Colorado Rare Bird Alert, 13 February 2018

[Joyce Takamine]

This is the Rare Bird Alert for Tuesday, February 13 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.

Greater White-fronted Goose (El Paso, Weld)

Trumpeter Swan (Fremont)

Greater Scaup (Arapahoe, Chaffee, Weld)

White-winged Scoter (*Arapahoe, *Jefferson, Pueblo)

Barrow’s Goldeneye (Adams, Arapahoe, *El Paso, Garfield, Montezuma) 

Clark’s Grebe (Fremont)

Greater Roadrunner (El Paso)

Virginia Rail (Huerfano)

Sandhill Crane (Baca)

Least Sandpiper (La Plata)

Long-billed Dowitcher (Adams)

Spotted Sandpiper (Garfield)

Lesser Yellowlegs (Prowers)

Greater Yellowlegs (Prowers)

AMERICAN WOODCOCK (*Larimer)

Black-legged Kittiwake (Fremont)

California Gulll (Archuleta, Adams, *Larimer, Weld)

Iceland Gull (El Paso, *Larimer, Pueblo, Weld) 

Glaucous Gull (*Larimer)

YELLOW-BILLED LOON (*Arapahoe, *Jefferson)

Northern Goshawk (Jefferson)

HARRIS’S HAWK (Larimer)

Snowy Owl (Jefferson, Kiowa)

Acorn Woodpecker (La Plata)

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Prowers)

RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER (El Paso)

Black Phoebe (Mesa)

Say’s Phoebe (*Adams, Arapahoe)

Chihuahuan Raven (El Paso, Fremont, *Kiowa)

Pygmy Nuthatch (Arapahoe, *Broomfield)

Winter Wren (Arapahoe, Baca)

Mountain Bluebird (Adams, *Kiowa)

Curve-billed Thrasher (El Paso)

Sage Thrasher (Huerfano)

Northern Mockingbird (Baca)

American Pipit (La Plata)

Brown-capped Rosy-Finch (Teller)

Black Rosy-Finch (Teller)

Common Redpoll (Chaffee, *Larimer, Mesa)

Red Crossbill (Arapahoe)

Lapland Longspur (El Paso, *Kiowa, *Kit Carson)

Chestnut-collared Longspur (*Kit Carson)

McCown’s Longspur (*Kiowa, *Kit Carson)

Field Sparrow (Baca)

Fox Sparrow (Larimer, Prowers)

White-throated Sparrow (*Arapahoe, Summit)

Harris’s Sparrow (El Paso)

Golden-crowned Sparrow (Mesa)

Yellow-headed Blackbird (Pueblo)

Brown-headed Cowbird (Mesa, Pueblo)

Rusty Blackbird (Baca)

Great-tailed Grackle (Prowers)

Pine Warbler (*Larimer)

Yellow-rumped Warbler (*Arapahoe, *Jefferson, Prowers)

Northern Cardinal (Prowers)

ADAMS COUNTY:

---On February 3 at Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR, Camereon Carver reported Mountain Bluebird.  On February 5 at Rocky Mt Arsenal NWR, Eric DeFonso reported California Gull.

---On February 6 at S Platte River and York, Joe Roller reported Long-billed Dowitcher.  On February 7 at S Platte River and 58th Ave, Candice Johnson reported Long-billed Dowitcher.

---On February 6 at E 136th Ave, Tony Leukering reported Say’s Phoebe.

---On February 6 at First Creek at Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Lorraine Lanning reported Mountain Bluebird along Buckley at trail entrance.

---On February 11 at Mann Nyholt Lake, Adam Vesely reported California Gull.

---On February 12 at Barr Lake Bird Conservancy of Rockies Office and below dam, Colin Woolley reported Say’s Phoebe.

ARAPAHOE COUNTY:                                                                  

---On February 4 at S Platte Reservoir, Weston Petty reported White-winged Scoter.  On February 6 at South Platte Reservoir, Betty Glass reported White-winged Scoter; Dale Pate reported YELLOW-BILLED LOON; Doug Kibbe reported White-winged Scoter and YELLOW-BILLED LOON in SW Bay (Arapahoe).  On February 7 at South Platte Reservir, Anna Lenshek reported White-winged Scoter and Say’s Phoebe; David and Cheryl Hubbark reported White-winged Scoter and YELLOW-BILLED LOON.  On February 9 at South Platte Reservoir, Mark Burns reported White-winged Scoter and YELLOW-BILLED LOON in SW Bay (Jefferson); Kevin Ash and Jerry DeBoer reported White-winged Scoter and YELLOW-BILLED LOON on the Arapahoe county side.  On February 10 at South Platte Reservoir, William Test reported White-winged Scoter and YELLOW-BILLED LOON.  On February 12 at South Platte Reservoir, Susan Broderick reported YELLOW-BILLED LOON.  On February 12 at South Platte Reservoir, Sean Fitzgerald reported White-winged Scoter and YELLOW-BILLED LOON and later he reported both birds in SW Bay (Jefferson).

