Sunday, April 26, 2015

Windy Day At Reynolds Park

April 24, 2015

Richard Stevens:

Rick DeBolt and I enjoyed the morning with a hike at Reynolds Park (Jefferson County).  Weather deteriorated as the day continued.

We arrived 30 minutes before sunrise.  No Common Poorwills were enticed to call.  A Northern Pygmy-Owl was found along the Songbird Trail.

Hiking up the Oxen Draw Trail, continuing uphill (south) on the Eagle's View Trail, a female American Three-toed Woodpecker was observed crossing the trail from east to west.

Once at the top of the Eagle's View Trail we heard the booming of a male Dusky Grouse.  It took 15-20 minutes; however, eventually we spotted the bird displaying about 10 yards into the forest.

As we hiked downhill along the Raven's Roost Trail, a male Williamson's Sapsucker was found drumming.  He was right along the trail and several hundred yards south of the old service road (maps can be found at main parking area).

Winds continued to pick up and we abandoned again plans to continue owling in Park County.

After dropping Rick off, I continued to Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe).  Anemometer readings when I arrived were 16 mph, with gusts to 23 mph.

No shorebirds were on the swim beach this afternoon.  About twenty Yellow-rumped Warblers (both Audubon and Myrtle) hung to trees around the Smoky Hill Picnic area.  Those that lost their grip were blown far away before catching another branch.

No White-faced Ibis were at the Cottonwood Creek Wetlands today. 

My final stop was at the marina parking area.  Most years, my first Western Kingbird of the year is found below the parking area.  Another birder had just photographed a Western Kingbird near the ski jet rental building.  I spent the next 20 minutes unsuccessfully searching for the bird.  By then, it was probably blown across the lake.

 Several hundred swallows perched on the boats around the southwest marina included all six common species found in Colorado.

Eleven Burrowing Owls, spread over four locations, braved the wind and stood around the DIA Owl Loop (Adams).

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