Boulder County Birding

August 29, 2013

Richard Stevens:

Bryan Ehlmann and I hiked up Skunk Canyon Trail (Boulder County) about four hours before sunrise.  Winds were calm, temperatures in the low 60s!  It was quite a pleasant walk after the 95+ degree temperatures of yesterday.

The woods were filled with bird sounds and challenged our hearing skills.  We were sure of Chipping Sparrows, Pine Siskins, White-breasted Nuthatch, and a Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Highlights were a Flammulated Owl & Northern Pygmy-Owl!  A second Flammulated Owl was caught on our "owl listening stations"!

After sunrise, we headed up to Lyons and Rabbit Mountain Open Space hoping to find the possible Buff-breasted Flycatcher reported twice in the past few weeks.  Unfortunately, we could not find any "empidonax species".

We did not find any Say's Phoebes either.  Not that a Say's Phoebe could be mistaken for an "empidonax" flycatcher.

Later, we headed south and stopped at Panama Reservoir # 1.  The Caspian Terns did not appear to be around; the Semipalmated Plover (Floyd, 8/28) was still there.

The Red-necked Phalaropes (Floyd, 8/28) were still on Little Gaynor Lake.

As temperatures rose, we stopped at Teller Lakes Trailhead off Valmont.  Regrettably, no Dickcissels were found along the northern trail.  Nothing uncommon was observed when we walked the southern trails either.

Just after noon, temperatures reached the low 90s.  We decided to end our birding for the day.

Jefferson County Foothills

August 28, 2013

Rebecca Kosten:

Richard and I went to Cheesman Reservoir early this morning to beat the afternoon heat. Our target bird was the Acorn Woodpecker photographed by Jean Langel on 8/18.

It would have been a new county bird for both us if it was found. After spending a couple of hours at the "woodpecker hot spot" we only found a Lewis's Woodpecker and two Red-headed Woodpeckers. We also missed the Nashville Warbler reported farther down the road.

We stopped at Staunton State Park and hiked around Colorado's newest State Park.  There were plenty of common foothills birds but nothing rare.  A Flammulated Owl was recently reported here, seen during the day.  Unfortunately, we did not find any owls.  The day was warming up rapidly.  It was close to 90 degrees by noon.

Searching for Mountain Birds

August 27, 2013

Richard Stevens:

Peter Ferguson, Tom Graham and I started out at Reynolds Park (Jefferson County) about an hour before sunrise.  A Common Poorwill called north of the road while we stood at the western parking area.

Unfortunately, no Northern Pygmy-Owls called around the same parking area and we hiked up the Elkhorn Trail to Raven's Roost, then to the top of the park.  A male Williamson's Sapsucker drummed along Raven's Roost just south of the service road.  While a Dusky Grouse crossed our path at 300 yards south of the old service road.

We did not run into an American Three-toed Woodpecker until our return down the mountain.  A male American Three-toed Woodpecker was along the Oxen Draw Trail, just north of the intersection with Eagle's View/Raven's Roost Trails.

Plenty of additional birds were around to entertain us.  Three species of Nuthatches, Red Crossbills (near clear at the top), Hairy & Downy Woodpeckers, Pine Siskins buzzed about, Western Wood-pewees and a Cordilleran Flycatcher.

Temperatures were much cooler than the predicted 90+ degrees back in Denver; we decided to head up higher to Guanella Pass (Clear Creek). 

It took about two hours before we found our target bird.  An adult White-tailed Ptarmigan was about 30 yards over the mountain (south of the 603 trail Summit) that is south-southeast of the main parking area.

A few additional birds perked our interest.  Two "timberline" Brewer's Sparrows called with the tops of the mountain willows.  There plenty of rumblings that the Brewer's Sparrow will be split into two species (the one nesting in the mountains & the plains Brewer's Sparrow).

A Prairie Falcon zoomed through the valley below us!  White-crowned Sparrows and a few Wilson's Warblers were also found.

We ended our birding day at Kenosha Pass.  Regrettably, no owls called tonight.

Visit to Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Adams County

This morning Rebecca and I went to Rocky Mountain Arsenal hoping to find some of the birds the Jerry Petrosky found on 8/23. The Dunlin that Dave Rhodes found on 8/25 was found in a closed area with no public access.

