Northeast Reservoirs

[Doug Faulkner]

Hello all,

Yesterday I visited four reservoirs along the I-76 corridor: Barr Lake, Jackson, Prewitt, and North Sterling. Generally, landbirding was fairly weak with little activity found in the wooded areas around those reservoirs.  Apparently teal are on a massive move as I counted hundreds of blue-winged/cinnamon type teal over the course of the day.

Barr had decent shorebirding opportunities, mostly in the southeast corner of the wildlife preserve.  Unfortunately, that meant not being able to walk out onto the mudflats for closer looks. The Black-bellied Plover previously reported was in the southeast corner.

Jackson is still fairly full.  Because of that I spent very little time there and just on the northern shore so I can't speak to conditions along the dam.  The Jackson SP website says water levels are dropping about an inch a day.  At that rate, it'll be well into September before shorebirding conditions are any good there.  Still, there is shoreline and it wouldn't hurt to look.  Most unusual bird was a Common Tern.

Prewitt has decent mudflats starting to form at the inlet canal.  Best shorebirding of any of the reservoirs I visited.  Species included 1 Buff-breasted Sandpiper, 9 Sanderling, 15 Pectoral Sandpipers, 8 Stilt Sandpipers, 1 Marbled Godwit, and 12 Red-necked Phalarope.  Unlike the other reservoirs, this one was surprisingly sparse in American White Pelicans or gulls of any flavor.

North Sterling has limited shoreline and had very few shorebirds. The most productive mudflat was at the inlet canal on the southeast corner near the campground.  Loads of Franklin's Gull, though.

good birding,

Doug Faulkner

Arvada, CO