Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Return to Denver By Way of Frank Wildlife Area

June 2, 2017

Richard Stevens:

With our monthly CoBus meeting scheduled for Saturday night near Walden, I regrettably needed to return to Denver for an emergency.  A detour home went close to Frank Wildlife Area (Larimer) and I made a quick stop.

Good news, bad news; the good news was that I was able to get half a dozen witness shots of the Black Phoebe within 15 minutes.  The bird was on the south side of the River originally approximately 50 yards east of the County Road 13 Bridge over the Poudre River.

The bad news, while waiting for a better photo a warbler decided he wanted every willow limb upon which the Black Phoebe perched.  The warbler chased the Black Phoebe off limbs four times.  Then the phoebe flew about 150 yards upstream of the River.  Although as a result, I was able to see the Black Phoebe in both Larimer and Weld Counties!

Somewhat good news, the warbler was a male Black-throated Gray Warbler.  It was an interesting exchange and my only birding of the day.

While looking for the Phoebe, I did see a beautiful male Orchard Oriole, Eastern Kingbird and Western Kingbirds.

Oops almost forgot, a Dickcissel was near the alfalfa field within a quarter mile west of Weld County Roads 50 & 17.

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