Monday, November 1, 2010

Some Great Birds Around "Home"

November 1, 2010

Richard Stevens:

First of all, I cannot believe it's the first of November already. Where did the year go?

A brief of my birding day

Boulder County: Bryan Ehlmann and I visited Baseline Reservoir. Red Phalarope and Common Loons were on the lake, no scoters.

We walked along the Bobolink Trail afterwards. No owls and few birds were found. (Long-eared Owls are occasionally found in the thick bushes between Baseline Road and South Boulder Road.) It was quiet at the East Boulder Recreation Center also.

Weld County: On the way back to Denver, we visited Union Reservoir; found all grebes except Red-necked Grebes. One Pacific Loon was still there. No uncommon gulls could be picked out; plenty were flying over this huge reservoir.

Jefferson/Douglas Counties: What a fantastic fall day, mild winds, temperatures in the low 60s. It was too nice to go home. In the afternoon, I visited Chatfield Reservoir on my own. I photographed (digiscoped from 40 yards) the Dunlin on the sandspit near the southeast boat ramp. A searched for Black Scoter and Pacific Loon, missed both. The Heron Rookery trail was closed due to construction; I scoped lake from swim beach and above the dam. Hundreds of Western Grebes and at least one Clark's Grebe were out there.

Next, I stopped at Red Rocks Park. Christopher and Bruce Neuman pointed out the Curve-billed Thrasher below the stone fence west of the trading post. The thrasher stayed on edge of flat rocks just below fence for over an hour. Thanks much guys!

I returned favor by showing them the White-throated Sparrow hiding in brush near the platform feeder. Golden-crowned Sparrow came by several times also. In my experience, White-throated Sparrow is quite shy and prefers to come out early and late in the day when there is less people traffic. Getting anywhere close to the feeder area is quite unproductive.

Ended my day listening to a Great Horned Owl call at Banner Lakes Wildlife Area (Weld County).

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