Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Trip to Reynolds Park

June 16, 2017

Richard Stevens:

Rob Berg and I drove up to Reynolds Park (Jefferson) this morning.  Temperatures reached 82 degrees even in the foothills today.  Winds were a mild 4 mph.

We arrived at Reynolds Park about 60 minutes before sunrise.  A Common Poorwill called from southwest of the main parking area, across South Foxton Road.

A Northern Pygmy-Owl responded to a recording as we walked the Songbird trail.  In the next four hours, we hiked the loop of Elkhorn to Raven's Roost to Eagle's View to Oxen Draw trails. 

We managed to find all of our target birds.  Although it we did not find or expect a Northern Saw-whet Owl during our extensive search.

Highlights included a Dusky Grouse crossing Raven's Roost not far uphill/south of the Elkhorn Trail.  A male Williamson's Sapsucker drummed on a pine tree about 300 yards south of the old service road.

Another Dusky Grouse was found at the top of the Eagle's View trail.  On the trip north/downhill, we encountered a third Dusky Grouse just before the Eagle's View/Oxen Draw intersection.

A male American Three-toed Woodpecker was heard drumming just south of the Eagle's View, Raven's Roost and Oxen Draw intersection.  It took a good 15 minutes to see the elusive bird.

On the trip over to Pine Valley Ranch Park (Jefferson), we stopped several times along the S. Platte River before finding an American Dipper.  Funny little birds jumping into the rapids in search of food.

At Pine Valley Ranch Park, we walked the Narrow Gauge trail.  Nothing uncommon was found.  A Common Yellowthroat was in the willows along Pine Lake.

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