Birding Around Castlewood Canyon

August 22, 2019

Richard Stevens:

High temperature today was 93 degrees.  Winds were calm all morning.

The plan was to hike the Creek Bottom and Inner Canyon trails at Castlewood Canyon State Park (Douglas).

I arrived several hours ahead of sunrise and set up my "owl listening stations".  One was in the Park and the other at a private ranch outside of the Park.  Then I visited a friend's home above and western cliffs.

A Northern Saw-whet Owl in response to my recordings flew into the fir trees where I sat!  Later the "owl listening stations" picked up another Northern Saw-whet Owl in the Park (when I listened to recordings).

No Ovenbirds were found today along the Creekside trail.  Whether they are gone or just silent was not determined; no warblers or vireos were found.  An unidentified 'Empidonax Flycatcher" was ran across just north of the broken Cherry Creek dam.

The inner canyon trail was a little more interesting.  It was cooler and mostly in shade.  Both Sharp-shinned and a Cooper's Hawks were found.  Best bird was a Virginia's Warbler fluttering around the willows.  

A Canyon Wren was heard singing in the rocky cliff west of the overlook. All three nuthatches, a few Yellow-rumped Warblers and a Plumbeous Vireo were also observed.

By the time I returned to my car, it was quite warm and I headed for home.  A quick stop at the Walker Gravel Pond found the Common Loon still there!