COLORADO RARE BIRD REPORT for Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Allison Hilf
Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Email: RBA AT cobirds.org
Compiler: Allison Hilf, ahilf AT me.com
Phone: 303-888-5110
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The Colorado Rare Bird report is an informational service.
Because of statewide coronavirus “Stay at Home” orders, the purpose of this report is to keep homebound readers abreast of rare bird sightings across the state during spring migration.
It does NOT endorse or encourage illegal travel to see or "chase" rare birds beyond your own local area.
Once again, we must urge readers to respect state and local restrictions on non-critical travel and limits on outdoor activities that include birding.
Please bird ONLY at or close to home and ONLY with universally promoted safety precautions, including physical “social distancing” and face coverings.
Or, as Dave Leatherman noted this week, “Be like a Cedar Waxwing . . . very compliant in their wearing of masks.”
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Birders have been helpful by reporting updates to COBirds. Thanks!
CAPITAL LETTERS denote very rare species, as listed by the Colorado Bird Records Committee at the CFO website.
(*) indicates new information on a species.
For more information on birds seen today, go to cobirds.org and scroll to the bottom for “Recent eBird Sightings.”
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Spring migration notes:
Cassin’s Finches are being reported in very large flocks with this last bout of snow.
Swallows, Turkey Vultures, Broad-tailed and Black-chinned Hummingbirds, phoebes, finches, and Swainson’s Hawks are returning.
Sparrow and longspur migrations are also upon us (Vesper, Savannah, Lincoln’s, Chipping).
Shorebirds (sandpipers, plovers, phalaropes, Dunlins, curlews, godwits) are showing up at shores and flooded fields.
And did somebody say “warblers”?
What’s in your yard or near your home?
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Rare, out-of-place and some out-of-season species reports are listed below.
Long-tailed Duck (*Arapahoe, *Jefferson)
Red-necked Grebe (*El Paso)
Black-necked Stilt (Ouray)
Snowy Plover (Kiowa, Larimer)
Long-billed Curlew (Adams, Archuleta, Boulder, *El Paso, Mesa)
Marbled Godwit (*Boulder, *El Paso)
Iceland Gull (Thayer’s) (*Larimer)
Common Loon (Denver, Kiowa)
Neotropic Cormorant (El Paso, Fremont)
Williamson’s Sapsucker (Clear Creek)
Olive-sided Flycatcher (*El Paso)
BLACK PHOEBE (Denver, Bent, Boulder, San Miguel)
Vermilion Flycatcher (El Paso, Jefferson)
Veery (Eagle)
Curve-billed Thrasher (*Teller)
Mixed Rosy Finch Flock (Larimer)
Grasshopper Sparrow (*Arapahoe)
Black-throated Sparrow (El Paso)
Sagebrush Sparrow (El Paso, Jefferson)
Black-and-white Warbler (*Boulder)
Northern Parula (Pueblo)
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ADAMS COUNTY:
—On April 9 two Long-billed Curlews were reported at Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR by Liz Steiner.
ARAPAHOE COUNTY:
—On April 14 a Grasshopper Sparrow was reported at Cherry Creek State Park, in the Pelican Point parking lot area near the bathrooms, by Joey Negreann.
—On April 14 a Long-tailed Duck was reported at Quincy Reservoir. First reported April 3 by G Stacks.
—On April 10 two Long-tailed Ducks were reported at South Platte Park by Phil Lyon. These are the same birds reported on the Jefferson County side of the Park.
ARCHULETA COUNTY:
—On April 12 a Long-billed Curlew was reported by Charles Martinez at Lynch Pond northwest of Pagosa Springs. Three LBCUs first reported at this location on Apr 10 by Byron Greco.
BENT COUNTY:
—On April 11 a BLACK PHOEBE was reported in John Martin Reservoir SWA by Duane Nelson.
BOULDER COUNTY:
—On April 14 a Marbled Godwit was reported at Carolyn Holmberg Preserve at Rock Creek Farms / Stearns Lake, in the field just N of the CloudView Stables and west of S 104th St by Chris Petrizzo.
—On April 14 a Black-and-white Warbler was reported at the Grapewood Townhouse Complex in North Boulder. First reported Apr 13 by Jon Webb.
—On April 12 eight Long-billed Curlews were reported at Lagerman Reservoir by Peter Burke.
—On April 10 a BLACK PHOEBE was reported at 5523 La Plata Cir, Boulder by Jennifer Delaney.
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CLEAR CREEK COUNTY:
—On April 10 eight Williamson’s Sapsuckers were reported at Bergen Peak SWA by Chuck Aid.
—On April 9 a Fox Sparrow (slate-colored) was reported at The Goshawk (private but open to public) by Cameron Carver.
DENVER COUNTY:
—On April 11, a BLACK PHOEBE was reported at Grasmere Lake in Washington Park. First reported Apr 10 by Jeff Dawson. First Denver County eBird record if accepted by Colorado Bird Record Committee.
