April 25, 2012

Richard Stevens:

I did not have a large amount of time today (preparing for another grouse trip for tomorrow).  Bryan Ehlmann and I did hike below the dam at Barr Lake (Adams County).  The search for the Long-eared Owl and Ash-throated Flycatcher (of 4/22) was not successful.

We passed through Cherry Creek State Park (Arapahoe) and stopped briefly at the southwest marina.  The only gulls were a few Ring-billed Gulls.

Off the northern end of the Lake Loop, we found 3+ Bonaparte's Gulls and 3+ Franklin's Gulls.  The Laughing Gull was not picked out among the black headed gulls.

A Virginia Rail called when we stopped at the Cottonwood Creek Wetlands.  No Tricolored Heron reported since last Friday (4/20).

April 24, 2012

Richard Stevens:

Rebecca Kosten and I returned to Fort Morgan Ponds (Morgan County) for another search for the American Woodcock reported on April 22; again, we were unsuccessful. 

Brush Ponds Wildlife Area appeared to have few birds.  Then we drove to Brush Wildlife Area (Morgan).  A few interesting birds were found.  A male Northern Parula fluttered about the eastern side of the pond.

A male Red-bellied Woodpecker worked the northern border.  He led us to a female Red-bellied Woodpecker and a possible nesting tree.

No Eastern Screech-Owls were found today.

A pair of Eastern Bluebirds, a Wilson's Warbler and a Black-throated Gray Warbler was highlights at Last Chance Rest Stop (Washington).

A stop at the I70 Rest Stop near Byers did not find any uncommon birds.

April 23, 2012

Richard Stevens:

I received a report of an American Woodcock at Fort Morgan Ponds (Morgan County).  Rebecca Kosten and I headed northeast up Interstate 76.

Unfortunately, we did not find an American Woodcock at the ponds or along the South Platte River.  Our search was over 4 hours.  We walked from Fort Morgan Ponds to Riverside Park, then back along the River.

Later we visited Jackson Lake State Park (Morgan).  Gull numbers were low; nothing uncommon was found.  A Semipalmated Plover was observed from the Jackson Lake Wildlife Area. 

Dozens of American Robins roamed the western Campgrounds.  A flock of 14 warblers was all Yellow-rumped Warblers but one Orange-crowned Warbler.  At least one Long-eared Owl continues (we did not see evidence of nesting).

A Harris's Sparrow was found south of the Pelican Campground parking area.

At dusk, we heard an Eastern Screech-Owl calling.  Several Great Horned Owls called west of the Campgrounds.  No Short-eared Owls were seen while we stood north of the Campgrounds (historically this is a good location to find Short-eared Owls).

April 22, 2012

Richard Stevens:

At first light, I was searching for owls on a private ranch on the eastern plains (Weld County).  A second pair of nesting Long-eared Owl was found.  Yellow-rumped Warblers and a few Orange-crowned Warblers are starting to migrate north.  I have now found at least 7 successful Great Horned Owl nest sites.

A pair of Mountain Plover was along Highway 52, between Weld County Roads 77 and 79.  Several other fields suggested by friends as good Mountain Plovers still came up empty.

A stop at Banner Lakes Wildlife Area (southern sections) found a Black-and-white Warbler in the taller cottonwoods along the west side.  The Hooded Warbler of last Friday was not relocated.

I timed a visit to Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe) for an hour before sunset.  Gulls usually return to the logs around the southwest marina at sunset.  While I did see several Bonaparte's Gulls, no Laughing Gull was found.

At the Belleview Wetlands (south of Cottonwood Creek Wetlands) 2 American Avocets, 3 species of Teal and a Least Sandpiper were observed.  Again, I did not find the Tricolored Heron (last reported and photographed on Friday).  It is believed to be a first county record (to be).

A Virginia Rail came out of the cattails, got a look at us and scurried back to safety.

Search for a Tricolored Heron

April 21, 2012

About 30 minutes before sunrise, I visited Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe County).  My first stop was the southwest marina.  No black headed gulls stood on the logs around the marina.  Several Bonaparte's Gulls and a black headed Gull with no white in its wingtips flew below the dam and not far from the marina.  It certainly appeared to be an adult Laughing Gull.

Next, I circled the Cottonwood wetlands in search of yesterday's reported Tricolored Heron.  Two White-faced Ibis and a male Yellow-headed Blackbird were the highlights.

I worked my way south to the new Belleview wetlands (south of the Cottonwood Creek wetlands).  A Cattle Egret was at the northeast corner.  No Tricolored Heron was found.  The three species of teal were represented in about equal numbers.

Next, I searched at the bird platform area of the Prairie Loop.  A Black-crowned Night-Heron was along the creek.  A Long-eared Owl was west of the platform.  It would have gone undetected except that it called.

