Colorado Rare Bird Alert, 8 January 2014

[Joyce Takamine]

Compiler: Joyce Takamine

Date: January 8, 2014

email: rba AT cfobirds.org

phone: 303-659-8750

This is the Colorado Rare Bird Alert for Wednesday, January 8, 2014

sponsored  by the Denver Field Ornithologists and the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory.

If you are phoning in a message, you can skip the recording by pressing the

star key (*) on your phone at any time. Please leave your name, phone

number, detailed directions including county, and dates for each sighting.

It would be helpful if you would spell your last name.

 

Highlight species include (* indicates new information on this species in

this report):

 

BRANT (*Douglas/Jefferson)

TUNDRA SWAN (Boulder)

Black Scoter (Arapahoe)

Long-tailed Duck (Arapahoe, Arapahoe/Jefferson, Grand)

Barrow's Goldeneye (*Adams, Eagle/Pitkin, Pitkin, Pueblo, Summit)

MEW GULL (Larimer)

Thayer's Gull (*Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, Larimer)

ICELAND GULL (Arapahoe, Larimer)

Lesser Black-backed Gull (*Arapahoe, Denver, Larimer)

SLATY-BACKED GULL (*Arapahoe)

GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL (Arapahoe)

Glaucous Gull (*Arapahoe, Denver)

GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL (Arapahoe)

White-winged Dove (Arapahoe)

American Three-toed Woodpecker (Delta/Mesa)

Winter Wren (El Paso)

Bohemian Waxwing (Moffat)

Swamp Sparrow (Boulder)

White-throated Sparrow (Boulder)

Harris's Sparrow (Adams, *Garfield)

GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW (Boulder, Jefferson)

Lapland Longspur (Adams, Kit Carson,  Weld)

Snow Bunting (*Boulder)

Black Rosy-Finch (Boulder, Jefferson)

ADAMS COUNTY:

--2 Barrow's Goldeneyes were reported by Pagliaro on the S Platte between 100th and 88th on January 2.  On January 7, Candice Johnson reported 2 Barrow's Goldeneyes near 100th and the S Platte.

--On the Barr Lake CBC, Hundertmark reported Harris's Sparrow and Lapland Longspurs on January 5.

 

ARAPHOE COUNTY:

--On December 30, Ferrell and Moulton reported a SLATY-BACKED GULL at Aurora Reservoir.

--On January 2, Schmoker and Walbek reported Black Scoter, juv Thayer's Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gulls (5 ad, 1 juv), Glaucous Gull (2 ad, 2 juv), GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL (1 juv), Glaucous-winged Gull (1 juv), and SLATY-BACKED GULL at Aurora Reservoir.  On January 3, Mlodinow reported Black Scoter, SLATY-BACKED GULL, 4 Glaucous Gulls, 9 Thayer's Gulls, 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, ICELAND GULL, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL at Aurora Reservoir.  On January 4, Komar reported 1-st cyc Glaucous Gull, 4 Thayer's Gulls (2 ad, 2 1-st cyc), 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (4 ad, 1 1-st cyc), and a possible 1-st cycle SLATY-BACKED GULL at Aurora Reservoir.  On January 5, Mark Miller reported ad SLATY-BACKED GULL and Glaucous Gull at Aurora Reservoir.  On January 6, Chartier reported the ad SLATY-BACKED GULL at Aurora Reservoir.  On January 7, Brenda Linfield reported the SLATY-BACKED GULL at Aurora Reservoir.  On January 7, Roller reported Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Glaucous Gulls, and Thayer's Gulls at Aurora Reservoir.

--A White-winged Dove was reported by Mary Driscoll in her yard on January 6 in unicorporated Arapahoe County.  If you would like to try for the bird, contact her at wddriscoll AT gmail.com for updates and directions.

ARAPAHOE/JEFFERSON COUNTIES:

 --On January 1, Bob Spencer reported 3 Long-tailed Ducks at South Platte Reservoir.  On January 3 Kemena reported 3 Long-tailed Ducks at South Platte Reservoir.

 

BOULDER COUNTY:

--The TUNDRA SWAN was reported by Dowell at Valmont on January 1.

--The GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW was reported by Dowell at the Teller Farm trailhead on Valmont on January 1.

--A White-throated Sparrow was reported by the Such brothers at Lyons Cemetery on January 2.  It was on the NW edge.  The cemetery is at the north end of 3rd Ave.

--A Swamp Sparrow was reported by Floyd at South Teller Farm off Valmont on January 5.

--All three species of Rosy-Finches were reported by Breitsch in Allenspark at Fawn Brook Inn on January 6.

