Colorado Rare Bird Alert, 1 December 2016
Joyce Takamine
Compiler: Joyce Takamine
e-mail: RBA AT cobirds.org
Date: December 1, 2016
This is the Rare Bird Alert for Thursday, December 1, 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 using the new AOU checklist, & the order of families has changed.
BRANT (Sedgwick)
Trumpeter Swan (Garfield)
AMERICAN BLACK DUCK (Weld)
Surf Scoter (Arapahoe)
White-winged Scoter (Arapahoe, Park, Pueblo, Washington, Weld)
Black Scoter (Arapahoe, Pueblo)
Long-tailed Duck (Bent, Douglas/Jefferson)
Barrow's Goldeneye (Eagle/Pitkin, San Miguel)
Red-necked Grebe (Arapahoe, Boulder, Pueblo, Weld)
Greater Roadrunner (Pueblo)
Long-billed Dowitcher (Montezuma)
Black-legged Kittiwake (Pueblo)
Mew Gull (Arapahoe, Larimer, Pueblo)
Thayer's Gull (Arapahoe)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (Arapahoe)
Glaucous-winged Gull (Pueblo)
Glaucous Gull (Arapahoe)
Great Black-backed Gull (Pueblo)
Red-throated Loon (Pueblo)
Pacific Loon (Arapahoe, *Denver, Park, Pueblo)
Red-bellied Woodpecker (El Paso, Sedgwick)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Douglas/Jefferson, Pueblo)
American Three-toed Woodpecker (Jefferson)
White-eyed Vireo (Arapahoe)
Northern Shrike (Pueblo)
“Stub-tailed Wren” (Pueblo)
Curve-billed Thrasher (El Paso)
Lapland Longspur (Jefferson)
SNOW BUNTING (Douglas, (Sedgwick)
Chestnut-sided Warbler (Arapahoe)
Palm Warbler (Larimer)
Pine Warbler (Prowers)
Northern Cardinal (Sedgwick)
Rusty Blackbird (*Arapahoe, Jefferson)
*****For directions to unfamiliar locations (e.g. "Lower Latham"), please refer to CFO's Colorado County Birding site: www.coloradocountybirding.org
ARAPAHOE COUNTY:
---On November 23 Bob Shade reported a Black Scoter and 3 Surf Scoters at Aurora Reservoir. Also on November 23 David Dowell reported 3 White-winged Scoters, a Pacific Loon, a Red-necked Grebe and a Glaucous Gull there.
---On November 25, Bill Kaempfer reported these birds at Aurora Reservoir:
3 White-winged Scoters, a Red-necked Grebe, and a Mew Gull (1st cy.) among other gulls.
---On November 24 Lock Kilpatrick reported a continuing Chestnut-sided Warbler in Littleton. The location is on S. Platte Canyon road (south of the intersection with Bowles), where there is an 8 car parking lot near a bike path. Walk south on that path towards some big willows. There is a small spur path that goes into the neighborhood. Look for the warbler in big willows over a wooden fence from public property. Kara Carragher saw it there on Nov 26 and
it continued on November 26.
---On November 25 Ben Sampson reported a White-eyed Vireo (late) at South Platte Park. It was on the east side of the Mary Carter Greenway trail about 70 feet beyond its junction with the trail that leads to Bufflehead Lake and was also seen adjacent to Weber Rest Area near the north side of Redtail Lake. It was seen again on November 26. There are no previous eBird records for this species after November 13.
---On November 27 at Cooley Lake, David Suddjian reported 1-st cyc Thayer's Gull, 1-st cyc Lesser Black-backed Gull.
---On November 27 at Stoney Pass, David Suddjian reported a f American Three-toed Woodpecker.
---On November 29 at Cherry Creek SP, Cheryl Teuton reported 3 Rusty Blackbirds on beach in cove in SE corner.
BENT COUNTY:
On November 23 Duane Nelson reported a Long-tailed Duck (f) at Lake Hasty.
BOULDER COUNTY:
---On November 29 at Red-necked Grebe was reported by David Dowell, David Waltman, and Aaron Yappet at Boulder Reservoir.