---On February 5 at Crescent Pkwy, Kathy Mihm Dunning and Tony Leukering reported Yellow-rumped Warbler.

---On February 4 at Ketring Park and Lake, Kay Rasmussen reported Winter Wren.

---On February 6 at E Crescent Parkway in Greenwood Village, Diane Roberts  and Tim Ryan reported Winter Wren.  On February 7 at E Crescent Parkway, Bez Bezuidenhout reported Winter Wren.  

---On February 6 at Robert Tartaglia Pavilion, Eric DeFonso reported Yellow-rumped Warbler.

---On February 7 at Dahlia Hollow Park, Bez Bezuidenhout reported 2 Pygmy Nuthatch.

---On February 7 at South Platte Park Northern Wildlife Area, Brian Johnson reported 3 Yellow-rumped Warblers and Anna Lenshek reported 8 Yellow-rumped Warblers near Carson Nature Center.

---On February 8 at Littleton Cemetery, David Suddjian reported Red Crossbill.

---On February 8 at E Crescent Parkway, Edward Donnan reported f Red Crossbill.

---On February 9 at S Platte River from W Bowles Ave to S Prince, Betty Glass reported Say’s Phoebe.

---On February 11 at South Platte Park C470 area, Ben Sampson reported 7 Greater Scaup (1 on Blackrock, 6 on Eaglewatch), f Barrow’s Goldeneye on Eaglewatch, and 4 Yellow-rumped Warblers.

---On February 12 at South Platte River Northern Wildlife Area to W Bowles Ave, Ted Uhlemann reported 14 Yellow-rumped Warblers on the Mary Carter Greenway trail.

ARCHULETA COUNTY:

---On February 6 at Navajo SP, Jim Beatty reported 2 California Gulls.

BACA COUNTY:

---On February 10 at Two Buttes SWA below dam, Ted Floyd and Brian Johnson reported 50 Sandhill Cranes, Winter Wren, Northern Mockingbird, and Rusty Blackbird.

CHAFFEE COUNTY:

---On February 11 at Sands Lake SWA, Christian Hagenlocher reported pair of Greater Scaup.

EL PASO COUNTY:

---On December 21 David Tonnessen reported RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER (ruber) on Miranda Road in Colorado Springs.  On February 1 on Miranda Road, Tony Leukering reported RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER.

---On February 4 on S Meridian Road and Hanover Road, Chris Brobin reported Greater Roadrunner and Lapland Longspur.

---On February 5 at Sinton Pond Open Space, Jim Merritt reported Greater White-fronted Goose.

---On February 5 at Peyton Rd and Squirrel Creek intersection, Diana Beatty reported 4 Lapland Longspurs.

---On February 5 at Hanover Fire Station, David and Cheryl Hubbard reported Curve-billed Thrasher.

---On February 6 at De Groot and Loop, Rod Schmidt reported Curve-billed Thrasher.

---On February 6 at Monument Wastewater Treatment Plant, Alan Versaw reported f Barrow’s Goldeneye.  On February 7 at Monument Wastewater Treatment Plant, Alan Versaw reported a pair of Barrow’s Goldeneyes and Gloria Nikolai reported f Barrow’s Goldeneye.  On February 8 at Monument Wastewater Treatment Plant, Jacqueline Heyda and Terence Berger reported m Barrow’s Goldeneye.  On February 11 at Monument Wastewater Treatment Plant, Tanja Britton and John Drummond reported pair of Barrow’s Goldeneyes; Joy and Leonard Lake reported m Barrow’s Goldeneye.  On February 12 at Monument Wasterwater Treatment Plant, Jan Allbright and Richard Bunn reported pair of Barrow’s Goldeneyes; Heidi Eaton, Kevin Ash, and Jim Merritt reported 1 Barrow’s Goldeneye.

---On February 8 at Hanover Road, Jim Merritt reported Chihuahuan Raven and 6 Lapland Longspurs.

---On February 10 at Red Rock Canyon Open Space, David Tonnessen reported Harris’s Sparrow.

---On February 10 at Fillmore Ridge, Rod Schmidt reported Greater White-fronted Goose.

 

FREMONT COUNTY:

---On February 5 at Brush Hollow Reservoir, Jerry DeBoer reported 2 Trumpeter Swans.  On February 7 at Brush Hollow Reservoir, Alan Ketcham and Jim Merritt reported 2 Trumpeter Swans and Clark’s Grebe.

