Inaccessible birding opportunity at Antero Reservoir in Park County

[David Suddjian]

Antero is now closed to general access as it is being de-watered to move the water supply to a downstream reservoir with less evaporation. I viewed it with a scope today from at least two miles away at Buffalo Creek Reservoir. It is perhaps 50% de-watered now, and the South Fork of the South Platte is flooding its banks downstream of the reservoir with the discharge of water. Due to the distance and heat shimmer it was hard to be sure of any IDs except for Am. White Pelicans, apparent cormorants and generic flying gulls (no doubt most or nearly all California Gulls). There were thousands of birds there! Blurry blobs in the scope, and no doubt many little ones I could not discern at all. I estimated about 600-700 pelicans, and maybe 2000 gulls, and lots and lots of other birds, too. There are huge expanses of shallowing water and mud flats, and presumably many fish and other life available for the birds. It would be awesome to get in there to see what is there!  I'm wondering if the Snowy Plovers that breed there are able to nest this year with these changes. I hope so. But scads of other birds are reaping the bounty for now. 

The rookery at Eleven Mile Reservoir (California Gulls, Am. White Pelicans and Double-crested Cormorants) is going strong. Birds nesting there fly to Spinney Mountain Reservoir and Antero to forage.

David Suddjian

Littleton, CO