Trip to Bethune and area, Kit Carson County

September 7, 2016

Rebecca Kosten (transcript of phone call):

Terry Michaels and Richard Stevens passed Last Chance Rest Stop (Washington County) at first light.  They found a Cassin's Vireo and yesterday's Northern Waterthrush.  Misses: the Bell's Vireo, Townsend's Warbler & Indigo Bunting found yesterday by Loch Kilpatrick.

They had no luck in finding the Blue-headed Vireo and Cassin's Vireo reported yesterday by Glenn Walbek near Bethune (Kit Carson).  Nor could they find the Buff-breasted Sandpipers along Kit Carson CR N, east of CR 56.

Arapahoe County Road 185 Playa

September 6, 2016

Rebecca Kosten (copy of email sent to cobirders listserve):

In a roundabout way, I (Richard Stevens) savored another superb birding day.  Can a day birding ever be bad.  Started the day out doing chores, when nearby Cherry Creek Reservoir, I drove through looking for the Common Tern that Loch Kilpatrick found early. 

Half a dozen Black Terns flew around the middle of the lake.  A white Tern was also out there, too far away to identify.

Already side tracked I decided to inspect the Eastern Arapahoe County playas.  The result was enjoying the two best reasons I became a birder.

Finding a needle in a haystack or better yet a surprise bird in the haystack is always delightful.  Making new friends is just as important and satisfying.

I stopped by the Arapahoe CR 30 playa (3:00 pm) to find it dried up and void of birds.  The CR 34 playa was never found; I headed to the CR 185 playa (4:00 pm).

No shorebirds were on the playa almost dried up now; I set up my scope to inspect it anyway.  The pond to the west across from CR 185 had not shore and many ducks.

As I sat there inspecting the playa to the east, shorebirds started to arrive overhead from the west.  The source could not be determined (I did look along CR 181).  By the time I left, the count was over 200 birds.

In the mix were 180+ Baird's Sandpipers, 12 Lesser Yellowlegs, 8 Greater Yellowlegs, 1 Stilt Sandpiper, 1 Solitary Sandpiper, at least 2 Least Sandpipers, at least 2 Western Sandpipers and 2 Semipalmated Sandpipers.  Many peeps were left unidentified.  Killdeer made up the rest except for the surprises. No smaller plovers were seen.

The highlights included 12 Pectoral Sandpipers, 2 Short-billed Dowitchers and could it be, the missing Buff-breasted Sandpiper.  No way to know if it was the CR 30 bird.  At least one Chestnut-collared Longspur remained from Saturday's group.

As I sat there, a rancher stopped and warned me about the nasty thunderstorm coming in from the southwest.  Warning given, he continued home.   The lightning was get worse.

Twenty minutes later, another truck came by; it was the rancher's wife.  She said her husband was on the internet and lightning strikes were quite numerous about 1/4 mile southwest of the playa.

Unfortunately, it was time to leave.  I followed her toward her ranch where I was treated to the location of nearby playas and the history of the area.  Quite interesting, if accurate to hear about how Deer Trail (a major cattle drive destination), Byers and Strasburg (majoy railroad town) were much bigger before a 1965 flood.  It is always intriguing to learn local history from the descendants of those that lived it!

Two Day Northeastern Colorado Trips

September 4-5, 2016

Rebecca Kosten (transcript of email notes):

September 4

Marion Warren, Betty Orr, Jack Lewis and I set out to search for a few of their target birds on the eastern plains.  Temperatures were in the middle 70s; winds were 9 mph, gusts to 11 mph. 

A brief stop at Jackson Reservoir (Morgan County) found a Long-eared Owl in less than 10 minutes at the western Campgrounds.

The most of rest of the day was spent at Prewitt Reservoir (Logan/Washington Counties).  Eventually we found the 2nd year Western Gull, one Lesser Black-backed Gull, several Semipalmated Plovers and six Pectoral Sandpipers.

At the inlet canal area, we picked up a Yellow-billed Cuckoo (they are used to seeing Black-billed Cuckoos in Missouri).  A Great Crested Flycatcher and Eastern Screech-Owl (usual location) were also in the same area.

Another Great Crested Flycatcher and a Red-headed Woodpecker were below the dam.

