Colorado Rare Bird Alert, 9 August 2015

[Joyce Takamine]

Compiler:   Joyce Takamine

Date: August 9, 2015

This is the Rare Bird Alert, Sunday, August 9 sponsored by Denver Field

Ornithologists and the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory.

 

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

 

Barrow's Goldeneye (*Clear Creek)

Red-necked Grebe (Jefferson)

Little Blue Heron (Weld)

YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON (*Jefferson)

Glossy Ibis (Jefferson)

Upland Sandpiper (Douglas, Larimer, Prowers)

Laughing Gull (Huerfano)

Thayer's Gull (Douglas)

Caspian Tern (Alamosa, Boulder, El Paso, Weld)

Black Swift (Pueblo)

Red-headed Woodpecker (El Paso, Jefferson)

Williamson's Sapsucker (Larimer)

American Three-toed Woodpecker (Boulder)

Least Flycatcher (Douglas,Jefferson)

Gray Flycatcher (Alamosa)

Black Phoebe (Jefferson)

Eastern Phoebe (Douglas/Jefferson, Jefferson)

Bell's Vireo (Logan)

Purple Martin (Mesa)

Canyon Wren (Park)

Lapland Longspur (Larimer)

Chestnut-collared Longspur (Larimer)

McCown's Longspur (Larimer, Weld)

Hooded Warbler (Douglas)

BAIRD'S SPARROW (Larimer, Weld)

Fox Sparrow (Jackson)

EASTERN (LILIAN'S) MEADOWLARK (Boulder)

Brown-capped Rosy-Finch (*Clear Creek, El Paso)

ALAMOSA COUNTY:

--At Blanca Wetlands Wildlife Area on July 29, John Rawinski reported 2 ad Caspian Terns and a Gray Flycatcher.  The terns were using ponds 115 and 107.  The Wildlife area is now open.

BOULDER COUNTY:

--An EASTERN (LILIAN'S) MEADOWLARK has been found by Johanna Beam at McIntosh Reservoir in the NW corner.  It has

been seen with 2 young.  On July 30, Johanna Beam and Todd Deininger reported ad EASTERN MEADOWLARK at McIntosh Reservoir.  On August 1, Johanna Beam and Richard Taylor reported EASTERN MEADOWLARK at McIntosh Reservoir.  On August 2, Todd Deininger reported EASTERN (Lilian's) MEADOWLARK and Caspian Tern at McIntosh Reservoir.  On August 6, Connie Takamine reported EASTERN (Lilian's) MEADOWLARK at McIntosh Reservoir.

--2 American Three-toed Woodpeckers were reported by Joe Weufert in Ward on August 5.

CLEAR CREEK

--On August 8 at Echo Lake, Scott Someshoe reported f Barrow's Goldeneye with 6 young.

--At Mount Evans on August 8, Scott Somehoe reported Brown-capped Rosy-Finch.

DOUGLAS COUNTY:

--On August 4 at the Marina Sandspit at Chatfield SP, Gabriel Wiltse reported Upland Sandpiper, Thayer's Gull, and Hooded Warbler.

--On August 4, David Suddjian reported 4 Least Flycatchers at Chatfield SP.

EL PASO COUNTY:

--A Brown-capped Rosy-Finch was reportd by Rod Schmidt on Pike's Peak Hwy at mm19 on July 31.

--At Ramah SWA, Mel Goff reported 2 Red-headed Woodpeckers and a fly-by Caspian Tern on August 3.  Take bug repellent.  

HUERFANO COUNTY:

--A juv Laughing Gull was reported by Dave Silverman at Orlando Reservoir on July 28.

JACKSON COUNTY:

--A Slate-colored Fox Sparrow was reported by Josh  Bruening at Moose Visitor Center on July 31.

JEFFERSON COUNTY:

--On July 14 Scott Somershoe reported Black and Eastern Phoebe at Waterton Canyon.  On July 24, Scott Somershoe and Lynn Saver reported Black and Eastern Phoebe at Waterton Canyon between canyon mouth and Waterton Rd.  On August 4,m Mary O'Connor reported Black and Eastern Phoebe at Waterton Canyon.

--On July 15, Michel Kiessig reported Eastern Phoebe at Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield.  On July 22, Cynthia Madsen, Jonelle Balais and Janet Shin reported 2 Eastern Phoebe at Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield.  On July 31, Gerald Baines reported 2 Eastern Phoebe at Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield.

--On July 28, Kate Frost and Michael Kiessig reported 4 Red-headed Woodpecker (2 ad, 2 juv) at Stony Pass Rd at Wigwam Creek.

