Morrison, Red Rocks Park & Cherry Creek Reservoir

December 30, 2018

Richard Stevens:

It was a warm day before the cold front hits tomorrow.  High temperature was 53 degrees.  Tomorrow's forecast is for a high of 22 degrees with possible snow.  Winds today were 12-13 mph with gusts to 16 mph.  Winds definitely picked up after 3:00 pm.

Dave King and I spend over three hours searching for the Morrison Golden-crowned Sparrow (Jefferson County).  We missed it yesterday, even though others had reported it again.  We checked over the five GPS waypoints provided.  Unfortunately, it was not found.

The consolation was a 5-second look at the red Fox Sparrow behind Red Rocks Park Visitor's Center.  Regrettably, it did not return in the 45 minutes thereafter.

After Red Rocks Park, we split up.  A friend was making her fifth attempt at finding the Rusty Blackbirds at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe).  

She had been searching for a while when I arrived.  Thirty seconds later, I pointed out the female Rusty Blackbird to her! 

The female was walking among the cattails in the western stream that flows into the swim beach pond (located northwest of swim beach).  Later the male made a brief appearance and then flew to the cottonwoods on the south side of the pond.

We then drove to the Lake Loop on the south side of the lake.  Afternoon light is better at the Lake Loop for scoping the reservoir.  

Again only three slivers of open water were in the ice-covered Lake.  The two male (adult & 1st winter) Long-tailed Ducks were again on the most northern open water hole.

Then we searched briefly and unsuccessfully for Long-eared Owls before I departed for home.

Search for Morrison Golden-crowned Sparrow & Stop at Cherry Creek Reservoir

December 29, 2018

Richard Stevens:

Warmed up today, high temperature was 39 degrees.  Winds were 5-6 mph with gusts to 10 mph.

Dave King and I spent more than two hours trying to find the Golden-crowned Sparrow recently reported in Morrison (Jefferson County).  Provided GPS waypoints have the sparrow wandering quite a distance.  Could there be more than on Golden-crowned Sparrow in the area?

Eventually we tired of our lack of success and abandoned the task.

In the afternoon, patience paid off when I hiked around Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County).

I searched the western and eastern drainages that flow into the swim beach pond.  The Rusty Blackbirds were not there or at the pond.  After checking the swim beach for blackbirds, I returned to the Pond.  

The sun warmed up a bit as I sat and watched Starlings and Black-billed Magpies.  The Magpies stopped for a drink and the Starlings for a quick bath.

When I was about to leave, the female Rusty Blackbird emerged from the cattails at the western drainage into the pond.  She walked the north side of the pond searching for food.  Perhaps thirty seconds later, the male Rusty Blackbird came out and followed her.

Light from the setting sun was better from the Lake Loop on the south side of the Reservoir.  I could see only three slivers of open water in the ice-covered Lake.

The closest patch had many Common Mergansers, a dozen Common Goldeneyes and a few Lesser Scaup.  The next open space to the north contained mostly Common Mergansers and a couple of Common Goldeneyes.

While the most northern open area had only a few Common Mergansers and four Common Goldeneyes.

While deciding whether to drive to Aurora Reservoir (9 miles to the east), I scoped the three areas again.  This time I picked out the white face of a diving male Long-tailed Duck.  After waiting a minute or so, both Long-tailed Ducks surfaced!

Later Rebecca and I went to dinner in downtown Denver.  Afterwards we enjoyed the colored lights at the Zoo.  The number (hundreds) of other people there was amazing.

Afterwards, we walked around outside of the southwest end of the zoo.  An Eastern Screech-Owl responded to my recordings!  Another Eastern Screech-Owl was heard at a friend's Park Hill home!

Even Colder Day at Cherry Creek Reservoir

December 28, 2018

Richard Stevens:

Quite a cold day, high temperature was of 22 degrees.  Winds were 5-6 mph with gusts to 8 mph.  COLD

I ventured into the cold for less than 30 minutes at Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County).  

A rapid walk around the Cherry Creek Reservoir swim beach pond found the pair of Rusty Blackbirds up the western drainage.  They walked in and out of the cattails 20 yards south of the main road.

Then I hurried back to my warm car.  I did not attempt to scope the Lake for the Long-tailed Ducks, etc.

Thirty minutes before sunset I sat in my car parked at 88th avenue, east of the C470 Bridge.  No Short-eared Owls appeared this evening.

