Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Walker Gravel Pit, Cherry Creek Reservoir

October 16, 2018

Richard Stevens:

High today of a "warm" 55 degrees.  Winds were 7-8 mph with gusts to 12 mph.

My birding day started at Rocky Mountain Arsenal (Adams).  A drive along the Wildlife Area loop did not find any Red-headed Woodpeckers or any uncommon birds.

The Common Loon was still on Lake Ladora.  I walked the boardwalk on Marys Lake and found a Swamp Sparrow at the southeast quadrant.

A return to Aurora Reservoir (Arapahoe) was not as long as yesterday.  Still no scoters or Long-tailed Ducks found, I did relocate one of the Iceland Gulls and Mew Gull found yesterday.

Misses, the Western Gull and Bonaparte's Gull were not encountered.  However, I did not walk to the northwestern corner or southeastern Coves today.

I searched several hours for the Winter Wren along the Cherry Creek Trail south of the Walker Gravel Pit and Hwy 86 bridge.  A Gray Catbird popped out of the willows where the Winter Wren had been seen last week.

Nothing uncommon was seen at Castlewood Canyon State Park (Douglas).  One Turkey Vulture circled overhead.

My birding day ended at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe).  I missed the American Golden-Plover again.  A Bonaparte's Gull and Common Tern were on the sandbar at Pelican Bay.

One Stilt Sandpiper and several Lesser Yellowlegs were on the Prairie Loop mudflats.  Nothing uncommon was found at Pelican Point.

There are mudflats between the Prairie Loop and Pelican Point.  It required bushwhacking through willows and cattails to examine this area, which I did not do today.

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