Colorado Rare Bird Alert, 8 April 2018

[Joyce Takamine]

Compiler:   Joyce Takamine

Date:        April 8, 2018

e-mail:      RBA AT cobirds.org  

This is the Rare Bird Alert for Sunday, April 8 sponsored by Denver Field Ornithologists and the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies.

Highlight species include: (* indicates new information on this species)

NOTE:  The RBA is now using the new AOU checklist and the order of families has changed.

Snow Goose (*Boulder, Garfield, San Miguel)

Ross’s Goose (*Douglas, *Weld)

Greater White-fronted Goose (*Jefferson, Prowers, *Rio Grande, *Weld)

Wood Duck (Montezuma)

Sharp-tailed Grouse (*Weld)

Red-necked Grebe (*Jefferson)

Clark’s Grebe (*Fremont)

Chimney Swift (Boulder)

White-throated Swift (Chaffee, Pueblo)

Broad-tailed Hummingbird (El Paso)

Virginia Rail (Chaffee)

Sandhill Crane (*Jefferson, *Larimer, Mesa, Montezuma, *Rio Grande, *Weld)

Black-necked Stilt (*Weld)

Mountain Plover (El Paso, Lincoln)

Long-billed Curlew (*Boulder, Mesa)

Least Sandpiper (La Plata, *Weld)

Long-billed Dowitcher (El Paso)

Lesser Yellowlegs (El Paso, Jefferson)

Willet (Arapahoe)

Bonaparte’s Gull (Boulder, Chaffee)

Franklin’s Gull (Montezuma)

California Gull (Douglas, Mesa)

Iceland Gull (El Paso, Pueblo) 

Glaucous Gull (Washington)

Pacific Loon (*Fremont)

Double-crested Cormornants (*Denver)

American White Pelican (Douglas)

Great Egret (Chaffee, La Plata, *Larimer, Moffat, *Weld)

Snowy Egret (Adams, *Denver)

Little Blue Heron (*Otero)

White-faced Ibis (*Mesa, Rio Grande)

Turkey Vulture (*Boulder, Douglas, Larimer, Mineral)

Northern Goshawk (*Douglas, *Jefferson, Larimer)

Swainson’s Hawk (*Jackson, Jefferson)

Burrowing Owl (*El Paso, Mesa)

Ladder-backed Woodpecker (*El Paso)

Black Phoebe (Fremont, *Mesa)

Eastern Phoebe (*Boulder, *Chaffee, Custer, *Fremont, *Larimer, *Otero)

Vermilion Flycatcher (El Paso)

Western Kingbird (El Paso)

Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay (Adams)

Chihuahuan Raven (*Crowley, Fremont)

Tree Swallow (*Otero)

Violet-green Swallow (Araphoe, *Denver, *Fremont, *Jefferson, *Larimer)

Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Arapahoe, *Larimer)

Bank Swallow (*Chaffee, *Larimer, *Otero)

Cliff Swallow (*Chaffee, *Larimer, *Otero)

Barn Swallow (*Broomfield, *Chaffee, *Denver, *Larimer, *Otero)

Mountain Chickadee (*Otero)

Golden-crowned Kinglet (*Denver)

Mountain Bluebird (Lincoln)

Swainson’s Thrush (*Adams)

Hermit Thrush (Adams, *Denver, Lincoln, *Weld)

Gray Catbird (Larimer)

Curve-billed Thrasher (*El Paso, *Fremont)

Sage Thrasher (*Boulder, El Paso)

Northern Mockingbird (Broomfield, El Paso)

American Pipit (*Crowley, Jefferson, Larimer, Lincoln)

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (San Miguel)

Black Rosy-Finch (San Miguel)

Brown-capped Rosy-Finch (San Miguel)

Chestnut-collared Longspur (El Paso, Lincoln, *Weld)

McCown’s Longspur (El Paso)

Green-tailed Towhee (Jefferson)

Cassin’s Sparrow (El Paso)

Chipping Sparrow (*Yuma)

Vesper Sparrow (*Boulder, *Crowley, *El Paso, Jefferson)

Sagebrush Sparrow (Boulder, *Larimer)

Savannah Sparrow (*Weld)

Lincoln’s Sparrow (*Adams, *Crowley, *Larimer, *Otero, *Weld)

Harris’s Sparrow (*Denver, El Paso, *Weld)

Brown-headed Cowbird Yuma)

Northern Cardinal (Boulder)

ADAMS COUNTY:

---On April 3 at Lowell Ponds (Clear Creek Valley Park), Christy Payne reported Snowy Egret.

