Long Day Along the Foothills

April 12, 2019

Richard Stevens:

High temperature was a cool 41 degrees.  Winds were mild at 3-4 mph.

Finally, a Burrowing Owl showed up along the DIA Owl Loop.  The bird was just south of Third Creek and a good 100 yards west of West Cargo Road (Adams County).

A check of the first mile of the Wildlife Drive at Rocky Mountain Arsenal (Adams) did not find any Eastern Phoebes or Red-headed Woodpeckers (yet?)

I was headed toward Brush Hollow Wildlife Area (Jefferson) where Bez Bezuidenhout photographed a Neotropic Cormorant yesterday.

A stop at Clear Creek Valley Park (Adams) did not find any shorebirds.

A text message indicated that the Neotropic Cormorant had moved from Belmar Historic Park to Robert A. Easton Regional Park (Jefferson).  The Neotropic Cormorant was 10 yards off the western shore!  Photos on the Colorado Birding Society's photo library:

coloradobirdingsociety.net

Other interesting birds included at least two to six Greater Scaup among dozens of Lesser Scaup.  Five species of swallows flew over Hine Lake.  One Chimney Swift flew high overhead.  A male Yellow-headed Blackbird popped out of the cattails along the western side of the Lake.

I circled back north to Belmar Historic Park (Jefferson) to see if a second Neotropic Cormorant was in the area.  None was found, which does not mean there are not two in the metro area.

Photos of the Robert A. Easton Regional Park bird do not look like the Belmar Historic Park's Neotropic Cormorant.

The park was circled twice hoping for a Vermilion Flycatcher, Northern Parula, Pine Warbler or any uncommon bird.  None was found.  Two American Avocets were the first of the year for me.  Three Western Bluebirds fluttered about the eastern side of the Park.  Say's Phoebe count was eight!

Back southward, I walked the southern side of Harriman Lake Park.  The only interesting bird was a male Great-tailed Grackle.  He called constantly; no female appeared.

There was no way to get home in Friday's traffic, I continued south to Waterton Canyon and the Audubon Nature Center.  The Fox Sparrow and Eastern Phoebes recently reported were not relocated.

My birding day ended up Deer Creek Canyon.  I walked the road and surveyed the creek for Northern Pygmy-Owls.  None was found this evening.  No Short-eared Owls appeared north of the road (South Valley Park).