May 8, 2010
Richard Stevens:
After driving over 1500 miles this week (in four days), I looked for a nice hike on a flat trail. (This was a short week; the past three weeks included drives of 2200 miles, 3016 miles and 3068 miles).
Rebecca Kosten and I hiked the east side of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal (Buckley Road, Adams/Denver Counties) on this gorgeous spring day. It is about 4 miles from 56th to 88th avenue.
The final Burrowing Owl count was only 7; do not know why more were not out? The Northern Mockingbird was again seen about 1.1 miles north of 56th avenue.
We also observed 2 Rock Wrens, a Bullock's Oriole, and many sparrows (Song, Lark, Chipping, White-crowned). Raptors included American Kestrels, a Prairie Falcon, a Ferruginous Hawk, Red-tailed Hawks and Swainson's Hawks.
Afterwards, I went over to Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe).
It took some searching and finally the Glossy Ibis was found with 8+ White-faced Ibis at the Cottonwood Creek Loop Wetlands Pond. The Ibis could not be observed from the eastern side or the overlook. I had to scope below the willows southeast of the cement outlet canal.
Other birds here included; Cinnamon, Blue-winged, & Green-winged Teal, a Great Blue Heron and Black-crowned Night-Heron.
At the Bellevue Avenue Wetlands area, I found many shorebirds. They included 36 Least Sandpipers, 2 Baird's Sandpipers, a Lesser Yellowlegs, 4 American Avocets, 6 Wilson's Phalaropes and a Stilt Sandpiper in alternate plumage.
Nine Semipalmated Sandpipers were there briefly and then took off circling like a cyclone for several minutes until they disappeared to the northwest.
I photographed a nesting Great Horned Owl (prefer to not write location as last year's attempts were not successful).
Richard Stevens:
After driving over 1500 miles this week (in four days), I looked for a nice hike on a flat trail. (This was a short week; the past three weeks included drives of 2200 miles, 3016 miles and 3068 miles).
Rebecca Kosten and I hiked the east side of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal (Buckley Road, Adams/Denver Counties) on this gorgeous spring day. It is about 4 miles from 56th to 88th avenue.
The final Burrowing Owl count was only 7; do not know why more were not out? The Northern Mockingbird was again seen about 1.1 miles north of 56th avenue.
We also observed 2 Rock Wrens, a Bullock's Oriole, and many sparrows (Song, Lark, Chipping, White-crowned). Raptors included American Kestrels, a Prairie Falcon, a Ferruginous Hawk, Red-tailed Hawks and Swainson's Hawks.
Afterwards, I went over to Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe).
It took some searching and finally the Glossy Ibis was found with 8+ White-faced Ibis at the Cottonwood Creek Loop Wetlands Pond. The Ibis could not be observed from the eastern side or the overlook. I had to scope below the willows southeast of the cement outlet canal.
Other birds here included; Cinnamon, Blue-winged, & Green-winged Teal, a Great Blue Heron and Black-crowned Night-Heron.
At the Bellevue Avenue Wetlands area, I found many shorebirds. They included 36 Least Sandpipers, 2 Baird's Sandpipers, a Lesser Yellowlegs, 4 American Avocets, 6 Wilson's Phalaropes and a Stilt Sandpiper in alternate plumage.
Nine Semipalmated Sandpipers were there briefly and then took off circling like a cyclone for several minutes until they disappeared to the northwest.
I photographed a nesting Great Horned Owl (prefer to not write location as last year's attempts were not successful).
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