---On April 3 at east Lake Shores Park, Don Mullson reported Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay.

---On April 3 at Lake Sangraco, Christy Payne reported Snowy Egret.

---On April 6 at Barr Lake SP, Susan Quinlan reported Hermit Thrush.  On April 7 at Barr Lake SP Niedrach trail and Visitor Center,  Brian Johnson reported Swainson’s Thrush.

---On April 7 at Pond N of Big Dry Creek Park, Matt Hofeditz reported Lincoln’s Sparrow.

---On April 7 at Metzger Farms OS, Matt Hofeditz reported Lincoln’s Sparrow.

---On April 7 at Mann-Nyholt Lake, Adam Veseley reported Lincoln’s Sparrow.

ARAPAHOE COUNTY:                                                                  

---On April 6 at South Platte Park, Edward Donnan reported Willet.

---On April 6 at Centennial Park, Art Hudak reported Northern Rough-winged Swallow and 8 Violet-green Swallows.

BOULDER COUNTY:

---On April 4 at Boulder Reservoir complex Ted Floyd reported 2 Snow Geese, Bonaparte’s Gull, Sage Thrasher, and Vesper Sparrow; Dan Zmolek and Leslie S reported 2 Snow Geese and Sage Thrasher.  On April 6 at Boulder Reservoir Complex, David Dowell reported 2 Snow Geese.  On April 7 at Boulder Reservoir Complex Ron Podhajsky, Peter Burke, Kathie Lehman, and David Haskell, Dan Zmolek, and Leslies S reported 2 Snow Geese, 2 Vesper Sparrows, and Sage Thrasher and 3 Turkey Vultures.

---On April 4 at Boulder Creek and 75th St, Nancy Ries Morrison and Ted Floyd reported Eastern Phoebe.  On April 5 at Boulder Creek and 75th St, Gregg Goodrich and Anna Troth reported Eastern Phoebe on both sides of the bridge.  On April 7 at Boulder Creek and 75th St, Emil Yappert and Richard Trinkner reported Eastern Phoebe; Ernest Crvich reported 2 Eastern Phoebes at Boulder Creek and 75th St but west of bridge.

---On April 4 at Pella Crossing OS, Carl Starace reported 5 Chimney Swift.

---On April 4 at Melody Park (16th and Kingwood) in Boulder, Bob Fiehweg reported Northern Cardinal.

---On April 5 at Foothills Community Park North end, Christian Nunes reported Sagebrush Sparrow and several birders got to see it.

---On April 5 at Twin Lakes, Laura Steadman reported 20 Chimney Swifts.

---On April 5 at Stearns Lake, Ted Floyd reported 2 Snow Geese.

---On April 7 in area around Hwy 66 between N 61st and N 63rd St in Longmont, Ethan Kistler, Christian Nunes, David Waltman, Dan Zmolek, Leslie S reported 2 Long-billed Curlews and Peter Burke reported 3 Long-billed Curlews N of Hwy 66; Willem van Vliet reported 3 Long-billed Curlews on N63rd West of McCall Lake.

BROOMFIELD COUNTY:

---On April 7 at Plaster Reservoir, Matt Hofeditz reported Barn Swallow.

CHAFFEE COUNTY:

---On April 3 at Buena Vista Ice Pond (view from road), Mike Buccieri  reported Bonaparte’s Gull.  On April 4 at Buenta Vista Ice Pond (view from road), Christian Hagenlocher reported Great Egret and Bonaparte’s Gull.

---On April 4 on CR 367, Christian Hagenlocher reported 2 Barn Swallows.

---On April 5 at Bob’s Rocks, Christian Hagenlocher reported 4 White-throated Swifts.

---On April 7 at Sands Lake SWA, Michael O’Brien and VENT Grouse Tour reported Bank Swallow, Eastern Phoebe, 20 Cliff Swallows, and 5 Barn Swallows.

CROWLEY COUNTY:

---On April 7 at Lake Henry, Steve Mlodinow reported Chihuahuan Raven, 3 American Pipits, Vesper Sparrow, and 2 Lincoln’s Sparrows.

CUSTER COUNTY:

---On April 4 in Wetmore Area, Jerry DeBoer reported 2 Eastern Phoebe.

DENVER COUNTY:

---On April 5 at First Creek at DEN OS, John Breitsch reported Harris’s Sparrow.  On April 7 at First Creek at DEN OS, Lorraine Lanning reported Harris’s Sparrow.

