Colorado Rare Bird Alert, 28 June 2018

[Joyce Takamine]

Date:        June 28, 2018

Compiler:   Joyce Takamine

e-mail:      RBA AT cobirds.org  

This is the Rare Bird Alert for Thursday, June 29 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.

Swan spec (Mesa)

Common Goldeneye (Chaffee)

Barrow’s Goldeneye (Garfield)

Hooded Merganser (Adams, Arapahoe, *Boulder)

Northern Bobwhite (Jefferson)

Dusky Grouse (*Clear Creek)

Band-tailed Pigeon (Routt)

LESSER NIGHTHAWK (*Montrose)

Black Swift (*Boulder, Pueblo)

Chimney Swift (Jefferson)

Rufous Hummingbird (Douglas)

Calliope Hummingbird (*Boulder)

Black Rail (Weld)

Virginia Rail (*Pitkin)

American Coot (Phillips)

Sandhill Crane (Weld)

Black-necked Stilt (Kiowa)

Snowy Plover (Kiowa)

Mountain Plover (Weld)

Upland Sandpiper (Prowers)

Willet (*Jefferson)

Greater Yellowlegs (Weld)

Forster’s Tern (Kiowa)

Little Blue Heron (*Boulder)

TRICOLORED HERON (Boulder)

Cattle Egret *Jefferson, Pueblo)

Green Heron (Boulder, Denver)

Black-crowned Night-Heron (Kiowa)

Mississippi Kite (Denver, El Paso, Jefferson, Kiowa, *Larimer, Las Animas, Pueblo)

Sharp-shinned Hawk (Denver, Larimer)

Northern Goshawk (Jefferson)

Lewis’s Woodpecker (*Mesa)

Red-headed Woodpecker (Jefferson, Logan)

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Logan)

Williamson’s Sapsucker (Jefferson, Pueblo)

American Three-toed Woodpecker (*Clear Creek, Larimer, Pueblo)

Peregrine Falcon (Denver, Weld)

Willow Flycatcher (*Mesa)

Least Flycatcher (Boulder, Larimer)

Hammond’s Flycatcher (Weld)

Cordilleran Flycatcher (*Arapahoe, Boulder)

Eastern Phoebe (*Boulder, Chaffee, Jefferson)

Cassin’s Kingbird (Boulder, Fremont, La Plata, Pueblo)

Northern Shrike (Pueblo)

Bushtit (Adams)

Red-breasted Nuthatch (*Arapahoe)

Yellow-throated Vireo (Weld)

Red-eyed Vireo (Boulder, Weld)

Canada Jay (Gray Jay) (Jefferson)

Purple Martin (Gunnison, Routt)

Pacific Wren (*Larimer)

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Broomfield, Jefferson)

Curve-billed Thrasher (*El Paso, Pueblo)

Sage Thrasher (Jefferson)

Red Crossbill (*Clear Creek, Pueblo)

Lesser Goldfinch (Boulder)

Chestnut-collared Longspur (Weld)

McCown’s Longspur (*Larimer, Weld)

Cassin’s Sparrow (Boulder, Douglas, Fremont)

Chipping Sparrow (Arapahoe)

Brewer’s Sparrow (Clear Creek)

Field Sparrow (Larimer, Weld)

Lark Sparrow (El Paso)

Black-throated Sparrow (Fremont)

Sagebrush Sparrow (Routt)

Lark Bunting (Boulder)

Grasshopper Sparrow (*Jefferson, Weld)

BAIRD’S SPARROW (Larimer)

Fox Sparrow (*Clear Creek, Garfield, Gunnison)

White-throated Sparrow (Weld)

White-crowned Sparrow (Pueblo)

Bobolink (*Mesa)

Orchard Oriole (Boulder, Weld)

Baltimore Oriole (Prowers)

Ovenbird (Custer)

American Redstart (Kiowa)

Northern Parula (Broomfield)

Chestnut-sided Warbler (Boulder, Douglas)

Black-throated Blue Warbler (Weld)

Yellow-throated Warbler (Pueblo)

Grace’s Warbler (Pueblo)

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (*Weld)

Indigo Bunting (Boulder, *Montrose, Weld)

Dickcissel (Chaffee, *Jefferson, *Mesa, Weld)

ADAMS COUNTY:

---On June 24 on pond N of Big Dry Creek Park, Matt Hofeditz reported 2 f Hooded Mergansers and 15 Bushtits.

