Chatfield etc, May 9

[David Suddjian]

Today's DFO "Big Month" field trip to Chatfield SP and a few other places rounded up some 87 species, adding at least 18 new ones to the DFO "Big Month" tally. 

A pre-dawn extension of the trip enjoyed 4 Common Poorwills at the Dakota Formation hogback as heard from the Cathy Johnson Trail, and another was heard from the parking lot of Hildebrand Ranch park. The marsh near the south end of South Valley Park had at least 7 Wilson's Snipe and a Virginia Rail. An Eastern Phoebe continued at Deer Creek at Buckhorn Road.

Migrant landbirds were not especially plentiful at Chatfield SP, although some returning breeding species were moving in. Some things were still sparse or not yet there. A late Merlin upstream of Kingfisher Bridge looked to be other than a Prairie. Some tallies from a long walk upstream of Kingfisher (JeffCo side) were a FOS Western Wood-Pewee, 6 Least Flycatchers, 1 Dusky Flycatcher, 2 Warbling Vireos, 96 House Wrens, 5 Gray Catbirds, 92 Yellow Warblers (vast majority were singing males), 14 Yellow-breasted Chats, and more. A Plumbeous Vireo was singing at the Plum Creek picnic area.

After leaving Chatfield the trip scooped up a Big Month Burrowing Owl at Robert A. Easton Regional Park, and American Dipper (and nest) at Bear Creek at Morrison Park.

David Suddjian

Ken Caryl Valley

Littleton, CO