January 9, 2019
Richard Stevens:
High temperatures reached the low 50s today. Winds were 3-4 mph.
At first light, I drove the DIA Owl Loop; no Short-eared Owls appeared.
About 75 percent of Aurora Reservoir (Arapahoe) was ice covered. One of the Long-tailed Ducks of three was easy to spot swimming around one of the open water areas.
Common Merganser numbers were up from my last visit. Perhaps the many that stayed at Cherry Creek Reservoir, 8 miles to the west, had to relocate when Cherry Creek became 99 percent ice covered.
A walk up from the western parking lot found a Lesser Black-backed Gull with several dozen Ring-billed Gulls and a Herring Gull on the ice below the northwestern end of the dam.
The highlight however, was a Northern Saw-whet Owl in the evergreens at the upper swim beach parking area. It was quite a surprise! It is the sixth Arapahoe County record.
The only other Northern Saw-whet Owl I have encountered in Arapahoe County was also completely out of place (pines at Mississippi Avenue & I225 on 12/9/2012).
I texted several birders and at least Terry Michaels, Dave King, Jacob Washburn and Jamie Thompson were able to confirm the sighting.
My next stop was Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe). The goal was to get a photo of the Brown Thrasher that has been reported around the pond northwest of the swim beach from 11/16 to 1/8. No photo, I did not find it during a two-hour walk.
The female Rusty Blackbird was about 20 yards up from the paved path along the western stream flowing into the pond. The male Rusty Blackbird was not relocated.
Both Rusty Blackbirds have been reported since 10/31/2018. The pair originally stayed close together until about two weeks ago. I found both last on January 1st. They were quite far from each other that time. Others have seen them both as late as yesterday.
After lunch, I decided to try for the Rusty Blackbirds reported along the First Creek Trail (Denver County). I walked from the Tower Road end of 56th avenue to the pond just east of Rocky Mountain Arsenal (Denver/Adams).
The Rusty Blackbirds were never found. A search for the White-throated Sparrow that has been hanging around the weedy field at the southwest corner of the Buckley Road trailhead also came up unsuccessful.
Eighteen Song Sparrows, the most I have observed in one place and four White-crowned Sparrows popped up and down from the chain link fence to the tall grasses.
A little farther west I ran into a flock of twenty eight Dark-eyed Juncos and two additional White-crowned Sparrows.
I may have observed the White-throated Sparrow that has been reported since 10/26 (last reported 11/24). Unfortunately, it had its back to me and I could not see its yellow lore.
The weak moustachial bar, smallish bill and faint streaks on its flanks would indicate a White-throated Sparrow. A Song Sparrow has a much stronger moustachial bar, thicker bill and strong streaks on its flanks. I left the identification undecided.
The highlights of the several miles hike were a Belted Kingfisher and Great Horned Owl.
See comments!
No Short-eared Owls appeared along the DIA Owl Loop while I was parked along Gun Club Road north of 104th avenue.
Richard Stevens:
High temperatures reached the low 50s today. Winds were 3-4 mph.
At first light, I drove the DIA Owl Loop; no Short-eared Owls appeared.
About 75 percent of Aurora Reservoir (Arapahoe) was ice covered. One of the Long-tailed Ducks of three was easy to spot swimming around one of the open water areas.
Common Merganser numbers were up from my last visit. Perhaps the many that stayed at Cherry Creek Reservoir, 8 miles to the west, had to relocate when Cherry Creek became 99 percent ice covered.
A walk up from the western parking lot found a Lesser Black-backed Gull with several dozen Ring-billed Gulls and a Herring Gull on the ice below the northwestern end of the dam.
The highlight however, was a Northern Saw-whet Owl in the evergreens at the upper swim beach parking area. It was quite a surprise! It is the sixth Arapahoe County record.
The only other Northern Saw-whet Owl I have encountered in Arapahoe County was also completely out of place (pines at Mississippi Avenue & I225 on 12/9/2012).
I texted several birders and at least Terry Michaels, Dave King, Jacob Washburn and Jamie Thompson were able to confirm the sighting.
My next stop was Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe). The goal was to get a photo of the Brown Thrasher that has been reported around the pond northwest of the swim beach from 11/16 to 1/8. No photo, I did not find it during a two-hour walk.
The female Rusty Blackbird was about 20 yards up from the paved path along the western stream flowing into the pond. The male Rusty Blackbird was not relocated.
Both Rusty Blackbirds have been reported since 10/31/2018. The pair originally stayed close together until about two weeks ago. I found both last on January 1st. They were quite far from each other that time. Others have seen them both as late as yesterday.
After lunch, I decided to try for the Rusty Blackbirds reported along the First Creek Trail (Denver County). I walked from the Tower Road end of 56th avenue to the pond just east of Rocky Mountain Arsenal (Denver/Adams).
The Rusty Blackbirds were never found. A search for the White-throated Sparrow that has been hanging around the weedy field at the southwest corner of the Buckley Road trailhead also came up unsuccessful.
Eighteen Song Sparrows, the most I have observed in one place and four White-crowned Sparrows popped up and down from the chain link fence to the tall grasses.
A little farther west I ran into a flock of twenty eight Dark-eyed Juncos and two additional White-crowned Sparrows.
I may have observed the White-throated Sparrow that has been reported since 10/26 (last reported 11/24). Unfortunately, it had its back to me and I could not see its yellow lore.
The weak moustachial bar, smallish bill and faint streaks on its flanks would indicate a White-throated Sparrow. A Song Sparrow has a much stronger moustachial bar, thicker bill and strong streaks on its flanks. I left the identification undecided.
The highlights of the several miles hike were a Belted Kingfisher and Great Horned Owl.
See comments!
No Short-eared Owls appeared along the DIA Owl Loop while I was parked along Gun Club Road north of 104th avenue.
1 comment:
I did have a disturbing event. I ran into two CFO birders when I stopped to search for the Rusty Blackbirds at First Creek Trail. When asked if they had seen the Rusty Blackbirds they both said no. I found out later that they had reported them to ebirds not 20 minutes earlier. The State of Colorado birding (CFO) is sad.
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