Aurora Reservoir, Pronghorn Nature Area & Star K Ranch

November 24, 2019

Richard Stevens:

What adjective to use to describe the magnificent fall day it was in Colorado?  Rebecca and I went to Aurora Reservoir to look for the Northern Goshawk reported yesterday.

We entered from the southern entrance and walked down to the Lake at mile 2.0 then west to mile 0.5.  A pair of Rusty Blackbirds flew up from the cattails along Senac Cove about halfway between the entrance and the lake.  They were most likely the same pair I observed on 10/18/2019.

We scoped the trees along the east and south sides of the Lake; no Goshawk was found.  A pair of Great Horned Owls stood on the same cottonwood branch near mile 0.8.

The contrast between the two in color was interesting.  One was a light gray color while the other almost brown in color.  Both were similar in size.

Gulls were scattered across the lake because of the many boats and fisher people.  Groups of gulls were on shore at mile 2.0, 4.5 and 5.5.  Most were too far away to identify.  The Common Loon was near the mouth of Lone Tree Cove.

Next, we decided to hike the northern Pronghorn Open Space trail to its end (about 1.2 miles one way).  We watched the large cattail fields along the way for sparrows (Swamp Sparrow).  

The highlight was a dark morph Ferruginous Hawk hunting over the field just outside of the Open Space boundary.  We observed one over nearby Aurora Reservoir on 8/7/2016.  The Open Space and nearby DADS (Denver Arapahoe Disposal Site) comprised a huge territory for a Ferruginous Hawk to hunt or live.

The southern Pronghorn Trail was scoped from the trailhead.  A lone adult Red-tailed Hawk was perched in one of the larger cottonwoods.

Our final stop was the Star K Ranch (Arapahoe).  Two American Woodcocks have been reported in the area (1/1/2005 & 10/16/2016) over the years.  We became excited when a long bill was spotted sticking out of the cattails along the southern side of the Nature Loop Pond.  Regrettably, it belonged to a Wilson's Snipe.

Not much else was around.  There was no repeat of the 12/29/2002 male Red-bellied Woodpecker who wintered through 3/8/2003.  A Great Horned Owl called from the southeast corner of Sand Creek.

Daylight ran out before we could make it to nearby Coal Creek Regional Greenway.  Perhaps we can visit it tomorrow.  American Woodcock was photographed there on 10/16/2016 (cover of November 2016 "Colorado Field Notes")