Thursday, January 19, 2017

Box Elder Creek and DIA Owl Loop

January 19, 2017

Richard Stevens:

Temperature reached 53 degrees today.  Winds were 8 mph with gusts to 12 mph.

After spending most of the day doing chores, I drove around Weld County.  In an hour at Box Elder Creek at County Road 4, the Rusty Blackbirds were a no show.

A Great Horned Owl called quite a ways south up Box Elder Creek.  A pair of Blue Jays, half a dozen American Robins and many Red-winged Blackbirds was found.

Between Box Elder Creek and the DIA Owl Loop (Denver/Adams), the raptor count was seven Red-tailed Hawks, one Rough-legged Hawk, three Ferruginous Hawks, a pair of American Kestrels and one Prairie Falcon.

I checked the prairie dog towns along the Owl Loop for an early Burrowing Owl; without success. In 2015, one showed up on 2/19.  Last year 2016, one was found at Trussville Road & 114th avenue on 2/10.

No Short-eared Owls appeared this evening.

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