Douglas County Birds

Hello birders,

Richard Stevens and I had a great morning along Cherry Creek. At civil twilight, 6:26 AM, we walked to the Cherry Creek footbridge at Hidden Mesa Open Space.

Our early morning rising was rewarded 15 minutes later with seven Black billed Magpies chasing a Long eared Owl. The owl kept changing directions but was surrounded and outnumbered by the magpies. It took a good 5 minutes for the owl to escape. We stood at the west side of the footbridge; the activity took place 100 yards south.

Bird activity was greater than I have seen in years. We stood and counted birds in a 10 yard section of Cherry Creek, at the eastern end of the footbridge.

Numbers:
29 Black capped Chickadees
37 Wilson's Warblers
4 Blue gray Gnatcatchers
1 Gray Catbird
2 White crowned Sparrows
1 White throated Sparrow (good looks at its throat for 3-4 minutes from 12 feet.
4 Song Sparrows
4 Orange crowned Warblers
2 White breasted Nuthatches
1 Red breasted Nuthatch

Later at the horse corral/picnic area about 60 yards southeast of the footbridge:
2 Orange crowned Warblers
7 Yellow rumped Warbler
1 Palm Warbler (brown cap and pumping tail)
1 Cassin's Vireo (10 yards downstream of picnic area)
2 Blue Jays

Field between the footbridge and parking lot
2 McCown's Longspurs
1 Lark Bunting1 pipit that gave us great pause; photos to be examined later.

At East Bank Park, formerly Parker Regional Park
1 Cassin's Vireo at 200 yards southwest of the Cherry Creek footbridge

Below southwest corner of 20 Mile Pond next to Bar CCC Park
9 Yellow rumped Warblers
2 Orange crowned Warblers
3 Wilson's Warblers
1 Yellow Warbler
Virginia Rail in Marsh (first county bird, probably for both of us)

Good birding!

Directions to birding spots on CoBus website:http://coloradobirdingsociety.net16.net/