Trek At Barr Lake

September 14, 2019

Richard Stevens:

High in the afternoon at Barr Lake (Adams) was 89 degrees.  Winds were 6-7 mph with gusts to 16 mph.  It was hot along the sunny shore with no shade.

I spent the afternoon (2:00 pm to 6:00 pm) stretching and resting my legs on the flat trails at Barr Lake (Adams).

The southern side of the lake was not birdy.  A Cassin's Vireo (banded) turned up at the north end of banding station peninsula.  Three thrushes were observed under the cottonwoods and willows at the western end of the Niedrach Boardwalk trail.

One Hermit Thrush and one Swainson's Thrush were definitely identified.  The third thrush was quite interesting.  It appeared to be a Gray-cheeked Thrush, which would be utterly uncommon for fall.  However, Barr Lake and Adams County has a 10/8/2018 sighting and the First Creek Trail (Adams) has a 9/30/2018 sighting.  Photos taken and will end up on the Colorado Birding Society's website soon.

No shorebirds were found along the southern shore.  Meanwhile hundreds American White Pelican stood on the island off the banding station.  The only gulls seemed to be hundreds of Ring-billed Gulls.

With the lack of shorebirds, I resolved to try the northern shore.  Ultimately I would traipse the northern shore from mile 6.0 (north end of the dam) to mile 4.0.  On the return, I hiked the main Barr Lake trail near the railroad tracks.

On the drive along Lark Bunting Lane to the Northern parking area near the old stone house, a Burrowing Owl was spotted south of the road in one of the prairie dog towns.

The only non-Killdeer shorebirds found were six Baird's Sandpipers.  A young Bald Eagle and a Red-tailed Hawk stood in snags near mile 5.4.  Another young Bald Eagle was feeding on a dead carp at mile 5.0.

A few Snowy Egrets and Great Blue Herons lined the shore.  The Killdeer count was 18 walking around the Smartweed (pinkish flowers all over the shore).

A dark mantled Gull at mile 4 turned out to be a Lesser Black-backed Gull.  Several Franklin's Gulls and many Ring-billed Gulls were in the same area.

Now walking back along the main trail I ran into a male Great-tailed Grackle and male Yellow-headed Blackbird around the pond north of the railroad tracks near mile 4.9.

Final interesting bird was a Townsend's Warbler in the cottonwoods at mile 5.3.  A House Wren, four Yellow-throated Warblers, two Black-capped Chickadees, a White-breasted Nuthatch and Red-breasted Nuthatch were also here!

No owls appeared along the DIA Owl Loop at sunset.