Arapahoe and Douglas May 13

[David Suddjian]

I hadn't heard mention of Auarora Reservoir for quite a while, so I thought I'd have a look there this morning. I focused on the beach and vicinity near the east end of the dam, and the riparian margin from near the main parking lot and then around the west side of the lake for about 2 miles. Birding was pretty good, with 92 species at and near the reservoir.

Most shorebirds were at the beach at the east end of the dam, but a small number were near the marina. Totals included 3 Am. Avocets, 5 Killdeer, 18 Spotted Sandpipers, 1 Solitary Sandpiper, 4 Willets, 3 Lesser Yellowlegs, 2 Greater Yellowlegs, 2 Marbled Godwits, 1 Stilt Sandpiper, 3 Long-billed Dowitchers, 29 Sanderlings (some in gorgeous full alternate; all SANDs were at the east end beach), 9 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 5 Westerns 2 Leasts, 1 Wilson's Snipe and 10 Wilson's Phalaropes. Seemed like a nice assortment for limited habitat. 

2 Common Loons were seen from the dam, and 1 near the marina, all in basic. A Caspian Tern, 1 Common Tern and 2 Forster's were at or near the east end beach, with the Caspian departing to the north. A male Bobolink flew into the trees at the east end beach and then flew off to the north. 

Landbirds near the lake margin at the west end of the lake included 1 Tennessee Warbler, 1 Am. Redstart, 6 Nor. Waterthrushes, 9 Dusky Flycatchers, 2 Hammond's, 1 Brown Thrasher, 9 Gray Catbirds, 69 Swainson's Thrush (most common migrant landbird today), 3 Hermit Thrushes. 

The fallout sparrows (Chipping, Brewer's, Clay-colored, Lark and Vesper) were noted in moderate numbers, but not high numbers. A flock of 47 Lark Buntings was along the entrance road, and other flocks were seen in wide open spaces east and southeast of the reservoir in Arapahoe and Elbert Counties. 

A Cassin's Kingbird was at Walker Gravel Pit in Douglas. 

A flock of about 35 Lark Buntings along Titan Parkway east of Roxborough Road were the only ones I saw ones I saw on a drive through the Chatfield area, and flocks at Deer Creek Road and at South Valley Park had departed. In fact, if one was not "in the know", there would be nary a clue that anything remarkable had occurred over the previous two days. Roadside sparrows that I saw on an early afternoon simple drive through at Chatfield were a paltry 3 Chipping and 2 Lark, and no bluebirds or kingbirds. Deer Creek Road had 1 Brewers only. Everything was gone from Valley Road along South Valley Park. What a difference a day makes!

American Redstart in my Ken Caryl Valley yard this morning, but the Townsend's Warb seemed to have left.

David Suddjian

Littleton, CO