Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Glossy Ibis at Cherry Creek Reservoir

April 26, 2010

Richard Stevens:

While out doing chores, I stopped at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe) around 5:30 pm.

I scoped the Cottonwood Creek Loop Wetlands Ponds. No Ibis or shorebirds were found.

Then I hiked to the new wetlands pond east of the model airplane field (from the new parking area along the main road). There were no shorebirds on the pond that has much water and little shore. Several pairs of Cinnamon Teal, Blue-winged Teal and Green-winged Teal and one American Avocet were there.

As I walked back to my car, a dog walker scared up 14 Ibis from the tall grasses east of the Cottonwood Creek Pond. The Ibis circled a bit and came to rest along the eastern shore. Upon scoping the birds, I found 13 White-faced Ibis and one adult Glossy Ibis (took a couple of witness shots showing the blue skin at the base of the bill).

While I was there, Jerry Petrosky stopped by and I was able to show him the Glossy Ibis! While doing that, a Willet also walked out of the taller grasses!

On the northeast side of Cherry Creek Reservoir, a dozen American White Pelicans stood on the eastern sand spit, which is covered in water. The only gulls observed were Ring-billed Gulls.

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