May 29, 2008
Richard Stevens:
I wanted to bird Boulder County as much as possible today. Before sunrise I walked to the picnic area at Doudy Draw and back. Many Yellow-breasted Chats sang along the route. At the thickets about 100 yards from the parking area, a male Lazuli Bunting was very vocal.
It was too dark yet for photos and I walked across the street and surveyed the parking area for the Mesa South Trail. Several Spotted Towhees walking around the short grassy areas more interested in eating than me. If it had not been so dark, I could have taken some nice, close photos. I did not hear any owls along the creek.
At sunrise I headed toward Eldorado Springs to search for the Hooded Warbler in Eldorado Mountain Open Space. It was suggested to park at the gate for the Open Space, but when I arrived there were "no parking" signs all along the road. The alternate route was the Fowler trail near the Post Office in Eldorado Springs. However, when I got to the post office, I could not find the "trailhead".
So I walked the 0.3 miles back to Highway 67 (at Ashram complex) and then 0.2 miles to the Eldorado Mountain Open Space road (which is marked as the Fowler trail on several maps that I have. Along the way, I heard one or two Red-eyed Vireos in the deep thickets surrounding several homes east of the Post Office and east of the for sale sign for a condo.
I was quite glad that I close this route. Once I reached the first switchbacks and entered the sparse forest, birds were numerous. Chipping Sparrows sang constantly. Two Olive-sided Flycatchers joined in the chorus. A couple of Western Wood-pewees were also in the area. A male Broad-tailed Hummingbird buzzed by my head.
At the rock cut through the mountain a male Virginia's Warbler frantically waved his yellow undertail coverts at a female. She on the other hand kept moving to new rocks to get away from him.
As the trail turned south it was lined with fir trees and bushes. I tried to get photos of several pairs of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers fluttering around the lower bushes. They just do not stay still and all my photos are slightly blurred.
When I arrived at the junction of the road and the trail to Eldorado Mountain, the Hooded Warbler was singing constantly (7:22 am). It called until about 7:37 am and then flew south deeper into the thickets. This was just south of the large chokecherry field on the east side of the road.
My return route was the "Fowler horse trail" which is a narrow, disguised path that drops down to Eldorado Springs from near an orange survey sign. Do not make the mistake I almost did of taking the well marked trail (a little fewer south). This trail goes into Eldorado Canyon and is quite a long mistake.
Along this route I watched several pairs of Black-capped Chickadees, a most likely Willow Flycatcher, Chipping Sparrows, and a Western Tanager. The highlight was a Red-eyed Vireo which came out of the bushes and sang (about 10 feet from me)! This was just south of where the trail crosses a irrigation canal.
When I reached the bottom I discovered the "trailhead". I never would have found it earlier. It is a narrow path between the two homes just south and just west of the rock pillars (west of the post office). I would not have figured out that this old horse path was the correct trail.
My next plan was to quickly drive over to Walden Ponds to see if the Least Tern was still around. The route was not quick as 75th avenue between Valmont and Jay Road was reduced to one lane because of construction.
I made a quick stop at the Boulder Bobolink Meadow just west of Cherryvale and Baseline Roads and then sat in traffic for about an hour before getting to Walden Ponds.
My first attempt at finding the Least Tern was not successful. If it was on standing on the backside of one of the many islands in the marsh, it never flew up in the hour I waited. The American Bitterns reported around the Cottonwood Marsh area also did not make an appearance.
So, I decided to drive over to nearby Sawhill Ponds and search for the Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Northern Bobwhite previously reported. Neither was found and I returned to Walden Ponds. This time I was lucky, the Least Tern stood on one of the short sticks along the north side of the Cottonwood Marsh.
I took Lookout Road east from 75th street and saw a Burrowing Owl east of 79th street, then headed south on Hwy 287 to Baseline Road and west to the Greenlee Preserve. My walk around Greenlee and Waneka Lake last about 2 hours or so. It was not as birdy as Ted Floyd's day yesterday.
I did find a MacGillivray's Warbler and American Redstart in the trees behind the bench near the southeast corner of Greenlee. The woods along the south side of Greenlee Reservoir were quiet except for a noisy Great-tailed Grackle, 2 or 3 Western Wood-pewees, and a singing Willow Flycatcher.
While trying to photograph the American Redstart a Yellow-billed Cuckoo flew out of the taller cottonwoods and headed north along the east side of the reservoir. I followed it for a hundred yards and made sure it was a Yellow-billed Cuckoo and not a Black-billed.