We rushed to Yuma County Road 45 and searched for Greater Prairie-Chickens at sunset.  One Greater Prairie-Chicken was south of CR 45, between the CR 45 lek and Highway 385.

Sterling was the biggest town to spend the night to try for additional target birds in the morning.

September 5

Today winds were calm; temperatures reached the middle 60s.  It was much nicer than yesterday.

We drove up and down Highway 138 east of Sterling before sunrise in search of Upland Sandpipers; without success.

Thinking an Upland Sandpiper sighting was a bust, we drove west to Sterling Reservoir (Logan).  Fortune was kind, an Upland Sandpiper stood on a fence post outside the entrance to the State Park.

We continued to the picnic area for brunch.  The area was quite birdy and we found a Black-throated Green Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, Blue-headed Vireo & Red-eyed Vireo!  A Barn Owl was at the camping area.

One additional target bird was on our list.  We headed to Pawnee National Grasslands to search for a Mountain Plover.  None was at their summering location along CR 100 (11.5 miles east of CR 77).


Next, we walked the dirt road, which is an extension of CR 63, north of CR 94.  Eventually one was found about 0.5 miles north of Weld County Road 94 and 0.4 miles west of CR 63!

A few McCown's Longspurs and a flock of 10+ Lark Buntings were observed during our hike.  No adult male Lark Buntings were in the flock.

All considered the two day trip a success!

DIA Owl Loop to Chatfield Reservoir to Arapahoe County Playas

September 3, 2016

Richard Stevens:

At first light Rebecca Kosten and I drove the DIA Owl Loop in search of Short-eared or Barn Owls; neither was found.

We stopped at Box Elder Creek and found Red-headed Woodpeckers at 96th Avenue and 104th Avenue.  A couple of Western Wood-pewees were also seen; no Cassin's Sparrow were around today.

I dropped Rebecca off and continued to Chatfield Reservoir (Jefferson/Douglas) to look for the Little Gull reported by Joey Kellner this morning.  The Little Gull was below the dam at the northeast corner.

Several times the Little Gull flew up circled and landed in the same area.  Nice views of its wings were digiscoped.

Many boats were on Chatfield Reservoir today because of the holidays.  Eventually the Little Gull was forced up and it flew toward the dam tower.  When it reached slightly west of the tower, it was in Jefferson County!

Finally, below I left, it returned to the northeast corner in Douglas County.

Next I drove to the Arapahoe County Road 30 playa (0.5 miles east of Arapahoe CR 181).  The Buff-breasted Sandpiper was not far off the road when I arrived at 4:30 pm (got some nice photos!).

A thunderstorm rolled in about 4:45 pm.  About half of the 110+ Killdeer and the Buff-breasted Sandpiper walked to under the two trees at the southeast corner of the playa.

Other birds included at least 24 Baird's Sandpipers, 1 Semipalmated Sandpiper, 1 Stilt Sandpiper, 1 Solitary Sandpiper, 2 Lesser Yellowlegs, and 1 Western Sandpiper.

At our meeting tonight, we decided to keep the name of this playa as the CR 30 playa.  Gene Rutherford first "discovered" the playa and called it the Power Lines playa.  Our name helps to locate it.  There are two additional playas closer to Byers. 

The Byers County Store playa (behind the store) had about 22 shorebirds this afternoon.  These included one Pectoral Sandpiper, six Baird's Sandpipers and fifteen Killdeer.

The CR 185 playa (0.7 miles south of Hwy 36) was a gold mine of shorebirds.  List below is minimum number of the hundreds of shorebirds present.  The thunderstorm reached here before I could look at every bird:

Killdeer - 140
Greater Yellowlegs - 8
Lesser Yellowlegs - 10
Sanderling - 1
Semipalmated Sandpiper - 11
Western Sandpiper - 20
Least Sandpiper - 6
Baird's Sandpiper - 160
Pectoral Sandpiper - 8
Stilt Sandpiper - 8
Dowitcher sp. 2

Lightning and high winds ended my superb birding day.

Too Much Wind

September 2, 2016

Richard Stevens:

Winds were horrific this morning in Holyoke (Phillips County).  Anemometer readings were 19-23 mph with gusts to 33 mph.  I was fortunate to find any birds.  It was quite difficult to hold my binoculars steady.

