Search of a Short-billed Dowitcher, Arapahoe & Elbert Counties

April 19, 2017

Richard Stevens:

Temperatures reached 70 degrees in spite of being colder than yesterday.  Winds were measured at 7-8 mph; gusts were 24 mph.

I started out this morning to attempt to relocate the possible Short-billed Dowitcher reported yesterday in Elbert County.

The Black Swan was still on the 10th hole lake at Blackstone Country Club (Arapahoe County). 

Two private properties, which will remain unnamed, were inspected for birds.  Two Vesper Sparrows were found at one, a Long-eared Owl and Brown Thrasher at the other.

My only Grasshopper Sparrow of the day was at last year's "Dickcissel location" along Arapahoe County Road 129 just north of Orchard Road.

One Burrowing Owl and one Sage Thrasher were encountered at nondescript locations.

The rest of the morning was uneventful.  No Dowitchers were at the location thought to be yesterday's Short-billed Dowitcher site.

Only White-crowned Sparrows were found on the return trip to Denver.  No Burrowing Owls were located at 2016 sites.  No Kingbirds or Northern Mockingbirds had returned to 2016 sites.  Any shorebirds including Long-billed Curlews were found.  Not one longspur crossed my path.

Search For A Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

April 18, 2017

Richard Stevens:

After I had been up all night, Rebecca Kosten and I drove to Barr Lake (Adams County) to search for the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher reported yesterday.  The flycatcher was not found during out two hour search.  We carefully scoped the front of the riparian area south to the private ranch outside the Park.

I walked from the boat ramp (mile 7.8) to the Visitor's Center (mile 9.0).  Highlight was a Nashville Warbler near mile 8.4.  Credit for finding the bird goes to a person that stopped me and asked what kind of bird was in the bushes.  I am sorry not to have asked his name.

House Wrens are back in full force; the count was at least ten.  No flycatchers, vireos or additional warblers were encountered.

We also drove the roads along the eastern and northern side of Barr Lake hoping the flycatcher had flown there.  Several Great-tailed Grackles and a male Yellow-headed Blackbird were on the cattails north side of Barr Lake, west of E. 144th Avenue.

By mid morning, I was exhausted and went to get some sleep.

Owling Trip to Teller & Fremont Counties

April 14-17, 2017

Terry Michaels and I went on a rare weekend birding trip (usually too many people wandering around).  We went owling in Fremont and Teller Counties.

I have written before about the about of equipment I carry.  Back in 1992, the equipment consisted of only a pair of $50 binoculars.  In later years, I found myself carrying GPS (locator), IPOD (play recordings), blue tooth speaker (amplify recordings), anemometer (wind speed & temperature), digital recorder (record sightings), digital camera (photograph sightings) and too expensive binoculars. 

Recently "owl listening stations" and spot light were taken on grouse and owling trips.

This trip we also added NVG7-3P     Night Vision goggles and radio transmitter/receiver (to locate tagged birds).

Because of the sensitivity of owl's habitat and nesting their locations will remain unnamed.  We have gained much expertise in locating owls and enjoyed these last few days.

Big misses were Flammulated Owls.  Perhaps they are not back in Colorado yet?  Usually they return to the mountains before snow covered roads allow access.  We drove several areas and even snow shoed where access was possible.

Highlights:

April 14:
No Flammulated Owls found in Teller County.   Two Northern Pygmy-Owls and a Northern Saw-whet Owl (caught on our "owl listening stations") north of Woodland Park.

April 15 & 16
The Western Screech-Owl was relocated along the Arkansas Riverwalk (Fremont County).  A Black Phoebe & Eastern Phoebe were at Florence River Park (Fremont).

After dark, our "receiver" picked up a possible Spotted Owl.  Two Northern Saw-whet Owls were found at the mouth of Phantom Canyon.

April 16
We also found two Northern Saw-whet Owls and a Northern Pygmy-Owl up Red Canyon Road (Fremont).  Our return to Phantom Canyon found the Spotted Owl.  Two Northern Saw-whet Owls at different locations than yesterday also were picked up by our "owl listening stations".

April 17
A hike around Mueller State Park (Teller) added two Williamson's Sapsuckers and an American Three-toed Woodpecker to our trip list.

After dark, a trek up the Crags Road to the Campgrounds found two Northern Pygmy-Owls and a great surprise.  A Boreal Owl was calling unprovoked north of the Campgrounds.

A brief stop at Beaver Creek Wildlife Area (Fremont) on the way home added one last Northern Pygmy-Owl to our trip list.

Drive Around Eastern Arapahoe County

April 17, 2017

Rebecca Kosten:Ehlmann:Amy Davenport

Sue Ehlmann, Amy Davenport and I followed a new route from Parker today.  We passed by Blackstone Country Club and took some photos of the Black Swan.

Then we drove east on County Line Road to County Road 129.  Along the way, we saw a Burrowing Owl just east of Antelope Drive and a male Lark Bunting just west of CR 129.  Both birds were north of County Line Road and therefore in Arapahoe County.  Two Vesper Sparrows were south of the road in Elbert County.

We turned north on Arapahoe CR 129 and drove to CR 30 which is also called Quincy Avenue.  A female Lark Bunting was near East Geddes Avenue.