A walk around Waneka Lake was uneventful. I did not run into the Magnolia Warbler that Ted Floyd reported later in the day. I did see a noisy Great-tailed Grackle and wondered if it was the same bird that was encountered about an hour earlier?
A few Blue Jays, American Goldfinches, and a pair of Black-capped Chickadees were seen along the west side of Waneka Lake as I returned to my car.
It was getting quite hot around 1:00pm. After a quick lunch I headed over to Gregory Canyon to bird at not a good time of the day. I did think that the heat may convince the birds to drop down to the lower canopy where the shade would offer cooler temps.
My hike up Gregory Canyon went as far as last year's Scarlet Tanager sighting. Along the trail bird encountered included: Virginia's Warblers, Black-headed Grosbeaks, MacGillivray's Warbler, Pine Siskin, Western Wood-pewee, and a White-breasted Nuthatch. Nothing uncommon turned up.
Up the southern trail to the first intersection (past a previous year's Hooded Warbler & Kentucky Warbler sighting) few birds moved around in the heat. Another Virginia's Warbler and several Broad-tailed Hummingbirds were seen.
By 4:00pm it was even warmer. A search for the Worm-eating Warbler and Yellow-billed Cuckoo along Boulder Creek below Folsom Field did not turn up any uncommon birds. The Northern Parula reported by Steve Larson earlier or later than my trip was missed by me.
I stopped at several pullovers Flagstaff Mountain Park but did not find anything surprising. Walking around the northern and southern sides of Gross Reservoir also was not very productive. Sunset over the northern end was quite colorful and serene. Winds died down briefly as they usually do at sunset, but then picked up again.
At dusk I drove the east side of the reservoir in search of Common Poorwills. I finally heard one calling at about 2 miles south of the northern parking area. I played Northern Pygmy-Owl tapes at half a dozen locations but did not get any response. In past years Common Poorwill hawked insects around the manger's residence at the southeast corner of Gross Reservoir; unfortunately none were around this night.
I had no luck with getting Northern Pygmy-Owl or Flammulated Owl responses along the trek down to Golden and gave up around midnight.
Richard Stevens:
I wanted to bird Boulder County as much as possible today. Before sunrise I walked to the picnic area at Doudy Draw and back. Many Yellow-breasted Chats sang along the route. At the thickets about 100 yards from the parking area, a male Lazuli Bunting was very vocal.
It was too dark yet for photos and I walked across the street and surveyed the parking area for the Mesa South Trail. Several Spotted Towhees walking around the short grassy areas more interested in eating than me. If it had not been so dark, I could have taken some nice, close photos. I did not hear any owls along the creek.
At sunrise I headed toward Eldorado Springs to search for the Hooded Warbler in Eldorado Mountain Open Space. It was suggested to park at the gate for the Open Space, but when I arrived there were "no parking" signs all along the road. The alternate route was the Fowler trail near the Post Office in Eldorado Springs. However, when I got to the post office, I could not find the "trailhead".
So I walked the 0.3 miles back to Highway 67 (at Ashram complex) and then 0.2 miles to the Eldorado Mountain Open Space road (which is marked as the Fowler trail on several maps that I have. Along the way, I heard one or two Red-eyed Vireos in the deep thickets surrounding several homes east of the Post Office and east of the for sale sign for a condo.
I was quite glad that I close this route. Once I reached the first switchbacks and entered the sparse forest, birds were numerous. Chipping Sparrows sang constantly. Two Olive-sided Flycatchers joined in the chorus. A couple of Western Wood-pewees were also in the area. A male Broad-tailed Hummingbird buzzed by my head.
At the rock cut through the mountain a male Virginia's Warbler frantically waved his yellow undertail coverts at a female. She on the other hand kept moving to new rocks to get away from him.
As the trail turned south it was lined with fir trees and bushes. I tried to get photos of several pairs of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers fluttering around the lower bushes. They just do not stay still and all my photos are slightly blurred.
When I arrived at the junction of the road and the trail to Eldorado Mountain, the Hooded Warbler was singing constantly (7:22 am). It called until about 7:37 am and then flew south deeper into the thickets. This was just south of the large chokecherry field on the east side of the road.
