Birding Outside the East Side of Rocky Mountain Arsenal

May 11, 2016

Richard Stevens:

Rebecca Kosten and I walked Buckley Road north of 56th avenue to 88th avenue.  Burrowing Owls were found both in Adams County (4) and in Denver County (2).

Quite a few Lark Sparrows, one Brewer's Sparrow and one Rock Wren were found along the trek.

After a picnic on a fallen log at the new First Creek Trail, we walked east to 56th avenue.  Only a few birds were moving along the route.  A Virginia Rail called unprovoked from the cattail marsh near 56th avenue.  Two Spotted Sandpipers and two Killdeer walked along the 56th Pond.

It started to rain on our way back.  We stood under the Light Rail Bridge for about 30 minutes waiting for the rain to stop.  Many birds flew around in the rain. While under the bridge, we counted a pair of Say's Phoebes, a pair of Yellow Warblers, a Song Sparrow, two Black-capped Chickadees and half a dozen Lark Sparrows.

When it became obvious that the rain was not going to stop, we took off in the downpour.

Surprisingly, many birds were flying around now.  Additional Lark Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Robins, Common Grackles and House Wrens were counted.

A dozen birds fluttered about the First Creek trailhead.  The most interesting was one of three Wood-peewees.  Two were definitely Western Wood-pewee looking. 

A third Wood-Pewee was off catching bugs by itself.  Its wingbars were wide and white looking.  Its lower mandible was mostly orangish.  The bird may have been an Eastern Wood-Pewee.  Unfortunately, none of them called.  No way to be sure, which it was, I recorded it as unknown Wood-Pewee.

Both of us were soaked when we reached the warm, dry car.