October 31, 2018
Richard Stevens:
Denver received a couple of inches of snow overnight. Fortunately it has been warm enough and road were clear. High temperature was 45 degrees. The day was windy with 8-9 mph winds and gusts to 16 mph.
Terry Michaels and I headed to Chatfield Reservoir (Jefferson/Douglas). Most of the Murrelet records in Colorado have been discovered after or during a snowstorm the first week of November. Many of the Sagebrush Sparrow records at Chatfield Reservoir are recorded after a late fall snowstorm. They were our target birds; neither of which was found.
We did find the Surf Scoter in the extreme northeast corner. Loons were missed both at Chatfield and nearby McLellan Reservoir.
Both a Pacific Loon and Common Loons were relocated at Marston Reservoir (Denver).
Bonaparte's Gulls were still at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe). The Common Loon and Swamp Sparrow were not relocated.
I spent several hours scoping Aurora Reservoir (Arapahoe). Rangers were working on the swim beach, therefore no gulls. The southern half of the lake did have hundreds into a thousand gulls swimming around. Nothing uncommon was found.
No loons or scoters were picked out among the hundreds of Gadwalls and Ruddy Ducks.
I then hiked up the western trail to the north end of the dam. Twice as many gulls swam just offshore. Eventually I was able to find a Mew Gull, Bonaparte's Gull, Iceland Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull.
No loons, scoters or Red-necked Grebe were at the northern end either.
My birding day ended at the First Creek Trail. One of the White-throated Sparrows continued among White-crowned Sparrows and Song Sparrows behind the chain link fence at the southwest corner of the trailhead.
Misses, the Winter Wren and Swamp Sparrow found a few days ago were not relocated.
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