An Hour at Cherry Creek Reservoir

March 5, 2019

Richard Stevens:

Terry and I have been wishing for a break in the snowstorms waiting for our first grouse trip of 2019.  Our hope to set new early records has gone.  Still it would be nice to be back on the birding road.

High temperature today was only 32 degrees.  The lack of winds, only 3-4 mph made for a pleasant winter day.

I took an hour out of finishing chores to stop by Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe).  My usual walk is from the Dixon Grove parking lot, along old Parker Road to the western stream flowing into Augie's Pond.  Then I go over to the eastern stream and down to the pond, returning to my car by walking along the cattails at the south side of the pond.

Today, as I approached the western stream at old Parker Road, the male Rusty Blackbird was searching for bugs about 20 feed south of the drainage pipe.  He walked into the cattails and did not return in 30 minutes.

The female Rusty Blackbird was in the cottonwood above the stream.  She flew about 20 yards south of the drainage and walked the small puddle formed by the stream.

I continued my route, however found the Brown Thrasher around the pond or up at the Smoky Hill Group Picnic Pavilion.

Three Western Bluebirds and two Mountain Bluebirds perched on the cattails along Lake View Road (between the main road and Shop Creek parking area.

No owls were found along the shooting range entrance road.  Half a dozen birders were looking.  I did not stay until dusk.