Colorado Rare Bird Alert, 8 August 2017

[Joyce Takamine]

Compiler:             Joyce Takamine

e-mail:                 RBA AT cobirds.org

Date:                    August 8, 2017

This is the Rare Bird Alert for Tuesday, August 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 changes.

Cackling Goose (Weld)

Trumpeter Swan (Routt)

Northern Bobwhite (Arapahoe)

White-tailed Ptarmigan (Boulder, Ouray)

Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Cheyenne)

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Larimer)

Greater Roadrunner (Otero)

Black Swift (Boulder)

Semipalmated Plover (El Paso, Kiowa, Larimer)

Long-billed Curlew (Boulder, Weld)

Stilt Sandpiper (El Paso, Larimer, Weld)

Pectoral Sandpiper (Larimer, Weld)

Semipalmated Sandpiper (El Paso, Kiowa, Larimer)

Solitary Sandpiper (Kiowa, Montrose, Weld)

Long-tailed Jaeger (Washington)

Black Tern (El Paso, Kiowa, Washington, Weld)

Common Loon (Ouray)

Green Heron (Kiowa)

Mississippi Kite (*El Paso, Weld)

Lewis’s Woodpecker (Custer, Mesa)

Red-headed Woodpecker (Adams, El Paso, Otero, San Miguel)

Williamson’s Sapsucker (Pueblo)

American Three-toed Woodpecker (Boulder, Gunnison,Larimer, Ouray, Routt)

Gray Flycatcher (Boulder, Fremont)

Great Crested Flycacher (Kiowa)

Cassin’s Kingbird (Mesa)

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Morgan)

Bell’s Vireo (Pueblo)

Chihuahuan Raven (Kiowa, Otero)

Purple Martin (Eagle)

Red-breasted Nuthatch (Kiowa)

Pacific Wren (Boulder)

Golden-crowned Kinglet (Routt)

Veery (Gilpin)

Curve-billed Thrasher (El Paso)

Brown-capped Rosy-Finch (Boulder, Ouray)

White-winged Crossbill (Ouray)

Chestnut-collared Longspur (Kiowa)

McCown’s Longspur (Larimer)

Yellow-throated Warbler (Pueblo)

Rufous-crowned Sparrow (Otero)

Brewer’s Sparrow (Kiowa)

Lark Bunting (Chaffee, Gunnison, *Mesa)

Fox Sparrow (San Juan)

Summer Tanager (Baca, Montezuma)

Indigo Bunting (Kiowa)

Dickcissel (Boulder, El Paso)

Bobolink (Boulder)

EASTERN MEADOWLARK (Lilian’s) (Kiowa)

ARAPAHOE COUNTY:

---On July 30 at Cherry Creek Valley Ecological Park, Cynthia Madsen and David Hill reported Northern Bobwhite.  On August 3 at Cherry Creek Valley Ecological Park, Linda Czarny reported Northern Bobwhite.

BOULDER COUNTY:

---On July 30 at Rocky Mountain NP, Wild Basin, Frank Farrell, Aaron Shipe, Peter Burke reported Black Swifts, American Three-toed Woodpeckers and Pacific Wren.  On July 31 at Rocky Mountain NP, Wild Basin, Ander Buckley and Baxter Beamer reported 7 Black Swifts, American Three-toed Woodpecker and Pacific Wren.

---On July 30 at Fourth of July Campground and Trail, Luke Pheneger reported 4 White-tailed Ptarmigan, 2 Fox Sparrows (slate-colored) and 4 Brown-capped Rosy-Finch.

---On August 1 on S Boulder Creek Trail, Jeff Parks reported Gray Flycatcher.

---On August 2, Luke Pheneger reported 3 Long-billed Curlews at Lagerman Reservoir. 

CHAFFEE COUNTY:

---On July 31 at Clear Creek Reservoir, Doug Kibbe and Mackenzie Goldthwait reported 3 m Lark Buntings.

