October 1, 2007
I returned to Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe) while doing chores, arriving a little earlier than yesterday (5:00am). A Great Egret was stalking food at the eastern sand spit. No uncommon gulls were there, at the swim beach, or off the Bird Platform (Cottonwood Creek Loop). I counted 21 Snowy Egrets within 20 feet of the Bird Platform Viewing Area. The only shorebirds were 9 Killdeer.
Next I drove over to the southwest road below the dam. Two hundred seven American White Pelicans stood on the southwest sandbar. This was up from 51 yesterday. Gull numbers were down by 75 percent around the reservoir. Snowy Egret numbers were about the same; the count was 37 around the lake.
When I arrived at the sandbar the adult Lesser Black-backed Gull and adult Great Black-backed Gull stood at the eastern end. After watching both for 20 minutes, a couple of dozen California Gulls flew in and the Lesser Black-backed Gull took off. I lost sight of it as it flew eastward. The Great Black-backed Gull on the other hand stayed until dark.
Two Common Terns dove for fish around the sandbar. Several times they stopped to rest on the buoys not far from the shore. This allowed some great views of an adult and juvenile bird.
I had not observed any Sabine's Gulls in the hour I stood watching the terns and gulls. Just when I thought they might be gone, three Sabine's Gulls flew around off the swim beach area (it was now 6:40pm).
California Gulls numbered about 49. One California Gull had a much darker mantle than the rest. It was a little too far away and in-between the Pelicans to get great looks, but it could be the "hybrid" that has shown up the last couple of winters. One adult Ring-billed Gull was interesting in that it had a much darker mantle than all but the one "California Gull".
I enjoyed the cool and almost windless evening for another 15 minutes and headed for home. Beats any TV show that I know!
I returned to Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe) while doing chores, arriving a little earlier than yesterday (5:00am). A Great Egret was stalking food at the eastern sand spit. No uncommon gulls were there, at the swim beach, or off the Bird Platform (Cottonwood Creek Loop). I counted 21 Snowy Egrets within 20 feet of the Bird Platform Viewing Area. The only shorebirds were 9 Killdeer.
Next I drove over to the southwest road below the dam. Two hundred seven American White Pelicans stood on the southwest sandbar. This was up from 51 yesterday. Gull numbers were down by 75 percent around the reservoir. Snowy Egret numbers were about the same; the count was 37 around the lake.
When I arrived at the sandbar the adult Lesser Black-backed Gull and adult Great Black-backed Gull stood at the eastern end. After watching both for 20 minutes, a couple of dozen California Gulls flew in and the Lesser Black-backed Gull took off. I lost sight of it as it flew eastward. The Great Black-backed Gull on the other hand stayed until dark.
Two Common Terns dove for fish around the sandbar. Several times they stopped to rest on the buoys not far from the shore. This allowed some great views of an adult and juvenile bird.
I had not observed any Sabine's Gulls in the hour I stood watching the terns and gulls. Just when I thought they might be gone, three Sabine's Gulls flew around off the swim beach area (it was now 6:40pm).
California Gulls numbered about 49. One California Gull had a much darker mantle than the rest. It was a little too far away and in-between the Pelicans to get great looks, but it could be the "hybrid" that has shown up the last couple of winters. One adult Ring-billed Gull was interesting in that it had a much darker mantle than all but the one "California Gull".
I enjoyed the cool and almost windless evening for another 15 minutes and headed for home. Beats any TV show that I know!
No comments:
Post a Comment