February 7, 2009
Richard Stevens:
Bryan Ehlmann, Gary Weston, and I enjoyed this beautiful winter day with a search for Northern Saw-whet Owls in Jefferson County. Unfortunately we did not find any, but did find a few interesting birds. Winds were stronger on the plains than the foothills. Temperatures reached the middle 50s by us.
About an hour before sunrise, we sat at the western parking area for Reynolds Park (Jefferson County). We heard 2 Northern Pygmy-Owls first southwest of the Trailhead sign and later up Oxen Draw.
Next we drove over to Pine Valley Ranch Park and hiked the six mile loop starting at Pine Lake parking area. We eventually observed a Northern Pygmy-Owl south of the Strawberry Jack Trail and west of the Parkview Trail.
We missed Jerry Baines who was also somewhere hiking the park and found a Northern Pygmy-Owl 1/2 mile northeast of the Buck Gulch and Skipper Trails. We passed this location and must have been going in a different direction along the loop.
An American Three-toed Woodpecker was relocated north of the Strawberry Jack Trail and west of the Parkview Trail.
A search around any evergreen trees for signs of Northern Saw-whet Owls was not successful.
We returned to Reynolds Park to search for Northern Saw-whet Owls south up the mountain (along the Eagle View Trail); again without success.
A Dusky Grouse was in the woods to the right of the Eagle View Trail just before the clearing at the top.
Two American Three-toed Woodpeckers were found. A female downhill (south) of the Eagle's View and Oxen Draw Trails and another Three-toed Woodpecker about 40 yards east of the same intersection.
After dropping Bryan and Gary off in Denver, I headed to Lower Church Lake. I photographed the 4 adult and juvenile Trumpeter Swans reported by Kathy Mihm-Dunning.
My birding day ended with a search around East & West Gravel Lakes for gulls (such as the lingering 1st year Glaucous Gull last reported 1/31.
Many gulls flew in from the south (water treatment plant?). Many gulls landed on the remaining ice at the northeast corner of Tani Reservoir and the southern side of the East Gravel Lake north of 88th avenue.
I stayed until well after sunset (6:00pm). The only gulls observed were many Ring-billed, 2 Herring Gulls, and 1 adult Thayer's Gull (Tani Reservoir).
Richard Stevens:
Bryan Ehlmann, Gary Weston, and I enjoyed this beautiful winter day with a search for Northern Saw-whet Owls in Jefferson County. Unfortunately we did not find any, but did find a few interesting birds. Winds were stronger on the plains than the foothills. Temperatures reached the middle 50s by us.
About an hour before sunrise, we sat at the western parking area for Reynolds Park (Jefferson County). We heard 2 Northern Pygmy-Owls first southwest of the Trailhead sign and later up Oxen Draw.
Next we drove over to Pine Valley Ranch Park and hiked the six mile loop starting at Pine Lake parking area. We eventually observed a Northern Pygmy-Owl south of the Strawberry Jack Trail and west of the Parkview Trail.
We missed Jerry Baines who was also somewhere hiking the park and found a Northern Pygmy-Owl 1/2 mile northeast of the Buck Gulch and Skipper Trails. We passed this location and must have been going in a different direction along the loop.
An American Three-toed Woodpecker was relocated north of the Strawberry Jack Trail and west of the Parkview Trail.
A search around any evergreen trees for signs of Northern Saw-whet Owls was not successful.
We returned to Reynolds Park to search for Northern Saw-whet Owls south up the mountain (along the Eagle View Trail); again without success.
A Dusky Grouse was in the woods to the right of the Eagle View Trail just before the clearing at the top.
Two American Three-toed Woodpeckers were found. A female downhill (south) of the Eagle's View and Oxen Draw Trails and another Three-toed Woodpecker about 40 yards east of the same intersection.
After dropping Bryan and Gary off in Denver, I headed to Lower Church Lake. I photographed the 4 adult and juvenile Trumpeter Swans reported by Kathy Mihm-Dunning.
My birding day ended with a search around East & West Gravel Lakes for gulls (such as the lingering 1st year Glaucous Gull last reported 1/31.
Many gulls flew in from the south (water treatment plant?). Many gulls landed on the remaining ice at the northeast corner of Tani Reservoir and the southern side of the East Gravel Lake north of 88th avenue.
I stayed until well after sunset (6:00pm). The only gulls observed were many Ring-billed, 2 Herring Gulls, and 1 adult Thayer's Gull (Tani Reservoir).
