Colorado Rare Bird Alert, 27 March 2015

[Joyce Takamine]

Compiler:  Joyce Takamine
Date: March 27, 2015 

This is the Rare Bird Alert, Friday, March 27, sponsored by Denver Field Ornithologists and the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory.

Highlight species include: (* indicates new information on this species).
 

BRANT (Rio Grande)

Tundra Swan (Pueblo)

Long-tailed Duck (*Mesa)

Thayer's Gull (Adams, Bent)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (Adams, *Crowley, El Paso)

Greater Roadrunner (Baca, Bent, Kiowa)

Boreal Owl (Mesa)
American Three-toed Woodpecker (Boulder)

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Morgan)

Williamson's Sapsucker (Boulder, Park)

Black Phoebe (La Plata, *Mesa)

Eastern Phoebe (Yuma)

Chihuahuan Rave (Alamosa)

Bewick's Wren (Baca, Las Animas)

Winter Wren (Douglas, Morgan)
Lapland Longspur   (Prowers)

Pine Warbler (Pueblo)

Canyon Towhee (Baca)

Sagebrush Sparrow (Alamosa, Mesa)

Swamp Sparrow (*Montrose)

Rusty Blackbird (*Douglas, Morgan)
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (Jackson, Jefferson)

Black Rosy-Finch (Jefferson)
Brown-capped Rosy-Finch (Jefferson)

ALAMOSA COUNTY:

--A Chihuahuan Raven was reported by Beauchamp at Great Sand Dunes NP on March 21.

--On March 21, Floyd reported 8 Sagebrush Sparrows at Great Sand Dunes NP.

BACA COUNTY:

--On March 21, Kaempfer reported Canyon Towhee at Cottonwood Canyon.

--On March 21, Kaempfer reported Canyon Towhee and Greater Roadrunner at Picture Canyon.

--On March 21, Kaempfer reported Bewick's Wren at Sand Canyon on CR 13 near the Oklahoma border.

BENT COUNTY:

--A Thayer's Gull was reported by Stulp and Thompson at John Martin Reservoir on March 17.

--A Greater Roadrunner was reported by Kaempfer on the west side of Adobe Creek Reservoir on March 22.
 
BOULDER COUNTY:

--On March 20, Courtois reported an American Three-toed Woodpecker at Rocky Mountain National Park.  On March 21, Tumasonis reported 5 America Three-toed Woodpeckers from Copeland Lake to Ouzel Falls in Wild Basin area of Rocky Mountain National Park.

--A Williamson's Sapsucker was reported by Minner-Lee at Spring Brook Loop on March 21.

CROWLEY COUNTY:

--A Lesser Black-backed Gull was reported by Chris Wood at Lake Henry on March 26.

DOUGLAS COUNTY:

--4 Rusty Blackbirds (2m, 2f) were reported by Hopping at Plum Creek Delta at Chatfield SP on March 17.  On March 23, Suddjian reported 3 Rusty Blackbirds at Plum Creek Delta.

--A Winter Wren was reported by Kellner at Plum Creek Delta at Chatfield SP on March 22.  On March 23, Suddjian reported Winter Wren at Plum Creek Delta.

 
JEFFERSON COUNTY:
--Ira Sanders reports Gray-crowned, Brown-capped and Black Rosy-Finches coming to his front yard at 314 DeFrance Ct in Golden on December 29. Birders are welcome to watch from the street. On March 7, Sanders reported one Rosy-finch at his feeder.  On March 12, Sanders reported 1 Rosy-Finch in his yard.  On March 14, Sanders reported one Rosy-Finch in his yard.

On March 25, Sanders reported 1 Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch in his yard.

KIOWA COUNTY:

--A Greater Roadrunner was reported by Kaempfer on the norside of Adobe Creek Reservoir at the intersection of CR C & CR 14 on March 22.

LA PLATA COUNTY:

--A Black Phoebe was reported by Morris at the Durango Fish Hatchery on March 19.

LAS ANIMAS COUNTY:

--On March 21, Kaempfer reported Bewick's Wren at Cottonwood Canyon.
 
MESA COUNTY:  

--On March 18, Korte reported a Boreal Owl on Grand Mesa.

--On March 19, Henwood reported Black Phoebe on the Audubon Trail past the Redlands Power Entrance and another

Black Phoebe at the S end of the lake at Audubon Nature Center.  On March 21, Jackson Trappett reported Black Phoebe on the Audubon Nature Trail.  On March 23 Henwood reported Black Phoebe on the Audubon section of Colorado River Trail.

--On March 20, Henwood reported 2 Black Phoebes at Connected Lakes SP.  On March 21, Ortenzio reported Black Phoebe at Connected Lakes SP.  On March 27, Ortenzio reported 2 Black Phoebe at Connected Lakes SP>

--On March 23, Henwood reported 10 singing Sagebrush Sparrows at the Colorado Utah State line N of old Hwy 6 and 50.

--A Long-tailed Duck was reported by Ortenzion at Whitewater Ponds on March 26.

MONTROSE COUNTY:

--A Swamp Sparrow was reported by Dexter in a marsh West of Nucla on March 24.

MORGAN COUNTY:

--On March 14, Dowell reported 2 Rusty Blackbirds, 2 Winter Wrens, and 3 Red-bellied Woodpeckers at Brush SWA.  On March 15, Kellner and Dunning reported Winter Wren at Brush SWA.  On March 20, Gwen Moore reported 2 Winter Wrens at Brush SWA.

 
PARK COUNTY:
--On March 20, Cody Porter reported Williamson's Sapsucker on Rd 206.

PUEBLO COUNTY:

--A Pine Warbler was reported by Truan at Mineral Palace Park on March 17.

--On March 25, Clark Jones reported a Tundra Swan in a field on the south side of Hwy 96 E just past the airport.

RIO GRANDE COUNTY:

--A Black Brant was reported by Callahan at Monte Vista NWR on March 16.  Rawinski reported that it was seen at the southern most turout on the west side on Hwy 15.  On March 21, Beauchamp reported Black Brant at Monte Vista NWR.

YUMA COUNTY:

--An Eastern Phoebe was reported by Breitsch at the Wray Fishing Unit, just NW of Wray on March 25.

The DFO Field Trip for Saturday, March 28 will be to Banner Lakes SWA.  Mark Amershek and Bruce Neuman will lead this trip.

This trip is full. 

The DFO Field Trip for Sunday March 29 will be to Chatfield SP led by Ira and Tammy Sanders (zroadrunner14 AT gmail.com, 303-278-7172).  Meet at 0700 at the swim beach.  Join the leaders for this 3/4 trip to explore the park for early migrants, waterfowl, resident birds and any raptors zooming by.  Bring lunch, water, scopes, and dress for predicted weather.  A State Parks pass is required for entrance.  Please register online or contact leader to register.

Good Birding,

Joyce Takamine

Boulder