Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Birding the Front Range Birding Spots

May 15, 2016

Richard Stevens:

Rebecca Kosten and I enjoyed a great day of birding along the Front Range.  Winds were 8 mph; temperatures reached the middle 50s.

We stopped and scoped South Platte Park Reservoir (Arapahoe/Jefferson Counties).  The only bird on the large lake was a male Hooded Merganser.  It appears the three Long-tailed Ducks that wintered here have departed.

At nearby Chatfield State Park (Jefferson/Douglas) we hiked upstream of Kingfisher Bridge.  The highlight was relocated the Yellow-billed Cuckoo reported a few days ago.

Other birds encountered were a pair of Eastern Phoebes, two American Redstarts and two Least Flycatchers.  One Burrowing Owl was still west of the southwest entrance to the Park.

Next, we drove north to Harriman Lake Park (Jefferson).  Many Yellow Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers and a few Yellow Warblers fluttered along the southern path.

About halfway down the trail we detoured along the canal that runs south.  A flock of 12+ Yellow-rumped Warblers was about 60 yards down the path.  We noticed a smaller yellowish bird among them.  It was the Northern Parula.

Farther down the path, we found a Gray Flycatcher, Dusky Flycatcher and unknown "empidonax" flycatcher.

Nothing uncommon swan around on the lake.

Our next stop was Main Reservoir (Jefferson).  Most of the common birds found at Harriman Lake Park were also here.  The only uncommon bird was a Blackpoll Warbler loosely associated with a flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers and two Black-capped Chickadees.

We drove through Cherry Creek State Park (Arapahoe) on our way home.  We did not relocate the Bobolink found yesterday.  Gene Rutherford reported seeing two around the southwest marina parking area.  They were not there when we drove through.

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