A Loggerhead Shrike was photographed at CR 129 and East Orchard Road.  This area is the curve in CR 129 where Dickcissels were found last summer.  It is a little too early for them yet this spring.

About 0.1 miles south of CR 30, a Grasshopper Sparrow, maybe two was on the fence on the east side of CR 129.

Once we turned west on CR 30, two Prairie Falcons were seen on the telephone poles.  Farther west an adult Ferruginous Hawk also used a telephone pole.

At South Watkins Road (CR 97), we turned north.  A Red-tailed Hawk was near this intersection.  At East Yale Avenue, we picked up the eastern end of the Jewell-Yale Loop and continued westward.

At the northwest bend in Yale Avenue, (some maps call the road Smith Road here), we continued north to East Jewell Avenue.  A Bald Eagle was perched in one of the tall cottonwoods along Creek.

At Jewell our birding ended and we drove west back to Denver.  Along our way, we stopped numerous times and scoped the fields for Long-billed Curlews and Longspurs.  Neither was found.  Another Loggerhead Shrike was along Yale Avenue at 0.3 miles south of Jewell Avenue.

We expect the route to offer many birds in the weeks to come.

Drive Through Rocky Mountain Arsenal

April 16, 2017

Rebecca Kosten:

Sue Ehlmann, Amy Davenport and I in the late afternoon drove the Wildlife Drive at Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Adams County.

The afternoon was mostly uneventful.  We did see an Eastern Phoebe leaving a potential nesting area going out to catch some food.

Three Say's Phoebes were found in the riparian areas.  A highlight was a Long-billed Curlew just inside the Wildlife Drive.  The Long-billed Curlew was walking in the short green grassy field east of the road and just north of mile 3.

A Marsh Wren came out of the cattails near the bridge just north of the Long-billed Curlew field.  As it sang, a Ranger drove by and cued us that it was not legal to get out of our vehicle.

The drive was marked by the absent of any large raptors.  Two Burrowing Owls were at mile 7.  Another Burrowing Owl was at the corner of Havana Street and 88th Avenue.

Our Western Meadowlark count was only six during the eight-mile drive.  Few ducks swam on Lake Ladora and Lower Derby Lake.

Later we saw three Burrowing Owls at W. Cargo Road at Third Creek.  The area is well outside of the Arsenal.  No Short-eared Owls were found and seem scarce this spring.

Drive Around Adams County

April 13, 2017

Richard Stevens:

Temperatures reached 76 degrees today.  It was windy, anemometer readings were 24 mph with gusts to 31 mph.

I drove the roads east of the Denver International Airport searching for longspurs.  Eventually a Chestnut-collared Longspur was found along North Imboden Road and two McCown's Longspurs East 72nd Avenue.  In both cases, the longspurs were loosely associated with flocks of Horned Larks.

To stretch my legs I hiked Umpire Street between 96th Avenue and 104th Avenue.  It is a little early in spring; however, I scoped the trees where Box Elder Creek crosses 96th & 104th avenues. 

Not much was around today; historically Red-headed Woodpeckers, various empidonax flycatchers and other interesting birds will show up in the riparian areas along the Creek.

No Short-eared Owls were found along the DIA Owl Loop this evening.  Two Burrowing Owls stood on prairie dog mounds at West Cargo Road and Third Creek.

Trip to Weld County

April 12, 2017

Richard Stevens:

Rebecca Kosten and I enjoyed the beautiful spring day with a drive around Pawnee National Grasslands and area (Weld County).  Temperatures reached 80 degrees today.  Winds were 7-8 mph with gusts to 26 mph.

A couple of Mountain Bluebirds were around the Washington Work Center north of Crow Valley Campgrounds.  Two Chipping Sparrows fluttered about also.

A Chestnut-collared Longspur was relocated at Murphy's Pasture, not much else was there.  Another Chestnut-collared Longspur was seen along CR 96 near the gate just west of the gravel road heading to Murphy's Pasture.

We drove up the gravel road from the gate and walked around for an hour.  One Mountain Plover was eventually found quite a ways south of CR 96.

Another Mountain Plover was found in a traditional nesting site.  The location will remain unnamed because of nesting behavior.

As we drove north, we passed Norma's Grove (CR 100 east of CR 57).  As expected, nothing uncommon has arrived yet.  If in the area, it is a good spot to find spring migrants.

A Loggerhead Shrike was along CR 108, west of CR 51.  We walked in the field southeast of Highway 85 and CR 114.  A permit maybe required to enter this field (we do have such permit).  Traditionally, Chestnut-collared Longspurs nest here.  Eventually one male Chestnut-collared Longspur was found.

My technique is to walk toward the windmill to the southeast, then return directly north back to CR 114.  Today the Chestnut-collared Longspur was 2/3 the way to the windmill.

We hiked west on the gravel road about a mile north of the USDA Central Plains Experimental Range Office along CR 37.  The trail heads to Owl Creek.  In the past Short-eared Owls have been observed along the Creek.  Today we only found a pair of Great Horned Owls (north of where the trail intersects with the Creek).

Afterwards we continued back to Wellington Wildlife Area.  After obtaining permission (access rules confusing), we walked along the windbreak.  One Long-eared Owl was found.

We waited/stayed until dusk.  No Short-eared Owls appeared this evening.