---On April 7 at Denver City Park, Patrick O’Driscoll and DFO Field Trip reported 4 Snowy Egrets, 445 Double-crested Cormornants and 200 nests, 2 Violet-green Swallows, 3 Barn Swallows and Golden-crowned Kinglet.

---On April 7 at Denver Botanic Gardnes and Cheeseman Park, Rebecca Laroche reported 2 Golden-crowned Kinglets and Hermit Thrush.

DOUGLAS COUNTY:

---On April 5 at Parker Regional Park (aka Salisbury Equestrian Park), Tim Ryan reported Ross’s Goose.  On April 7 at Parker Regional Park (aka Salisbury Equestrian Park), Sue Plankis reported Ross’s Goose.

---On April 7 at Roxborough SP, Candice Johnson reported Northern Goshawk.

EL PASO COUNTY:

---On April 5 at Hanover Road, Diane Roberts and her DFO Field Trip reported pair of Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, Curve-billed Thrasher, 2 Burrowing Owls, 4 Sage Thrashers, and 2 Cassins Sparrows.  On April 6 on Hanover Rd on pine tree at oasis, Jim Merritt reported Ladder-backed Woodpecker; R Knapp reported 2 Western Kingbirds.  On April 7 on Hanover Road Gloria Nikolai reported 3 Curve-billed Thrashers and 2 Burrowing Owls.

---On April 4 at Ramah Reservoir SWA, Cheri Phillips reported Long-billed Dowitcher.

---On April 3 at Squirrel Creek Road Reservoir, Diane Roberts, Chris Brobin and Tanja Britton reported Lesser Yellowlegs.

---On April 2 at Hanover Fire Station, Linda Hodges and many other birders reported m Vermilion Flycatcher and Curve-billed Thrashers, and Cassin’s Sparrows.  On April 3 at Hanover Fire Station, David Tonnessen and several other birders reported that the Vermilion Flycatcher continues with Curve-billed Thrashers.  On April 4 at Hanover Fire Station, Christy Payne and several other birders reported Vermilion Flycatcher.  

---On April 2 at Chico Basin Ranch on road to banding station, Linda Hodges reported 4 Sage Thrashers.  On April 5 at Chico Basin Ranch (fee area), Jeannie Mitchell and John Drummond  reported 2 Burrowing Owls, 3 Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, and Curve-billed Thrasher; Patraicia Bacchetti reported Curve-billed Thrasher.

---On April 2 at Hanover Road and De Groot, Linda Hodges reported 4 Burrowing Owls.  On April 4 at Hanover Road and De Groot, Rod Schmidt reported Curve-billed Thrasher.

---On April 2 at Squirrel Creek Rd and Bar O Rd, John Bruder reported 6 Chestnut-Collared Longspurs.  On April 2 at Squirrel Creek Rd East, Monday Birders reported 3 Burrowing Owls and 3 Chestnut-collared Longspurs.  

---On April 3 on De Groot Rd, Loch Kilpatrick reported 2 Cassin’s Sparrows.  On April 5 at DeGroot Road John Drummond reported Cassin’s Sparrow.

---On April 3 on Hanover Road, Gregg Goodrich reported 2 Cassin’s Sparrows.  On April 4 on Hanover Road, Cheri Phillips reported 2 Ladder-backed Woodpeckers and Diana Beatty reported Cassin’s Sparrow.

---On April 5 at 19250 Loop Rd Uldrickson Farm, Christine Alexander, Ginny Bergstrom and Tom Johnson and his Field Guides tour reported Vermilion Flycatcher.

---On April 5 at Hanover Fire Station, Jeannie Mitchell and John Drumond reported Cassin’s Sparrow.

---On April 5 on Birdsall Road, Jim Merrit reported Curve-billed Thasher.

---On April 5 at Blair Bridge OS, Joy Lake reported Broad-tailed Hummingbird.

---On April 6 on Sanborn Rd near Yoder, David Tonnessen reported 4 McCown’s Longspur and Vesper Sparrow.

---On April 7 on Loop Road, Riley Morris reported 2 Curve-billed Thrashers.

---On April 76 on S Meridian Road Hanover Rd to Pueblo County Line, Roger Massey, reported Ladder-backed Woodpecker and Vesper Sparrow.

FREMONT COUNTY:

---On April 2, SeEtta Moss reported Black Phoebe at Florence River Park, MacKenzie Ave  Bridge in Canon City, Sell’s Lake in Canon City.

