South Valley Park - Deer Creek area, JeffCo - birds in the snow 3/27

[David Suddjian]

I went out for a while this morning in the South Valley Park and Deer Creek area, Jefferson, to see if last night's 5" inches of new snow brought anything out. I did find Mountain and Western Bluebirds in moderate numbers (about 40 and 20 respectively) at several places, many flying over. And I found some other birds of interest, coincident with the snow, but likely unrelated:

A Wilson's Snipe gave chipping calls from the snow-encrusted marsh at Docmann Gulch in South Valley Park. This was my first of the season there, where they apparently nest. 

Then I found an Eastern Phoebe along Deer Creek downstream of Grizzly Drive. The bird was foraging right along the creek with snow sloughing off the branches and twigs all around it. A lovely sight.

Then at Buckhorn Road I saw a male Williamson's Sapsucker in junipers and pines. This species is unexpected down near the hogbacks, out of the forest in the foothills proper. A Red Crossbill flew over. 

David Suddjian

Ken Caryl Valley

Littleton, CO