Cherry Creek Reservoir

December 8, 2018

Richard Stevens:

High temperature was 48 degrees.  Winds were 8-9 mph.  I measured gusts to 12 mph at Cherry Creek Reservoir.

We returned from a successful Eastern Colorado bird trip late last night.  To my friends who know the quest, we did find our target bird after four days!  Sensitive species we will have to keep the location undisclosed.

Today, while visiting a friend and relative at the Life Care Center of Aurora, I stuck out to check if the Rusty Blackbirds were still at nearby Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe).

I was surprised that most of the lake was ice covered.  The small pond northwest of the swim beach was also mostly frozen.  

The Rusty Blackbirds were not around the pond.  While looking for them I got quite a surprise.  A female Black-and-white Warbler flew down for a drink of water.  She eventually flew back to the cottonwoods along the north side of the pond.

Later I walked up the drainage at the northeast corner of the pond.  A few Robins, a couple of Northern Flickers and the pair of Rusty Blackbirds hunted for food along the shallow stream.

With no scope along, I could not identify the birds in the small open water space far off in the center of the lake.

On the way home, I stopped by the Tollgate Creek Trail Reservoir at the bend in Yale Avenue between Buckley and Tower Roads.  Thousands of White-cheeked Geese stood on the ice and swam in the 20 percent of open water.

The Greater White-fronted Goose was not picked out and probably not around.  A beautiful blue Snow Goose offered some nice photos!