Belmar Historic Park - Kountze Lake - Jefferson County

[Barry]

Visited Belmar Historic Park/Kountze Lake in Lakewood on Sunday and Monday, May 26 and 27.

Saw mostly the usual birds and some other wildlife (lots of turtles, spawning carp, muskrat), but there were a few springtime highlights:  

* Wood Duck female with ducklings (no male seen, but I guess that's typical) 

* Double-Crested Cormorants nesting on island with at least four young cormorants visible in one nest

* At least two Mallard pairs with ducklings

* Nesting Flicker pair

* Barn Swallow nesting inside boardwalk

The Wood Duck and Cormorant youngsters were firsts for me. Nifty.

Also seen: Great Blue Herons, Snowy Egret, Canada Geese with goslings, Yellow Warbler pair (I think, they zoomed by), several Gadwall, many Red-Winged Blackbirds, many other Swallows and Canada Geese.

- Barry Gingrich

  Broomfield County