Adams and Arapahoe County Birding

May 18, 2019

Richard Stevens:

High temperature today was 62 degrees.  Winds were 8-9 mph with gusts to 22 mph.

Terry Michaels conducted the Eastern Arapahoe County spring count yesterday.  Today I ran the Eastern Adams County route.

Regrettably, no Mountain Plover were found this trip.  Grasses were high, perhaps the Mountain Plover are still nesting, and no young were wandering around.

The Burrowing Owls continue along 160th Avenue, approximately 0.5 miles west of Yellow Jacket Road.

Eventually I dropped down south to Richmil Ranch Open Space (Arapahoe).  Three Cassin's Kingbirds constantly chattered at each other.  Perhaps two were males, the third a female.

The Northern Mockingbird found yesterday by Terry was not relocated today.  I understand it flew south across the railroad tracks and into the closed section of the Park.

My birding day ended with a four hour hike around Barr Lake (Adams).  Baltimore Orioles have been found here between 5/17 and 5/23 eight of the last fifteen years.  None was encountered today.

The lack of a variety or large number of warblers was surprising.  Yellow Warblers are back in full force (over three dozen in a two mile section of the trail.

A Northern Waterthrush walked around the water's edge near what would be mile 8.4.  It was hidden well most of the time but did show several times.  A Hermit Thrush was in the same area.

Highlights were two Gray-cheeked Thrushes.  The first sighting was at mile 8.05 (Pioneer trailhead is 8.1).  It walked on the ground and fallen logs below the trail.

I was attempting to photograph a Western Wood-pewee hawking insects at mile 0.5 (just west of the Niedrach Boardwalk) when a second Gray-cheeked Thrush popped out of the underbrush.  I captured several shots of this bird.

While waiting for better photos, a male MacGillivray's Warbler also flew out of the willows here.  Four Eastern Kingbirds also flew around.

Other sightings included many Bullock's Orioles, a few Western Kingbirds, many House Wrens, and an Osprey back on the nesting platform at mile 8.6.

While waiting for Short-eared Owls along the DIA Owl Loop I observed one Burrowing Owl near West Cargo Road and Third Creek.  Two Ferruginous Hawks stood among the prairie dog mounds.  No Short-eared Owls appeared this evening.