Unsuccessful Search for Common Poorwills

September 12, 2007

Bob Turnbull and I started the morning looking for common Poorwill. We first visited Mt. Falcon Park (Jefferson). Once again we were not able to find any Common Poorwill.

At first light we were in the parking lot of Mt. Falcon Park. A wild Turkey walked across the parking lot and down the hill to the West. Two Townsend's Solitaires sang from atop of the fir trees. We heard a Red Crossbill and after a few minutes found three males and four females feeding on the pine cones at the top of the firs.

We walked up the trail to the old Castle. After circling the Castle several times, Bob found a Dusky Grouse about 20 yards west of the Castle. On the way back to the car, the field to the South of the trail had many Pine Siskins and Mountain Bluebirds. A male Downy Woodpecker was around the restroom near the parking lot.

Our next stop was Pine Valley Ranch Park (Jefferson). We walked the South side of Pine Lake. Then we headed South up the Buck Gulch trail. A flock of 14 pygmy nuthatches were near the Junction of Buck Gulch trail and Pine Lake trail. About 20 yards South of Pine Lake we found two White breasted Nuthatches. Another 30 yards up the trail we ran into a male Hairy Woodpecker. We thought he heard a Three Toed Woodpecker, but we were never able to find it.

Once we reached the Strawberry Jack trail, we headed West up it. When we reached the Parkview trail, we again heard a Three Toed Woodpecker. After a few minutes, Bob was able to find a male American Three Toed Woodpecker. We then headed down the switchbacks of the Parkview trail back to our car.

We then walked the Narrow Gauge Railroad Trail west to its end. Northern Pygmy Owls have been seen along this trail in the past. However, we did not have any success today. We did find an American Dipper along the creek and near the 2nd bridge west of the parking area.

From there we made a wild detour through Deckers over to Castlewood Canyon Park (Douglas). Along the way, we stopped several times to listen for Northern Pygmy Owls; without success.

Once at Lake Gulch Road and Castlewood Canyon Road, we listened for Bobolinks at the Winkler ranch. It is late in the season we did not have any success in finding Bobolinks (as expected). We did see several Mountain Bluebirds and a pair of Western Bluebirds on the way to Castlewood Canyon Park.

Two Turkey Vultures were flying overhead near the old homestead ranch house. We also saw a juvenile Golden Eagle. While walking behind the old homestead building, we found two Spotted Towhees and a Red Breasted Nuthatch.

Bob did not every much time but we stopped briefly at the South Marina at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe). A Sabine's Gull was flying below the dam. We did not have much time to look for the Red Phalarope.

After dropping Bob off, I drove the DIA owl loop (Adams). I found five Burrowing Owls at 3.4 miles East of Tower Road and 96th Avenue. A pair of Burrowing Owls was also at Powhaton Avenue and 128th avenue and another pair was at 0.2 miles north of Tower Road and 56th avenue.