Bluff Lake Nature Area

June 24, 2018

Richard Stevens:

Temperatures were a comfortable 66 degrees today.  Winds below the Nature Area parking lot were 4-5 mph.  Later gusts to 32 mph were measured at the DIA Owl Loop.

Rebecca and I viewed the Columbia x Poland World Cup Match with our Polish friends (ouch, 6 x 1 final).  After an outstanding barbecue lunch (thanks Fran), we stopped at Bluff Lake Nature Area (Denver).

The second undertaking today after yesterday's failure was victorious.  We found the Green Heron from the southern side of the lake.

Later we hiked the side path down (north) to Sand Creek.  The Red-eyed Vireo I found yesterday had moved farther north today.

No Short-eared Owls appeared along the DIA Owl Loop on our trip home.

Eastern Adams & Arapahoe Counties, Bluff Lake Nature Area & Rocky Mountain Arsenal

June 23, 2018

Richard Stevens:

Temperatures reached 85 degrees today.  Winds were 5 mph with gusts to 9 mph.

Rebecca Kosten and I drove the Adams County Mountain Plover Loop this morning.  We struck out finding any Plovers.  Three Burrowing Owls continue along 160th avenue at 0.5 miles west of Yellow Jacket Road.

A hike around the loop at Richmil Ranch Open Space (Arapahoe) did not find the Red-headed Woodpecker or Eastern Screech-Owl.  Four Northern Mockingbirds and two Cassin's Kingbirds were relocated.

The Yellow-billed Cuckoo found by Terry Michaels along hwy 40 at Middle Bijou Creek was missed today.

Dickcissels were our target bird in Eastern Arapahoe County.  Unfortunately, none was found.

Burrowing Owls were found along CR 30 at 0.2 miles east of CR 149 and along CR 129 at 0.7 miles south of Orchard Road.

We did encounter Grasshopper Sparrows at two locations and a Cassin's Kingbird along CR 42.

After dropping Rebecca off at the King Soopers Store near Bluff Lake Nature Area (Denver), I walked the 1.1 mile loop around the lake.

Regrettably, I did not relocate the Green Heron that has been reported the last three days.  It was the hottest part of the day and few birds moved around.

A singing Red-eyed Vireo was in the cottonwoods just east of the boardwalk entrance. 

Neither Virginia Rails nor Soras responded to recordings played at the end of the boardwalk.

We ended our birding day at Rocky Mountain Arsenal (Adams).  No Red-headed Woodpeckers were detected.  Again, few birds moved about.

A Burrowing Owl stood on a fence post at 0.2 miles north of mile marker 9.0.  A Northern Mockingbird hunted at 0.2 miles west of Havana & 72nd (southwest terminal of wildlife drive).

Broomfield County Northern Parula

June 22, 2018

Richard Stevens:

Temperatures in the afternoon in Lafayette were 89 degrees.  Winds were 6-7 mph with gusts to 36 mph along the DIA Owl Loop.

When I arrived at Interlocked the previously reported Northern Parula was singing at the southwest corner of the pond south of 200 Interlocked Blvd.  It took another hour to get a couple of seconds view of the bird.  It came down for a drink of water and then disappeared toward the east end of the lake.

Other birds observed included two Yellow Warblers, a Hermit Thrush, four Bushtits and many Robins.

The lone Burrowing Owl continues along Gun Club Road at 0.2 miles south of the Colfax & Toll Road interchange.

No Short-eared Owls appeared along the DIA Owl Loop (Adams/Denver) this evening.  The pair of Burrowing Owls continues at the northwest corner of Trussville Road and 114th avenue.

Owling and Search for Jefferson Grace's Warbler

June 20-23, 2018

Richard Stevens:

I decided to escape the heat, people, and search for the Grace's Warbler reported around Wellington Lake (Jefferson) and owls in the Jefferson/Douglas County foothills.

High Temperatures ranged from 60 to 69 degrees.  Winds were 5-6 mph with gusts to 15-16 mph.  The cool temperatures were a welcomed relief from those 20-25 degrees warmer in Denver.  

A couple of brief showers probably reduced my success with owls.  However, owling was not bad.

June 20

Highlights at the Rampart Range Road and Hwy 67 area included the resident American Three-toed Woodpeckers (male & female) and a male Williamson's Sapsucker.

After dark, my "owl listening stations" attracted a Northern Saw-whet Owl south of the above intersections.  See previous posts on one of my favorite "birding tools".

We are down to just two "owl listening stations" as some undetermined animal destroyed the third station a few months ago.

The second station positioned farther down (south) Rampart Range Road picked up contact calls from a Northern Pygmy-Owl.

June 21

I spent the morning looking for Grace's Warblers around Wellington Lake and the entrance road.  An American Three-toed Woodpecker was 1/4 mile north of the Lake.

A male Northern Goshawk was found down the trail from Forest Road 550.

Then I decided to limp around the six mile loop at Pine Valley Ranch Park/Pawnee National Grasslands today.

American Three-toed Woodpeckers were found along Strawberry Jack Trail south of Park View Trail and the Skipper Trail near Buck Gulch Trail.

A Northern Pygmy-Owl called along the Strawberry Jack Trail south of the Park View Trail.  One of the "owl listening stations" picked up Northern Pygmy-Owl contact calls below the Pine View overlook area.  While the other "owl listening stations" did the same at the west end of the Narrow Gauge trail.

After dark, I found (heard only) a Flammulated Owl at my favorite spot along CR 550.

I was enjoying the cool calm night so much that I continued owling around Bailey until sunrise.

Two additional Northern Pygmy-Owls and one Northern Saw-whet Owl were added to my trip list.

June 22

After sunrise, I returned to Denver.  A detour to Mt Falcon Park found a Dusky Grouse along the Parmalee Trail (about 400 yards from the upper parking area (Jefferson).

Instead of going straight home, I detoured to Interlocken area of Broomfield. 

Reynolds Park & the First Creek Trail

June 19, 2018

Richard Stevens:

James, Mark and I walked Foxton Road along the north side of Reynolds Park (Jefferson County) about an hour before sunrise.  Regrettably, no Northern Pygmy-Owls were encountered this morning.  We did hear a Common Poorwill west of the larger parking area.

It was a superb morning and we hiked the loop Elkhorn Trail to Raven's Roost (to upper clearing) to Eagle's View to Oxen Draw.  

A Dusky Grouse was observed east of Raven's Roost Trail about a 1000 yards south of the Elkhorn Trail.

Continuing to the upper clearing, we heard the booming of another Dusky Grouse.  Unfortunately it was somewhere in the forest and never seen.

Dropping down the Eagle View to Oxen Draw, a male American Three-toed Woodpecker was drumming about 30 yards north (downhill) of the intersection of the three trails.

No additional uncommon birds were found.  We did record three species of nuthatches, Pine Siskins and Downy & Hairy Woodpeckers.

After dropping my companions off, I decided to hike the First Creek Trail around 4:00 pm.  A Western Wood-pewee hawked bugs along the Denver County section.  The Red-tailed Hawk was still on her nest.  A Barn Owl is using the nesting box that we erected last fall.

The highlight of the Adams County Section was seeing a Northern Mockingbird collecting food and flying toward a nest.

Shortly after returning to my car, a downpour with hail hit the area.

Mt. Evans & Genesee Mountain Park

June 18, 2018

Richard Stevens:

James and Mark Oh from New Jersey and I drove up Mt Evans Byway (Clear Creek County) this morning.  What a fantastic one it was.  Clear skies and little wind over the mountain was a picturesque sight.

Two Barrow's Goldeneyes were swimming on Echo Lake.  The lake was like a mirror in the early morning.

Two Brown-capped Rosy Finches were on the Shore of Summit Lake, northwest corner.  Several times, they landed on the northwest hillside.

From the large pullover, we scoped the field east of the Summit Lake parking area.  Mark spotted a White-tailed Ptarmigan that hopped up on a granite rock.  No additional Ptarmigan were at the top of the road.  Many tourists eventually filled the parking area.

Down below, a walk to the Mt Captain Trail at the Echo Lake Campgrounds added a male American Three-toed Woodpecker to our trip list.  His drumming was quite distinctive.

The hike along the west side of Echo Lake added a Green-tailed Towhee, Lincoln's Sparrows, Pine Grosbeak and another American Three-toed Woodpecker.

We stopped at Genesee Mountain Park (Jefferson) on the way back to Denver.  A male Williamson's Sapsucker was found at the group picnic pavilion.  He was drumming on the telephone at the northwest corner of the building.  I find his drumming is also distinctive, easily separating him from the "Picoides" woodpeckers.

Other birds observed included Pine Siskins, Red-breasted, White-breasted and Pygmy Nuthatches.

Return to Boulder County

June 17, 2018

Richard Stevens:

What a beautiful day after the last couple of 90-degree days.  Temperature only reached 68 degrees today.  Winds were 2-3 mph with gusts only to 10 mph!

Rebecca Kosten and I decided to bird Boulder County.  The Chestnut-sided Warbler was singing when we stopped at the Mesa South parking area.  

Next, we hiked the Eldorado Mountain Open Space with target birds American Three-toed Woodpecker and Lewis's Woodpecker in mind.  While neither was found, a singing Ovenbird, Red-eyed Vireo and Virginia's Warbler above the Eldorado Post Office were nice finds.

A short hike around Gregory Canyon did not find any Rose-breasted Grosbeaks or Indigo Buntings.  We did see another Virginia's Warbler.  A Golden Eagle soared overhead.

After lunch, we searched for the Northern Cardinal and Indigo Buntings previously reported at the Hawthorne Gulch Area.  Neither was relocated.

At dusk, we hiked up (not far) the Mesa South and Skunk Canyon Trails.  Rainy weather did not aid in our owl search.  No owls were encountered this evening.

Birding Along the Front Range

June 16, 2018

Richard Stevens:

Temperatures reached 81 degrees.  Winds were 4-5 mph with gusts to 19 mph.

After finding three Flammulated Owls along Larimer County Road 44H (Pennock Pass) hours before sunrise, Terry Michaels and I dropped down into Boulder County.  The Tricolored Heron and adult & juvenile Little Blue Heron were easy to spot at Cottonwood Marsh, Walden Ponds.

We relocated one of the nearby Eastern Phoebes along Boulder Creek at 75th Street.

Several Bobolinks were east of Watson Lake at Pella Crossing Park.  Another two Eastern Phoebes were gathering food at the Crane Hollow Bridge.

Our birding day ended with a drive along the DIA Owl Loop.  The pair of Burrowing Owls continues at Trussville Road and 114th Avenue.

Boreal Owl Survey in the Colorado State Forest

June 13-15, 2018

Richard Stevens:

June 13-14

Terry Michaels joined me and we inspected eighty owl boxes in the next three days.  Only one box was used by a Boreal Owl (6/14).  It was box #3 along the North Fork of the Canadian River.  This required a 1.5 mile hike to reach the box.  Eventually we hiked six miles round trip to cover this section of boxes.

June 15

We stopped to inspect the Aspen Grove at Jackson County Road 41 & Ruby Jewell Road.  An American Three-toed Woodpecker and a pair of Red-naped Sapsuckers were encountered.  Later on a return trip we heard a Boreal Owl about 1/2 mile up Ruby Jewell Road and a Flammulated Owl about 3/4 mile from the intersection.

Other roads and boxes did not turn up additional owls.  Two boxes were used by American Kestrels and one by a Squirrel

Rocky Mountain National Park

June 12, 2018

Richard Stevens:

I waited/slept in my car at Medicine Bow Curve.  At first light, a walk down (north) Medicine Bow Curve trail added two White-tailed Ptarmigan to my trip list.  The Ptarmigan were 10 yards below (west) the trail near the obviously wet drainage.

A hike to the top of the Rockcut Trail added another White-tailed Ptarmigan to my day.  The purpose of the hike was to see if new trail signs had been erected.  The Rangers had commissioned by photos to the new metal trail signs, which were not up yet.

A stop at the Lava Cliffs pullover found two Brown-capped Rosy Finches circling overhead.

American Three-toed Woodpeckers were missed during a stop at the Meadow Trail, Grand County side of Trail Ridge Road.

The next few days were spent surveying Boreal Owl nesting boxes in the Colorado State Forest.

A Birding Day in Boulder County

June 11, 2018

Richard Stevens:

I decided to spend the day in Boulder County.  Temperatures only reached 82 degrees; winds were 6-7 mph with gusts to 16 mph.

My first stop was the Boulder Open Space Office on Cherryvale Road.  One male Bobolink called along the entrance road.

Walden Ponds was the hotspot of the day.  The juvenile and adult Little Blue Herons were on a sand spit in Cottonwood Marsh.  The Tricolored Heron was nowhere to be seen. Therefore, I walked around the island at Toves Pond (just east of Cottonwood Marsh).  The Tricolored Heron and a Great Blue Heron were on the northeast shore of the northern island!

Later I bushwhacked along Boulder Creek at 75th Street and relocated one of the previously reported Eastern Phoebes.  Boulder Creek was rather high, probably from snowmelt, walking east from 75th street was not possible.

At Pella Crossing Park near Hygiene, two male Bobolinks sang from grasses east of Marshall Pond.  While I was recording the Bobolink, I notice a small bird fly into the cottonwoods south of Sunshine Pond.  It turned out to be a Red-eyed Vireo.

Next, I drove Crane Hollow Road (just south of Pella Crossing Park).  An Osprey was perched over the pond along a canal south of St. Vrain Creek.  Two Eastern Phoebes were observed catching bugs below the eastern side of Crane Hollow Bridge over St. Vrain Creek.  While photographing the two Eastern Phoebes I noticed a third Eastern Phoebe farther downstream.  It was east of the fallen tree lying diagonal across the creek.

Misses: included the Burrowing Owl as I passed Lookout Road on the way to Pella Crossing.  The previously reported Northern Cardinal and Indigo Bunting pair at Hawthorne Gulch (my search for them being quite brief).

I then headed to Rocky Mountain National Park (Larimer) for some owling.  Conditions at Cow Creek north of Estes Park were excellent.  Winds were calm.  A Northern Pygmy-Owl was heard just west of the wooden steps along the trail (about 0.7 miles from the trailhead). 

I crossed Cow Creek, heading south where previous trips encountered Aspen trees.  A Flammulated Owl responded to my recordings at an Aspen Grove.

Then I drove up Trail Ridge Road to Hidden Valley Road.  A Boreal Owl called from the northern end (far end).

Search for Mexican Whip-Poor-wills in Archuleta County

June 8-10, 2018

Richard Stevens:

June 8

Temperatures were a welcomed 82 degrees in Pagosa Springs. Winds were down to 2-3 mph with a few gusts to 10 mph.

Early in the morning Terry heard a singing male Hooded Warbler at Lower Piedra Campgrounds (Archuleta).  We searched for uncommon birds at several locations without much success.  Stops included Stillenberger Reservoir, East Fork Road, Turkey Creek Road, Fawn Gulch and Mill Creek.

About an hour before sunset, we drove Fosset Gulch Road (Archuleta).  It is the first location for Mexican Whip-Poor-will in Colorado.  None was found this evening.

June 9

Temperatures reached 82 degrees in Pagosa Springs.  Winds were only 2-3 mph with gusts to 10 mph.

Terry Michaels and I woke up early to listen for Mexican Whip-Poor-wills along Fosset Gulch (Archuleta).  Again, we were disappointed with no sightings.  Five Grace's Warblers encountered were not a good substitute.

In the afternoon, we decided to bird Navajo Reservoir.  One Black Phoebe was relocated at the Overlook.  Other birds encountered included Cassin's Kingbirds, Northern Mockingbird, Sage Thrasher, White-throated Swift, two Pinyon Jays, a Prairie Falcon, and Brown Thrasher.  The highlight was a Purple Martin along Archuleta County Road 382!

We returned to Fosset Gulch Road (CR 193) and again came up empty for Whip-poor Wills.  No owls could be enticed to call either.

June 10, 2018

Terry and I enjoyed better success this morning.  We moved over to Garcia Canyon (Archuleta CR 152) this morning.  About two hours before sunrise, we captured the calling of a Mexican Whip-Poor-will!  About 1/2 mile farther down the Canyon, we heard a second bird.  We did not believe the first Whip-Poor-Will moved that far down the road. I hope to put spectrograms of the Mexican Whip-Poor-will in July's "Colorado Field Notes".

We chose to return to Denver by way of Slumgullion Pass.  A male White-winged Crossbill circled overlook just south of the Campgrounds.  After dark, two Boreal Owls responded to our recordings.

Then the long drive home after a long successful trip..................

Baca to Mineral Counties

June 7, 2018

Temperatures were only 92 degrees when we passed through Trinidad (Las Animas).  Winds were high again today at 11-12 mph with gusts to 36 mph at the reservoir.  

In the morning, we drove around Carrizo Mountain in search of Nighthawks.  Lesser Nighthawks have been observed around the mountain in past years; however, none was today.  We did run into Rock Wrens, Bewick's Wrens, Common Nighthawks and Chihuahuan Ravens.

A Greater Roadrunner ran across highway 160 east of Kim (Baca).  Nothing uncommon was found at Trinidad State Park or Lathrop State Park (Las Animas).

We continued west for our search of Bendire's Thrashers and Mexican Whip-Poor-wills and found ourselves at Wolf Creek Pass (Mineral) just before sunset.  Two Black Swifts flew around the Treasure Falls Area!

Drive Along Colorado's Eastern Plains

June 6, 2018

Temperatures later in the day at Lamar were 103 degrees.  Who knew yesterday was the "cool" day.  Winds were 13-14 mph with many gusts to 33 mph.  Birding was almost non-existent as we drove south to Cottonwood Canyon.

At first light, we stopped to see if any Greater Prairie-Chickens were still dancing on the Yuma County Road 45 Lek.   None was found.  

Stops at Lamar Community College (Prowers) and Two Buttes Reservoir (Baca) found no uncommon birds.  Four Mississippi Kites rested from the heat at Lamar Community College.  Two Wild Turkey roosted in the trees at the east end of Two Buttes Reservoir.

We relocated two Rufous-crowned Sparrows and two Eastern Phoebes at Cottonwood Canyon (Baca).  After dark, a Western Screech-Owl called without provocation south of the Campgrounds along Carrizo Creek.

Strange Detour for Some Weld County Uncommon Rails

June 5, 2018

Temperatures later in the day at Briggsdale were a whopping 98 degrees.  Hot winds were 5-6 mph with gusts around 14-15 mph.  Two gusts reached 44 mph and almost knocked us off our feet.

It was one of my strangest birding days.  We heard about the Black Rail and King Rail at Lower Latham Reservoir (Weld) and drove 300+ miles arriving at Lower Latham Reservoir a little after 2:00 am.  

Well worth the drive, we heard and recorded both rails.  I hope to put spectrograms of both in next month's "Colorado Field Notes".

The King Rail was found/heard by several birders after sunrise.  Some thought there were two King Rails and two Black Rails.  Two Black Rails were later confirmed.

We caught a few hours of sleep at Crow Valley Campground (Weld) then drove to a Mountain Plover nesting site.  An adult and young Mountain Plover were found at a traditional nesting site on the Pawnee National Grasslands.

An Upland Sandpiper was along Weld County Road 96, east of CR 57.  Other birds found on the Grasslands included McCown's Longspurs, Chestnut-collared Longspurs, Brewer's Sparrows, Grasshopper Sparrows and Cassin's Sparrows.

In the afternoon, we headed east and arrived at Jumbo Reservoir (Logan/Sedgwick) with a couple of hours of daylight.  Our target bird, Least Bittern was not found.  Jumbo Reservoir was slow and we backtracked to Tamarack Ranch Wildlife Area (Logan).  Two Eastern Screech-Owls responded to recordings played at Area 6-7 East.

Unsuccessful Bendire's Thrasher Search

June 4, 2018

Terry Michaels and I headed out to search for Bendire's Thrashers & Whip-poor Wills in southwest Colorado.  As fate/fortune would have it, we drove thousands of miles in the next few days.

No Bendire's Thrashers were found north of Del Norte (Rio Grande County).  Bendire's Thrashers have only been confirmed at a few locations in Colorado in the past.  Forest Road 560 area is one of them.  We did find three Curve-billed Thrashers, two Sage Thrashers and two Pinyon Jays.

A Warbling Vireo gave us fits.  With only brief looks, it took quite awhile to confirm our id.

In the afternoon, we walked Home Lake Wildlife Area and the Alamosa Golf Course (Alamosa).  Both locations were quiet bird wise.

Pawnee National Grasslands Area

June 3, 2018

High temperature was 83 degrees.  Winds were 6-7 mph with gusts to 16 mph.

Terry Michaels drove north to the Pawnee National Grasslands area to visit a friend's ranch.  He has had a Northern Saw-whet Owl in his windbreak for the past three days.  Fortunately it was still day when we arrived.

A drive along Weld County Road 100, west of Hwy 392 added another Mountain Plover, a Burrowing Owl, and Chestnut-collared Longspur to our day list.

Crow Valley Campground was slow.  Best bird was a Veery.  Other birds around included Common Nighthawk, Brown Thrashers, Orchard Oriole, and Bullock's Orioles.

No Short-eared Owls were found around Lower Latham Reservoir.  We did not hear the amazing rails that would be found just a few days later.

Castlewood Canyon State Park to Cherry Creek Reservoir

June 2, 2018

Richard Stevens:

Rebecca and I had business in Colorado Springs this morning.  We chose Hwy 83 to return to Denver, which stayed clear of Interstate 25 traffic.

Temperatures only reached 77 degrees.  Winds were 7-8 mph with gusts to 15 mph.

At least two male and one female Bobolink flew around the field just south of the Winkler Ranch entrance.  Spotted Towhees, Western Kingbirds and a Cordilleran Flycatcher sang while we watched the Bobolinks.  

An Eastern Phoebe continues around the Hwy 86 bridge over Cherry Creek.  It stayed north of the bridge during our stay today.

Then we parked along the Cherry Creek Reservoir Shooting Range Road (Arapahoe) to wait for dusk and a possible Short-eared Owl sighting. 

Meantime, I walked along the road and was surprised to find a Long-eared Owl well hidden in the trees on the west side of the road.

Our highlight of the day occurred on the drive to the Shooting Range.  We stopped to watch several White tailed Deer and a small bird popped out of the grasses onto a Rabbit Brush.

This was south of Lake View Road and east of the Gun Range Road.  To our surprise, it was an Upland Sandpiper!  Wow!

No Short-eared Owls appeared.

Mostly Eastern Adams County

June 1, 2018

Richard Stevens:

Before sunrise, I drove the DIA Owl Loop (Adams/Denver).  A Short-eared Owl was flying along Gun Club Road south of Third Creek.  It criss-crossed Gun Club Road several times before disappearing to the east.

Two Burrowing Owls continue at the northwest corner of Trussville Road and 114th avenue.  Then my birding day really started.

I enjoyed an eventfully day of birding.  I drove the eastern Adams County route.  Temperatures reached 91 degrees in Byers.  Winds were 10-11 mph with gusts to 21 mph.

I would stop, sit and scope any field along Hwy 79 (Kiowa-Bennett Road) to 160th Avenue to Bradbury-Krebs Road to Hwy 40.

Eventually I found five adult and one young Mountain Plovers.  In order of sightings:

adult:  southwest of Hwy 79 & East 88th Avenue

adult & young: 160th avenue at 1.7 miles east of Piggot Road

adult: 0.2 miles north of s.a.b.

adult: 0.2 miles west Bradbury-Krebs & 160th avenue

adult: 0.2 miles south Bradbury-Krebs Road & 104th avenue

The "easier" Mountain Plovers to relocate because of closeness to road:

adult and young (160th avenue)

adult south of Bradbury-Krebs & 160th (look for two lane track (ATV?) bird was 20 feed to right of track as the track went abruptly uphill

Other interesting birds included:

many Lark Buntings along Hwy 79 north to 160th avenue

Cassin's Sparrow (2) along 160th avenue within a mile of Hwy 79

three Burrowing Owls among prairie dog village along 160th avenue at 0.5 miles east of Yellow Jacket Road

Grasshopper Sparrow at 160th avenue & Mystic Road

many Vesper Sparrows

more Lark Buntings along Bradbury-Krebs Road

Next, I went to Richmil Ranch Open Space (Arapahoe County) I hiked the 1.7 mile loop, highlights:

+++Red-headed Woodpecker

+++Great Horned Owl stayed on ground for over 15 minutes, when I continued along the path, it flew up with a cat in its claws

+++I assume male Northern Mockingbird displaying for a female, at west side of agricultural field (east side of trail)

+++a Cassin's Kingbird along the western fence line back at parking area. It flew 100 yards north before my camera could focus on it.  However, later it returned closer and hawked bugs from the horse tie up posts

+++while trying to photograph the Cassin's Kingbird, another pair of Northern Mockingbirds landed on the eastern fence

Other birds included one Western Wood-pewee (did not call, possible Eastern Wood-Pewee, I will never know)

many Bullock's Orioles, Western Kingbirds, one Blue Jay, one Grasshopper Sparrow, many Lark Sparrows, and one pair of American Kestrels.

Next, I went east to 38th avenue and Woods where a Black-throated Blue Warbler was reported last week.  Nothing was around today.

I returned to Richmil at sunset to listen for Eastern Screech-Owls.  I photographed one earlier.  Shortly after dusk, a Common Poorwill called for about 15 minutes.  He may have continued; however, I assume he saw me walking along Hwy 40 and became quiet

Quite an enjoyable day of birding especially considering the hot temperatures and high winds.

Note on the Common Poorwill:  Richmil Ranch Open Space is approximately 20 miles from the location where the late Joe Tenbrink reported a possible Common Poorwill nesting.

It is also approximately 21 miles from the location where Bryan Ehlmann and I found two Common Poorwills on June 13, 2002 and a Common Poorwill and an egg on July 7, 2002.  On July 21, 2002, we returned to find no Common Poorwills, no eggs and no egg shells.

Could Common Poorwills still be nesting in Elbert or Arapahoe County?  Breeding was confirmed years ago in Elbert County.