May 17-19, 2010
May 17, Monday
Richard Stevens:
At civil twilight, I could pick out the silhouette of a possible Common Black Hawk (reported yesterday by Lisa Edwards) at the northwest corner of the parking area for the Fountain Creek Regional Park Visitor's Center. When the sun rose, the ID was clinched!
Bryan & Sue Ehlmann and Rebecca Kosten rushed down from Denver and were able to see the Hawk around 7:00am.
Afterwards, Bryan and I were let off at the south end of the park (Hanson Nature Area) and walked the 2 miles back to the Visitor's Center.
Along the way several interesting birds were found. Within 100 yards of mile marker 16 of the trail, we found a Plumbeous Vireo and American Redstart. A Chihuahuan Raven surprised us by calling as we watched underneath it.
Continuing north, the trail opens up toward a large meadow. Twenty yards west of the bench here, a Palm Warbler was working the cottonwood trees.
At the parking area for the Duckwood Parking Area (0.3 miles south of the Fountain Creek Regional Park Visitor's Center), the trail forks. The right fork continuing straight toward the Visitor's Center while the left fork goes west to follow Fountain Creek.
Earlier I had taken the right fork by myself. The previously reported Hooded Warbler was found on the hillside east of the creek (near the first bench as one walks down from the Visitor's Center).
This trip, we took the right fork and walked along Fountain Creek. An American Redstart was found 10 yards from the intersection. Another 200 yards later, we heard and saw a Plumbeous Vireo singing.
Additional birds seen along the trail included: Black-headed Grosbeaks, a pair of Hairy Woodpeckers, many House Wrens, many Yellow Warblers and 2 Orange-crowned Warblers.
Bryan and Sue returned to Denver, while Rebecca and I planned to do some owling in Fremont County.
Rebecca and I walked the west end of the Arkansas Riverwalk (while waiting for dark for owling). Highlights included a Northern Waterthrush and Hooded Warbler east of Sales Lake.
At the eastern end of the Arkansas Riverwalk we found a Broad-winged Hawk and a small flock of Bushtits.
After dark we enjoyed success in our hunt for a Spotted Owl! This is a protected species and the exact location will not be revealed. Anyone who writes me, I can give a general idea of where to search for one. I have actually been threaten by the Department of Wildlife for disclosing any locations of Spotted Owls? I do not believe they have any enforcement abilities, however one never knows. I do believe that they disturb the owls much more than any birders.
May 18, Tuesday
Rebecca Kosten and I birded Temple Canyon State Park (Fremont) early this morning. The park was alive with birds at sunrise.
The park is known for nesting Gray Flycatchers and Gray Vireos. It did not take us long to find both species. The two best locations are the hillside to the south of the road just before it drops down to the Arkansas River and the hillside to the west as the road rises up from the river.
Empidonax flycatchers seemed quite common in the park. We also saw Cordilleran, Willow, Hammond's, and a Least Flycatcher!
Evening Grosbeaks, Juniper Titmice, Bushtits, Pine Siskins, Spotted Towhees, Western Wood-pewees, and an Ash-throated Flycatcher were found.
Just outside of the western entrance, we saw a flock of 9 Pinyon Jays. A Black-throated Gray Warbler was called from the Juniper trees. The highlight however was a first year male Summer Tanager. At first we thought it was just another Western Tanager; further scrutiny however showed the male Summer Tanager (which seems quite out of place considering the habitat).
We received a text message that Rich Miller had found a Tricolored Heron at nearby Holcim Marsh east of Canon City. Of course we rushed over and were quite fortunate that the bird was out in the open! Great new county bird for both of us!
In the late afternoon, we went up the shelf road. Similar birds were found at Red Canyon Park. A flock of 7 Pinyon Jays and several Townsend's Solitaires were seen. After dark, we had Northern Saw-whet Owls respond to our recordings here at Red Canyon Park and at the BLM land to the north (where the shelf road goes from north to sharply east, near the hunting club).
There is a large cave here (Fly Cave on BLM land) which can be entered without any equipment (except for a good flashlight).
We returned to the area of last night's Spotted Owl but could not relocate it.
May 19, Wednesday
A quick check of the Arkansas Riverwalk relocated the Hooded Warbler from two days ago. No Northern Waterthrush today.
We decided to return to Denver by way of the Shelf Road. A stop at the Crags Campgrounds (Teller) did not find any Northern Pygmy-Owls (it was midday).
At Mueller State Park, we hiked up the trail for about a mile. No American Three-toed Woodpeckers could be found.
At Manitou Lake and Campgrounds we found all three nuthatches, but no owls. No owls responded to our recordings at Michigan Gulch or the Manitou Experimental Forest.
