September 12, 2009
Richard Stevens:
I enjoyed one of those fantastic birding days. The weather was overcast all day with scattered rain showers in the afternoon.
My day started at first light up Mt. Evans (Clear Creek County). English birder Jeffery Cannon and I attempted to get to the top of the mountain. Unfortunately, the road was closed at Summit Lake.
That did not matter as we walked up the road (south) and found 2 White-tailed Ptarmigan just past Summit Lake. Then we hiked to the west side of Summit Lake where we found 2 Brown-capped Rosy Finches on the rocks (hillside to north of northwest corner).
After returning to Denver, I met up with Gary Weston and we headed to Rocky Mountain Arsenal (Adams County). Gary walked the Prairie Trail to Havana Ponds while I hiked the Lake Ladora loop.
While Gary was finding a Long-eared Owl in the thickets along the Woodland Trail, I found a few good birds also. A Northern Waterthrush walked along the creek between Lake Ladora and Lower Derby Lake (about 1/4 upstream from Lake Ladora). A Cassin's Vireo flew about the tall cottonwoods below Lower Derby Lake (east end of the creek/inlet stream to Lake Ladora).
The prize however was a small vireo that came out of the brush/cattails along the east side of Lake Ladora (just west of where the trail enters a tunnel formed by the cottonwoods). I was watching two House Wrens when a small grayish bird with a distinctive broken white eye ring popped up. I was thinking Blue-gray Gnatcatcher until I saw the larger size and vireo shaped thicker bill!
I called Gary and he rushed over to see the Bell's Vireo too! (Later, after picking Bryan Ehlmann up at DIA (Denver International Airport) we returned and relocated the vireo in the same thickets).
Other birds seen on my hike included 10 House Wrens, 2 Western Kingbirds, a Yellow Warbler, 2 Orange-crowned Warblers, and 5 Wilson's Warblers.
Near dark Gary and Bryan headed for home and I met up with Geoffrey Cannon; we headed up to Cameron Pass (Jackson) by way of Pennock Pass (Larimer).
It was windy when we arrived at Pennock Pass (Larimer), but the rain had not started yet. We managed to find Flammulated Owls at two locations. I am still trying to calculate when the Flammulated Owls leave Colorado for the winter. (In my experience, most leave before October 15th).
We continued on to Cameron Pass (Jackson) where it was raining (which turned into snow at the summit). Winds were steady 30+ mph with gusts to 42 mph. We stopped at five of my favorite (successful) locations; without finding any Boreal Owls.
Richard Stevens:
I enjoyed one of those fantastic birding days. The weather was overcast all day with scattered rain showers in the afternoon.
My day started at first light up Mt. Evans (Clear Creek County). English birder Jeffery Cannon and I attempted to get to the top of the mountain. Unfortunately, the road was closed at Summit Lake.
That did not matter as we walked up the road (south) and found 2 White-tailed Ptarmigan just past Summit Lake. Then we hiked to the west side of Summit Lake where we found 2 Brown-capped Rosy Finches on the rocks (hillside to north of northwest corner).
After returning to Denver, I met up with Gary Weston and we headed to Rocky Mountain Arsenal (Adams County). Gary walked the Prairie Trail to Havana Ponds while I hiked the Lake Ladora loop.
While Gary was finding a Long-eared Owl in the thickets along the Woodland Trail, I found a few good birds also. A Northern Waterthrush walked along the creek between Lake Ladora and Lower Derby Lake (about 1/4 upstream from Lake Ladora). A Cassin's Vireo flew about the tall cottonwoods below Lower Derby Lake (east end of the creek/inlet stream to Lake Ladora).
The prize however was a small vireo that came out of the brush/cattails along the east side of Lake Ladora (just west of where the trail enters a tunnel formed by the cottonwoods). I was watching two House Wrens when a small grayish bird with a distinctive broken white eye ring popped up. I was thinking Blue-gray Gnatcatcher until I saw the larger size and vireo shaped thicker bill!
I called Gary and he rushed over to see the Bell's Vireo too! (Later, after picking Bryan Ehlmann up at DIA (Denver International Airport) we returned and relocated the vireo in the same thickets).
Other birds seen on my hike included 10 House Wrens, 2 Western Kingbirds, a Yellow Warbler, 2 Orange-crowned Warblers, and 5 Wilson's Warblers.
Near dark Gary and Bryan headed for home and I met up with Geoffrey Cannon; we headed up to Cameron Pass (Jackson) by way of Pennock Pass (Larimer).
It was windy when we arrived at Pennock Pass (Larimer), but the rain had not started yet. We managed to find Flammulated Owls at two locations. I am still trying to calculate when the Flammulated Owls leave Colorado for the winter. (In my experience, most leave before October 15th).
We continued on to Cameron Pass (Jackson) where it was raining (which turned into snow at the summit). Winds were steady 30+ mph with gusts to 42 mph. We stopped at five of my favorite (successful) locations; without finding any Boreal Owls.
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