---On April 3, SeEtta Moss reported 2 Eastern Phoebe at Tunnel Drive Rd in Canon City, and 2 Eastern Phoebe at Sell’s Lake Trailhead to Canon City Riverwalk.

---On April 7 at Brush Hollow, Cheryl Teuton and Norm Erthal reported basic plumaged Pacific Loon; Erthal reported Clark’s Grebe and Chihuahuan Raven; DeBoer reported Curve-billed Thrasher.

---On April 7 at Canon City Valco Pond, Jerry DeBoer reported 4 Violet-green Swallows and Eastern Phoebe.

GARFIELD COUNTY:

---On April 3 at Ponds near Rifle Garfield Airport (view from road), JoAnn Riggle reported 2 Snow Geese.

JACKSON COUNTY:

---On April 7 on Hwy 14 S of Coalmont, Mike Buccieri reported Swainson’s Hawk.

JEFFERSON COUNTY:

---On April 3 at Wheat Ridge Greenbelt Prospect Park and Lake, Tuesday Birders and Matt Clark reported 2-3 Lesser Yellowlegs and 100 Sandhill Cranes.  On April 4 at Wheat Ridge Greenbelt Prospect Park and Lake, Ginny  Bergstrom reported 3 Lesser Yellowlegs.

---On April 3 at Bear Creek Lake Park at Pelican Point, Mark Chavez and Myron Gerhard reported Vesper Sparrow.  On April 6 at Bear Creek Lake Park, Mark Chavez reported American Pipit.

---On April 4 on Kipling going north, north of Ridge Rd, Anne Price reported Swainson’s Hawk.

---On April 5 at Ken Caryl Cathy Johnson Trail, David Suddjian reported Green-tailed Towhee.

---On April 7 at Chatfield SP, Susan Blansett reported 6 Violet-green Swallows flying over the South Platte River.

---On April 7 at Maxwell Falls Lower Trail, Shayna Wieferich reported Northern Goshawk and 2 Sandhill Cranes.

---On April 7 at Ralston creek trail thru west Woods Golf Course, John Shunk reported Greater White-fronted Goose.

---On April 7 at Coors Ponds, Bruce Snyder reported Red-necked Grebe.

LA PLATA COUNTY:

---On April 3 at Pastoroius Reservoir, Jason St. Pierre reported Least Sandpiper.  On April 6 at Pastorius Reservoir, Susan Allerton reported Least Sandpiper and Great Egret; Ryan Votta reported Great Egret.

LARIMER COUNTY:

---On April 5 at Arapahoe Bend NA Rigden Reservoir (Strauss Cabin Lake), Walter Wehtje reported 4 Barn Swallows and 2 Cliff Swallows.   On April 6 at Arapahoe Bend NA Rigden Reservoir (Strauss Cabin Lake), Lori Zabel reported Barn Swallow, 2 Vesper Sparrows, and 12 American Pipits.  On April 7 at Arapahoe Bend NA Rigden Reservoir (Strauss Cabin Lake), Christine and Richard Sparks, John Shenot, Brandon Nooner, Heather Shirley, and Eva Matthews Lark reported 20 Sandhill Cranes, Violet-green Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Bank Swallows, Cliff Swallows, and  Barn Swallows.

---On April 5 at Lee Martinez Park, Ethan Kistler reported 125 Turkey Vultures from 0900 and Gray Catbird.

---On April 7 at CSU Environmental Learning Center riparian area upstream of dam, Lori Zabel reported Eastern Phoebe.

---On April 7 at Bobcat Ridge NA, Skyler Bol reported Sagebrush Sparrow, and Lincoln’s Sparrow.

LINCOLN COUNTY:

---On April 6 on CR S near Karval, David Tonnessen reported American Pipit and 8 Chestnut-collared Longspur.

---On April 6 on CR T near Karval, David Tonnessen reported 14 Mountain Plover and Mountain Bluebird.

---On April 6 in Karval (town), David Tonnessen reported Hermit Thrush.

---On April 7 at Matthews-Reeser Bird Sanctuary, Ethan Kistler reported Great Egret.

MESA COUNTY:

---On April 7 at Horsethief Canyon SWA, Carol Ortenzio and Katey Buster reported Black Phoebe.

---On April 6 at Highline Lake SP, Kathleen McGinley and Mike Henwood reported White-faced Ibis and 2 Sandhill Cranes.

---On April 6 at Brewster Ridge, Mike Henwood reported 5 Long-billed Curlew.

---On April 6 on old Us Hwy 6 & 50 2 8/10 Rd N, Mike Henwood and Kathleen McGinley reported Burrowing Owl.

