Monday, August 22, 2016

Return to Cherry Creek Reservoir and East DIA

August 21, 2016

Richard Stevens:

Winds were calm, temperature around 60 degrees when I birded the Cottonwood Creek Wetlands area of Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe).  My target birds were the Ovenbirds and Red-eyed Vireo found yesterday by Glenn Walbek.  Neither bird was found.

I hiked around the pond at the wetlands.  While scoping from the north side for a Green Heron, I watched two Soras coming in and out of the cattails.   A third Sora was along the canal below the dam.

A few Yellow Warblers, a Common Yellowthroat, a Wilson's Warbler and two House Wrens were in the willows along the outlet canal.

The willows around the bike path at the washed out footbridge, east side of the creek was quite birdy.  The count included 19 House Wrens, 8 Black-capped Chickadees, 3 Wilson's Warblers, 7 Yellow Warblers and a pair of White-breasted Nuthatches.

I bushwhacked along the eastern side of the canal to the Lake.  The mudflats where the Least Sandpiper was yesterday did not have any birds today.

I continued to the Cottonwood Creek Preserve and added 28 House Wrens, 4 Western Wood-pewees, 14 Yellow Warblers, another Wilson's Warbler and another pair of White-breasted Nuthatches.

Nothing uncommon was found until I reached the Preserve footbridge.  A Yellow-billed Cuckoo called briefly.  It flew to the south just after I put my binoculars on the bird.

A check at the Long-eared Owl spot west of the Prairie Loop of yesterday did not find the bird today.

Afterwards we drove to east of DIA Airport and Box Elder Creek.  A Cassin's Sparrow and many Chipping Sparrows were in the field southwest of Hudson Road and 96th Avenue.

A Red-headed Woodpecker and two Western Wood-pewees were along 96th avenue, just east of its crossing of Box Elder Creek.

Another Cassin's Sparrow was found along 104th Avenue, just west of its crossing of Box Elder Creek.   One Red-headed Woodpecker called from above our car parked at the Creek.  I found another Red-headed Woodpecker along the west side of Box Elder Creek and 100 yards or so south of 104th avenue.  At least six Western Wood-pewees flew about the Creek!

A brief stop at Barr Lake (Adams) did not find the Caspian Tern reported yesterday.  We continued to Brighton for lunch.

After lunch, we drove through the Rocky Mountain Arsenal (Adams).  Three Sage Thrashers were in the Bison enclosure.  No Eastern Phoebes or Red-headed Woodpeckers were found today.

We headed to a barbecue near Peacefully Valley (Weld).  The Mountain Plovers that successfully nested on my friend's ranch appeared to have moved on elsewhere.

Shortly after dark, an Eastern Screech-Owl called under the waning Moon in the distance!

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