Grouse Trip Day 4

April 27 into 28, 2013

Rebecca Kosten: transcript of telephone call:

While eating lunch, Richard Stevens, Bob & Jan Miller received a RBA text message about the Eurasian Wigeon in Grand Junction.  They rushed over to the Riverfront Trail east of 29 Road and were able to relocate the bird!

Continuing South, they relocated four Black Phoebes in Escalante Canyon, Delta County.  Two are nesting below the Pinnacle Rock.  No Chukar could be found.

Marbled Godwits and Willets continued at Fruitgrower's Reservoir, Delta County.  A pair of Lewis's Woodpeckers was again found in the tall cottonwoods in front of Evelyn Horn's home below the dam (west of the reservoir).

They ended their birding day at the Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park, Montrose County.  A walk to the Lookout Point about 500 yards west of the South Rim Drive found (heard) a Northern Pygmy-Owl!

At dusk, they watched two male Dusky Grouse display on the South Rim Road, approximately 200 yards east of the west end parking lot.  One female Dusky Grouse gave out of the scrub oak north of the road.

Grouse Trip Day 4

At first light, Stevens and all watched 10+ Gunnison Sage-Grouse display at the Waunita Hot Springs Lek.  Shortly before sunrise and soon after civil twilight, the birds flew west across 804 Road.

They stopped at Monarch Ski Basin but were unable to find any American Three-toed Woodpeckers.

A drive down Swallows Road, south of Highway 50, Pueblo West found two Curve-billed Thrashers and two Scaled Quail.  A Loggerhead Shrike was also reported.

They continued east and stopped at Lake Cheraw, Otero County.  This is one of the best shorebird locations in Colorado.  They found a Red-necked Phalarope, Wilson's Phalaropes, Snowy Plovers, Semipalmated Plovers, several Marbled Godwits and Black-necked Stilts.

A quick detour to the John Martin Reservoir Cattail marsh along Bent County Road JJ added a Black Rail (heard), Virginia Rails and Sora to their trip list.

After dark, they found a Western Screech-Owl at Cottonwood Canyon, Baca County.

Grouse Trip Day 3

April 26 into 27, 2013

Rebecca Kosten: transcript of Telephone Call:

Last night, Richard Stevens, Bob and Jan Miller birded on the Grand Mesa.  They relocated a Northern Pygmy-Owl behind the maintenance shed at the Powderhorn Ski Area.

Later they stopped at half a dozen pullovers along highway 65, from the Spruce Grove Campgrounds to the Visitor's Center.  They heard four Boreal Owls and were able to see one of them!

Grouse Trip, Day 3

Earlier this morning, the group went through the Colorado National Monument, Mesa County.

Dozens of Gambel's Quail were seen in the subdivision just outside the eastern entrance to the Monument.

They relocated the Black-chinned Sparrow along the No Thoroughfare Trail after it forks with the Devil's Kitchen trail. 

Rock Wrens and Canyon Wrens were found at the Devi's Kitchen picnic area.

Black-throated Gray Warblers, Pinyon Jays, Juniper Titmice and Bushtits were found around the Campgrounds and across from the Visitor's Center.

They are headed toward Delta County and the Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park, Montrose County.

Grouse Trip Day 2

April 25 into 26, 2013

Rebecca Kosten: cell phone transcript:

April 25, Afternoon

After visiting Walden Reservoir, Richard Stevens, Bob and Jan Miller found a female American Three-toed Woodpecker up the road to the maintenance shed at Rabbit Ears Pass, Grand County.

No White-winged Crossbills were found during several stops along the Pass.

Grouse Trip, Day 2

Friday morning, they parked at the 20 Road Leks in Routt County.  Four+ Sharp-tailed Grouse were watched for 30 minutes and they headed to the Coal Bank Gulch State Trust Lands where another four Sharp-tailed Grouse were found.

Unfortunately, the 80 Route Road was still not passable and they continued west to the Oxbow Wildlife Area in Moffat County.

Two Sage Sparrows, three Sage Thrashers and a few Pinyon Jays were seen from the parking lot for the Wildlife Area.  The Wildlife Area itself is closed to protect nesting grouse and other birds.

It only took about 30 minutes for them to find a Chukar in Coal Canyon, Mesa County.  The Chukar was 60 yards west of the closed pipe gate, 40 yards uphill.

Start of Another Grouse Trip

April 25, 2013

Rebecca Kosten: cell phone transcript:

Richard Stevens and the two Miller brothers have started another Grouse Trip.  Last night, they saw and heard two additional Boreal Owls near and west of Cameron Pass (Jackson).

This morning they found thirty male and five female Greater Sage Grouse at the Jackson County Road 26 Lek!