--An Eastern Phoebe was reported by David Suddjian on the W side of Platte River upstream of Kingfisher Bridge on July 28.  On July 29, upstream from Kingfisher Bridge, David Suddjian reported 4 Least Flycatcher including 2 begging juv and an Eastern Phoebe.  On July 31, Doug Kibbe reported Eastern Phoebe upstream of Kingfisher Bridge.  

--An imm Red-necked Grebe was reported by Jerome Cech on Partridge Open Space on W 82nd Ave on August 2.

--On August 4, David Suddjian reported 6 Least Flycatchers in Chatfield SP.

--4 Red-headed Woodpecker were reported by George Mayfield on Stony Pass Road near Wigwam Creek on August 6.

--On August 6, Benjamin Peter reported an ad YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON at Tabor Lake in Wheat Ridge Greenbelt on August 6.  It was on the south side of the lake off the bike path.  On August 7, Anton Morrison reported Ad YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON at Tabor Lake in Wheat Ridge Greenbelt.  Todd Deininger found the YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON in a tree next to Tabor Lake the morning of August 7.  On August 8, Matt Crooks and many other birders reported YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON at Tabor Lake.  If you do not

find the bird on the shore, try looking in the trees around the lake.

LARIMER COUNTY:

--On July 25, Nick Komar report 2 singing  BAIRD'S SPARROWS on the W side of CR 5 near Rawhide Energy Station about 2 miles N oF Buckeye Road.  On July 26, Alec Hopping, Kevin Keirn, Josh Bruening, Gwen Moore, Georgia Doyle, and David Wade reported 2 BAIRD'S SPARROW on CR 5 N of Buckeye Rd.  Robert Beauchamp reported BAIRD'S SPARROW on CR 5 N of Buckeye Rd.  On July 27, Todd Deininger, Brad Biggerstaff, and Nick Komar reported 2 BAIRD'S Sparrows on CR 5 N of Buckeye Rd.  On July 28, Sue Riffe reported 2 BAIRD'S SPARROWS on CR 5 Between CR 82 and CR 92.  On July 29, Hugh and Urling Kingery reported 1 BAIRD'S SPARROW on CR 5 between CR 82 and CR 92.  On July 31, Nick Komar and Andy Bankert reported 2 BAIRD'S SPARROWS on CR 5 between CR 82 and CR 92.  On August 1, a BAIRD'S SPARROW was reported by Tim Mitzen on CR 5 Between CR 82 and CR 92.  On August 2, Nick Komar, Austin Hess, David Wade, and Peter Burke reported 2 BAIRD'S SPARROWS, 2 McCown's Longspurs, and a flyover Upland Sandpiper on CR 5 between CR 82 and CR 92.  On August 3, Adam Vesely reported 2 BAIRD'S SPARROWS and an Upland Sandpiper on CR 5 between CR 82 and CR 92 and Nick Komar reported 5 McCown's Longspurs.  On August 4, Randy Siebert reported 1  BAIRD'S SPARROW on CR 5 between CR 82 and CR 92.

--On July 28, Sue Riffe reported a juv Lapland Longspur on CR 5 between CR 82 and CR 92.

--On July 29, Hugh and Urling Kingery reported 2 McCown's Longspurs on CR 5 between CR 82 and CR 92.  On July 29, Dave Leatherman reported a few McCown's Longspurs of all ages on CR 5 between CR 82 and CR 92.  On July 31, Nick Komar and Andy Bankert reported 4 McCown's Longspurs on CR 5 between CR 82 and CR 92.  On August 4 and August 5, Dave Leatherman reported Chestnut-collared and Mc Cown's Longsours on CR 5 between CR 91 AND CR 92.

--On July 30 in Estes Park, Jim Nelson reported several Williamson's Sapsuckers.  A juv f was on Mary's Lake Rd between Lower Broadview and Broadview.  Two were flying on Riverside Drive between Prospect Park Dr and Manor RV Park.

MESA COUNTY:

--At about 8400 Ft between Collbran and Brush Creek, Nic Korte reported Purple Martins on August 2 and 3.

PARK COUNTY:

--At Guffey Gorge (SE corner of Park County, along Fourmile Creek off CR 102), David Suddjian reported a family of Canyon Wrens on August 3.  

PROWERS COUNTY:

--On August 7, Jill White Smith reported 15+ Upland Sandpipers about 5 miles S and 3 miles E of Lamar.