The only uncommon bird we found was a Cassin's Vireo north of 6th Avenue in the thick riparian area just west of the irrigation ditch along 6th (ditch is just west of area where 6th changes from paved road to gravel).

At least eight Western Wood-pewees, two Loggerhead Shrikes and one Bullock's Oriole were counted.  Raptors included Red-tailed Hawks, Swainson's Hawks, a Ferruginous Hawk and a Great Horned Owl.

Final Try For the Pileated Woodpecker, Larimer County

August 25, 2013

Richard Stevens:

Four of us, searched Chambers Lake and north to Wyoming for a Pileated Woodpecker reported 8/23/2013 at Chambers Lake (Larimer County).  Again, we were not successful; the bird remains elusive.

We started by circling Chambers Lake again and then "hop skipped" up Laramie River Road.  The technique was to drop us off at various locations (one at a time) and the most northern birder who leave the car (with keys) and continue farther north.  When the most southern birder reached the car, he would go past the others, drop the car off, and continue north.  It is quite an effective way to cover more ground (keeping in touch by radios).

Some of the locations surveyed included: Half Creek Road, Skyline Road & Campgrounds, Lily Pond Lake,

After joining back up, we drove Stub Creek Road (CR 190) and drove to Browns Park Campgrounds.  Yet another American Three-toed Woodpecker was added to our trip list.

Hohnholtz Lakes Campgrounds was not anymore successful.

We hope that another birder will run into the Pileated Woodpecker and get a photo!

It was raining again this evening, no owling, glad to be back in Denver.

Laramie River Road and a Pileated Woodpecker, Larimer County

August 24, 2013

Richard Stevens:

We received a message that two Missouri birders had seen a Pileated Woodpecker along the southwest side of Chambers Lake (Larimer County) yesterday.  Our plans to conduct bird surveys up Zimmerman Lake trail were scrubbed and our day was spent in search of this elusive Colorado bird.

There have been at least two previous reports of Pileated Woodpecker in Colorado.  Both were single birder sightings and therefore have not been accepted as State Records.

Long story short, we (Bryan Ehlmann, Jacob Washburn, Ray Simmons & I) did not find the darn thing.

We circled Chambers Lake running into three American Three-toed Woodpeckers, no Pileated Woodpecker.

Bryan and I drove up the Green Ridge Jeep trail (passed Lost Lake and Laramie Lake) and continued to Twin Lakes.

An American Three-toed Woodpecker was around Lost Lake.  Another American Three-toed Woodpecker was seen at the western Twin Lake.

Meanwhile Jacob and Ray hiked up the Barnes Meadow Reservoir trail.  They also ran across an American Three-toed Woodpecker and a Dusky Grouse.

Later we all drove to Tunnel Campgrounds.  While some interesting birds were found, no Pileated Woodpecker.  We did see two American Three-toed Woodpeckers, two Townsend's Warblers and a Calliope Hummingbird.

In the past, Magnificent Hummingbirds had been found on three occasions in July and early August.  It would have been a nice consolation prize but was not to be.

At dusk, a Dusky Grouse crossed Laramie River Road (0.1 miles south of the Campgrounds).

A thunderstorm ended any chance for successful owling.

Buffalo Pass Road, Routt/Jackson Counties

August 23, 2013

Richard Stevens:

Bryan and my goal today was to conduct bird surveys along Buffalo Pass Road (Routt CR 38) east of Steamboat Springs.

We enjoyed a good day of birding, eventually locating seven American Three-toed Woodpeckers at four locations.  Two at Granite Campgrounds at Fish Creek Reservoir, the others along Buffalo Pass Road, west of the Summit.

Two male White-winged Crossbills were observed flying over Buffalo Pass Road (at 0.6 miles west of the Summit).

A flock of 10-12 Red Crossbills were found when we drove to Summit Lake (Jackson County).  The short 0.7-mile hike to George Lake found our target bird (White-tailed Ptarmigan).  We dropped over to Routt County hoping to find a Ptarmigan in the County also; without success.

After dark, we found a Flammulated Owl in Routt County (near Forest Road 306).  No Boreal Owls showed up on our "owl listening stations".

Owling along Jackson County Road 24 on our return to Gould was not successful (it rained most of the trip).