CHEYENNE COUNTY:

---On August 6 on CR 2, Steve Mlodinow reported Lesser Prairie-Chicken.

CUSTER COUNTY:

---On July 31 NE of Wetmore, Bez Bezuidenhout reported 6 Lewis’s Woodpeckers.

EAGLE COUNTY:

---On August 6, JoAnn Riggle reported 6 Purple Martins (2 ad, 4 juv) N of Wolcott off of Muddy Pass Road.

EL PASO COUNTY:

---On August 3 at Ramah Reservoir SWA, Alan Versaw reported Semipalmated Plover, 3 Red-headed Woodpecker, and 4 Dickcissels.  On August 5 at Ramah Reservoir SWA, Robb Hinds reported Stilt Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper and Black Tern; John Drummon reported Stilt Sandpiper, 2 Black Terns, and 2 Dickcissel.

---On July 30 at Hanover Fire Station, Tanja Britton reported 2 Curve-billed Thrashers.

---On August 5 at Hanover Road, Diane Roberts reported 3 Curve-billed Thrashers.

---On August 7 at Venetucci Farm, Sharon Milito reported Mississippi Kite.

FREMONT COUNTY:

---On July 31 at Red Canyon Park, Bez Bezuidenhout reported 2 Gray Flycatchers.

GILPIN COUNTY:

---On August 2 on Lower Apex Valley Road, Kathy Mihm Dunning and Tony Leukering reported Veery.

GUNNISON COUNTY:

---On August 1 (Colorado Day) on Brush Creek Trail, Phil Lyon reported Lark Bunting (Colorado State Bird).

KIOWA COUNTY:

---On August 6 at Adobe Creek Reservoir (Blue Lake), Steve Mlodinow reported Semipalmated Plover, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Solitary Sandpiper, 5 Black Terns, Brewer’s Sparrow, Indigo Bunting, 2 EASTERN MEADOWLARKS (Lilian’s), Chestnut-collared Longspur, and Red-breasted Nuthatch.

---On August 6 at Kiowa Creek at CR 40, Steve Mlodinow reported Green Heron and Great Crested Flycatcher.

LARIMER COUNTY:

---On July 31 at Wellington SWA, Cobb Lake Unit, Cheri Phillps reported Yellow-billed Cuckoo.  On August 1 at Wellington SWA Cobb Lake Unit, David Wade heard Yellow-billed Cuckoo.  On August 6 at Weelington SWA Cobb Lake Unit, David Wade and Nick Komar reported Yellow-billed Cuckoo.

---On July 30 at Soapstone Prairie NA, Mike McCloy reported 6 McCown’s Longspurs.

---On July 31 at Topminnow NA (East Horsetooth Gravel Pit), Nick Komar and David Wade reported 2 Stilt Sandpipers.

---On August 2 at Duck Lake, Nick Komar and Walter Wehtje reported Semipalmated Plover, Pectoral Sandpiper and Semipalmated Sandpiper.

---On August 3 at Lory State Park, Libby Edwards reported a pair of American Three-toed Woodpeckers

along Overlook Trail.

---On August 5 at Bobcat Ridge NA, Nick Komar and Walter Wehtje reported f-type American Three-toed Woodpecker 2 miles up Ginny Trail.

---On August 6 at Wellingont SWA, Schware Unit, David Wade and Nick Komar reported Semipalmated Sandpiper.

MESA COUNTY:

---On August 5 at Vega Reservoir and Vega SP, Ronda Woodward and Deb Stegall reported Lewis’s Woodpecker.

---On August 6 at Glade Park, DS Road and Coates Creek School Area, Mike Henwood reported 5 Cassin’s Kingbirds (2 ad, 3 juv).

---On August 7 on 10 ½ Road in Loma, Steve Patterson reported f-type Lark Bunting across road from Unitah Fishing area where fence angles away from road.

MONTROSE COUNTY:

---On August 1 at Buckeye Reservoir, Coen Dexter reported 2 Solitary Sandpipers.