—On April 9 a Common Loon male in breeding plumage was reported at Marston Reservoir. First reported Apr 7 by Mackenzie Goldthwait and Doug Kibbe.
EAGLE COUNTY:
—On April 9 a Veery was reported at Brush Creek Confluence Open space by Rich McCain.
EL PASO COUNTY:
—On April 14 an Olive-sided Flycatcher was reported at Nancy Lewis Park by Terence Berger.
—On April 14 a Red-necked Grebe was reported at Big Johnson Reservoir & Bluestem Prairie Open Space. First reported on March 13. by David Tønnessen.
—On April 14 a Marbled Godwit was reported at Big Johnson Reservoir & Bluestem Prairie Open Space. First reported April 13 by David Tønnessen.
—On April 14 twenty-eight Long-billed Curlews, yes 28, were reported at several locations in the county by Aaron Driscoll. See his COBirds post dated April 14 for specific locations.
—On April 13 a Sagebrush Sparrow was reported at Bar 10 Rd by David Tønnessen.
—On April 12 a Vermilion Flycatcher was reported at Palmer Park in Colorado Springs. First reported Apr 7.
—On April 11 a Neotropic Cormorant was reported at Memorial Park and Prospect Lake. First reported by Tyler Stewart.
—On April 10 a Black-throated Sparrow was reported in Woodmoor by Charlie Simmons.
NOTE: Chico Basin Ranch and Clear Spring Ranch (exit 123 off I-25) are closed until at least Apr 30 because of the COVID-19 outbreak.
FREMONT COUNTY:
—On April 12 a Neotropic Cormorant was reported at Valco Pond in Cañon City by Joel Adams.
JEFFERSON COUNTY:
—On April 14 two Long-tailed Ducks were reported at South Platte Park/South Platte Reservoir —Southwest Bay Area. First reported March 11 by David Bailey.
—On April 12 a Sagebrush Sparrow was re-found at Bear Creek Lake Park (Mountain View parking) by Reed Gorner.
—On Apr 9 a Sagebrush Sparrow was reported at Hildebrand Ranch Park by Michelle Desrosiers.
—On April 9 three Vermilion Flycatchers were reported at 57 Lookout Mountain Rd in Golden by Michael Bell.
NOTE: Red Rocks Park is closed indefinitely because of the COVID-19 outbreak.
KIOWA COUNTY:
—On April 11 two Snowy Plovers were reported at Upper Queens/Neeskah Reservoir by Steven Mlodinow, who on Apr 7 first report 10 SNPLs here and 1 at Neenoshe Reservoir.
—On April 11 a Common Loon was reported at Neegronda Reservoir by Steven Mlodinow, who first reported it Apr 7.
LARIMER COUNTY:
—On April 14 four Iceland Gull (Thayer’s) were reported at Horseshoe Reservoir. First reported on March 10 by Nick Komar.
—On April 13 approx 5 Brown-capped and Gray-crowned Rosy finches and a single Black-Rosy-Finch were reported in Estes Park by Scott Rashid. Additionally 300 Cassin’s Finches and three Evening Grosbeaks managed to eat lots of bird seed!!
—On April 13 a Snowy Plover was reported at Arapahoe Bend Natural Area - Rigden Reservoir (Strauss Cabin Lake). First reported on April 12 by Nick Komar.
MESA COUNTY:
—On April 13 Long-billed Curlews were reported at Brewsters Ridge and old Highway 6&50, with a few now and then at Highline Lake by Denise and Mark Vollmar.
OURAY COUNTY:
—On April 9 a Black-necked Stilt was reported at Ridgway SP Marina area by Don Marsh and Brenda Wright.
PUEBLO COUNTY:
—On April 11 a Northern Parula was reported in the Osprey picnic area of Rock Canyon below Pueblo Reservoir dam by Brandon Percival.
NOTE: Chico Basin Ranch is closed until at least Apr 30 because of the COVID-19 outbreak.
SAN MIGUEL COUNTY:
—On April 13 Black Phoebe was reported at Gypsum Valley - boat launch to bridge area by Eric Hynes.
TELLER COUNTY:
—On April 14 two Curve-billed Thrasher were reported in Florissant by Joe LaFleur on behalf of Rodney and Sharon Saunders. The pair has been seen regularly since September. This is a first Teller County record for this species if accepted by the Colorado Birds Record Committee.
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PLEASE NOTE: Because of COVID-19 pandemic precautions, Denver Field Ornithologists has suspended all field trips scheduled for April, May and June. Other birding clubs have also canceled activities, and the annual Colorado Field Ornithologists convention, set for Pueblo in May, has been canceled.
Please share interesting and/or unusual birds and behavior observations on COBirds.
Good birding,
Allison Hilf
Aurora, CO
ahilf AT aol.com