Saturday, August 9, 2014

Casual Day Around Arapahoe & Adams Counties

August 6, 2014

Early this morning I took a leisure walk around Aurora Sports Park (Arapahoe County).  Many Western Kingbirds were hawking insects around the soccer fields.  Two Eastern Kingbirds were at the southeastern corner of the park.

I hiked Sand Creek as it ran through the riparian area.  The highlight was a Red-eyed Vireo that was along the creek at 20 yards south of where Sand Creek turns west after running north.  A Brown Thrasher was found about 50 yards south of this corner.

Later on my way to the DIA Owl Loop (Adams), I detoured to the flooded field along Tower Road, just north of 96th avenue.  The previously reported Pectoral Sandpiper was walking between the clumps of grasses scattered in the shallow pool.

Many additional shorebirds were also feeding in th
e shoul.  These included two Snowy Plovers, a dozen Baird's Sandpipers, a Least Sandpiper, two Western Sandpipers, four American Avocets and the usual dozen or so Killdeer.

Along the DIA Owl Loop, I found a Swainson's Hawk checking out a nest.  A second Swainson's Hawk circled overhead.  It seems late in the season for them to nest, perhaps not?

Nine Burrowing Owls were found at the prairie dog town at 3.4 miles east of Tower Road and 96th avenue.  I missed the reported owls at Trussville Road & 114th avenue and at Tower Road and 112th avenue.

Finally, I drove over to the riparian area at 96th avenue and Box Elder Creek.  Jerry Petrosky and a couple of other birders have reported Red-headed Woodpeckers here in the past few weeks.  Jerry also saw an Upland Sandpiper in the field northeast of the creek. 

Unfortunately, I found neither bird.  However, the airplanes taking off at DIA were quite entertaining.

Thunderstorms rolled in once again in the afternoon; they ended my birding day.

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