Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Visits to Weld and Adams Counties

January 15, 2010

Richard Stevens:

This morning I went over to Banner Lakes Wildlife Area to look for the Long-eared Owls that were reported this week.

It was quite muddy. Four Long-eared Owls were scattered in the windbreak west of Ponds 7 and 8.

I suggest walking along the windbreak and looking toward sun. Look for silhouettes of Long-eared Owls in the quite thick windbreak. Windbreak along Ponds 7 and 8 were best.

I noticed that weekends are not a good time to visit as duck and geese hunters reserve ponds for hunting. Last weekend almost all of the ponds were reserved. While it would still be possible and legal to walk the windbreak between the ponds, it would not make you popular with the hunters (who do carry guns).

In the afternoon, I met up with Jerry Petrosky. We passed 88th Avenue and Colorado Blvd while out doing chores and took a quick walk down both East and West Gravel Lakes.

One Long-tailed Duck is still on northern West Gravel Lakes. I have not heard what happened to the second young bird.

Hundreds of ducks were on East Gravel Lakes. This included the female Long-tailed Duck. Also present were the male Barrow's Goldeneye, at least one female Barrow's Goldeneye and a first year male Barrow's Goldeneye. There were many additional Common Goldeneyes than the last time I stopped!

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