Fantastic Birding Day Around Denver

May 11, 2013

Richard Stevens:

Jerry Petrosky and I savored a fantastic day of birding around Denver.  Our day began by relocated the adult Glossy Ibis at the Cottonwood Creek Wetlands, Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe).  The (a) second bird was not among the 73+ White-faced Ibis.

Yesterday's Marbled Godwits were also not around.  We checked the nearby Prairie Loop mudflats for the godwits; without success.  Only a couple of Killdeer walked the mudflats that are shrinking rapidly due to recent rains and snow melt.

Jerry and I stopped at Denver City Park (Denver).  Neither the Greater Scaup nor Greater White-fronted Goose reported earlier in the morning was found.  Dozens of Snowy Egrets were at Ferril Lake.  A few additional walked around Duck Lake.  The Bonaparte's Gulls and Franklin's Gulls that had been around for several weeks, appeared to have left the area.

Rocky Mountain Arsenal (Adams) was uneventful.  We did run into a small flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers accompanied by a Blackpoll Warbler at the south end of Lake Ladora.  The Greater Scaup that had been on Lake Ladora was not around today.

We enjoyed our trip to Barr Lake (Adams).  To cover more territory, I dropped Jerry off at the old stone house and then drove to the boat ramp.  While I walked to the Visitor's Center, Jerry continued to the car and picked me up.

Jerry reported a Green-tailed Towhee, several House Wrens and a male Bullock's Oriole around the stone house.  He found a Black-and-white Warbler along the canal below the dam (at mile 6.6).

Meanwhile I watched the nesting Great Horned Owls at the Pioneer Trail.  Continued south and found several House Wrens, three Bullock's Orioles and a Spotted Towhee.

The highlight was west of the Visitor's Center Footbridge where a Gray-cheeked Thrush stayed in the open for a good 15 minutes.  Fortunately, I was able to keep an eye on the bird until Jerry came along.

Quite a few Burrowing Owls were out this evening along the DIA Owl Loop.  We counted over a dozen at four locations.  Unluckily, no Short-eared Owls flew around tonight.  Seven Northern Harriers hunted over the fields north of DIA.

A Trip Through Douglas and Arapahoe Counties

May 10, 2013

Richard Stevens:

We finally returned to Denver around noon and instead of resting, went out for supplies.  Of course, birding side tracked us and produced some interesting sightings.

We drove down to Castlewood Canyon State Park (Douglas) by way of Highway 83 to Lake Gulch Road and then north along Castlewood Canyon Road back to Franktown.

Two male Bobolink were found on the Winkler Ranch south of Castlewood Canyon State Park (Douglas).  While we scoped the ranch's hillsides for Bobolink, a male Wild Turkey gobbled to the west of the entrance.  A female came out of the woods and was the likely focus of his attention.

Eventually, another three males and a female were observed between Winkler Ranch and the State Park.

Both Mountain and Western Bluebirds were observed around the many bluebird boxes along Castlewood Canyon Road.  Unfortunately, we did not find the Eastern Bluebirds.

We stopped at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe) to see if the Black-chinned Hummingbird(s) had returned (none was found).

As I drove by the Cottonwood Creek Wetlands Pond, several godwits flew to the north end of the pond.  Rebecca and I got out our scopes and circled the wet field (flooded over the cement bike trail).  The Marbled Godwit count was 31.

We noticed many White-faced Ibis feeding in the sparse woods north of the flooded field and walked over for closer inspection.  That was a good idea as I noticed the blue skin around the bill of an adult Glossy Ibis!  Rebecca found what we thought might be a second Glossy Ibis.  Regrettably, we did not have as good a look at the second bird.

A Week In Jackson County

May 3 to 10, 2013

Richard Stevens:

We decided to get away from computers, telephones and daylong birding for a week.  The weather offered quite a mix in Jackson County this week.  We saw rain, much snow and even a little sunshine.  Winds varied from calm to 40+ mph (during one snowstorm/blizzard).

Several nights when the weather cooperated, we snow shoed for several miles into the Colorado State Forest.  Our success in locating Boreal Owls was higher than expectations.

Various daytime excursions produced some interesting bird sightings also!

In total, we recorded GPS Waypoints on nine Boreal Owls!  If Flammulated Owls are back in Colorado, we could not find any.

Pennock Pass (Larimer) was still closed due to drifting snow and muddy roads.  The one night we planned to attempt a six mile hike/snowshoe it snowed and we turned around.

