Thursday, March 13, 2014

Birding Around Adams County

March 8, 2014

Richard Stevens:

There was a break in the snowy weather today.  No snow, temperatures in the 40s, winds 10 mph.

Rebecca Kosten and I passed by the South Platte Birding Area and Rocky Mountain Arsenal (both Adams County) while returning from the S. Platte River at the downtown aquarium (Denver County).  It was a rather chilly day, temperatures in the low 40s; winds were less than 10 mph.

We did not relocate today the Long tailed Duck and American Dippers along the South Platte River near the Ocean Journey Aquarium, Water Street, Denver County.

Then we hiked upstream along the S. Platte River from Colorado Blvd and 88th avenue.  No Barrow's Goldeneyes were on the river.  However, on our return trip a pair of Barrow's Goldeneyes was found on the northern West Gravel Lake (note they could move to the southern or western lakes or the river or East Gravel Lake, all are ice free now).

We drove through the arsenal in search of the recently reported Thayer's Gull.  No Thayer's Gull, we found a male Greater Scaup among dozens of ducks on Lower Derby Lake.  Ducks included high number of Canvasbacks, Redheads, Mallards, Gadwall, American Coots, one Western Grebe and one Horned Grebe.

A Double-crested Cormorant was perched above Lake Ladora.  Eight three gulls were all Ring-billed.

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