A few Mountain Bluebirds were checking the bluebird boxes at the southwest end of the park.

I also drove through Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe). The 80 gulls included Ring-billed and 5 Herring Gulls. Two Bald Eagles stood on the ice around 5:30pm.