birds along the US-287 corridor in eastern Boulder Co., Oct. 26–28
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Ted Floyd
Oct 29, 2023, 1:45:06 AM10/29/23
to Colorado Birds
Hey, all.
Some odds and ends from these past few days in eastern Boulder Co. All reports from within a proverbial stone's throw of US-287, which runs north–south near the county's eastern border.
Thurs., Oct. 26. Greenlee Wildlife Preserve & Waneka Lake. A flyover evening grosbeak and several flyover red crossbills. The latter are uncommon in eastern Boulder Co., the former rare. I didn't get audio of either, but I believe the grosbeak was a Type 4 and the crossbills Type 2s. Also that evening, overflying Waneka Lake, a late Baird sandpiper, and possibly more than just the one.
Fri., Oct. 27. Hecla Pond. 6 long-billed dowitchers, a Wilson snipe and an American White Pelican, 4 hooded mergansers, and the last singing orthopteran of the year: an Allard ground cricket, Allonemobius allardi. Way up there: 3 sandhill cranes, barely visible, but delectably audible. Also up there: cackling geese by the hundreds, many of which had put down by mid-afternoon on nearby Waneka Lake.
Sat., Oct. 28. McIntosh Lake. I arrived there just as the morning snow squall was intensifying, and a nice little fallout was in progress. Strange for the date were no fewer than 9 barn swallows. Shorebirds, apparently disoriented, were flying around the lakeshore—definitely 2 greater yellowlegs and 20+ killdeer, along with a Pluvialis plover that sounded better for American golden-plover than for black-bellied plover; and a spuh, heard-only, that I thought might have been a sanderling. FOSes included 3 horned grebes and 8 red-breasted mergansers. And a dark-morph eastern fox squirrel, Sciurus niger, and an Audubon warbler.
Sat., Oct. 28. Prince Lake No. 2 and adjoining Schofield Open Space. 6 long-billed dowitchers, a late Say phoebe, a flyover American pipit, and gulls. Among the 61 ring-billed gulls were an adult herring gull, a bit early, and a Franklin gull, rather tardy. Or, at least, I think it was a Franklin gull. Genus Leucophaeus for sure. If anybody wants to sneak a peek at my eBird checklist and make sure it's just a Frankie, be my guest.
Sat., Oct. 28. "Raptor Alley" area around 95th & Lookout. 500+ cackling geese; 5 bald eagles (all adults) and 2 FOS ferruginous hawks. And at a little pond south of 95th & Lookout, 3 drake hooded mergansers and an unexpected garamond of 11 double-crested cormorants, mostly hatch-years.
Sat., Oct. 28. Stearns Lake. The bald eagles at their nest. Also a trio of 3 frosty-tailed American tree sparrows, FOSes. And in the parking lot cattails, a chatterbox marsh wren and 2 swamp sparrows.
Ted Floyd
Lafayette, Boulder Co.
Some odds and ends from these past few days in eastern Boulder Co. All reports from within a proverbial stone's throw of US-287, which runs north–south near the county's eastern border.
Thurs., Oct. 26. Greenlee Wildlife Preserve & Waneka Lake. A flyover evening grosbeak and several flyover red crossbills. The latter are uncommon in eastern Boulder Co., the former rare. I didn't get audio of either, but I believe the grosbeak was a Type 4 and the crossbills Type 2s. Also that evening, overflying Waneka Lake, a late Baird sandpiper, and possibly more than just the one.
Fri., Oct. 27. Hecla Pond. 6 long-billed dowitchers, a Wilson snipe and an American White Pelican, 4 hooded mergansers, and the last singing orthopteran of the year: an Allard ground cricket, Allonemobius allardi. Way up there: 3 sandhill cranes, barely visible, but delectably audible. Also up there: cackling geese by the hundreds, many of which had put down by mid-afternoon on nearby Waneka Lake.
Sat., Oct. 28. McIntosh Lake. I arrived there just as the morning snow squall was intensifying, and a nice little fallout was in progress. Strange for the date were no fewer than 9 barn swallows. Shorebirds, apparently disoriented, were flying around the lakeshore—definitely 2 greater yellowlegs and 20+ killdeer, along with a Pluvialis plover that sounded better for American golden-plover than for black-bellied plover; and a spuh, heard-only, that I thought might have been a sanderling. FOSes included 3 horned grebes and 8 red-breasted mergansers. And a dark-morph eastern fox squirrel, Sciurus niger, and an Audubon warbler.
Sat., Oct. 28. Prince Lake No. 2 and adjoining Schofield Open Space. 6 long-billed dowitchers, a late Say phoebe, a flyover American pipit, and gulls. Among the 61 ring-billed gulls were an adult herring gull, a bit early, and a Franklin gull, rather tardy. Or, at least, I think it was a Franklin gull. Genus Leucophaeus for sure. If anybody wants to sneak a peek at my eBird checklist and make sure it's just a Frankie, be my guest.
Sat., Oct. 28. "Raptor Alley" area around 95th & Lookout. 500+ cackling geese; 5 bald eagles (all adults) and 2 FOS ferruginous hawks. And at a little pond south of 95th & Lookout, 3 drake hooded mergansers and an unexpected garamond of 11 double-crested cormorants, mostly hatch-years.
Sat., Oct. 28. Stearns Lake. The bald eagles at their nest. Also a trio of 3 frosty-tailed American tree sparrows, FOSes. And in the parking lot cattails, a chatterbox marsh wren and 2 swamp sparrows.
Ted Floyd
Lafayette, Boulder Co.
Sandra Laursen
Nov 1, 2023, 11:55:53 AM11/1/23
to Colorado Birds
I am glad to see the ferruginous hawk on your list, Ted. I saw one perched on a beam at the Kaiser Rock Creek building yesterday, head tucked in as it was harassed by a pair of ravens. I doubted my eyes a bit - it seemed early in the season - but had a good view of bright white underparts and belly, pale head, rusty-streaked flanks, brown streaky back. It seemed like an odd spot to me, but it's a fine high perch and Lafayette's Rock Creek open space is just across the road, with plenty of prey for a morning nosh (and not far south of where you saw yours).
Rather a crowd gathered to look, so that was fun. Moral, take your binocs to the docs!
Sandra Laursen
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