--A Snow Bunting was reported by Mark Miller in the NW corner of Lookout Road and 95th on January 7.

BROOMFIELD COUNTY:

--An ad Thayer's Gull was reported by Mlodinow at Sienna Pond at Sheridan and Lowell on January 1.

DELTA/MESA COUNTIES:

--3 American Three-toed Woodpeckers were reported by Moston on the Grand Mesa CBC on January 1.

DENVER COUNTY:

--At Marston Reservoir on January 2, Tina Jones reported ad Lesser Black-backed Gull from the east and 1-st cyc Glaucous Gull and ad Thayer's Gull from west.

 

DOUGLAS/JEFFERSON COUNTIES:

--A BRANT was found by Stachowiak at Chatfield open water on the Denver CBC

on December 14.  On January 7, Erthal reported the BRANT at the Model Airplane Field at Chatfield SP.

EAGLE/PITKIN COUNTIES:

--54+ Barrow's Goldeneyes were reported by Filby on the Fryingpan River and at Ruedi Reservoir above Basalt on January 4.

EL PASO COUNTY:

--A Winter Wren was reported by Leppek at Fountain Creek RP at trail marker 18 on January 6.

GARFIELD COUNTY:

--Filby reported that the Harris's Sparrow continues  on January 7 in his back yard in Carbondale.  If you would like to try to see the bird email Dick at dickfilby AT hotmail.com for updates and directions.

 

JEFFERSON COUNTY:

--On January 6, Pasquariello reported GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW and 1 Black Rosy-Finch at Red Rocks Trading Post.

 

LARIMER COUNTY:

--An ad ICELAND GULL,  3 juv Thayer's Gulls, and 2 ad Lesser Black-backed Gulls were reported by Komar at Carter Lake on December 30.

--An ad ICELAND GULL was reported by Komar at Lake Loveland on December 30.

--On the Loveland CBC at Lake Carter, Wild reported ICELAND GULL, MEW GULL, Thayer's Gull, and Lesser Black-backed Gulls on January 1.

--Komar reported the ICELAND GULL on the Loveland CBC at the Larimer County Landfill on January 1.

MOFFAT COUNTY:

--500+ Bohemian Waxwings were reported by Brett Walker south of Dinosaur NM on December 31.

PITKIN COUNTY:

--A pair of Barrow's Goldeneyes were reported by Zerbi below Ruedi Reservoir dam on January 6.

RIO GRANDE COUNTY:

--A Harris's Sparrow was reported by Simmons on First St near town park in Del Norte on January 4.

SUMMIT COUNTY:

--Barrow's Goldeneyes were reported by Dee at the Water Treatment plant in Silverthorne on January 6.

WELD COUNTY:

--Lapland Longspurs were reported by Lefko near Nunn between CR 23 and 25 and CR 100 and 102 on January 5.

 

DFO Field Trips:

The DFO Field Trip for Wednesday, January 8 will be to Aurora Reservoir and prairie roads in Arapahoe County led by Bob Shade (303-975-2475 or WRShade AT gmail.com).  Full day trip.  Meet at NE corner of Parker Rd and Quincy Ave in Aurora at 0900.  Gather at the south edge of the parking lot opposite Denver Mattress.  Will carpool from there 15 miles straight east to Aurora Reservoir.  $10 fee per car; have exact change available for self-pay envelopes.  Will try to pick out unusual gulls or geese, eat lunch at enclosed facility, will cruise county roads for Ferruginous and Rough-legged Hawks and maybe Longspurs.  Will return to rendezvous by 1600 at the latest.  

Drivers get 30 cents a mile, divided among the riders including the driver.  Limit 16 people and 4 cars.  Please contact the leader ahead of time.  Please read the liability waiver on the DFO website ahead of time so you know what your are signing.

Scopes highly recommended and bring 2-way radios for raptor cruising, if you have them.  If the reservoir freezes over completely, or the weather is extremely cold, we may cancel.

The DFO field Trip for Saturday, January 11 will be the 88th and the Platte led by Bruce Neuman and Mark Amershek.  Meet the leaders a 0730 at E 88th and the South Platte River (Parking lot just south of the intersection of 88th and Colorado Blvd).  This walk will be a rendezvous with the duck population of the winter river habitat.  It will be a half-day trip walking on paved flat trails (2-4 miles).  Will spend time observing the birds.  Dress for the cold weather.  Please RSVP to Mark at 303-329-8646 or mamershek AT msn.com

 

Good Birding,

Joyce Takamine