Cold Hike Around Aurora Reservoir

December 27, 2018

Richard Stevens:

Temperatures reached 45 degrees.  Winds were 5-6 mph; however, gusts at Aurora Reservoir (Arapahoe County) were 14 mph.

The temperature may have been 45 degrees, however, exposed to 14 mph winds at Aurora Reservoir where there is little cover made for a quite cold day.

I decided to hike the 8.7-mile bike path around the Reservoir.  I entered from the south gate and walked counterclockwise around the Lake.

Thousands of gulls swam in the middle of the reservoir.  Only one Iceland Gull and one Lesser Black-backed Gull were found.

Thousands of White-cheeked Geese also were on the Lake.  Eventually two Snow Geese, one Ross's Geese and two Blue Geese (snow) were found.

Five American Tree Sparrows near mile 4.5 were the only passerines encountered.  

It was a long hike for such a minuscule bird list.

At sunset, I parked at West Cargo Road and Third Creek (Adams).  No Short-eared Owls showed up this evening.

Larimer County Gulls

December 26, 2018

Richard Stevens:

High temperature was 43 degrees.  Winds measured only 3-4 degrees.

Terry Michaels and I drove up and down Horsetooth Mountain Reservoir an hour before sunrise.  Finally, we observed the Black-legged Kittiwake flying back and forth over the southern end of the Lake.

Afterwards we headed to the Larimer County Landfill (Larimer).  Regrettably, many of the previously reported uncommon gulls were not around.  A first winter Glaucous Gull was the best find.

We then tried many of the adjacent reservoirs, lakes and State Park.  No uncommon gulls were found.

Our final stop was Warren Lake (suggested by a local birder that we ran into).  A Lesser Black-backed Gull, Iceland Gulls, another or same Glaucous Gull and another black backed Gull were observed here.

If this mystery black backed Gull was the same bird reported as a Slaty-backed Gull, we could not confirm it.  It appeared to be similar in size to a nearby Lesser Black-backed Gull.

While leg color was wrong for a Lesser Black-backed Gull, other field marks did not fit a Slaty-backed Gull.  These field marks included size and head shape.

After dark, we went owling along CR 38E (south end of Horsetooth Reservoir), Masonville and CR 27.  Unfortunately, no owls were heard or seen this night.  

Our "owl listening stations" did not pick up any owl sounds either.

Christmas Day 2018

December 25, 2018

Richard Stevens:

High temperature on Christmas Day was only 22 degrees.  Winds were 4-5 mph with gusts only reaching 8 mph.

While traveling to visit friends and a relative near Cherry Creek Reservoir, Rebecca and I briefly stopped at the State Park.

The two Long-tailed Ducks swam near a group of Common Goldeneyes in the middle of the lake.  The two Rusty Blackbirds were again up the drainage between the main road and the swim beach pond.

Later we found a Burger King open on a day when most businesses were closed. 

Afterwards we walked around Bluff Lake Nature Area (Denver County) the hour before sunset.  The Harris's Sparrow was again loosely associated with a flock of six or so White-crowned Sparrows.

Sixteenth CoBus Pawnee National Grasslands Christmas Count

December 24, 2018

Richard Stevens:

It was a pleasant 47 degrees this afternoon.  Winds were 5-6 mph with gusts reaching 17 mph.

The sixteenth CoBus Pawnee National Grasslands (Weld) Christmas Count took place today.  Six birders and six feeder watchers participated.

Shortly after sunrise, we found two Sharp-tailed Grouse walking along Weld County Road 138, just east of CR 117.  While this subspecies is the "plains" Sharp-tailed Grouse it is not considered a separate species from the "mountain" subspecies.

Crow Valley Campgrounds the heart of the Christmas Count had few birds.  No owls, Common Redpolls, or other uncommon birds were found.

Lapland Longspurs were found at two locations.  One possible McCown's Longspur was also reported; however, identification is still being considered.

Highlight was a Snow Bunting along Owl Creek, north of the Experimental Range Office.  Terry Michaels and I also found a Short-eared Owl flying south down Owl Creek.  It was flying toward the Office.

No other uncommon birds were found.  One feeder watcher had a Northern Saw-whet Owl in his pine trees.  After the count was over, we drove over to his ranch and relocated the little bird deep in a pine tree.  It almost looked like a birds nest.

Full Christmas Count List will be posted in a future issue of "Colorado Field Notes".