Chatfield Today (Douglas Co, Jefferson Co)

[Dan Stringer]

I visited Chatfield State Park from 1:00 to 2:30 today, didn't really dig in but observed some slightly different things due to weather.

Douglas Co:

-Western Tanagers in high numbers, some flocking/feeding with Mountain Bluebirds. An odd but nice visual combo.

-Probably over a thousand Lark Sparrows on my route.

-Many Western Wood-Pewees on the ground, when they'd flycatch they'd go back to the ground vs. a perch. They looked quite disheveled.

-A flock of American Pipits numbering about thirty.

-Sixteen Spotted Sandpipers at the sandspit.

-A single Lark bunting in the model airplane parking lot with Lark Sparrows.

Jeffco:

-A Northern Mockingbird on the road to the horse stables. I'm not saying it's out of place, but I can't remember seeing one in Chatfield.

-Two Sanderlings at the swim beach. Not out of place.

-A massive flock of Chipping Sparrows north of the balloon launch parking area, tightly bunched, probably 350. One Red-eyed Vireo and a Virginia's Warbler to make things seem normal.

-A Prairie Falcon on the ground, and a Cooper's Hawk on the ground, in different areas, walking around like they belonged there. Not sure what that was about.

-A yard full of Western Tanagers when I returned home. Ok, like six. But wow.

Dan Stringer

Larkspur, CO