ARAPAHOE COUNTY:

---On June 22 on High Line Canal Trail – S University Blvd to E Orchard Rd, Cynthia Madsen reported Red-breasted Nuthatch and 2 Cordilleran Flycatchers.  On June 23 on High Line Canal Trail—S University Blvd to E Orchard Rd, Cynthia Madsen reported 2 Cordilleran Flycatchers and 2 Red-breasted Nuthatch.  On June 24 on High Line Canal Trail – S University Blvd to E Orchard Rd, Cynthia Madsen reported 2 Cordilleran Flycatchers.  On June 25 on High Line Canal Trail – S University Blvd to E Orchard Rd, Cynthia Madsen reported 2 Cordilleran Flycatchers.  On June 26 on High Line Canal Trail – S University Blvd to E Orchard Rd, Jared Del Rosso reported 2 Cordilledran Flycatchers.  On June 27 on High Line Canal Trail – S University Blvd, to E Orchard Rd, Jared Del Rosso and Cynthia Madsen reported 2 Cordilleran Flycatchers; Madsen also reported Red-breasted Nuthatch.

---On June 23 at Littleton Cemetery, David Suddjian reported 5 Chipping Sparrows and 2 Red-breasted Nuthatch.  On June 24 at Littleton Cemetery, David Suddjian reported 7 Chipping Sparrows.

---On June 23 at St Mary’s Catholic Church in Littleton, David Sddjian reported Red-breasted Nuthatch.

---On June 22 at South Platte Park Eaglewatch Lake, Bob Andrews m Hooded Merganser.  On June 23 at South Platte Park, Cynthia Madsen reported m Hooded Merganser.

---On June 23 on Little Dry Creek Trail—Holly Street to High Line Canal, Jared Del Rosso reported Cordilleran Flycatcher.

---On June 26 at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens, Jared Del Rosso reported Red-breasted Nuthatch.

BOULDER COUNTY:

---On June 23 at Boulder Creek at 75th St bridge, Maureen Blackford reported Eastern Phoebe near white barn.

---On June 9 at Walden Ponds/Cottonwood Marsh, Brian and Kimberly Tavernia spotted a TRICOLORED HERON about 0700 which was seen by many birders; around 1100 James McCall reported both TRICOLORED HERON and Little Blue Heron at Cottonwood and many birders got to see both birds sometime in the same field of view.  On June 22 at Walden Ponds/Cottonwood Marsh, Justin Lawson reported TRICOLORED HERON and Little Blue Heron.  On June 23 at Walden Ponds/Cottonwood Marsh, Barbara Brown and several other birders reported imm Little Blue Heron and TRICOLORED HERON.  On June 24 at Walden Ponds/Cottonwood Marsh, Jeff Dawson, Phoenix Kwan, Kiki Widjaja, Dan Zmolek and Leslie S reported TRICOLORED HERON and imm Little Blue Heron.  On June 25 at Walden Ponds/Cottonwood Marsh, Tim Ryan and Chris Brown reported imm Little Blue Heron.  On June 26 at Walden Ponds/Cottonwood Marsh, John Haycraft and Robert Thoren reported imm Little Blue Heron.  On June 27 at Walden Ponds/Cottonwood Marsh, Markyu Mutchler reported imm Little Blue Heron.

---On June 16 at South Mesa Trail Parking Lot, Dan Zmolek and Leslie S reported m Chestnut-sided Warbler, pair of Indigo  Bunting and 4 Lesser Goldfinch.  On June 22 at South Mesa Trail, Sue Riffe reported Chestnut-sided Warbler.  On June 23 at South Mesa Trail, Steve Frye and Maureen Blackford and Cyndy Johnson reported Chestnut-sided Warbler.  On June 24 at South Mesa Trail, Dan Zmolek, Leslie S, John Rutenbeck and Kiki Widjaja reported Chestnut-sided Warbler.  On June 25 at South Mesa Trail, Rob Cassady reported Chestnut-sided Warbler.  On June 26 at South Mesa Trail, Gregg Goodrich and Anna Troth reported Chestnut-sided Warbler.

---On June 23 at Heil Valley Ranch, Dan Zmolek and Leslie S reported Cassin’s Kingbird and 2 Cordilleran Flycatchers nesting.

