Birding Around Metro Area

May 3, 2019

Richard Stevens:

It was a pleasant high temperature of 67 degrees today.  Winds were 6-7 mph in the city.  I decided to bird the western metro area today.

On my way to Belmar Historic Park (Jefferson), I stopped at Bear Creek Greenbelt.  I Winter Wren that was around for weeks eluded me.  A Broad-winged Hawk perched in a cottonwood at Wadsworth and Yale was an outstanding consolation.

I walked around Belmar Historic Park (Jefferson) for a couple of hours searching for warblers.  Two female and a male Red-necked Phalaropes swam around the northern end of Kountze Lake.  

The Short-billed Dowitcher allowed for great photos.  It was more interested in finding food along the shore at the trail to the bird platform than my presence.  Photos of both species were posted to the Colorado Birding Society's photo library:

coloradobirdingsociety.net 

A small flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers worked the trees west of the wooden footbridge over the horse trail (western end of park).  Another couple of Yellow-rumped Warblers and an Orange-crowned Warbler flew around the smaller lake/pond west of Kountze Lake.

A stop at Washington Park (Denver) did not find the Barrow's Goldeneye reported yesterday on either Smith or Grasmere Lakes.  

While circling Grasmere Lake I encountered a flock of 82+ Yellow-rumped Warblers at the western side.  They worked the trees west and north of the porta potty.  

One warbler dropped its tail down on many occasions.  It was a Palm Warbler.  The Palm Warbler followed the flock as it moved north along the west side of the main road/ bike and pedestrian trail.

My birding day ended at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe).  Once again, I searched unsuccessfully for the Northern Parula reported two days earlier.

Three Orange-crowned Warblers and a pair of Black-capped Chickadees fluttered around the wild Plum bushes near the north end of Pelican Point.

No uncommon shorebirds could be found at Pelican Point or Pelican Bay.  No owls appeared at sunset along Lake View Road and the shooting range entrance road.