Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Looking for Migrants, Barr Lake and Cherry Creek Reservoir

May 25, 2015

Richard Stevens:

The daily rains did not show up until after 5:00 pm today.  I took advantage of the partly cloudy skies and mild winds to checkout several birding locations for migrating birds.

A four hour walk around Barr Lake (Adams County) did not find any uncommon birds.  The usual nesting birds were starting to show up in numbers.   Western Kingbirds, House Wrens, Western Wood-pewees were back in good numbers.  A few Eastern Kingbirds, Warbling Vireos, Yellow Warblers also were counted.

In the two mile section between the southwestern end of the Niedrach Trail to the boat ramp 7 Swainson's Thrushes, 1 Hermit Thrush, 9 Yellow Warblers, 11 Western Wood-pewees, two dozen Western Kingbirds, 4 Eastern Kingbirds, 16 House Wrens, 3 Warbling Vireos and over dozen Bullock's Orioles were counted.

The riparian area below the dam from mile 7 to 6 was also slow.  Five Yellow-rumped Warblers, three Yellow Warblers, 29 Chipping Sparrows and one Common Yellowthroat were just about it.

I hoped birding would be more interesting at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe).  An American Redstart was at the southeastern corner of the Lake Loop (same area as Chestnut-sided Warbler and Northern Parula were recently reported).

Western Wood-pewees were everywhere.  I lost count at twenty two; there were many more than that.

The northwestern corner of the Lake Loop always seems to attract birds.  It is sheltered by a small hill.  Even when it is windy, this area can be quite calm.  Today I counted six Yellow Warblers, two Warbling Vireos, five Western Wood-pewees and a pair of Bullock's Orioles.

I walked east to the Cottonwood Creek wetlands where "yesterday's greenish empidonax" flycatcher was still in the area (between the tall cottonwoods and the willows east to the footbridge.  The bird was quite shy for a flycatcher; it took 45 minutes for me to see it clearly and take a couple of photos.

Rain started to fall rapidly and my birding day ended here.

P.S.  I did run across a nest with a Sharp-shinned Hawk laying on it (will have to get an eye on any successful nesting attempt).

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