November 7, 2009
Richard Stevens:
One of my target birds during my October visits to Rocky Mountain Arsenal was a Swamp Sparrow. They had never made the Arsenal checklist but with all the cattails on the Wildlife Area, surely Swamp Sparrow have migrated or even nested in the area.
All my attempts turned up negative. Last Wednesday Robert Andrews and Mike Henwood found 2 Swamp Sparrows at the Arsenal. My goal today was to relocate one of them.
It was a beautiful day with calm winds and temperatures that eventually reached 70s! I arrived at sunrise (6:30am) only to find that the Arsenal did not open until 7:30am. I had asked several people for the correct time, gotten different answers and did not know the correct one until I had to wait an hour this morning.
Finally, the arsenal opened and I hurried to Mary's Lake, hoping to see a hungry Swamp Sparrow actively searching for food. I circled the small lake twice. One the second cycle a Song Sparrow and Swamp Sparrow responded to my Swamp Sparrow recordings.
They came out of the willows on the island, flew toward me and dove into the cattails along the south side of Mary's Lake. Eventually the Swamp Sparrow moved east into thicker cattails where I lost it.
I then hiked along the west and south sides of Lake Ladora to search for the Swamp Sparrow reported by Andrews at the southeast corner of the Lake. I assumed that the first Swamp Sparrow was also one reported by Andrews.
No Swamp Sparrows were enticed out of the southeastern cattails. A small puddle on the south side of the road (6th street) attracted a pair of "yellow shafted" Northern Flickers. Many birders believe no true yellow-shafted Northern Flickers exist in Colorado, but that they are hybrids?
On the return trip to my car, a bluebird was singing from top of a large cottonwood near the southwest corner of Lake Ladora. It did not sound right for a Western or Mountain Bluebird, so I put my scope on it. The bird turned out to be an Eastern Bluebird! I had seen a different more colorful Eastern Bluebird a few weeks ago.
As I worked my way along the western shore of Lake Ladora, a flock of 5 Song Sparrows and surprisingly another Swamp Sparrow came out of the cattails (again responding to my recordings). I point this out because I would probably not have seen any Swamp Sparrows if it was not for the Swamp Sparrow recordings. Most of the Long-eared Owls I have found at the Arsenal this fall have also been reacting to recordings!
These cattails were located where the shoreline goes from northwest corner, south, then east, then south again. There is one large cottonwood with a dead 12-foot snag just south if it. The sparrows came out of and returned to cattails behind these two trees.
My hike did go to the Rod and Gun Club pond and Havana Ponds. I saw no Greater Scaup at the Rod & Gun Club pond and nothing unusual at Havana Ponds (although a Greater Yellowlegs was at Havana Ponds).
Later, Rebecca joined me and we went to relocate the Swamp Sparrow. While I was unsuccessful in relocating the Mary's Lake Swamp Sparrow, Rebecca was able to see the one along Lake Ladora.
We were quite fortunate in the rest of our birding day. Hearing about the Surf Scoters and Parasitic Jaeger at Chatfield Reservoir (Jefferson/Douglas Counties) we headed south.
Instead of driving way around to the swim beach area, we drove up the north side parking area just west of the dam tower. When we looked over the hill, the Parasitic Jaeger was chasing a Gull just below us! Off in the distance I was able to put my scope on the two Surf Scoters. Total birding time was about 15 minutes! The Common Loon could have also been out there, we did not take the time to look for it.
Our next stop was to drive way north to Standley Lake (Jefferson) to search for the Yellow-billed Loon. Somewhere we had gotten the idea that there were 3 Common Loons and a Yellow-billed Loon.
We stopped off Miller Road and walked through the gate across 88th avenue to scope the reservoir. First, we saw 5 Common Loons, then another group of 3, then a pair and then two single loons. They were quite far away and it took quite awhile to identify them (had to wait for the sun to come out of the clouds for better lighting).
Finally, we picked out one that could have been the Yellow-billed Loon. Again, it was so far away, that we could not quite be 100 percent certain. Therefore, we drove over to the north side of Standley Lake and the fee area.
From the northwest shore, we had better looks at many of the loons. The yellow bill of the Yellow-billed Loon was quite easy to pick out!
