South Platte Birding Area

December 18, 2019

Richard Stevens:

High temperature was 57 degrees.  Winds were 7-8 mph with gusts to 14 mph.

To stretch my legs I decided to walk the South Platte Birding Area (Adams) from 88th avenue to highway 224.

First, a detour was made to the pond northwest of the International Hearing Dog Training Center.  The pond was 90 percent ice covered when I scoped it; birds included three Common Goldeneyes and a few Buffleheads.  The Long-tailed Duck found by Scott Somershoe on 12/16 was not seen.

I then walked the west side of South Platte from 88th avenue down to highway 124 and returned along the east side of the Platte River.  As in most winters, many of the common ducks can be observed on the South Platte River, nothing uncommon was encountered today.

Northern West Gravel Lake was about half open water while southern West Gravel Lake was ice covered.  Nothing uncommon was found at either Lake.

On my return trip, I found probably the same male Barrow's Goldeneye (10/30) at the southern end of Tani Reservoir.  Farther north, a Long-tailed Duck (probably Scott's duck) was at the southwest end of East Gravel Lake.

Several stops were made on the drive home.  Only one Great-tailed Grackle was found this trip in the Town of Barr.  No Yellow-headed Blackbirds (sometimes winter) or additional Great-tailed Grackles were seen at the cattail fields along the southern I76 service road (just east of Barr).

Later, I scoped Barr Lake from the boat ramp and across from the Visitor's Center; however, no uncommon birds were found.

Later, a couple of squawking Black-billed Magpies lead to a Long-eared Owl sighting in the entrance windbreak!

My birding day ended along West Cargo Road south of the State Park.  I parked 0.2 miles south of Cargo Road and Third Creek.  Raptors included two Ferruginous Hawks, one Red-tailed Hawk and one juvenile Bald Eagle, however no Short-eared Owls.

After sunset, I continued south and parked at the junction of W. Cargo Road and 96th Avenue.  At 5:04 pm, a Short-eared Owl hunted over the field to the northwest.  It continued south across 96th avenue and disappeared near 88th avenue.