They returned to Walden and relocated twenty+ Common Redpolls at Sandy Flinnau's home along Garfield Street.

Walden Reservoir just west of Walden had many California Gulls, Franklin's Gulls, a Bonaparte's Gull, Marbled Godwits, Willets and the Caspian Tern reported yesterday by Nick Komar!

They guys are headed west to Steamboat Springs!

A Week Birding Around Denver

April 19-24, 2013

Rebecca Kosten:  Richard had written his trip reports for the past week.  We are switching internet providers and have been unable to reliably connect to the internet.  Richard is on another grouse trip this week, so I am updating the blog.

April 24, 2013

Bryan Ehlmann and I returned to Denver City Park (Denver) to get better photos of the Bonaparte's Gulls.  The number of Bonaparte's Gulls appeared to "grow" to fifteen or so.

In the afternoon, we drove over to Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe) to see if the Glossy Ibis stayed through the snowstorm. 

The Glossy Ibis was not found at the Bellevue Wetlands or the Cottonwood Creek Wetlands.  I scope every White-faced Ibis at least five times and never found one with blue skin around the base of the bill.

Two Marbled Godwits feed in the tall grasses just east of the Cottonwood Creek Pond.  A few Tree Swallows and Cliff Swallows hawked insects over the pond.

A pair of Ospreys perched on the telephone poles around the Bellevue Wetlands.  A Marsh Wren chattered in the cattails.  Two Virginia Rails walked out of the cattails and gave us good looks!

Another birder reported seeing eleven Ospreys earlier in the day!

Burrowing Owls were found at three locations along the DIA Owl Loop drive.  Again, we missed Short-eared Owls.

April 23, 2013

Rebecca Kosten and I waited for the snow to melt off the roads and then went for a drive into Denver.

The ten Bonaparte's Gulls were still swimming around Ferril Lake in Denver City Park (Denver County).

On the way home, we drove through Rocky Mountain Arsenal to look for the Bison.  The male Greater Scaup was still on Lake Ladora.

To stretch our legs, we walked to the Rod & Gun Club Pond.  Two Sage Thrashers were near the trailhead!

No uncommon gulls were among the several dozen Ring-billed Gulls around Havana Ponds.

April 22, 2013

Snow!  Did not leave the house!

April 21, 2013

While out replenishing supplies, Rebecca Kosten and I drove the DIA Owl Loop (Adams County).  We did not find any Short-eared Owls; Burrowing Owls were observed at three locations.

Later, Bryan Ehlmann and I drove east to Banner Lakes Wildlife Area (Weld).  The northern sections/ponds are closed until July 15.  Birders can walk the southern sections/ponds (Ponds 1 to 4).

The highlight was a Black-and-white Warbler in the tall cottonwoods along the western side of the ponds!

We continued east to visit a friend (reported the Snowy Owl back on 3/21/2012.  A Mountain Plover was found on private land near Highway 52 and Weld County Road 77.

He informed us about a Burrowing Owl colony east of CR 75 and 1/2!

Later in the afternoon, we drove over to Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe) and relocated the Glossy Ibis in the cattails near the Bellevue Wetlands.

Six American Avocets were walking around the Cottonwood Creek Wetlands.

The two Lesser Black-backed Gulls were again on the southwest sand spit!

April 20, 2013

I enjoyed a great day of birding, switched birding partners twice. Winds were mild and high temperature was around 60 degrees.

Highlights:

Adams County
Bryan Ehlmann and I watched a Short-eared Owl before sunrise. It was in the field southwest of the dead end of Gun Club Road off 114th avenue. Burrowing Owls were observed at three Locations along the DIA Owl Loop.

Douglas County
Rebecca Kosten and I drove down to Titan Road and Roxborough Road. 

Along the way, we watched a Broad-winged Hawk circling over Titan Road and Rampart Range Road.

The Long-billed Curlews, about 20, were east of Roxborough Road at 0.8 miles south of Titan Road.

Next stop, the Burrowing Owl was west of the southern entrance to Chatfield Reservoir. The Eastern Phoebe was north of the Plum Creek Delta footbridge.

Jefferson County
Within 30 minutes, both the Golden-crowned Sparrow and Fox Sparrow appeared under the platform feeder behind the Red Rocks Park Trading Post.

Adams County
We relocated the alternate plumaged Common Loon first reported by Kathy Mihm-Dunning on Lake Ladora, Rocky Mountain Arsenal. The Greater Scaup was still on Lower Derby Lake.

While looking for the Bison, I saw a plover like bird fly into the field at the southwest corner of 7th avenue and "B" Street. It turned out to be a Mountain Plover and landed 10 yards from our car.

