Birding Around Denver, Welchester Tree Park, Chatfield Reservoir to Cherry Creek Reservoir

September 10, 2018

Richard Stevens:

Temperatures reached 87 degrees.  Winds were 8-9 mph with gusts to 25 mph.  Wish I could blame my miscue ID on the shaky tripod, but will not.

I headed to Welchester Tree Park (Jefferson County) about two hours before sunrise.  It is the only way to miss the horrendous Denver traffic.  After breakfast at McDonald's, I walked around the Park shortly after sunrise.

The Hooded Warbler was moving about the willows along the creek, west of the footbridge.  Unfortunately, he stayed deep in the thickets, no photo.  

I walked around the rest of the park.  A flock of six Black-capped Chickadees was in the northeast corner of the park.  It is the similar location of the Blue-winged Warbler of May 2015.  None today, however a Townsend's Warbler was loosely associated with the flock.

Nothing else moved about and I headed to Chatfield Reservoir (Jefferson/Douglas) where a Jaeger had been reported yesterday.

From the marina sand spit at Chatfield Reservoir, I could see two jaegers.  One was a juvenile Long-tailed Jaeger.  The other a dark Jaeger appeared to be a Pomarine Jaeger.  

I moved to the north side of the lake (on top of the dam) trying to get closer to the birds.  Regrettably, it was not much closer.  Scoping the lake to relocate the jaegers I discovered a third Jaeger.  Clearly, it was another Long-tailed Jaeger.

Later I found out from birders who had rented a boat to get closer to the birds that my "Pomarine Jaeger" was a Parasitic Jaeger.  That is what I get to trying to identify a Jaeger from 1/3 mile (measure with gaps).

On the way out of the park, I stopped at the old balloon launch area.  Access was limited because of construction, however I scoped the beach and found a Sabine's Gull walking around.

My next stop was Salisbury Equestrian Park (Douglas).  The Semipalmated Plover reported yesterday did not appear to be around today.

Heading north, I drove through Cherry Creek State Park (Arapahoe).  The Mew Gull continued on the small sandy shore at the northwest corner of Pelican Bay.

Three Sabine's Gulls flew around below the dam (north of the Mew Gull spot).

Stops at the Prairie Loop and Pelican Point did not find any shorebirds other than Killdeer.

A quick stop at nearby Quincy Reservoir (Arapahoe) and Aurora Reservoir (Arapahoe) did not find additional jaegers or uncommon gulls.

No owls were found along the DIA Owl Loop (Adams/Denver Counties).

Personal note:  I have been publicly incorrect only five times now on bird identifications.  Three of those mistakes were jaegers, all of which were quite far away.  I am going to stop calling them in public.  Most of my identification mistakes were correct ids that I refused to tell the public.  Cannot very well call them after someone else finds them.