First Day of 2020 Birding

January 1, 2020

Transcript of Richard Stevens' email:

Rebecca and I headed southwest to start our New Year. 

The White-winged Scoter and Pacific Loon were found on Chatfield Reservoir (Jefferson/Douglas Counties).  Other first year birds included Common Mergansers, Hooded Mergansers, one Red-breasted Merganser, Common Goldeneyes, American Coots, Mallards and Bald Eagles.

We could see from above the Chatfield Reservoir dam that South Platte Park Reservoir (Arapahoe/Jefferson) to the north was mostly ice covered.  Only two White-cheeked Geese were on the Lake.

We hiked a ways up Waterton Canyon searching for sparrows and towhees.  It was a surprise to find neither.

The feeders at the Discovery Nature Pavilion added White-breasted Nuthatches, Dark-eyed Juncos, Downy Woodpeckers, Song Sparrows and a Wild Turkey to our year list.

Castlewood Canyon State Park (Douglas) was our most successful stop.  Highlight was a Northern Goshawk.  We finally found our Spotted Towhee, White-crowned Sparrows, four Red Crossbills, a Pine Grosbeak and Canyon Wren.

Highlight after dark, a Northern Saw-whet Owl was enticed to come and inspect our recordings!

Birding Arapahoe County

December 31, 2019

Transcript of Richard Stevens' email:

I spent three hours at the Arapahoe County Carolina Wren spot.  I found no Carolina Wren.

Then I worked my way to Aurora Reservoir by way of Cherry Creek Reservoir.  The Reservoir was 90 percent ice covered and mostly White-cheeked Geese and Ring-billed Gulls were seen.

Quincy Reservoir was 95 percent ice covered.  Again only White-cheeked Geese and Ring-billed Gull were observed.

Aurora Reservoir was more interesting.  The Yellow-billed Loon swam off mile 4.5.  A Common Loon was at the mouth of Lonetree Cove.  A Red-necked Grebe was swimming in the scuba bay.

A large white bird flew from Lonetree Cove to the swim beach.  I tried to make it out as a swan; however, it turned out to be a lone American White Pelican.

Gulls included three Lesser Black-backed, two Iceland, a dozen Herring, two California and hundreds of Ring-billed.

I will try at add them to my 2020 list on Thursday.  Aurora Reservoir is closed on New Years Day.

Rocky Mountain Arsenal

December 30, 2019

Richard and I drove to Rocky Mountain Arsenal (Adams Cty) in the afternoon.  Both Lake Ladora and Lower Derby Lake were frozen.

The Lesser Black-backed Gull was not there today.  No gulls at all were found.

The highlight was a Long-eared Owl in the Governor's Row area.  Two Bald Eagles perched north of Lower Derby Lake.

The ninth CoBus John Martin Reservoir Christmas Count

December 29, 2019

The ninth  not so annual John Martin Reservoir Christmas Count was held on December 29, 2019

Full details will appear in a future issue of "Colorado Field Notes"

coloradobirdingsociety.net/coloradofieldnotes.htm

Four birders and four feeder watchers participated.

Highlights included:

Eastern Screech-Owl

Barn Owl

Dunlin

Bonaparte's Gull (2)

Lapland Longspur 

Northern Cardinal

White-throated Sparrow (2)

The Second Annual CoBus Las Animas County Christmas Count

December 28, 2019

The second annual Las Animas County Christmas Count was held on December 28, 2019.

Full details will appear in a future issue of "Colorado Field Notes"

coloradobirdingsociety.net/coloradofieldnotes.htm

Eight birders and seventeen feeder watchers participated.  As land owners we are popular in Las Animas County.

Highlights:

Northern Saw-whet Owls (3 at separate locations)

Northern Pygmy-Owl (2, separate locations)

Western Screech-Owls (3 pairs)

Long-eared Owl (1)

Short-eared Owl (2)

Juniper Titmouse (Lake Dorothey Wildlife Area)

Winter Wren (private ranch)

Rufous-crowned Sparrow (2 each at separate locations)

Red-headed Woodpecker (private ranch)

Chestnut-collared Longspur (2)

Chihuahuan Ravens

Bewick's Wrens

Pinyon Jay (2, private ranch)

Cooper's Hawk 

Fox Sparrow (Slate-colored, private ranch)

Greater Roadrunner (2)

At Trinidad State Park 

Pinyon Jay (2)

Gray-crowned Rosy Finch (6)

Brown-capped Rosy Finch (2)

The Sixteenth CoBus Cottonwood Canyon Christmas Count

December 27, 2019

The sixteenth CoBus Cottonwood Canyon (Baca Cty) Christmas Count was held on December 27, 2019.

Full details will appear in a future issue of "Colorado Field Notes"

coloradobirdingsociety.net/coloradofieldnotes.htm

Four birders and three feeder watchers participated

Highlights included:

In Cottonwood Canyon:

Greater Roadrunner (CR M)

Bewick's Wrens (2)

Western Screech-Owls (2)

Rufous-crowned Sparrow (3)

Winter Wren 

Ladder-backed Woodpecker (pair, western draw, 1 south draw)

Short-eared Owl (CR 7)

In Picture Canyon:

Rufous-crowned Sparrow (south of parking lot)

Curve-billed Thrasher (ridge near closed door)

Greater Roadrunner (entrance hill)

Northern Mockingbird (near Oklahoma border)

The Thirteenth CoBus Lamar Christmas Count

December 26, 2019

The thirteenth Lamar Christmas Count was held today.

Full details will appear in a future issue of "Colorado Field Notes"

coloradobirdingsociety.net/coloradofieldnotes.htm

Four birders and five feeder watchers participated.  It was one of the slowest Christmas Counts we have conducted

Highlights were few:

Harris's Sparrow

Great-tailed Grackles

Northern Cardinal (Lamar Community College)

Pine Siskins

Missed:

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker that had been hanging around Willow Creek Park