Monday, September 17, 2012

Cherry Creek Reservoir and the DIA Owl Loop

September 16, 2012

Richard Stevens:

After spending most of the day recovering from our eastern trip, Bryan & Sue Ehlmann and I drove over to Cherry Creek State Park (Arapahoe County) to checkout the warbler fallout reported a couple of days ago.

We walked south of the Smoky Hill Picnic area. Only three Townsend's Warblers were found. They appeared to favor the locust trees.

The Cassin's Vireo stayed in the locust trees east of the drinking fountain.

Five Yellow rumped Warblers flew about the Pine Trees east of the restroom. We could not make any of them Pine Warblers.

We scoped the lake just long enough to find one Sabine's Gull.

Bryan & Sue Ehlmann and I took a circuitous route home from Cherry Creek Reservoir. We stopped at the 470 Toll Road and 6th avenue. Four Burrowing Owls were below the road at the northeast corner. I understand they picked up a dead Burrowing Owl here last week. In all my passes, I never found more than two. Could this be a minor "staging place" for southern migration? We found another two Burrowing Owls along Gun Club Road halfway between 6th avenue and Colfax Avenue. Both areas are in Arapahoe County.

We drove the DIA Owl Loop found another five Burrowing Owls at 3.4 miles east of Tower Road and 96th Avenue (Adams County). No Short-eared Owls appeared.

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