My return route was the "Fowler horse trail" which is a narrow, disguised path that drops down to Eldorado Springs from near an orange survey sign. Do not make the mistake I almost did of taking the well marked trail (a little fewer south). This trail goes into Eldorado Canyon and is quite a long mistake.
Along this route I watched several pairs of Black-capped Chickadees, a most likely Willow Flycatcher, Chipping Sparrows, and a Western Tanager. The highlight was a Red-eyed Vireo which came out of the bushes and sang (about 10 feet from me)! This was just south of where the trail crosses a irrigation canal.
When I reached the bottom I discovered the "trailhead". I never would have found it earlier. It is a narrow path between the two homes just south and just west of the rock pillars (west of the post office). I would not have figured out that this old horse path was the correct trail.
My next plan was to quickly drive over to Walden Ponds to see if the Least Tern was still around. The route was not quick as 75th avenue between Valmont and Jay Road was reduced to one lane because of construction.
I made a quick stop at the Boulder Bobolink Meadow just west of Cherryvale and Baseline Roads and then sat in traffic for about an hour before getting to Walden Ponds.
My first attempt at finding the Least Tern was not successful. If it was on standing on the backside of one of the many islands in the marsh, it never flew up in the hour I waited. The American Bitterns reported around the Cottonwood Marsh area also did not make an appearance.
So, I decided to drive over to nearby Sawhill Ponds and search for the Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Northern Bobwhite previously reported. Neither was found and I returned to Walden Ponds. This time I was lucky, the Least Tern stood on one of the short sticks along the north side of the Cottonwood Marsh.
I took Lookout Road east from 75th street and saw a Burrowing Owl east of 79th street, then headed south on Hwy 287 to Baseline Road and west to the Greenlee Preserve. My walk around Greenlee and Waneka Lake last about 2 hours or so. It was not as birdy as Ted Floyd's day yesterday.
I did find a MacGillivray's Warbler and American Redstart in the trees behind the bench near the southeast corner of Greenlee. The woods along the south side of Greenlee Reservoir were quiet except for a noisy Great-tailed Grackle, 2 or 3 Western Wood-pewees, and a singing Willow Flycatcher.
While trying to photograph the American Redstart a Yellow-billed Cuckoo flew out of the taller cottonwoods and headed north along the east side of the reservoir. I followed it for a hundred yards and made sure it was a Yellow-billed Cuckoo and not a Black-billed.
A walk around Waneka Lake was uneventful. I did not run into the Magnolia Warbler that Ted Floyd reported later in the day. I did see a noisy Great-tailed Grackle and wondered if it was the same bird that was encountered about an hour earlier?
A few Blue Jays, American Goldfinches, and a pair of Black-capped Chickadees were seen along the west side of Waneka Lake as I returned to my car.
It was getting quite hot around 1:00pm. After a quick lunch I headed over to Gregory Canyon to bird at not a good time of the day. I did think that the heat may convince the birds to drop down to the lower canopy where the shade would offer cooler temps.
My hike up Gregory Canyon went as far as last year's Scarlet Tanager sighting. Along the trail bird encountered included: Virginia's Warblers, Black-headed Grosbeaks, MacGillivray's Warbler, Pine Siskin, Western Wood-pewee, and a White-breasted Nuthatch. Nothing uncommon turned up.
Up the southern trail to the first intersection (past a previous year's Hooded Warbler & Kentucky Warbler sighting) few birds moved around in the heat. Another Virginia's Warbler and several Broad-tailed Hummingbirds were seen.
By 4:00pm it was even warmer. A search for the Worm-eating Warbler and Yellow-billed Cuckoo along Boulder Creek below Folsom Field did not turn up any uncommon birds. The Northern Parula reported by Steve Larson earlier or later than my trip was missed by me.
I stopped at several pullovers Flagstaff Mountain Park but did not find anything surprising. Walking around the northern and southern sides of Gross Reservoir also was not very productive. Sunset over the northern end was quite colorful and serene. Winds died down briefly as they usually do at sunset, but then picked up again.
At dusk I drove the east side of the reservoir in search of Common Poorwills. I finally heard one calling at about 2 miles south of the northern parking area. I played Northern Pygmy-Owl tapes at half a dozen locations but did not get any response. In past years Common Poorwill hawked insects around the manger's residence at the southeast corner of Gross Reservoir; unfortunately none were around this night.
I had no luck with getting Northern Pygmy-Owl or Flammulated Owl responses along the trek down to Golden and gave up around midnight.
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