Birding Parks: Chatfield, Cherry Creek, Aurora Reservoir & Barr Lake

November 19, 2019

Richard Stevens:

High temperature today was 64 degrees.  Winds were 7-8 mph.  

I left home at 4:00 am to miss the traffic across town to Chatfield Reservoir.  The goal today was to see three species of scoters in one day.  I had not done so since November 2, 2001.

The first two hours before sunrise I drove up and down Deer Creek Canyon Road in search of owls.  Northern Pygmy-Owls sometimes hunt along Deer Creek and Short-eared Owls hunt north of the same Road in South Valley Park.  Unfortunately, none was found this morning.

I scoped Chatfield Reservoir (Jefferson/Douglas) from above the dam.  Only one of the two reported White-winged Scoters was found.  Nothing else uncommon was discovered.

Then across C470 at South Platte Park Reservoir (Arapahoe/Jefferson), both the Surf Scoter and Black Scoter were observed.  No Greater Scaups were found at Blackrock Lake or Eaglewatch Lake.  Some usually winter here; perhaps it is early in the season.

Both the Yellow-billed Loon and Common Loon were still on Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe) when I passed through.  Another Common Loon swam on Aurora Reservoir.  Gulls were too far away to identify today.

I spent the late afternoon walking the canal below the Barr Lake dam (Adams).  With so many late migrants being reported along the Front Range, it seemed to be a good choice.  However, few birds moved about. It was cloudy unlike my visit last week.

The highlight was a probable Winter Wren.  I would have liked another look, only got two (90 percent sure of ID).  It was under the fallen tree at the first break in the riparian willow row as one comes from the Old Stone House.

Additional birds found were two Wilson's Snipes, nine Song Sparrows and a pair of Black-capped Chickadees.

Later, I scoped the Lake from the boat ramp.  Hundreds of Western Grebes, hundreds of Northern Shovelers and many other ducks as well as White-cheeked Geese were scattered across the Lake.

My birding day ended as I sat at 88th avenue and the toll road 30 minutes before and after sunset.  No Short-eared Owls appeared this evening.