The Black-throated Green Warbler was clinging to a branch at the southeast corner of Holyoke Cemetery.  Two Baltimore Orioles were blown toward the north end of the Cemetery.

I gave up plans to return to Frenchman Creek Wildlife Area.  Any sparrows had to be hunkered down in the grasses or blown north to Sedgwick County.

Conditions at Washington County Golf Course and Park were a little better.  Anemometer readings were "only" 10 mph out of the south with gusts to 18 mph.

I was able to find a Cassin's Vireo below the eastern dam.  A Least Flycatcher, also below the dam, attempted to fly up and catch some bugs.  Whether he was successful could not be determined.  A couple of Barn Swallows zipped over the pond.

Again, winds made the decision to head back to Denver.  My final stop of the day was Last Chance Rest Stop (Washington).  Thunderstorms threaten the area.  Winds again were outrageous.  Anemometer readings were 24 mph with gusts to 39 mph, ouch!

The few birds found buried in the bushes included a Bell's Vireo, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Least Flycatcher and Brown Thrasher.

I gave up and drove home.

Birding Around Holyoke, Colorado

September 1, 2016

Richard Stevens:

My birding day centered on Holyoke, Colorado.  An uncommon sparrow or Eastern Meadowlark was target birds; neither was found.

Winds were 11 mph with gusts to 24 mph.  That was not a good sign for birding.  Temperatures reached the high 70s.

I stopped at Haxtun Sewage Ponds on the drive to Holyoke.  Two Pectoral Sandpipers walked around.  Yesterday's reported two Short-billed Dowitchers were not found.  Considering the high winds, they probably somewhere up in Sedgwick County by now.

Holyoke Cemetery was the best spot today.  In spite of the winds, I found a Black-throated Green Warbler, four Baltimore Orioles and previously reported Philadelphia Vireo.  Although, the Philadelphia Vireo took awhile to id.

Nearby Holyoke Fishing Pond added another Baltimore Oriole to my day list.  Not much else other than an Eastern Kingbird was around.

The majority of my day was spent searching for sparrows at Frenchman Creek Wildlife Area.  Unfortunately, the area is quite dry again this year.  In raining years, the pond with attract shorebirds and perhaps entices uncommon sparrows to stop by during their southern migration.

In three-four hours, I found only one Field Sparrow.  The highlight however was a Yellow-billed Cuckoo hidden in one of the taller cottonwoods at the southwestern edge of the property.

The highlight of my day however was a visit to a friend's home.  She had a Ruby-throated Hummingbird visiting her yard for the past four days.  We only sat in her kitchen for about 15 minutes before the young male came to her feeders.  A beautiful subadult male.

Back on 8/14, another friend showed Terry Michaels and me a Ruby-throated Hummingbird at her feeders.  I could not decide if it was the same bird.  The two yards are only half a mile apart as the crow or hummingbird flies.

If they were the same hummingbird, today's bird had gained reddish spots on its throat since 8/14?  Perhaps the August Ruby-throated Hummingbird was a female.  Terry and I thought so, but were not positive.

With the high winds (14mph, gusts to 28 mph) picking up after sunset, I gave up on any owling.

Jackson Reservoir & Prewitt Reservoir

August 31, 2016  (part 2)

Richard Stevens:

A brief stop at the Jackson Reservoir Campgrounds found a Cassin's Vireo (Pelican Campsites) and a Long-eared Owl.  Birding was slow and I continued northeast up I76.

I enjoyed the afternoon and evening walking around Prewitt Reservoir (Logan/Sedgwick Counties).

Eventually I found the Western Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull off the Campgrounds.

Other birds relocated included 12 Semipalmated Plovers, 2 Pectoral Sandpipers, 2 Yellow-billed Cuckoos, an Eastern Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher, Olive-sided Flycatcher, American Redstart, Dickcissel (along entrance road), and Brown Thrasher.

Highlight was a beautiful male Blackburnian Warbler below the dam.

After dark, I continued my walk and relocated Eastern Screech-Owls below the dam and at the inlet area.

Dove hunting season starts tomorrow.  Many hunters will be around with shotguns.  Beware!