Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Return to Aurora Reservoir

January 4, 2014

After a snowy morning with single digit temperatures, I returned to Aurora Reservoir hoping for a photo of the "Slaty-backed Gull".

Fog hung over the reservoir this afternoon reducing visibility to not much more than 100 yards.  The gulls along the swim beach were much easier to see.  A Glaucous Gull, several Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 3+ Thayer's Gulls were the easier gulls to Identify.


The adult Slaty-backed Gull did not show up this afternoon.  Two interesting but difficult to ID gulls were in the mixed with dozens of Ring-billed Gulls and few Herring Gulls and one California Gull.

A possible Glaucous-winged Gull hunkered down among the hundreds of gulls. Another strange looking Gull was "called" a possible 1st cycle Slaty-backed Gull by Nick Komar.

I digiscoped the line of gulls for future inspection and headed to Quincy Reservoir as the gulls all took off around sunset and flew west.  I was hoping to discover where they spent the night.  It was not Quincy Reservoir; the only birds there were White-cheeked Geese and American Coots.

It was too dark to check nearby Cherry Creek Reservoir; perhaps that is where they roost for the night?

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