---On June 24 at Golden Ponds in Longmont, Luke Pheneger reported Green Heron, Red-eyed Vireo, and Orchard Oriole.  On June 25 at Golden Ponds Sarah Spotten and Luke Pheneger reported Eastern Phoebes.  On June 26 at Golden Pond Park, Sarah Spotten reported 2 Eastern Phoebe.  On June 27 at Golden Ponds, Luke Pheneger reported Eastern Phoebe.

---On June 24 at Waneka Lake/Greenlee Preserve, Ted Floyd reported Hooded Merganser.

---On June 25 at Izaak Walton Park in Longmont, Sarah Spotten reported 3 juv Hooded Mergansers.  On June 27 at Izaak Walton Park, Luke Pheneger reported 3 Hooded Mergansers.

---On June 26 at Rocky Mountain NP Wild Basin, Candice Johnson reported Least Flycatcher.  On June 27 at Rocky Mountain NP Wild Basin, Dan Zmolek and Leslie S reported Calliope Hummingbird and 7 Black Swsifts.

BROOMFIELD COUNTY:

---On June 21 at 295 Interlock Blvd, Doug Faulkner reported singing Northern Parula by the parking lot and Michael Lester reported the Northern Parula at S end of pond about 5:40 pm.  On June 22 at East Interlocken Park, David Ely reported Northern Parula at noon on east side of pond.  On June 23 at 295 Interlocken Blvd., Matt Hofeditz,  Bruce Snyder, Bob Spencer, and Eric DeFonso reported Northern Parula.  On June 24 at 271 Interlocken Blvd, Kiki WIdjaja reported Northern Parula.

---On June 23 on Eldorado Blvd, bird from road, Matt Hofeditz reported 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers.

CHAFFEE COUNTY:

---On June 22 at 9000 Ute Trail in Salida, Todd Deininger reported 4 Dickcissel.

---On June 24 at Sands Lake SWA, Sally Waterhouse reported f Common Goldeneye and Eastern Phoebe.

---On June 24 at Frantz Lake SWA, Sally Waterhouse reported pair of Eastern Phoebe, one was on nest.  On June 26 at Frantz Lakw SWA, Jack Harlan reported 2 Eastern Phoebe.

CLEAR CREEK COUNTY:

---On June 25 on Guanella Pass, Bob Andrewss and Micahel Kiessig reported 3 Brewer’s Sparrows at the summit of the pass.

---On June 27 at Chicago Lakes Trail 2s, Chris Wood reported Red Crossbill (Lodgedpole Pine or Type 5).

---On June 27 at Chicago Lakes Trail – Idaho Springs Reservoir, Chris Wood reported American Three-toed Woodpecker and 2 Red Crossbills (Lodgepole Pine, or type 5).

----On June 27 at Chicago Lakes Trail 3s, Clear Creek starting at WSildedrness, Chris Wood reported Dusky Grouse, Fox Sparrow (Slate-color), Red Crossbill (Lodgepole Pine, or type 5)

CUSTER COUNTY:

---On June 24 at Daveport Campground Rd, Steve Mlodinow reported Ovenbird.

DENVER COUNTY:

----On June 22 at 1777 Wynkoop, Megan Miller reported 2 Peregrine Falcons and Joe Roller reported 1 Peregrine Falcon perched on ledge of brown skyscraper.

---On June 22 at Bluff Lake Nature Center, Candice Johnson reported Green Heron.  On June 23 at Bluff Nature Center, Jason Bidgood, Steve Hebert, Gwen Moore and Art Hudak reported Green Heron.  On June 24 at Bluff Lake Nature Center, George Ho reported Green Heron.

---On June 22 at Bear Creek Greenbelt – S Wadsworth Blvd, to S Sheridan Blvd, Christ Wood reported flying Mississippi Kite.

---On Junes 23 at City Park West/Whittier Neighborhood, Patrick O’Driscoll reported Sharp-shinned Hawk.

DOUGLAS COUNTY:

---On June 24 at 17337 Waterhouse Circle, Tina Peters reported 20 Cassin’s Sparrows in Nature Conservation Area.

---On June 25 at Castlewood Canyon SP, Randall Nelson reported Rufous Hummingbird.

---On June 26 at Roxborough SP, Wendi Fisher reported Chestnut-sided Warbler on Fountain Valley Trail.

