Weld & Arapahoe County Birding

March 20, 2019

Richard Stevens:

What a great winter day with a high temperature of 57 degrees.  Winds were 7-8 mph with gusts to 15 mph.

Terry Michaels attempted to find Mountain Plovers in the Pawnee National Grasslands area (Weld) today.

We passed Cozzens Lake on the drive up where the previously reported three Tundra Swans were still around.

On the grasslands, many of the traditional locations were searched and no Mountain Plover was detected.  These included two nesting spots.

Seven Sharp-tailed Grouse were discovered along Weld CR 111, north of CR 132.  This area appears to be the best location for a sighting.

A few McCown's Longspurs were run across; unfortunately, no Chestnut-collared Longspur was among them.  No Chestnut-collared Longspurs have yet to return to their nesting area, the field southeast of Highway 85 and Weld CR 114.  There were no Snow Bunting sightings to report either.

We hiked the northern end of the CPER land down to Owl Creek and several hundred yards up and down the Creek.  A Short-eared Owl was found 200 yards south of our entry point.  A Great Horned Owl called 300 yards north of the same point.

After dropping Terry off, I stopped by Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe) on my way to visit a sick friend at nearby Aurora Life Care Center.

A male Red-winged Blackbird chased the female Rusty Blackbird from the north shore of Augie's Pond (northwest of the swim beach).  She disappeared in the grasses north of the floating log (northern center of pond).

I believe I observed the Red-necked Grebe reported several days ago.  It dove often and only stayed on the surface for short periods of time.  Looks were less than desirable.  I was scoping the Lake from the Dixon Grove parking area where light from the southern setting sun was terrible.  

Later I relocated the grebe while scoping from the Lake Loop.  The grebe was again far away in the center of the Lake.  The angle of the sun was better from the Lake Loop. 

Highlights from the Lake Loop included a nice assortment of gulls.  Among them were a Glaucous Gull, two Iceland Gulls (one Iceland & one Thayer's), Herring Gulls, California Gulls and of course many Ring-billed Gulls.

A search for an early Western Kingbird or any Kingbird was not successful.  My time ran out before an owl search could commence.