Richard Stevens:
One of my target birds during my October visits to Rocky Mountain Arsenal was a Swamp Sparrow. They had never made the Arsenal checklist but with all the cattails on the Wildlife Area, surely Swamp Sparrow have migrated or even nested in the area.
All my attempts turned up negative. Last Wednesday Robert Andrews and Mike Henwood found 2 Swamp Sparrows at the Arsenal. My goal today was to relocate one of them.
It was a beautiful day with calm winds and temperatures that eventually reached 70s! I arrived at sunrise (6:30am) only to find that the Arsenal did not open until 7:30am. I had asked several people for the correct time, gotten different answers and did not know the correct one until I had to wait an hour this morning.
Finally, the arsenal opened and I hurried to Mary's Lake, hoping to see a hungry Swamp Sparrow actively searching for food. I circled the small lake twice. One the second cycle a Song Sparrow and Swamp Sparrow responded to my Swamp Sparrow recordings.
They came out of the willows on the island, flew toward me and dove into the cattails along the south side of Mary's Lake. Eventually the Swamp Sparrow moved east into thicker cattails where I lost it.
I then hiked along the west and south sides of Lake Ladora to search for the Swamp Sparrow reported by Andrews at the southeast corner of the Lake. I assumed that the first Swamp Sparrow was also one reported by Andrews.
No Swamp Sparrows were enticed out of the southeastern cattails. A small puddle on the south side of the road (6th street) attracted a pair of "yellow shafted" Northern Flickers. Many birders believe no true yellow-shafted Northern Flickers exist in Colorado, but that they are hybrids?
On the return trip to my car, a bluebird was singing from top of a large cottonwood near the southwest corner of Lake Ladora. It did not sound right for a Western or Mountain Bluebird, so I put my scope on it. The bird turned out to be an Eastern Bluebird! I had seen a different more colorful Eastern Bluebird a few weeks ago.
As I worked my way along the western shore of Lake Ladora, a flock of 5 Song Sparrows and surprisingly another Swamp Sparrow came out of the cattails (again responding to my recordings). I point this out because I would probably not have seen any Swamp Sparrows if it was not for the Swamp Sparrow recordings. Most of the Long-eared Owls I have found at the Arsenal this fall have also been reacting to recordings!
These cattails were located where the shoreline goes from northwest corner, south, then east, then south again. There is one large cottonwood with a dead 12-foot snag just south if it. The sparrows came out of and returned to cattails behind these two trees.
My hike did go to the Rod and Gun Club pond and Havana Ponds. I saw no Greater Scaup at the Rod & Gun Club pond and nothing unusual at Havana Ponds (although a Greater Yellowlegs was at Havana Ponds).
Later, Rebecca joined me and we went to relocate the Swamp Sparrow. While I was unsuccessful in relocating the Mary's Lake Swamp Sparrow, Rebecca was able to see the one along Lake Ladora.
We were quite fortunate in the rest of our birding day. Hearing about the Surf Scoters and Parasitic Jaeger at Chatfield Reservoir (Jefferson/Douglas Counties) we headed south.
Instead of driving way around to the swim beach area, we drove up the north side parking area just west of the dam tower. When we looked over the hill, the Parasitic Jaeger was chasing a Gull just below us! Off in the distance I was able to put my scope on the two Surf Scoters. Total birding time was about 15 minutes! The Common Loon could have also been out there, we did not take the time to look for it.
Our next stop was to drive way north to Standley Lake (Jefferson) to search for the Yellow-billed Loon. Somewhere we had gotten the idea that there were 3 Common Loons and a Yellow-billed Loon.
We stopped off Miller Road and walked through the gate across 88th avenue to scope the reservoir. First, we saw 5 Common Loons, then another group of 3, then a pair and then two single loons. They were quite far away and it took quite awhile to identify them (had to wait for the sun to come out of the clouds for better lighting).
Finally, we picked out one that could have been the Yellow-billed Loon. Again, it was so far away, that we could not quite be 100 percent certain. Therefore, we drove over to the north side of Standley Lake and the fee area.
From the northwest shore, we had better looks at many of the loons. The yellow bill of the Yellow-billed Loon was quite easy to pick out!
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