PUEBLO COUNTY:

--3 Black Swifts were reported by Dave Silverman flying over Lake Beckwith in Colorado City on August 3.

WELD COUNTY:

--A Caspian Tern was reported by Steve Mlodinow at Firestone Gravel Pits on July 6.  On July 14, Bill Kaempfer reported 3 Caspian Terns at Firestone Gravel Pits.  On July 15, Steve Mlodinow reported 3 Caspian Terns at Firestore Gravel Pits.  On July 22, Steve Mlodinow reported a Caspian Tern at Firestone Gravel Pits.  On July 26, Christine Alexander reported a Caspian Tern at Firestone Gravel Pits.  On July 26, Renee and Jesse Casias reported 2 Caspian Terns at Firestone Gravel Pits.  On July 27, Dean Shoup, Norm Erthal, and Bob Spencer reported Caspian Tern at Firestone Gravel Pits.  On August 1, Matt Clark reported Caspian Tern at Firestone Gravel Pits.  On August 2, Peter Burke reported Caspian Tern at Firestone Gravel Pits.  On August 3, JD. Birchmeier reported Caspian Tern at Firestone Gravel Pits.

--An immature Little Blue Heron was reported by Carl Starace at Firestone Gravel Pits on July 24.  On July 25, Scott Manwaring reported Little Blue Heron flew east from Firestone Gravel Pits.  On July 30, Carl Starace reported Little Blue Heron on Firestone Gravel Pit North on CR 9 1/2.  On August 1, Tim Mitzen, Richard Taylor, and Matt Clark reported Little Blue Heron at Firestone Gravel Pits.  On August 2, Peter Burke reported Little Blue Heron at Firestone Gravel Pits.  On August 4, J.D. Birchmeier reported Little Blue Heron at Firestone Gravel Pits.  On August 7, Sue Riffe reported Little Blue Heron at Firestone Gravel Pits.

--On July 28, Sue Riffe reported BAIRD'S SPARROW, 2 Chestnut-collared Longspurs, and 2 McCown's Longspurs at Central Plains Experimental Range on CR 114.

--On July 29, Dave Leatherman reported man McCown's Longspurs in the Western Unit of Pawnee NG and a nest of Chestnut-collared Longspurs at CR 40 N of CR 114.

UPCOMING DFO FIELD TRIPS:

The DFO Field Trip for Saturday, August 8 will be to Majestic View Nature Center in Arvada led by Jackie King (jackie.king AT ccd.edu; 720-381-3314).  Meet the leader at 0730 at Majestic View Nature Center, 7030 Garrison St, Arvada, Co 80004.  Meet in Nature Center parking lot.  From East:  take Wadsworth  Blvd to 68th Ave, west to Garrison St, north to Nature Center parking lot.  From West:  Oberon Rd to 66th Ave, east to Garrison St, north to Nature Center parking lot.  

   Bring water and snacks for a half-day trip walking on paths in a beautiful park.  Register online or contact leader to register.  

The DFO Field Trip for Sunday, August 9 will be to Rueter-Hess Reservoir led by Mary Cay  Burger (mcburger3 AT juno.com; 303-771-3431)

Meet the leader at 0700 at Barr CCC Park, 10951 S. Twenty mile Rd, Parker, CO 80134, located on the SW corner of Main St and 20 Mile rd for birding there and later at Rueter-Hess reservoir, which is open to the public only with entry permission.  Bring binoculars, snacks, water, and sunscreen.  Register online or contact leader to register.

The DFO Field Trip for Sunday, August 9 will be to Golden Gate Canyon SP led by Karen Drozda (drozforte AT AOL.com; 303-388-0891).  Meet the leader at Golden Gate Canyon SP visitor Center, 92 Crawford Gulch Road, Golden, Co 80403.  State Parks pass or day pass required.  Plan for moderate hiking.  Bug spray, suncreen, and clothing for changeable weather.  Pack snacks, water, and lunch.  Please register online or contact leader to register.

The DFO Field Trip for Sunday, August 9 will be to Cherry Creek SP Wetlands Loop led by Karen von Saltza (kvonslatz AT yahoo.com; 303-941-4881).   Meet at 0800 at Prairie Loop lot in Cherry Creek SP.  From either park entrance, follow lake View Rd to the Paririe Lopp that is located 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 fond in the park over a distace of about 3 miles.  trails could be slippery or muddy, so dress accordingly.  Bring water and snacks; lunch is optional.  Cosponsored by Denver Audubon.  Register online or contact leader to register.

  

Good Birding,

Joyce Takamine

Boulder