Nothing uncommon was on Lakecrest or the Greenwood Village Recreation Ponds.

No Short-eared Owls were found at sunset along the DIA Owl Loop.

Warning: Last night I missed the Glossy Ibis at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe). A State patrol officer stopped me for going 30 mph in a 25 mph zone. It took the last 20 minutes of daylight to settle.

April 19, 2013

Bryan Ehlmann and I passed through Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County) late in the afternoon.  Hundreds of gulls were on the southwest sand spit.

A Glaucous Gull (1st/2nd cycle) was among the many gulls.  We also could pick out two Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

Burrowing Owls were along the DIA Owl Loop.  No Short-eared Owl appeared tonight.

The End of a Grouse Tour and Winding Down at Rocky Mountain Arsenal & Cherry Creek Reservoir

April 18, 2013

Richard Stevens:

Rich and Ellen Bozelli and I started our last day of the Grouse Trip.  Driving around yesterday in Weld County looking for Mountain Plover and longspurs (in a snowstorm and 31 mph winds) was not too productive.  We did find two McCown's Longspurs and one Chestnut-collared Longspur (along Highway 14).

Today, skies were clear; however, winds were 23 mph, gusts to 31 mph.  Roads were still snow covered and/or icy.  We again found a McCown's and Chestnut-collared Longspur or two. 

No Mountain Plovers were found.  The Pawnee National Grasslands and area were snow covered.  The roads/dirt tracks on my two favorite Mountain Plover fields were deep in snow.  I would not have known there were roads if not for previous visits.  We did not try to drive down those roads.

Many of the Weld County gravel roads had 12 inches plus of snow.  We were glad to have a 4-wheel drive vehicle.  Thousands of Horned Larks searched for food along the highways and any bare fields (few) they could find.

We returned to Denver about 3:00 pm and ended the tour.  As the DIA Owl Loop was passed, we found Burrowing Owls:
Picadilly Road between 128th and 120th.
112th, west of Quency Street
3.4 miles east of Tower Road and 96th Avenue

No Burrowing Owls appear to have returned to the Prairie Dog town 0.2 miles north of Tower Road and 56th Avenue.

Rebecca Kosten and I went out for supplies and drove through the Rocky Mountain Arsenal (Adams County).  We found a Greater Scaup on Lake Ladora and Lower Derby Lake.  Quite a few species of ducks were found on both lakes.

The highlight was that the herd of 78 Bison were right along the road at 6th Avenue.  We were provided superb views of the massive animals!

The feeders at the Contact Station were full; however, the only birds that visited in 30 minutes were Red-winged Blackbirds.

We ran into Jerry Petrosky at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County).

Thousand of gulls were on the sand spit at the southwest marina.  A few interesting gulls were in the mix.  These included a 1st/2nd year Glaucous Gull, two adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls, a 1st cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull and a 2nd cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Other species represented included, Herring, California, Franklin's and Ring-billed!

No shorebirds were found at the Prairie Loop mudflats.  A Virginia Rail ran across below the cattails and allowed us good looks.

Grouse Trip Continues In a Snowstorm

April 17, 2013

Rebecca Kosten (transcribed from telephone call):

Yesterday afternoon we finally ran into the snow that the whole state has been experiencing for a week now.  After seeing Greater Sage-Grouse at the Jackson County Road 26 lek, we drove slowly to Walden.  This morning we woke up to 14 inches of snow.

The snow continued as we creped to the Colorado State Forest Visitor's Center, Jackson County about twenty miles east of Walden.  Only a few Brown-capped Rosy Finches visited the feeders.

Conditions did not look great; however, we decided to continue to Fort Collins, Larimer County.  We did want to spend another night in Walden and Jackson County.

Rich Borzelli found a White-winged Crossbill at mile marker 105.6 of Highway 14!  Snow continued to fall and I had to stop and clean the wipers several times.  When we reached highway 14 and 287, the snow lessen a bit.

A drive around the CSU area of Fort Collins did not find any Bohemian Waxwings.  It was difficult to see anything in the falling snow.

However, we did not stop, instead continuing east toward the Pawnee National Grasslands, Weld County.  A check of county roads where Mountain Plover were reported yesterday, did not find one for us.

A male Chestnut-collared Longspur in breeding plumage was with Horned Larks along the side of highway 14 near Weld County Road 17.  Hundreds of Horned Larks lined highway 14.  We found several McCown's Longspurs with hundreds of Horned Larks along Weld County Road 37.

Conditions continued to deteriorate; Weld County Roads had almost a foot of snow on them.  We made a U-turn and settled down in a Motel in Fort Collins.