Saturday, April 26, 2008

Birding Trip to Longmont

April 26, 2008

I headed up to Longmont (Boulder County) to see the Louisiana Waterthrush. It was as described, along Lefthand Creek and underneath the Pike Road underpass. It allowed all great views. An Orange-crowned Warbler was in the same area.

Afterwards, I drove over to Union Reservoir (Weld). The nice selection of shorebirds there included 8+ Marbled Godwits, 15+ Willets, 10+ Long-billed Dowitchers, and a Black-bellied Plover. Many Western Grebes, American White Pelicans, American Coots, and other waterbirds were on the lake. I was not able to pick out the previously reported Common Loon from my vantage point at the northwest corner of the reservoir.

Many gulls flew around what looked like the southern shore. Of course, if I had gone over there, they would have appeared to be nearer the northern shore. I was able to pick out at least 2 Bonaparte's Gulls among dozens of Franklin's Gulls and Ring-billed Gulls.

My next stop was Barr Lake (Adams). A walk from the footbridge at the visitor's center to the boat ramp added another Orange-crowned Warbler, a dozen Yellow-rumped Warblers, and an early Wilson's Warbler to my day list. A male Bullock's Oriole flew around the trees at the Niedrach Footbridge area. No Waterthrush were seen.

I ended my birding day with a drive around the DIA (DEN) Owl Loop. I counted 17+ Burrowing Owls at four stops. Talking to visiting birders who fly into DIA, most did not know what DIA stood for (Denver International Airport). The official airport code is of course DEN. No Short-eared Owls were found this evening.

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