Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Birding Around Denver

January 19, 2015

Richard Stevens:

I stayed around Denver today.  Stopped at Smith Lake, Washington Park (Denver County).  The ice shelf is melting and the gulls were farther away from shore today.  The adult Thayer's Gull was still there.  I did not see the juvenile Thayer's or the probable Iceland Gull.  Gulls were flying around much; perhaps the uncommon ones will return.

From Wash Park, I drove to Lakecrest, also Denver County.  At least two male and a female Greater Scaup are still there.  Thanks to Frank and Nancy Hatch for reporting them a couple of days ago.  I found no Barrow's Goldeneyes; plenty of Canvasbacks, Ring-necked Ducks and Common Goldeneyes were observed.

On a hunch, I tried Emerald Strand Park, which is just east of Lakecrest.  Ducks on the water included four dozen Ring-necked, a pair of Canvasbacks, a dozen Common Goldeneyes and a Barrow's Goldeneyes.  I would think that the ducks and geese move back and forth between the two close lakes, depends upon the amount of open water.

No Short-eared Owls were found tonight along the DIA Owl Loop (Adams County).  Raptors included: three Red-tailed Hawks, one Rough-legged Hawk, three Ferruginous, and a pair of American Kestrels.

No comments: