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.