Colorado Rare Bird Alert, 9 February 2018

[Joyce Takamine]

Compiler:   Joyce Takamine

e-mail:      RBA AT cobirds.org  

Date:        February 9, 2018

This is the Rare Bird Alert for Friday, February 9 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, Otero, Pueblo, Weld)

Trumpeter Swan (Fremont)

Wood Duck (Otero)

Greater Scaup (Arapahoe, El Paso, Weld)

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

Long-tailed Duck (Arapahoe)

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

Sharp-tailed Grouse (Weld)

Wild Turkey (El Paso)

Red-necked Grebe (Pueblo)

Western Grebe (Archuleta)

Clark’s Grebe (Fremont)

Greater Roadrunner (Bent, El Paso)

Virginia Rail (Huerfano, Weld)

Least Sandpiper (La Plata, Mesa)

Long-billed Dowitcher (Adams)

Spotted Sandpiper (Garfield)

AMERICAN WOODCOCK (Larimer)

Black-legged Kittiwake (Fremont)

Greater Yellowlegs (Adams)

California Gulll (Archuleta, Adams, Weld)

Iceland Gull (El Paso, Pueblo, Weld) 

Lesser Black-backed Gull (Archuleta)

Great Black-backed Gull (Pueblo)

Glaucous Gull (Arapahoe)

YELLOW-BILLED LOON (Arapahoe, Jefferson)

Double-crested Cormorant (Pueblo)

Northern Goshawk (Jefferson)

HARRIS’S HAWK (*Larimer)

RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER (El Paso)

Williamson’s Sapsucker (Pueblo)

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Pueblo)

Ladder-backed Woodpecker (El Paso)

Black Phoebe (Mesa)

Say’s Phoebe (Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield)

Chihuahuan Raven (*El Paso, Fremont, Pueblo)

Mountain Chickadee (Otero)

Pygmy Nuthatch (Arapahoe)

Rock Wren (Otero)

Canyon Wren (Otero)

Winter Wren (Arapahoe)

Western Bluebird (Douglas)

Mountain Bluebird (Adams)

Curve-billed Thrasher (El Paso, Pueblo)

Sage Thrasher (Huerfano)

Northern Mockingbird (Adams)

American Pipit (*La Plata, Montezuma, Pueblo)

Brown-capped Rosy-Finch (Teller)

Black Rosy-Finch (Teller)

Common Redpoll (Chaffee, Larimer,*Mesa)

Red Crossbill (*Arapahoe)

Lapland Longspur (El Paso, Pueblo)

Rufous-crowned Sparrow (Otero)

Canyon Towhee (Otero)

Field Sparrow (Baca)

Fox Sparrow (Larimer, *Prowers)

Harris’s Sparrow (Denver)

Golden-crowned Sparrow (Mesa)

Yellow-headed Blackbird (Pueblo)

Brown-headed Cowbird (Mesa, Pueblo)

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Arapahoe, *La Plata, Larimer, Prowers)

Pine Warbler (Larimer)

Northern Cardinal (Prowers)

ADAMS COUNTY:

---On February 2 on S Platte Trail from Riverside Cemetery to Sand Creek, Gabrield Wiltse reported Greater Yellowlegs near intersection with York St.  

---On February 1 at Big Dry Creek Open Space, David Ely reported Northern Mockingbird.

---On February 2 at Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR East Auto Tour, Joe Roller reported 2 Mountain Bluebirds.  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.

ARAPAHOE COUNTY:                                                                  

---On February 1 at South Platte Reservoir, David Suddjian repored White-winged Scoter and Yellow-billed Loon and fly by Long-tailed Duck.  On February 2 at South Platte Reservoir, Loch Kilpatrick reported White-winged Scoter and Yellow-billed Loon; Crystal Wilson reported Yellow-billed Loon.  On February 3 at S Platte Reservoir, Dick Filby and several other birders reported White-winged Scoter and Yellow-billed Loon.  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 3 at Eaglewatch Lake, Kathy Mihm Dunning, Scott Somershoe, and Tony Leukering reported Yellow-rumped Warbler and Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s) Warbler.

---On January 31 at Aurora Reservoir, Nick Komar reported White-winged Scoter, 4 Long-tailed Ducks, and Glaucous Gull.

---On February 2 at Cherry Creek SP, David Hill reported Say’s Phoebe.

---On February 3 at South Platte Park, Cynthia Madsen reported 9 Greater Scaup.

