November 26, 2014
Richard Stevens:
I walked the south side of Aurora Reservoir from mile 1.0 to 3.5 and found Surf Scoters, several Lesser Black-backed Gulls and two Thayer's Gulls (gulls in cove at mile 3.0). Afterwards I drove to the north side and scoped the swim beach where another Lesser Black-backed Gull and Thayer's Gull was found among 600 gulls. A Common Loon was to the east.
Hundreds of Gulls (mostly Ring-billed, dozens of Herring, and some California Gulls were at the swim beach, mile 3.0, the scuba area below the dam and scattered on the lake. Thousands of White-cheeked Geese were accompanied by five Snow Geese and several Ross's Geese. Other waterfowl included Ruddy Ducks, Common Goldeneyes, Bufflehead, Lesser Scaup, Mallards, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Western Grebes, Eared Grebes, Pied-billed Grebes and a few others I am forgetting.
At Cherry Creek State Park, I was able to confirm at least one Long-tailed Duck, the White-winged Scoter and a Barrow's Goldeneye. Waves were quite high in the 14+ mph winds. Long-tailed Ducks "sit low in the water" in my opinion. The second one could still be there as well as the Red-necked Grebe.
Gulls included Lesser Black-backed Gulls, a Thayer's Gull and over a dozen Bonaparte's Gulls. Many ducks and gulls were too far away to identify.
Additional waterfowl included hundreds of Common Mergansers, half a dozen Red-breasted Merganser, Hooded Mergansers (their numbers went from a dozen to 90+ in the last two days), Bufflehead (first I have seen this fall), Lesser Scaup, Ruddy Ducks, Common Goldeneye, etc.
A Northern Shrike was between the Prairie Loop and Cherry Creek where it crosses the main road (Lakeview Road). A Great Horned Owl was here also.
No owls were observed as the drove the DIA Owl Loop (Adams) on the way home.
Richard Stevens:
I walked the south side of Aurora Reservoir from mile 1.0 to 3.5 and found Surf Scoters, several Lesser Black-backed Gulls and two Thayer's Gulls (gulls in cove at mile 3.0). Afterwards I drove to the north side and scoped the swim beach where another Lesser Black-backed Gull and Thayer's Gull was found among 600 gulls. A Common Loon was to the east.
Hundreds of Gulls (mostly Ring-billed, dozens of Herring, and some California Gulls were at the swim beach, mile 3.0, the scuba area below the dam and scattered on the lake. Thousands of White-cheeked Geese were accompanied by five Snow Geese and several Ross's Geese. Other waterfowl included Ruddy Ducks, Common Goldeneyes, Bufflehead, Lesser Scaup, Mallards, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Western Grebes, Eared Grebes, Pied-billed Grebes and a few others I am forgetting.
At Cherry Creek State Park, I was able to confirm at least one Long-tailed Duck, the White-winged Scoter and a Barrow's Goldeneye. Waves were quite high in the 14+ mph winds. Long-tailed Ducks "sit low in the water" in my opinion. The second one could still be there as well as the Red-necked Grebe.
Gulls included Lesser Black-backed Gulls, a Thayer's Gull and over a dozen Bonaparte's Gulls. Many ducks and gulls were too far away to identify.
Additional waterfowl included hundreds of Common Mergansers, half a dozen Red-breasted Merganser, Hooded Mergansers (their numbers went from a dozen to 90+ in the last two days), Bufflehead (first I have seen this fall), Lesser Scaup, Ruddy Ducks, Common Goldeneye, etc.
A Northern Shrike was between the Prairie Loop and Cherry Creek where it crosses the main road (Lakeview Road). A Great Horned Owl was here also.
No owls were observed as the drove the DIA Owl Loop (Adams) on the way home.
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