On the night of May 4, our caravan of Owling partners grew to four vehicles.  Fortunately, I was able to locate four Boreal Owls on Cameron Pass that night.  We even welcomed good looks at one of them!

The Colorado State Forest Visitor's Center was slow birding on the four occasions that we passed by during daylight.  The Rosy Finch count had a high of two Brown-capped Rosy Finches.  The snowstorms did not aid in bringing them to the feeders this week.

Jackson County Road 26 was checked for Greater Sage-Grouse three times.  On the morning of 5/4, we watched 12+ males and 2 females visit the lek.

On 5/5, we passed by Walden Reservoir and found a Whimbrel and two Red-necked Phalaropes at the northern end.  The day before (5/4), we had found two Bonaparte's Gulls, eleven Marbled Godwits and half a dozen Willets.

During a snowshoe trip the night of 5/6, we heard two Boreal Owls up Ruby Jewell Road (our target was Flammulated Owl this night). 

The snow stopped around 4:00 am and I snow shoed early (5/7) to the Crags Campgrounds and heard another Boreal Owl just south of the camping loop.

Later the night of 5/7 into 5/8, we returned to Cameron Pass and found another pair of Boreal Owl farther west than the previous sightings/hearings.

A trip to Walden during the week did not find any Rosy Finches or Common Redpolls.  The trek to the Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge also was uneventful.  At least two Rough-legged Hawks and a pair of Golden Eagles continued there.

Northern Saw-whet Owls has returned to my friend's ranch outside of Loveland (Larimer) 5/10.

A Morning in Jefferson County

May 2, 2013

Richard Stevens:

The Miller brothers (Bob & Jan) and I headed southwest to Pine Valley Ranch Park (Jefferson County).  They were not able to find an American Three-toed Woodpecker yesterday during the snowstorm.

Skies were clear today; temperatures were in the 50s.  It took less than 20 minutes to locate a Three-toed Woodpecker up the hill south of Pine Lake.  The distinctive drumming carried quite well in the windless morning.  Their drumming sounds like the flicking of a door stop spring in that it tails off after a loud start!

No Northern Pygmy-Owls were found while we checked Buck Gulch Trail to Strawberry Jack Trail and the Narrow Gauge Trail west to the closed boundary sign.

Our next target bird was a Williamson's Sapsucker.  A male came in rather quickly after I briefly (15 seconds) played a Williamson's Sapsucker recording.

A flock of six Red Crossbills (4 males & 2 females) added a bonus to our morning.  We also found all three species of common Nuthatches, Pine Siskins, Mountain Chickadees and even two Black-capped Chickadees.

Birding Weld County In a Snowstorm

May 1, 2013

Richard Stevens:

Bryan Ehlmann and I ventured out into the snowstorm to see what birds may have stopped their migration.

Our first stop was Banner Lakes Wildlife Area (Weld County).  We relocated the Tennessee Warbler and found a Blackpoll Warbler in the west side windbreak (southern ponds, northern ponds are closed until July 15).  We did scope pond # 5, north side and saw a Broad-winged Hawk at the northwest corner of the parking area.

We continued east to visit a friend's ranch.  Along Highway 52, east of Prospect Valley (Weld County) we found several flocks of sparrows and longspurs.  Vesper Sparrows appeared to be everywhere (at least 600+ were counted).

Longspurs included at least 51 McCown's Longspurs, four Chestnut-collared Longspurs and one very late Lapland Longspur.

The Mountain Plover nesting on my friend's ranch had a buddy (now two!).

The windbreak around his ranch house had many warblers, unfortunately no uncommon ones.  They included two Orange-crowned, a male Wilson's, two Yellow Warblers and sixty one Yellow-rumped Warblers.  Vireos were represented by one Warbling Vireo!

Other birds in the trees were a couple of Western Tanagers, a Brown Thrasher, two Spotted Towhees, two House Wrens and many White-crowned Sparrows.  Other sparrows included Brewer's, one Clay-colored, a couple of Lark, Song and a Lincoln's Sparrow.

The highlight was a nesting pair of Long-eared Owls.  We hope to keep track of their nesting and look forward to successful breeding (again, they had one fledgling last year, before I knew of the location).

Burrowing Owls have returned to just south of I76 (along 75.5 road).

Snow continued to fall until sunset.  We decided to not stay around and look for Short-eared Owls.

NOTE: Bob and Jan Miller tried for American Three-toed Woodpeckers and Northern Pygmy-Owls at Pine Valley Ranch Park (Jefferson) in the snowstorm.  They did not have any success (sorry, that was expected).

