Saturday, February 23, 2013

Birding Around Denver

February 22, 2013

Day after 2-4 inches of snow dropped in Denver, Rebecca and I drove over to the Crown Hill Park area (Jefferson County).  We only had to wait about five minutes before six Common Redpolls visited Bob Santangelo's feeders (3525 Estes Street, Wheat Ridge).

A dozen American Goldfinches, many House Finches and House Sparrows visited Bob's 9+ bird feeders and birdbath.  A Sharp-shinned Hawk watched for a while from a skinny cottonwood across the street (all the smaller birds disappeared).

On the way over to Wheat Ridge, we stopped at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.  A flock of 6-7 Bohemian Waxwings was along Montview Blvd at Krameria Street.  They slowly moved west toward the museum.

Later, we drove through the Rocky Mountain Arsenal (Adams).  The feeders at the Contact Station (old Visitor's Center) were empty.  Only two White-crowned Sparrows, one American Tree Sparrow and a dozen Dark-eyed Juncos appeared.

No Harris's Sparrows, we also searched for the Harris's Sparrow reported days earlier by Jerry Petrosky (before the snowstorm, southeast corner of Lake Ladora).  It was not relocated.

No Bald Eagles were yet roosting.  The Bison head (up to 74 animals) was in the field just north of the new Visitor's Center.

A drive along the DIA Owl Loop (Adams) on our way home did not find any Short-eared Owls tonight.  A Ferruginous Hawk and two Red-tailed Hawks represented the raptor list.

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