Some recent birds Jefferson and Douglas Counties

[David Suddjian]

July 19

A female-plumaged Cassin’s Finch singing in my front yard in Ken Caryl Valley (JeffCo) was presumably a first year male and I thought it was of interest down out of the forest region in July. 

July 22

I checked the Marina Sandspit at Chatfield SP (Douglas) early on and had a loafing Willet and a flock of three Long-billed Dowitchers that flew around and around, but did not land.

I went up County Road 67 and enjoyed a pair of Evening Grosbeaks that flew into a small streamlet about a mile before Rampart Range Road, landing nearly at my feet. Once I was in the Ponderosa pines Type 2 Red Crossbills were detected at  nearly every stop. Rampart Range Road had a female Am. Three-toed Woodpecker at 0.5 mile in from CR 67. Lots crossbills along rampart, Northern Pygmy-Owl, a lovely family of Hammond’s Flycatchers, and lots more. Very birdy despite regular traffic from cars. 

Along the lower half mile of CR 40 approaching the South Platte I found a Swainson’s Thrush (which I think is fairly out of season there for late July), and a Wilson’s Warbler (a dispersant or early migrant?). A singing Ovenbird was along CR 40 about 1.2 mile up from the South Platte. Gray Catbirds were very numerous in the riparian thickets at the bottom reach of Pine Creek there, and along the South Fork South Platte and North Fork.  Am. Dippers buzzed by on both forks. 

Ovenbirds were still singing along Highgrade Road (JeffCo)

David Suddjian

Littleton, CO