Grouse Trip, Day 6

April 30, 2013

Rebecca Kosten: cell phone transcript and personal account;

About an hour before sunrise, Richard Stevens, Bob & Jan Miller drove Yuma County Roads.  Greater Prairie-Chickens were found along County Roads FF and EE.  These newly "discovered" leks offered closer views of the Greater Prairie-Chickens.

Finally, they returned to the old Yuma County Road 45 Lek about 1.5 hours after sunrise.  At least six Greater Prairie-Chickens were still displaying.  The birds here are hundreds of yards from CR 45.

Their route to the Pawnee National Grasslands passed by Jumbo Reservoir, Logan/Sedgwick Counties.  A quick survey found a Thayer's Gull, five Bonaparte's Gulls, Franklin's Gulls and two Willets.

A brief stop at Tamarack Ranch Wildlife Area in Logan County did not find any Bell's Vireos; none was expected yet.  A Northern Cardinal and Red-bellied Woodpecker were near Tamarack Pond.

McCown's Longspurs were found along Weld County Road 96.  Mountain Plovers were found at two "traditional nesting fields".  A Chestnut-collared Longspur was seen displaying above the field southeast of Highway 85 and Weld County Road 114.

Snowstorms were predicted for the next day (and it did snow) so they decided to rush to Loveland Pass, Clear Creek County and end the day searching for White-tailed Ptarmigan.

They were surprised to find the weather on Loveland Pass quite good.  Winds were less than 10 mph, normally 20+ mph and roads were dry.

In less than twenty minutes, they found a pair of Ptarmigan below the trail going up the western side of the pass!

Grouse Trip, Day 5

April 29, 2013

Rebecca Kosten: cell phone transcript and personal account;

Before sunrise, Stevens and the Millers parked at the eastern Elkhart, Kansas Lesser Prairie-Chicken Lek.  Only one Lesser Prairie-Chicken appeared and stayed briefly.

They then walked from the oil tank closest to J Road south toward the windmill.  Two additional Lesser Prairie-Chickens were seen.  Sixteen+ Burrowing Owls were around the prairie dog town about a half mile from the oil tank.

Thinking on the Lesser Prairie-Chicken Lek: As written before, maybe due to disturbance or just abandonment of the prairie-chickens, they believe this lek has become a satellite lek; the major lek is not on public land or at least does not have public access.  This lek may go the way of the Campo Lek in Colorado and be shutdown to the public?

The group returned to Colorado by way of Baca County Road G.  Along the way, they found half a dozen Burrowing Owls, Sage Thrashers and an Eastern Screech-Owl at its traditional riparian area.

A walk around the closed entrance to the Campo Lesser Prairie-Chicken Lek found many sparrows including Cassin's Sparrows!  Others included Brewer's, Clay-colored, Lark, Song and Chipping Sparrows.

Their next stop was Cottonwood Canyon in Baca County.  They considered two Mississippi Kites as the highlight bird of the stop.  Other birds found included seven Eastern Phoebes, two Rufous-crowned Sparrows, one Lewis's Woodpecker, Canyon Towhees, Bewick's Wrens, Rock Wrens, Canyon Wrens and a male Ladder-backed Woodpecker.

They looked around for the possible Arizona Woodpecker reported earlier in the week, without success.  The Winter Wren was also not relocated.

No Mountain Plovers and only one Burrowing Owl were found at Pasture G, Baca County.  A traditional spot for both those birds and migrating Long-billed Curlews, however, not today.

Two Buttes Reservoir was not birdy.  They did find a Tennessee Warbler, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Brown Thrasher and Barn Owl.

They kept their eyes open for Scissor-tailed Flycatchers along highway 387/285.  Late April and early May are good times to find one migrating along the route.

Lamar Community College in Prowers County was a gold mine of birds.  While most were reported by others yesterday and early in the day, Richard, Bob & Jan split up and covered the area well.

Final tally included Northern Parula, Blue-winged Warbler, Carolina Wren, a pair of Northern Cardinals, Broad-winged Hawk, Wilson's Warbler, Yellow Warbler and Brown Thrasher.

Their day was not over, but ended at Hale Ponds, Yuma County.  At dusk, they got a Common Poorwill to respond to a recording.  A Red-bellied Woodpecker drummed along Yuma County Road 4.

After dark, two Eastern Screech-Owls were relocated near previously recorded GPS waypoints!