Interesting Stop at Aurora Reservoir

January 30, 2019

Richard Stevens:

High temperature was 46 degrees.  Winds were 5-6 mph with gusts to 14 mph.

A stop at Aurora Reservoir (Arapahoe) this afternoon was quite interesting.  The near ice shelf viewed from the lower swim beach parking area had mostly Ring-billed Gulls with two Herring Gulls and an Iceland Gull in the mix.

The Long-tailed Duck was swimming off the far (eastern) ice shelf.  A Lesser Black-backed Gull stood on the ice there.  The highlight was a young Glaucous Gull swimming near the Long-tailed Duck.

Then I hiked up the west dam parking area and scoped below the southwest corner of the dam.  Additional Ring-billed Gulls, three Herring Gulls and the Great Black-backed Gull swam about 25 yards off the corner.

An adult Bald Eagle perched in the cottonwoods along Senac Creek east of the northern Pronghorn Natural Area parking area.