---On February 6 at West Valco Pond in Canon City, Rich Miller reported juv Black-legged Kittiwake which was also seen by Jerry DeBoer and Tony Leukering.  On February 7 at Valco Ponds in Canon City, John Drummond reported that the Black-legged Kittiwake was flying between the two ponds; Alan Ketcham, Jim Merritt and David Chartier also reported Black-legged Kittiwake

GARFIELD COUNTY:

---On February 5 at Devereux Rd and Two Rivers Park in Glenwood Springs, Catherine Hagen and JoAnn Riggle reported Barrow’s Goldeneye and Spotted Sandpiper.

HUERFANO COUNTY:

---On February 4 at Lathrop SP, Tony Leukering reported 4 Virginia Rails from SE corner of Lake Oehm.

---On February 7 at Lake Maria, Tony Leukering reported Sage Thrasher.

JEFFERSON COUNTY:

---On February 7 at Mount Falcon Park, Myron Gerhard reported Northern Goshawk.

---On February 7 on Conifer mountain road, Ira Sanders and Gwen Moor reported Northern Goshawk.

---On February 10 along Ralston Creek near east edge of West Woods Golf Course, Steven Snyder reported Northern Goshawk.

---On February 10 at Standley Lake near 86th and Sims, Karl Gerken reported Snowy Owl.  He first saw it in the neighborhood

South of Standley Lake.  The owl flew to the gazebo N of 86th and Simms, to the lake.  Gerken said that the ranger reported that the Snowy Owl has been back at Standley since Thursday 2/8.

---On February 11 at Wheat Ridge Greenbelt, Kevin DeBoer reported Yellow-rumped Warbler.

KIOWA COUNTY:

---On February 10 at Queens State WA Queens Reservoir, JoAnn Andrews reported Snowy Owl.

---On February 11 at Neenoshe Reservoir, Steve Mlodinow reported Chihuahuan  Raven, 6 Lapland Longspurs.

---On February 11 on CR 48 between CR E and CR C, Steve Mlodinow reported 2 Mountain Bluebirds and 10 Lapland Longspurs.

---On February 11 on CR 27 between CR C and CR 3, Steve Mlodinow reported 125 Lapland Longspurs and 3 McCown’s Longspurs.

KIT CARSON COUNTY:

---On February 11 at CR B between CR 10 and CR 11, Kathy Mihm Dunning reported 3000 Lapland Longspurs in 4 flocks of 700 – 800+, Chestnut-collared Longspur, McCown’s Longspur.

LA PLATA COUNTY:

---On Februrary 4 at Pastorius Reservoir, Jason and Amanda St Pierre reported Least Sandpiper; Martin Cuntz reported 2 Least Sandpiper and 2 American Pipits.  On February 8 at Pastorius Reservoir, Eric Hynes and Ryan Votta reported 2 American Pipits.

---On February 8 at Vallecito Reservor Pura Vida Café, Eric Hynes reported Yellow-rumped Warbler.

---On February 9 at Meadow Rd, Rafter J Subdivision, Ryan Votta reported 4 Acorn Woodpeckers.

LARIMER COUNTY:

---On February 5 along  Frontage Road, Jamie Simo and Earl Johnson reported HARRIS’S HAWK.  On February 6, Gary Lefko reported HARRIS’S HAWK on Frontage Road, N of Prospect; Mark Chavez and Frank Farrell reported the hawk on E Prospect, and Lori Zabel, Burke and Joey Angstman reported HARRIS’S HAWK on Frontage Rd.  On February 7 Robert Beauchamp and Gary Lefko reported HARRIS’S HAWK near Welcome Center and Frontage Road N of Prospect;  the hawk was see by several other birders mostly near the Frontage Road.  On February 8, Bill Fink, Kat Bradley-Bennet, Tina Jones and others reported HARRIS’S HAWK on Frontage Road N of Prospect.

---On February 9 at Livermore Community Church, Sue Riffe reported 3 Common Redpoll.

---On February 12 at Horsetooth Mountain Park, Arvind Panjabi reported 7 Common Redpoll.

---On February 6 at CSU Environmental Learning Center, Joey and Burke Angstman reported Red Fox Sparrow.

---On February 9 at Bobcat Ridge NA, Sue Riffe reported AMERICAN WOODCOCK.  On February 10 at Bobcat Ridge NA, Nick Komar and David Wade reported AMERICAN WOODCOCK at Buffum Creek in the morning and in the afternoon Nick Komar and Walter Wehtje reported AMERICAN WOODCOCK at creek below parking lot; Andy Bankert and Caroline Olson found the AMERICAN WOODCOCK on the road to Bobcat Ridge on the south side by 3rd stream crossing and 15 mph sign.  On February 12 at Bobcat Ridge NA, Norm Lewis reported AMERICAN WOODCOCK near cattails below Castle House.