DENVER COUNTY:
---On November 25, Ira Sanders reported a Pacific Loon at Marston Reservoir. On November 29, David Suddjian reported Pacific Loon at Marston Reservoir. On November 30, Scott Somershoe and Tina Jones reported Pacific Loon at Marston Reservoir.
DOUGLAS COUNTY:
---On November 23 Alec Hopping reported a Snow Bunting in the model airplane field parking lot at Chatfield SP. Joey Kellner reported the Snow Bunting from the same location on November 24, and Dale Adams reported that
20 birders saw it there on the morning of November 25, and m.ob. saw it in the afternoon.
---On November 25, Ira Sanders reported American Three-toed Woodpecker W of Sedalia near Rampart Range Road.
DOUGLAS/JEFFERSON COUNTIES:
---On November 26 Joey Kellner reported 5 Long-tailed Ducks (4f, 1m) at Chatfield SP.
---On November 27, Bob Spencer reported Yellow-bellied Sapsucker at Chatfield Sp in the marina area.
EAGLE/PITKIN COUNTIES:
---On November 27 Louise Glasser reported 4 Barrow's Goldeneyes on the Frying Pan River in pond by log cabin near Reudi Reservoir.
EL PASO COUNTY:
---On November 19 Aaron Driscoll reported a Red-bellied Woodpecker in the wooded area near the banding station at Chico Basin Ranch (fee). On November 29 Chris Brobin reported Red-bellied Woodpecker and Curve-billed thrasher at Chico Basin Ranch (fee).
GARFIELD COUNTY:
---On November 29, Jo Ann Riggle reported 7 Trumpeter Swans (4 ad, 3 juv) at east end of Silt Island Park.
JEFFERSON COUNTY:
---On November 21 Frank Farrell reported a Rusty Blackbird at Harriman Reservoir, but it was not found on November 25.
---On November 27 at Stoney Pass, David Suddjuian reported a f American Three-toed Woodpecker.
---On November 29 at Hine Lake in Robert A easton Regional Park, David Suddjian heard a fly over Lapland Longspur.
LARIMER COUNTY:
---On November 19 at dusk Nick Komar reported a Mew Gull (1st cy.) along the north shore of Lake Loveland with a squabble of gulls.
---On November 20 Renee Casias reported a Palm Warbler at the River’s Edge Natural Area in Loveland.
MONTEZUMA COUNTY:
---On November 26 Jason St. Pierre reported 2 Long-billed Dowitchers at
Narraguinnep Reservoir.
PARK COUNTY:
---On November 21 David Suddjian reported these species at Spinney Mountain Reservoir: a Pacific Loon, a female type White-winged Scoter, 4 Common Loons, and 14 Bonaparte's Gulls among other species.
PROWERS COUNTY:
---On November 11 An adult male Pine Warbler visited the various seed feeders in Janeal Thompson’s yard. The bird was also observed eating insects. The Pine Warbler was seen by David Leatherman on November 16 then on November 19 & 20 by Janeal.
PUEBLO COUNTY:
---On November 18 and 19 Brandon Percival reported a Great Black-backed Gull at Pueblo Reservoir.
---On November 20 Percival reported a juvenile Black-legged Kittiwake, seen near West Fishing Road and in the SWA. Common Loons have been common there. The Pacific Loon was seen again in the SWA.
---On November 16 Brandon Percival reports a Red-necked Grebe, first seen on November 3 continuing off the sail boat launch area at Pueblo Reservoir.
---On November 20 a DFO field trip led by Ira and Tammy Sanders saw all of the gull and loon species at Pueblo Reservoir , as well as 2 Greater Roadrunners on the west side of the third Valco Pond, a juvenile Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in the NE part of Pueblo City Park and an adult Yellow-bellied Sapsucker at Roselawn Cemetery near the small lake.
---On November 21 Brandon Percival reported a “Stub-tailed” Wren along the Arkansas River between Pueblo City Park and Dutch Clark Stadium. The closest parking lot is Reservoir Drive east of Pueblo City Park. Walk along the paved trail east from there for the Wren, which is not clearly either Winter or Pacific Wren.