After abandoning a search for the Tricolored Heron, I drove to Pleasant Valley (Weld) to bird at a new friend's ranch (one of the bonuses of the Roggen Snowy Owl searches).  The Black-and-white Warbler and Long-eared Owls were still around.  At a nearby ranch, yesterday's Northern Parula was not relocated.

In the late afternoon, I returned to Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe).  Repeating the morning's searches, I never found the Tricolored Heron.  A Virginia Rail came out of the cattails at the southern side of the Cottonwood Creek wetlands.

The two White-faced Ibis appeared to move to the Belleview wetlands.  I walked from the wetlands to the Peoria Pond (about 1.3 miles south) and back.  A Great Blue Heron was the only heron found.  A Swainson's Hawk stood on one of the telephone poles along Peoria Avenue.

At sunset, I drove over to the southwest marina.  Not one Gull stood on the logs bordering the marina.  They appeared to be hunting for food over the lake.

At the Lake Loop, I found 6+ Bonaparte's Gulls, 7+ Franklin's Gulls and the Laughing Gull.  I was able to watch it for 20 minutes before dark.  It had an extensive black hood, no white in its wingtips (unlike the Bonaparte's and Franklin's Gulls).

The day was a fantastic Colorado Spring day!  Weather and birding were superb!

Birding Eastern Denver Area

April 20, 2012

Richard Stevens:

What a fantastic spring day in Colorado!  Temperatures reached into the 70s; winds were mild most of the day.  I enjoyed a full day of chasing birds.

Tyler Donovan and I visited a couple of private ranches on the eastern plains.  Migration is starting to reach the Denver latitude.  Our best bird was a Northern Parula at a private ranch in Weld County.  At another ranch, we found a pair of nesting Long-eared Owls and a Black-and-white Warbler.

On the way back to Denver, we stopped at Banner Lakes Wildlife Area.  The northern sections are closed until July 15; however, birders can still wander around the southern sections (south of highway 52).

Best bird was a male Hooded Warbler with an Orange-crowned Warbler and 8-10 Yellow-rumped Warblers at the western windbreak.

The two Harris's Sparrows came by the feeders at the Star K Ranch Open Space (Adams).  A few Eurasian Collared-Doves and Mourning Doves offered an opportunity to see how much bigger the Eurasian Collared-Dove are in relation to the Mourning Doves.

After dropping Tyler off at his motel, I drove to nearby Cherry Creek Reservoir (Arapahoe).  Six Bonaparte's Gulls and eight Franklin's Gulls were swimming off the Lake Loop.

Misses: I did not stop at survey the Cottonwood Creek wetlands where a Tricolored Heron was found earlier in the day.  Neither did I bother to check the southwest marina.

After receiving a phone call about a Laughing Gull at the southwest marina, I circled back (I was looking at Chipping Sparrows in the Campgrounds) to the marina.

A black headed Gull (photographed) was an adult Franklin's Gull.  During a 2 hour sit, no additional black headed gulls appeared.  The photos taken by Tom Bunker show that an adult Laughing Gull was there about 20 minutes before I was.

A lone male Yellow-headed Blackbird walked around the grass near the marina.  A male Say's Phoebe sang from the pole at the top of the marina office.

Ehlmann Grouse Trip Days 1-3

April 16-18, 2012

Bryan Ehlmann:

My grouse trip experienced a first. Today I had to drive one of the birders back to Denver from Grand Junction, Medical reasons, nothing too serious. We took the other two birders to Grand Junction airport to rent a car, and then returned to Denver.

Back in Denver this afternoon, Sue and I relocated the two Harris's Sparrows at Star K Ranch.

The Grouse Trip:

April 18th:

Ron Williams and Jason Britten visited the Colorado National Monument and used the rest of the day to search for a Scott's Oriole. Our Scott's Oriole early date for Mesa County is 4/20. State early date is 4/17. They did not find one.

The rest of their day:

Colorado National Monument:
Black-chinned Sparrow(s), Devil's Kitchen
Pinyon Jays, Campgrounds

Rabbit Valley
Chukar, first road going west, south of I70
Sage Sparrow, first road going west, south of I70

Jim Canyon
Chukar
Northern Mockingbird
Scott's Orioles found several years in past, too early?

Cameo
Black-throated Sparrows, second iron pipe gate

Mesa County Undisclosed Location
Long-eared Owl, 2

Private yard near Mack
Western Screech-Owl

Rest of our grouse trip so far, I head back early Thursday morning.

April 17th:

80 Route Leks, Routt County
Sharp-tailed Grouse, 12+
Greater Sage-Grouse, 8+
Golden Eagle

Oxbow State Lands
Sage Sparrow, 2
Sage Thrasher, 2

Rifle Rest Stop
Great-tailed Grackle

April 16th:

Loveland Pass
We missed White-tailed Ptarmigan in a several hour search

Summit County
Three species of Rosy Finches
Clark's Nutcrackers
Evening Grosbeaks
Pine Grosbeaks

Jackson County Road 26b Leks
Greater Sage-Grouse, 12+