---On February 12 at Wildhorse Birdfeeder in Loveland, John Reichhardt reported Pine Warbler.

---On February 12 at Clear Spring Ranch, Jim Merritt reported White-throated Sparrow.

---On February 12 at Carter Lake, David Dowell reported California Gull, 3 Iceland (Thayer’s) Gull, Iceland (kumlieni) Gull, and 2 Glaucous Gulls.

MESA COUNTY:

---On February 4 at Grand Junction Wildlife Area, David Price reported imm Golden-crowned Sparrow near feeder and 2 Brown-headed Cowbirds.

---On February 4 at Clifton Nature Park, Ryan Claar reported Black Phoebe on N side of pond.  On February 7 at Clifton Nature Park, Mike Henwood reported Black Phoebe.

---On February 8 on Grand Mesa, Denise and Mark Vollmar reported 10 Common Redpoll.

MONTEZUMA COUNTY:

---On February 9 at Hwy 145 in Dolores, Aaron Yappert reported m Barrow’s Goldeneye.

PROWERS COUNTY:

---On February 6 at Lamar Community College Woods, Jane Stulp and Janeal Thompson reported Red Fox Sparrow and Northern Cardinal.  On February 7 at Lamar Community College Woods, Dorothy Russell reported Fox Sparrow.  On February 10 at Lamar Community College Woods, Brian Johnson reported Red Fox Sparrow and Northern Cardinal.

---On February 9 at Willow Creek in Lamar, Ted Floyd reported Hermit Thrush, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler, Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s) Warbler, and Northern Cardinal.  On February 9 at Willow Creek Park, Ted Floyd reported Red-bellied Woodpecker, Red Fox Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, and singing m Great-tailed Grackle.

---On February 9 at pond at US 287 and Hwy 50, Chip Clouse reported Greater Yellowlegs.   On February 10 at pond at US 287 and Hwy 50, Paula Moyers reported 3 Lesser Yellowlegs; Sharon Stiteler reported 2 Greater Yellowlegs.

PUEBLO COUNTY:

---On February 4 at Lake Beckwith in Colorado City, Tony Leukering reported White-winged Scoter.  On February 7 at Lake Beckwith, Cameron Carver reported White-winged Scoter.

---On February 4 at 40th Lane, Tony Leukering reported Yellow-headed Blackbird and 130 Brown-headed Cowbirds.  On February 10 at 40th Lane, JoAnn Riggle reported 4 Brown-headed Cowbirds.

SUMMIT COUNTY:

---On February 11 at Bills Ranch Lake, Ryan Bushong reported White-throated Sparrow.

TELLER COUNTY:

---On February 4 on Pikes Peak, Green Mountain Falls Trail to South Catamount Reservoir, Kevin Ash reported 400 Rosy-Finches at the reservoir; he identified only 2 Brown-capped and Black.

WELD COUNTY:

---On February 7 at LUNA Reservoir, Steve Mlodinow reported 13 Greater Scaup and California Gull.

DFO Field Trips:

The DFO Field Trip for Saturday, February 17 will be to Prospect Park (Wheat Ridge Greenbelt) led by Jackie King (jackie.king AT ccd.edu; 720-281-3314)  Directions:  From i-70 exist 267, take Kipling south about ¾ mile and turn right (west) on 44thAve.  Go one mile west.  Look for the entrance to Prospect Park on your left (south).    Meet at 0900 just inside the park in the lot right next to Prospect Lake.  

      This is a trip with easy walking, accessible for mobility impaired individuals.  Bring water and a snack; lunch optional.  Good trip for novice birders and new members.  Register online or contact leader.  

The DFO Field Trip for Sunday, February 18 will be to Tamarack State Wildlife Area and Associated Prairie led by Chris Goulart (cgoulart001 AT comcast.net; 586-764-2126).  Meet at 0600 at the Division of Parks and Wildlife parking lot 2 block north of E 58th Ave on east side of Broadway:  6060 Broadway, Denver.  

    This will be an intense trip looking for late winter prairie and eastern forest specialties.  Target birds include Snow Geese, Greater Prairie Chickens, and more.  Register online or contact leader.

The DFO Field Trip for Tuesday, February 20 will be to Northeastern Colorado led by david Suddjian (dsuddjian AT gmail.com; 831-713-8659).  Directions:  Meet at 0500 at Colorado Park and Wildlife Office at 6060 N. Broadway.  Exit I-25 at 58th Ave, go west 2 blocks to Broadway,  then north 2 blocks to parking lot on right. 

     Special guest leader:  Norm Lewis.  May visit Jumbo, Red Lion, and Tamarack and Prewitt.  Prepare for this full day winter outing with supplies of food.  Possible park entry fees.  Register online or contact leader.

Good Birding,

Joyce Takamine

Boulder