EL PASO COUNTY:

---On June 23 at Adams Open Space in Fountain, Tim Leppek and Michelle Puplava reported Mississippi Kite.  On June 24 at Adams Open Space, Melanie Herring reported 2 Mississippi Kites.

---On June 23 on S Meridian Road – Hanover Road to Pueblo County line, Gary and Kevin Ash reported Greater Roadrunner.

---On June 25 at Fountain Creek Regional Park – Nature Center/Cattail Marsh, Rod Schmidt reported Mississippi Kite.

---On June 27 at Hanover Road, Tanja Britton and Jim Merritt reported 4 Curve-billed Thrashers.

FREMONT COUNTY:

----On June 24 on Chandler Road, Joel and Dale Adams reported 4 Cassin’s Kingbirds, 2 Black-throated Sparrows, and 7 Cassin’s Sparrows.

GARFIELD COUNTY:

---On June 24 in Flat Tops at White Owl Lake, Vic Zerbi reported 2 Barrow’s Goldeneyes and Fox Sparrows.

GUNNISON COUNTY:

---On June 22 at Gunnison National Forest Crested Butte, Linda Swanson reported pair of American Wigeon.

---On June 23 on BBS Ragged Mount route, Stop # 2, Rodene Harwood and Ronda Woodward reported 15 Purple Martin and 2 Fox Sparrows.

JEFFERSON COUNTY:

---On June 22 at Coal Creek Open Space Rob Cassady reported Dickcissel.   On June 23 at Coal Creek OS, Maureen Blackford and Cyndy Johnson reported 1 Dickcissel and 2 Grasshopper Sparrows.  On June 24 at Coal Creek OS, Chris Wood reported Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Sage Thrasher, 13 Grasshopper Sparrows and 6 Dickcissel; Kiki Widjaja reported Dickcissel; Bez Bezuidenhout reported Grasshoper Sparrow and Dickcissel.  On June 25 at Coal Creek OS, Steve Rash and Frank Farrell reported Dickcissel; Eric DeFonso reported 3 Dickcissel and 7 Grasshopper Sparrows.  On June 26 at Coal Creek OS, Brian Johnson, Gregg Goodrich, Anna Troth, Alison Field, and Stephen Greenwood reported Dickcissel and Grasshopper Sparrows.  On June 27 at Coal Creek OS, Meg Reck and Marky Mutcher reported Dickcissel; Mutcher also reported 3 Grasshopper Sparrows.

---On June 24 on Coal Creek Canyon Dr, W of Hwsy 93, Chris Wood reported Cattle Egret and Grasshopper Sparrow.  On June 26 on Coal Creek Canyon Dr, Mark Chavez reported Cattle Egret.

---On June 24 at Staunton SP, Reed Gorner reported 2 Northern Goshawk, Canada Jay (Gray Jay) and Williamson’s Sapsucker.

---On June 22 at Stony Pass at Wigwam Creek, Myron Gerhard reported Red-headed Woodpecker.  On June 23 at Stony Pass at Wigwam Creek, Matthew Crawford reported Red-headed Woodpecker.

---On June 22 on Hwy 72 W of Hwy 93, Rob Cassady reported 3 Cattle Egret.  On June 22 on Hwy 93 just south of Hwy 72, Lindsay Purifoy reported 2 Cattle Egret.

---On June 22 at S Otis Court, Chris Wood reported Mississippi Kite flying towards Denver.

---On June 24 at Goose Creek Rd W of Stoney Pass, Chris Wood reported Sage Thrasher.

---On June 24 at Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms, Dylan Cooper reported Eastern Phoebe.

---On June 25 at Massey Draw, Chris Courtney reported Northern Bobwhite.

---On June 27 at Standley Lake, David Chernak reported 19 Willets.

KIOWA COUNTY:

---On June 25 at Lower Queens Reservoir, Jeff Calhoun reported 4 Black-crowned Night-Heron, and Snowy Plover.

---On June 25 at Neenoshe Reservoir, Jeff Calhoun reported 5 Black-necked Stilt and 5 Forster’s Terns.  

---On June 26 at Neegronda Reservoir, Jeff Calhoun reported 2 Black-necked Stilt.

LARIMER COUNTY:

---On June 22 at Lory SP, John Shenot, Jeff Shenot, Nick Komar reported Least Flycatcher.

