Monday, February 2, 2015

Driving Around Adams County

January 30, 2015

Richard Stevens:

After returning from our Eastern Colorado trip, I dropped Bryan off and decided to drive around Adams County.

At 4:30 pm, the Glaucous Gull and a Lesser Black-backed Gull were on the ice quite close to the boat ramp at Barr Lake.  A second Lesser Black-backed Gull was 40-50 yards farther away.

I drove around the DIA Owl Loop and stopped at the prairie dog town along Quency Street (3.4 miles east of Tower Road & 96th avenue).  The Western Meadowlarks sang while I scoped the fields east and then west of Quency.  A Short-eared Owl stood on a fence post to the northwest of Quency.  The post was behind the newer gas construction at the north end of the prairie dog town.

Once at the bend of Quency and 96th avenue, I again stopped to scope the fields.  Besides the highlight of listening to Western Meadowlarks singing, two Short-eared Owls were seen off to the southeast.  They were apparently performing a mating flight!  The location was along the DIA fence line, between the three thin towers with flashing lights and the shorter tower to the east.

Also observed earlier during my drive, seven Northern Harriers, two Red-tailed Hawks, one Rough-legged Hawk and one Ferruginous Hawk.  Most were quite far from the roads and not offering photo opportunities.

It was a superb ending to my birding day!

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