---On April 7 at Shiprock Pond, Nic Korte reported 3 White-faced Ibis.

MINERAL COUNTY:

---On April 5 at West Fork Rd, Ben Bailey reported 2 Turkey Vultures.  West Fork Rd is at mm158 on north Hwy 160.

MOFFAT COUNTY:

---On April 5 at Moffat County Road Dept Ponds, John Vaderpoel reported Great Egret.

MONTEZUMA COUNTY:

---On April 5 at Totten Lake, Glenn Dunmire reported 2 Sandhill Cranes and 6 Franklin’s Gulls.

---On April 5 at Centennial Park pond in Cortez, Glenn Dunmire reported pair of Wood Ducks.

OTERO COUNTY:

---On April 6 at Holbrook Reservoir, Tom Johnson and his Field Guides Grouse Tour reported Little Blue Heron, 2 Tree Swallows, 2 Bank Swallows, and 6 Barn Swallows.  On April 7 at Lake Holbrook east side outflow, Janeal Thompson reported Little Blue Heron.

---On April 7 at Rocky Ford Dike, Steve Mlodinow reported 30 Tree Swallows, 2 Bank Swallows, 80 Barn Swallows, and 8 Cliff Swallows.

---On April 7 at Rocky Ford SWA Ryans Ponds, Steve Mlodinow reported 2 Eastern Phoebe, 2 Mountain Chickadees and Lincoln’s Sparrow.

PROWERS COUNTY:

---On April 4 at Northgate, Jane Stulp reported 2 Greater White-fronted Geese.

RIO GRANDE COUNTY:

---On April 4 at Monte Vista NWR, Dale Pate reported 2 White-faced Ibis and 400 Sandhill Cranes.

SAN MIGUEL COUNTY:

---On April 4 at The Terraces, Eric Hynes reported 1 Gray-crowned (Hepburn’s) Rosy-Finch, 4 Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, 6 Black Rosy-Finch, and 140 Brown-capped Rosy-Finch.

---On April 6 at Hwy 145 and 44Z S Road, George Steele reported Snow Goose.

WASHINGTON COUNTY:

---On April 4 at Prewitt Reservoir, Norm Erthal reported Glaucous Gull.

WELD COUNTY:

---On April 7 at ponds west of CR 41 N of CR 46, Sharon Kay reported Great Egret, 3 Black-necked Stilits, and 12 Sandhill Cranes across the road.

---On April 7 at CR 1376 W of CR 105, James Holmes reported Sharp-tailed Grouse, Savannah Sparrow, and 8 Chestnut-collared Longspurs.

---On April 7 at CR 111 and CR 134, James Holmes reported 3 Sharp-tailed Grouse.

---On April 7 at Briggsdale (town) at corner of Main and 5th Ave, James Holmes reported Harris’s Sparrow.

---On April 7 at Clark Lake, James Holmes reported 4 Ross’s Geese, and 4 Greater White-fronted Geese.

---On April 7 at Behren Reservoir area, Renee Casias and David Dowell reported Least Sandpiper.

---On April 7 at Crow Valley Campground, David Dowell and Georgiah Hartman reported Hermit Thrush and 2 Lincoln’s Sparrows.

--- On April 7 at CR 136 and CR 111 Georgiah Hartman reported Sharp-tailed Grouse; at CR 111 and CR 134, Matt Clark reported 2 Sharp-tailed Grouse.

YUMA COUNTY:

---On April 7 at Wray, Bill Kaempfer reported Chipping Sparrow.

DFO Field Trips: 

The DFO Field Trip for Sunday, April 8 will be to Cherry Creek SP Wetlands Loop led by Karen von Saltza and Bill Wuerthle (kvonsaltza AT  yahoo.com; 303-941-4881)  Meet at 0800 at Prairie Loop lot in Cherry Creek SP.  From either park entrance, followLake View Rod to the Prarie Loop that is locataed at the south rim of the reservoir.  State Parks pass or day pass required.  

    This is a half day of walking that passes through most of the important habitats found in the park over a distance of about 3.5 miles.  Trails could be slippery or muddy.  Bring water and snacks; lunch is optional.  Beginning birders are welcome.  Register online or contact leader.

The DFO Field Trip for Monday, April 9 will be to Southwest Metro Area Ponds and Lakes led by David Suddjian (dsuddjian At gmail.com; 831-713-8659)  This trip is FULL.

Good Birding,

Joyce Takamine

Boulder