Friday, November 29, 2019

Cherry Creek Reservoir & First Creek Trail

November 28, 2019

Richard Stevens:

High temperature today was only 28 degrees.  Winds were 8-9 mph most of the day.

Rebecca and I took Thanksgiving dinner to a friend living near Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County). 

We stopped afterwards to look for the reported two Trumpeter Swans.  Around the marina area, we found two American White Pelicans, two Double-crested Cormorants, four Snow Geese and various common ducks.

Two large white gulls caught our attention.  One was a young Glaucous Gull.  The second bird appeared to look like a Glaucous-winged Gull.

The Yellow-billed Loon is still on the Lake.  At least two Bonaparte's Gulls also remain at the State Park.  Over sixty eight American White Pelicans swam in the cove west of the swim beach.

Our final stop was the Denver County section of the First Creek Trail.  We parked at the new apartments south of the horse corrals along 56th avenue.  A walk from 56th avenue to the light rail bridge found few birds.  No Rusty Blackbirds have yet returned after wintering here last year.

While returning to our car we noticed a large flock of sparrows in the high grasses northwest of the apartment buildings office.  Half a dozen Song Sparrows, at least ten American Tree Sparrows and a Harris's Sparrow were observed.

No Short-eared Owls appeared this evening along the DIA Owl Loop (Adams/Denver).

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