Friday, November 21, 2014

Return Trip to Cherry Creek Reservoir

November 20, 2014

Richard Stevens:

Personal business sent me to Rose Hospital.  Afterwards, I stopped by the Denver Zoo.  Unfortunately, landscapers have clear much of the brush that had attracted a few uncommon birds in the past.  Three Black-capped Chickadees were the highlight of an hour walk through the zoo.  Ferril Lake and Duck Lake were ice covered; no uncommon birds found at either.

I spent the last two hours of daylight at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe).  Again, it was quite frustrating picking the Long-tailed Duck (found yesterday by Alec Hopping) out of the hundreds of Eared Grebes, Western Grebes and Common Mergansers.  Eventually the female was found after my seventh or eighth scan of the large raft of ducks.

The effort was well worth it.  Calm winds and temperatures in the 50s made the exploit rewarding.  A female type White-winged Scoter was also swimming along the near edge of the ducks.

Gulls found included Lesser Black-backed Gulls (3), Bonaparte's Gulls (23+), Thayer's Gulls (2) and many California and Ring-billed Gulls.  The three Common Loons were still out there also.  The two male Greater Scaups found yesterday, were missed today.

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