May 17, Monday
Richard Stevens:
At civil twilight, I could pick out the silhouette of a possible Common Black Hawk (reported yesterday by Lisa Edwards) at the northwest corner of the parking area for the Fountain Creek Regional Park Visitor's Center. When the sun rose, the ID was clinched!
Bryan & Sue Ehlmann and Rebecca Kosten rushed down from Denver and were able to see the Hawk around 7:00am.
Afterwards, Bryan and I were let off at the south end of the park (Hanson Nature Area) and walked the 2 miles back to the Visitor's Center.
Along the way several interesting birds were found. Within 100 yards of mile marker 16 of the trail, we found a Plumbeous Vireo and American Redstart. A Chihuahuan Raven surprised us by calling as we watched underneath it.
Continuing north, the trail opens up toward a large meadow. Twenty yards west of the bench here, a Palm Warbler was working the cottonwood trees.
At the parking area for the Duckwood Parking Area (0.3 miles south of the Fountain Creek Regional Park Visitor's Center), the trail forks. The right fork continuing straight toward the Visitor's Center while the left fork goes west to follow Fountain Creek.
Earlier I had taken the right fork by myself. The previously reported Hooded Warbler was found on the hillside east of the creek (near the first bench as one walks down from the Visitor's Center).
This trip, we took the right fork and walked along Fountain Creek. An American Redstart was found 10 yards from the intersection. Another 200 yards later, we heard and saw a Plumbeous Vireo singing.
Additional birds seen along the trail included: Black-headed Grosbeaks, a pair of Hairy Woodpeckers, many House Wrens, many Yellow Warblers and 2 Orange-crowned Warblers.
Bryan and Sue returned to Denver, while Rebecca and I planned to do some owling in Fremont County.
Rebecca and I walked the west end of the Arkansas Riverwalk (while waiting for dark for owling). Highlights included a Northern Waterthrush and Hooded Warbler east of Sales Lake.
At the eastern end of the Arkansas Riverwalk we found a Broad-winged Hawk and a small flock of Bushtits.
After dark we enjoyed success in our hunt for a Spotted Owl! This is a protected species and the exact location will not be revealed. Anyone who writes me, I can give a general idea of where to search for one. I have actually been threaten by the Department of Wildlife for disclosing any locations of Spotted Owls? I do not believe they have any enforcement abilities, however one never knows. I do believe that they disturb the owls much more than any birders.
May 18, Tuesday
Rebecca Kosten and I birded Temple Canyon State Park (Fremont) early this morning. The park was alive with birds at sunrise.
The park is known for nesting Gray Flycatchers and Gray Vireos. It did not take us long to find both species. The two best locations are the hillside to the south of the road just before it drops down to the Arkansas River and the hillside to the west as the road rises up from the river.
Empidonax flycatchers seemed quite common in the park. We also saw Cordilleran, Willow, Hammond's, and a Least Flycatcher!
Evening Grosbeaks, Juniper Titmice, Bushtits, Pine Siskins, Spotted Towhees, Western Wood-pewees, and an Ash-throated Flycatcher were found.
Just outside of the western entrance, we saw a flock of 9 Pinyon Jays. A Black-throated Gray Warbler was called from the Juniper trees. The highlight however was a first year male Summer Tanager. At first we thought it was just another Western Tanager; further scrutiny however showed the male Summer Tanager (which seems quite out of place considering the habitat).
We received a text message that Rich Miller had found a Tricolored Heron at nearby Holcim Marsh east of Canon City. Of course we rushed over and were quite fortunate that the bird was out in the open! Great new county bird for both of us!
In the late afternoon, we went up the shelf road. Similar birds were found at Red Canyon Park. A flock of 7 Pinyon Jays and several Townsend's Solitaires were seen. After dark, we had Northern Saw-whet Owls respond to our recordings here at Red Canyon Park and at the BLM land to the north (where the shelf road goes from north to sharply east, near the hunting club).
There is a large cave here (Fly Cave on BLM land) which can be entered without any equipment (except for a good flashlight).
We returned to the area of last night's Spotted Owl but could not relocate it.
May 19, Wednesday
A quick check of the Arkansas Riverwalk relocated the Hooded Warbler from two days ago. No Northern Waterthrush today.
We decided to return to Denver by way of the Shelf Road. A stop at the Crags Campgrounds (Teller) did not find any Northern Pygmy-Owls (it was midday).
At Mueller State Park, we hiked up the trail for about a mile. No American Three-toed Woodpeckers could be found.
At Manitou Lake and Campgrounds we found all three nuthatches, but no owls. No owls responded to our recordings at Michigan Gulch or the Manitou Experimental Forest.
No comments:
Post a Comment