Sunday, February 28, 2010

CoBus Trip to S. Platte River at 88th Avenue

February 26, 2010

Richard Stevens:

On the CoBus sponsored trip to the South Platte River at 88th and Colorado this morning we found an adult and juvenile Long-tailed Duck on the Northern West Gravel Lake. A pair of Barrow's Goldeneyes was on the South Platte upstream from the green/white tower.

Another male Barrow's Goldeneye was on Tani Reservoir. On East Gravel Lake, we saw 182 Lesser Scaup, which also included a male and female Greater Scaup. Obviously, the ducks move between East Gravel Lake, Tani Reservoir, Northern West Gravel Lake and the South Platte River.

In the afternoon, I ran into a couple of birders at Banner Lakes Wildlife Area. Unfortunately, we could not find any Long-eared Owls. We did see a Ferruginous Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk and male Northern Harrier.

On the DIA Owl Loop, I found another Ferruginous Hawk, two dark morph Red-tailed Hawks, 5 Northern Harriers and a Northern Shrike.

Twenty plus Great-tailed Grackle continue to linger around the feedlot at the first house south of the Tree Nursery at 152nd Avenue and Picadilly Road.

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