Long-billed Curlews - Chatfield SP, Douglas County
Douglas Kibbe
A Yellow-breasted Chat and Gray Catbird were at Kingfisher bridge.
Doug Kibbe Littleton
Scott Somershoe
All,
I stopped at Chatfield state park (Douglas co) and relocated the two long-billed curlews Doug Kibbe reported earlier in the prairie dog town by the east entrance in the pouring rain about 4pm.
About 315 (in light rain) I birded the "swim beach" area (Jeff Co) which is pretty much under water. Thousands of swallows with the majority being Violet-green (800+), hundreds of Trees and a smattering of bank, barn and cliff mixed in (many perched in trees over the lake). Couldn't pull out a rough-winged. A pair of American avocets were wading where the beach usually is. I also had at least 46 Lark Sparrows in the parking lot. A couple yellow-headed blackbirds were among the red-wings just north of the beach. A few blue-winged teal flew by about the time I started getting drenched.
At the model airplane field (back in Douglas co) I saw one vesper and 9 lark sparrows and a male lark bunting hanging out near the pavilion and out of the pouring rain. Lots of other birds flying around that I couldn't identify thru wet windows.
Could be fun birding if we get a bunch of snow, but it'll be rough on the swallows!
Great rainy birding!
Cheers,
Scott Somershoe
Littleton CO