MORGAN COUNTY:

---On August 3 along Hwy 34 at old rest area by turn off to Jackson Lake, Cole Wild reported Scissor-tailed Flycatcher.

OTERO COUNTY:

---On August 2 on Higbee Valley Road, Baxter Beamer reported Greater Roadrunner, 2 Red-headed Woodpeckers and 4 Chihuahuan Ravens.

---On August 2 in Vogel Canyon, Baxter Beamer reported Rufous-crowned Sparrow.

OURAY COUNTY:

---On July 31on Mount Sneffels Summit via Blue Lakes, Jason Wilder reported White-tailed Ptarmigan (Yankee Boy Basin side of Blue Lakes Pass), American Three-toed Woodpecker, 18 Brown-capped Rosy-Finch, and White-winged Crossbill.

PUEBLO COUNTY:

---On July 31 at Mineral Palace Park, Van TruAn reported singing Yellow-throated Warbler in NW corner in a Sycamore tree.

---On August 6 at Valco Ponds SWA, Mark Yaeger reported juv Bell’s Vireo.

ROUTT COUNTY:

---On July 31 at Stagecoach Reservoir, JoAnn Riggle reported Trumpeter Swan.

---On August 6 at Buffalo Pass, Tom Litteral reported 2 families of American Three-toed Woodpeckers.

---On August 6 at Fish Creek Reservoir, Tom Litteral reported Golden-crowned Kinglet.

SAN MIGUEL COUNTY:

---On July 31 in Telluride Valley Floor, Jessica Im reported Red-headed Woodpecker.

WASHINGTON COUNTY:

---On August 6 at Prewitt Reservoir, Loch Kilpatrick and Norm Erthal reported Long-tailed Jaeger and 6 Black Tenrs.

WELD COUNTY:

---On August 1 at Glenmere Park in Greeley, Steve Mlodinow and Tony Leukering reported Mississippi Kite.

---On August 1 at CR 59 Bend Pond, Steve Mlodinow and Tony Leukering reported Stilt Sandpiper, 3 Pectoral Sandpipers, 2 Solitary Sandpiper and Peregrine Falcon.

---On August 1 a Loloff Reservoir, Steve Mlodinow and tony Leukering reported Cacking (Taverner’s) Goose, Long-billed Curlew, and Stilt Sandpiper.

---On August 1 at Behrens Reservoir, Tony Leukering and Steve Mlodinow reported Cackling (Taverner’s) Goose.

---On August 3 at CR 61 and CR 74 ponds, Jean Olson reported 2 Black Terns.

Denver Field Ornithologists Field Trips:

The DFO Field Trip for Friday, August 11 will be to Rueter-Hess Reservoir led by Mary Cay Burger.

This Trip is full.

The DFO Field Trip for Saturday, August 12 will be to Belmar Historic Park led by Jackie King (jackie.king AT ccd.edu; 720-381-3314).  Meet at 0730 in parking lot near the lake  Belmar Historic Park is at 800 S. Wadsworth Blvd in Lakewood.  From Alameda and Wadsworth, go south on Wadsworth, turn west at the light on West Ohio Ave.  Drive a short two blocks to the parking lot.  

   Bring snacks, water, and sunscreen for an easy walk around the ponds.  A good trip for beginners and accessible for persons with a disability.   Register online or contact leader.

The DFO Filed Trip for Sunday August 13 will be to Cherry Creek SP Wetlands Loop led by Karen von Saltza & Bill Wherthele (kvonsaltza AT yahoo.com; 303-941-4881).  Directions:   Meet at 0800 at the Prairie Loop lot in Cherry Creek SP.  From either park entrance, follow Lake View Rd to the Prairie Loop 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 found in the park over a distance of about 3 miles.  Trails could be slippery or muddy, so dress accordingly.   Bring water and snacks; lunch is optional.  Register online or contact leader.

For more information on the field trips go to dfobirds.org.

Good Birding,

Joyce Takamine

Boulder