October 5, 2012
Richard Stevens:
Bryan Ehlmann and I headed over to Barr Lake (Adams County) to see what the snowstorm might have brought into the park. Last night's winds were out of the northwest. We figured that the best birding might be along the north to northwest to southern sides of the Park. This may have been proven correct as birders who walked the northeast to southeast corners reported very few birds!
When we crossed the footbridge at the Visitor's Center (mile marker 0.0/8.9) the first bird we observed was a Black-throated Gray Warbler!
Several Wilson's Warblers were in the willows southwest of the Niedrach Boardwalk. Chipping Sparrows were quite numerous.
Chipping Sparrows were the high count of the day as we ran into many. They were also down the first bird blind trail west of the footbridge.
We continued around/clockwise finding few birds other than sparrows at the Eagle Boardwalk Trail. Two Yellow-rumped Warblers were at the trailhead.
Birding picked up when we reached mile markers 2.5 to 4.0. Several small flocks of Yellow-rumped Warblers and an Orange-crowned Warbler were at 2.5.
A Philadelphia Vireo was by itself at mile marker 2.8. More Yellow-rumped Warblers and then we found our highlight of the day. A male Black-throated Blue Warbler was at mile marker 3.1.
We continued around to mile 5.0. Only one additional uncommon bird was found. A vireo at 5.2 was difficult to ID. At first, we thought it to be a Cassin's Vireo, later we decided it was a Plumbeous Vireo.
The lake itself is a mere shadow of itself. A ranger once told me that when full the water level is never over one's head. It is definitely down now. Hundreds of waterfowl are crammed into the dwindling lake.
We did not carry our scopes. Hundreds of Western Grebes "carried the numbers". If there were any Clark's Grebes, we could not pick one out.
After lunch near Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe), Bryan and I stopped by the State Park. Two loons swam around, one Common and one Pacific Loon.
It was too late in the day to drive through the traffic to get to Chatfield Reservoir (Jefferson/Douglas); instead we drove the DIA Owl Loop. No owls were found when we drove the Loop about an hour before sunset. This included a drive-by of 6th avenue and Gun Club Road.
We saw or heard flocks of migrating Sandhill Cranes over Barr Lake (Adams), Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe) and DADS (Arapahoe, Denver and Arapahoe Disposal Site).
Richard Stevens:
Bryan Ehlmann and I headed over to Barr Lake (Adams County) to see what the snowstorm might have brought into the park. Last night's winds were out of the northwest. We figured that the best birding might be along the north to northwest to southern sides of the Park. This may have been proven correct as birders who walked the northeast to southeast corners reported very few birds!
When we crossed the footbridge at the Visitor's Center (mile marker 0.0/8.9) the first bird we observed was a Black-throated Gray Warbler!
Several Wilson's Warblers were in the willows southwest of the Niedrach Boardwalk. Chipping Sparrows were quite numerous.
Chipping Sparrows were the high count of the day as we ran into many. They were also down the first bird blind trail west of the footbridge.
We continued around/clockwise finding few birds other than sparrows at the Eagle Boardwalk Trail. Two Yellow-rumped Warblers were at the trailhead.
Birding picked up when we reached mile markers 2.5 to 4.0. Several small flocks of Yellow-rumped Warblers and an Orange-crowned Warbler were at 2.5.
A Philadelphia Vireo was by itself at mile marker 2.8. More Yellow-rumped Warblers and then we found our highlight of the day. A male Black-throated Blue Warbler was at mile marker 3.1.
We continued around to mile 5.0. Only one additional uncommon bird was found. A vireo at 5.2 was difficult to ID. At first, we thought it to be a Cassin's Vireo, later we decided it was a Plumbeous Vireo.
The lake itself is a mere shadow of itself. A ranger once told me that when full the water level is never over one's head. It is definitely down now. Hundreds of waterfowl are crammed into the dwindling lake.
We did not carry our scopes. Hundreds of Western Grebes "carried the numbers". If there were any Clark's Grebes, we could not pick one out.
After lunch near Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe), Bryan and I stopped by the State Park. Two loons swam around, one Common and one Pacific Loon.
It was too late in the day to drive through the traffic to get to Chatfield Reservoir (Jefferson/Douglas); instead we drove the DIA Owl Loop. No owls were found when we drove the Loop about an hour before sunset. This included a drive-by of 6th avenue and Gun Club Road.
We saw or heard flocks of migrating Sandhill Cranes over Barr Lake (Adams), Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe) and DADS (Arapahoe, Denver and Arapahoe Disposal Site).
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