---On November 22 Brandon Percival reported a Black Scoter (female/immature), a Pacific Loon and 3 Common Loons between SWA and West Fishing Road at Pueblo Reservoir. No kittiwakes were seen.
---On November 25 Brandon Percival reported these species at Pueblo Reservoir:
an adult Mew Gull and a Pacific Loon west of West Fishing Rd.
Northern Shrike - 1 adult in Juniper Breaks Campground
Red-throated Loon - 2 off Sailboard launching area
Red-necked Grebe - 1 off Sailboard launching area
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1 adult at South Shore Marina tires
Great Black-backed Gull - 1 adult at South Shore Marina tires
Brandon reported that most of these birds were seen again on November 26, including a newcomer, the rare Glaucous-winged Gull (1st cy).
---On November 29, Brandon Percival reported juv Yellow-bellied Sapsucker at Pueblo City Park near the Frisbee Golf Course.
SAN MIGUEL COUNTY:
---On November 27, Coen Dexter reported 43 Barrow's Goldeneye at Miramonte Reservoir.
SEDGWICK COUNTY:
---On November 27 Steve Mlodinow reported these goodies at Sand Draw SWA (CR 49, south of CR 16): Saw-whet Owl, resident Greater Prairie-Chicken, Northern Cardinal and Red-Bellied Woodpecker, and a few Snow Buntings.
---On November 27 Steve Mlodinow reported Brant at Jumbo.
WASHINGTON COUNTY:
On November 27 Steve Mlodinow reported a White-winged Scoter at Prewitt Reservoir.
WELD COUNTY:
---On November 20 Jack Bushong reported a Red-necked Grebe, 5 species of geese and 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls at Union Reservoir.
---On November 25 Steve Mlodinow reported an American Black Duck at Woods Lake (Weld CRs 74 & 27); take care, as this is a busy road, with dodgy parking. Steve also reported a White-winged Scoter (adult male) at Neumann Lake (Weld CRs 66 & 33).
Loch Kilpatrick reported the American Black Duck at Woods Lake at dawn on November 26. Minutes later the ducks sprung up at the sound of a shotgun blast, though some returned.
Denver Field Ornithologists Field Trips:
Sign up on line for field trips at DFO’s Website.
Annual Barrow's Goldeneye Count to Longmont
Friday, 12/2/2016 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Leader: Chuck Hundertmark chunde...@gmail.com or 303-604-0531
Trail Difficulty: Easy
Directions: Meet in the parking lot of the Jim Hamm Nature Area, Longmont. From the Denver area, take I-25 north to exit 240. Drive west on Hwy 119 (Ken Pratt Blvd) to County Line Road. Head north on County Line Road and look for the nature area on the left just past 17th Ave.
First Creek at Denver Open Space
Saturday, 12/3/2016 7:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Leader: Patrick O'Driscoll patodrisk@gmail.com or 303-837-0864
Trail Difficulty: Easy
Directions: From East Denver take 56th Ave east toward Pena Blvd. First Creek parking lot is just before Pena on your left (north). Or take I-70 east to Pena Blvd. Drive north to 56th Ave Exit. Turn left at the light and at the bottom of the off ramp, pass under the highway and turn right, almost immediately, into the First Creek parking lot.
Patrick O'Driscoll will introduce Denver's newest eBird hotspot, the 198-acre “First Creek at DEN Open Space.” Bring water and snacks. Note: At present there are no restrooms at this location. The closest service stations are on Tower Road (Green Valley Ranch) and East 40th (Montbello). Register online or contact leader.
South Platte River Trail at East 74th Ave and I-76
Sunday, 12/4/2016 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Leader: Amy Morton amylm...@yahoo.com or 720-570-6146
Trail Difficulty: Easy
Directions: Driving north on I-76, exit at East 74th Ave and turn west over the freeway. Look for the parking lot on the south side of the road. Driving south on I-76, exit at East 88th Ave. Drive west to Dahlia and south on Dahlia to E. 74th Ave. Turn right (west) over the freeway and look for the parking lot on the south side of the road. Join DFO for an easy, half-day, 3-mile walk along the South Platte River. Register online or contact leader.
Good birding,
Joyce Takamine
Boulder