---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.

ARCHULETA COUNTY:

---On February 3 at Navajo Lake SP Windsurf Beach, Amada and Jason St Pierre reported Lesser Black-backed Gull.  This is a new County Bird if accepted.  They also reported 3 California Gulls and 15 Western Grebe.  On February 6 at Navajo SP, Jim Beatty reported 2 California Gulls.

BENT COUNTY:

---On February 2 at Hasty Campground Dan Stringer reported 3 Greater Roadrunners.

BROOMFIELD COUNTY:

---On February 2 at W 134th Place, Matt Hofeditz reported Say’s Phoebe.

DENVER COUNTY:

---On February 2 at First Creek at DEN, Dick Filby reported Harris’s Sparrow.

DOUGLAS COUNTY:

---On February 2 on East Plum Creek Trail, Cynthia Kristensen reported Western Bluebird.

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 3 at Double Tree Hotel Pond, Joy and Leonard Lake reported f Greater Scaup.

--- On February 1 on Hanover Road, Diane Roberts and Betty Glass reported Greater Roadrunner and 2 Chihuahuan Raven.

---On February 1 at Hanover Fire Station, Diane Roberts and Betty Glass reported Curve-billed Thrasher.

---On February 2 at Old Pueblo Rd S of Link Rd, Gwen Moore reported 26 Wild Turkey and 2 Curve-billed Thrashers.

---On February 2 at Old Pueblo Road and Birdsall Rd, Alan Ketcham reported Curve-billed Thrasher.

---On February 2 on Hanover Road, Gwen Moore reported Curve-billed Thrasher.  On February 3 on Hanover Road, Christine Alexander and Renee Casias reported Greater Roadrunner and Curve-billed Thrasher; Tanja Britton reported Ladder-backed Woodpecker.

---On February 2 at Nancy Lewis Park in Colorado Springs, Gloria Nikolai reported 2 Greater White-fronted Geese.

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

 

FREMONT COUNTY:

--On February 1 at Brush Hollow Reservoir, Jim Merritt reported 2 Trumpeter Swans.  On February 2 at Brush Hollow Reservoir, Chris Brobin reported 2 Trumpeter Swans.  On February 3 at Brush Hollow Reservoir, Christine Alexander, Renee Casias, Nick Komar and others reported 2 Trumpeter Swans and Clark’s Grebe.  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.

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.

LARIMER COUNTY:

---On February 1 at SW Frontage Rd., Sue Riffe reported HARRIS’S HAWK.  On February 2, HARRIS’S HAWK was reported by Meg Reck and Betty Glass at Welcome Center, and by Tony Leukering and Kathy Mihm Dunning at Prospect and Frontage Road.  On February 3, the HARRIS’S HAWK was reported by Joey Angstman, Debbie and Tom Behnfield, and Adam Vesely  and Ryan Bushong on N side of Prospect along Frontage Road.   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 1 at Livermore Community Church, Christine and Richard Sparks reported 3 Common Redpoll.  On Februrary 2 at Livermore Community Church, Betty Glass and Meg Reck reported 3 Common Redpoll.

---On February 4 at Horsetooth Mountain Park, Arvind Panjabi reported 9 Common Redpoll.

--On January 30 at CSU Environmental Learning Center, Austin Hess and Alexa Stickel reported Red Fox Sparrow.  On January 30 and 31, Dave Leatherman reported Red Fox Sparrow at CSU Enviromental Learning Center.  On February 2 at CSU Environmental Learning Center, David Wade reported Red Fox Sparrow.  On February 3 at CSU Environmental Learning Center, Adam Veseley, Dave Letherman, and Joey Angstman reported Red Fox Sparrow.  On February 6 at CSU Environmental Learning Center, Joey and Burke Angstman reported Red Fox Sparrow.

---On February 3 at Riverbend Ponds NA, Kendra David reported Yellow-rumped Warbler.

---On February 1 in Loveland at Wild Horse Birdfeeder, John Riechhardt, John Rutenbeck and Brandon Nooner reported Pine Warbler.

---On February 1 at Wellington SWA Schware Unit & Morris Reservoir, Sue Riffe reported Common Redpoll.

---On February 2 at Bobcat Ridge NA, Tony Leukering reported AMERICAN WOODCOCK.

MESA COUNTY:

---On February 2 at Horsethief Canyon SWA, Mike Henwood reported 7 Least Sandpipers.

