Spring Counts - Audubon Nature Center trails (Jefferson) & RMArsenal NWR (Adams)
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Hugh Kingery
May 16, 2016, 4:50:30 PM5/16/16
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Swallow dominated our spring counts. As we walked along the Audubon Center trails on Saturday they streamed over and over and over, all headed downstream, all too high to identify. Our estimate came up with 7
85 but we think we underestimated. Sunday at Rocky Mtn Arsenal we also saw large flocks sailing all over the refuge, again mostly too high or too far away to identify. On both Saturday and Sunday we IDd 5 species - no Banks.
We finished on Saturday by watching a Prairie Falcon perched atop a power pole, plucking feathers off a Western Meadowlark & consuming it. The developer for Sterling Ranch reportedly exterminated the prairie dogs in the colony on South Roxborough Road -- we saw none -- but we saw three Burrowing Owls. (We talked to a woman who saw 7 there on Thursday.)
Along the trails we counted 25 Yellow-breasted Chats, 121 Yellow Warblers, but only 83 House Wrens. Total species, 81-- higher than for most of our spring counts.
For Sunday I don't yet have a list -- A. J. Gest kept it for us and has to compile it. Highlights however included 4 Northern Waterthrushes, a Tennesee Warbler confirmed by excellent photographs by Prat Pratyaydipta; 3 Stilt Sandpipers & 2 Long-billed Dowitchers, and an Eastern Phoebe that's taken up residence along the Highline Canal. Lots of towhees, both Green-tailed & Spotted.
85 but we think we underestimated. Sunday at Rocky Mtn Arsenal we also saw large flocks sailing all over the refuge, again mostly too high or too far away to identify. On both Saturday and Sunday we IDd 5 species - no Banks.
We finished on Saturday by watching a Prairie Falcon perched atop a power pole, plucking feathers off a Western Meadowlark & consuming it. The developer for Sterling Ranch reportedly exterminated the prairie dogs in the colony on South Roxborough Road -- we saw none -- but we saw three Burrowing Owls. (We talked to a woman who saw 7 there on Thursday.)
Along the trails we counted 25 Yellow-breasted Chats, 121 Yellow Warblers, but only 83 House Wrens. Total species, 81-- higher than for most of our spring counts.
For Sunday I don't yet have a list -- A. J. Gest kept it for us and has to compile it. Highlights however included 4 Northern Waterthrushes, a Tennesee Warbler confirmed by excellent photographs by Prat Pratyaydipta; 3 Stilt Sandpipers & 2 Long-billed Dowitchers, and an Eastern Phoebe that's taken up residence along the Highline Canal. Lots of towhees, both Green-tailed & Spotted.
Hugh Kingery
Franktown, CO
Franktown, CO
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