WELD TODAY - first cycle MEW GULL, Windsor Lake

[Steven Mlodinow]

Greetings All

I birded the "Latham Area" and then from Ault to Windsor today.

Water is breaking up. The N Weld Co Landfill gulls are loafing in big numbers at Black Hollow, and this should only improve as the ice breaks up a bit more.. and Drake Lake as well (these areas are just w. of Ault)

Windsor Reservoir has small areas that are open and stuffed with Mallards and White-cheeked Geese plus a few Snows, on Greater WF Goose, a couple hybrids (Canada and Cackling x Snow) and a Graylag x Canada. There was also a Mallard x American Wigeon there. No rarities involving "pure" species.

Windsor Lake had a nice sprinkling of gulls, including a first cycle Mew Gull. Beyond body, head, and bill size/shape, note the more uniform wing coverts and paler tertials

The southern end of L Latham is breaking up, but birds hard to see unless you are lucky (like today) and have no heat waves or wind. Nothing rare there that I could find. Loloff and WCR 59 ponds are frozen solid, but a Marsh Wren pished up out of WCR 59 ponds.. I rarely find them in winter in Weld. There is a tiny bit of open water at Stewarts and the area around Behrens Res, and I expect both of these to become quite good in the next week or so if the weather stays clement.

Good Birding

Steve Mlodinow

Longmont CO