---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 3 at Totten Reservoir, Jim Beatty reported American Pipit.

OTERO COUNTY:

---On February  3 at  Blaine Park in La Junta, the DFO field trip led by Amber Carver and others reported Greater White-fronted Goose and 4 Wood Ducks.

---On February  3 at Vogel Canyon, the DFO field trip led by Amber Carver reported 4 Mountain Chickadees, 4 Canyon Wrens, and 6 Canyon Towhee, 3 Rock Wren, and Rufous-Crowned Sparrow.

PROWERS COUNTY:

---On February 2 at Lamar Community College Woods, Dan Stringer reported Yellow-rumped Warbler and 2 Northern Cardinals.

---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.

PUEBLO COUNTY:

---On February 3 at Pueblo Reservoir South Marina, Nick Komar, Mary Geder, Burke Angstman and others reported 2 Double-crested Cormorants, Great Black-backed Gull, 2 Red-necked Grebes, Curve-billed Thrasher, American Pipit, and Lapland Longspur.

---On February 1 at Pueblo City Park, Christopher Wilkens reported Greater White-fronted Goose.  On February 2 at Pueblo City Park, Brandon Percival reported Greater White-fronted Goose.

---On February 2 at Roselawn Cemetery in Blende, Brandon Percival reported ad Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.

---On February 2 on Bush Road, Brandon Percival reported 2 Chihuahuan Ravens.

---On February 3, at Pueblo Mountain Park, Jerry and Kevin DeBoer reported m Williamson’s Sapsucker.

---On February 3 at Pueblo Reservoir SWA NW side, Nick Komar and others reported 2 Red-necked Grebes and Great Black-backed Gull.

---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.

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 3 at CR 136 and CR 99, Bill Kaempfer reported 30 Sharp-tailed Grouse.

---On February 3 at CR 89 near Riverside Reservoir, Joey Kellner and DFO field trip reported 3 Virginia Rail.

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

YUMA COUNTY:

---On January 29 at Bonny Reservoir SP, Glenn Walbek reported both a PURPLE FINCH and Cassin’s Finch in the same tree.

DFO Field Trips:

NOTE:  The Barr Lake Field trip has been moved to Friday, February 9 because of the weather forecast.

The DFO Field Trip for Friday, February 9 will be to Barr Lake SP led by Bob Shade (wrshade3 AT gmail.com; 303-975-2476)

Directions:  Meet at the Barr Lake SP Visitor Center at 0800.  State Parks pass or day pass required.  From Denver, take east I-76 to Bromley Lane, exit 22.  Go east on Bromley Lane to Piccadilly Rd, then turn south for about 2 miles to park entrance and follow road to Visitor Center.  

       Will look for Winter waterfowl and raptors.  Trail around lake is accessible for a person with a disability.  Lunch optional.  Beginners are welcome.  Register online or contact leader.

The DFO Field Trip for Saturday, February 10 Boulder County:  From the Mountains to the Plains led by Paula Hansley (plhansley AT gmail.com; 720-890-2628)   This trip is full.

The DFO Field trip for Sunday, February 11 will be to Denver City Park led by Patrick O’Driscoll (patodrisk AT gmail.com; 303-885-6955 (cell)).  Meet at parking strip on north side of Ferril Lake at 0715.  Enter park from Colorado Blvd. Northbound; turn left onto 22nd ave past Museum of Nature and Science; southbound turns right onto 22nd at police station.  Go past museum pakring until road curves toward zoo.  Take immediate left at the “to Pavilion bandstand” sign and go 300 yards down to corner with tall spruce trees, where lake comes into view.  Park Diagonally on left beneath spruce.  Dress for weather bring water and snacks.  Register online or contact leader.

The DFO Field Trip for Sunday, February 11 will be to Cherry Creek SP Wetlands Loop led by Karen von Saltz & Karen Drozda (kvonsaltza AT yahoo.com; 303-941-4881).   Meet at 0900 at Prairie Loop lot in Cherry Creek SP.  From either park entrance,m follow Lake View Rd to 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.  Rails could be slippery or muddy.  Bring water and snacks; lunch is optional.  Beginning birders are welcome.  Register online  or contact leader.

The DFO Field Trip for Monday, Feburary 12 will be Park County Explorations led by David Suddjian (dsuddjian AT gmail.com; 831-713-8659).  This trip is full.

Good Birding,

Joyce Takamine

Boulder