---On June 22 at Comanche Peak Wilderness,  Creek Falls Trails, Bill and Margaret Rowe, reported Pacific Wren.  On June 23 at West Creek Trail in Comanche Peak Wilderness, David Wade and Nick Komar reported Pacific Wren.  On June 27 on West Creek Trail, Bez Bezuidenhout reported Pacific Wren where Nick Komar described and further downstream Bez found 3 more Pacific Wrens – 2 adults and 1 fledging.

---On June 22 at Soapstone Prairie NA, Andy Bankert reported BAIRD’S SPARROW and 15 McCown’s Longspurs.  On June 27 a t Soapstone Prairie NA, Andy Bankert reported McCown’s Longspur.

---On June 23 at Rocky Mountain National Park along Nymph Lake-Dream Lake Trail, trail starts at Bear Lake parking area,  Bob Righter reported nesting American Three-toed Woodpeckers.  Two adults were feeding young.  

---On June 25 at Rocky Mountain NP Endovazlley—Alluvial Fan/Fan Lake, Matt Hogan reported Sharp-shinned Hawk.

---On June 27 at Rocky Mountain NP Dream and Emerald Lakes, Matt Means reported Mississippi Kite.

LAS ANIMAS COUNTY:

---On June 22 at RCR 94001 CR 20.6, Jim Dennis reported 7 Mississippi Kites.

LA PLATA COUNTY:

---On June 23 at Red Mesa, Jim Beatty reported Cassin’s Kingbird.

MESA COUNTY:

---On June 22 at Palisade Riverbend Park close to Coloradco River, Roger Brown reported swan flying low.

---On June 24 on ME Rd approx. .15 mile from intersection with 57 Rd, Jim Liewer reported Bobolink and Dickcissel.  On June 25 on ME ¾ Rd W of 57 Rd, Katheleen McGinley, Carol Ortenzio, and Eileen Cunningham reported m Dickcissel and 3 m Bobolink.  On June 26 on ME ¾ Rd, David Price reported Bobolink and Dickcissel.  On June 27 on ME ¾ and 57 Rd, Rodene Harwood, Ronda Woodward and Mike Henwood reported Bobolink and 3 Dickcissels.

---On June 27 at Vega Reservoir and Vega SP, Mike Henwood reported 2 Lewis’s Woodpeckers and Willow Flycatcher (southwest)

MONTROSE COUNTY:

---On June 26 at Nucla Sewage Lagoons, Brenda Wright and Coen Dexter reported LESSER NIGHTHAWK.

---On June 27 on Old Hwy 90 through Silver Hawk Ranch, Brenda Wright and Coen Dextger reported Indigo Bunting.

PITKIN COUNTY:

---On June 27 at Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, Susan Foster and Catherine Hagen reported Virginia Rail.

PROWERS COUNTY:

---On June 24 on S 13th St. Dorothy Russell reported Baltimore Oriole.

---On June 26 on Fencerow Windmill Strip west of US 385 between CR CC and CR X, Jane Stulp reported 2 Upland Sandpipers.

PUEBLO COUNTY:

---On June 24 at Mineral Palace Park, Cameron Carver and Steve Mlodinow reported Yellow-throated Warbler; Mlodinow also reported pair of nesting Mississippi Kites.

---On June 23 at Pueblo Reservoir Swallows area, Robb Hinds reported 3 Cattle Egret and 2 Curve-billed Thrashers.  On June 24 at Pueblo Reservoir Swallows area, Tim Leppek and Matthew Carwford reported Cattle Egrets.

---On June 23 on Swallows Road in Pueblo, Kevin Ash reported Northern Shrike.  On June 24 on Swallows Road in Pueblo, Matthew Crawford reported Cassin’s Kingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher, and 2 juv White-crowned Sparrows.

---On June 24 at Pueblo Mountain Park, Steve Mlodinow reported 3 Grace’s Warblers and 2 Red Crossbill.

---On June 24 on Hwy 78 Burn, Steve Mlodinow reported American Three-toed Woodpecker and Williamson’s Sapsucker.

ROUTT COUNTY:

---On June 24 on Yampa BBS Route, Tom Hall reported 2 Sagebrush Sparrows, Band-tailed Pigeon and Purple Martins.  

WELD COUNTY:

---On June 24 at Lower Latham Marsh, Gary Lefko reported Greater Yellowlegs.  On June 26 at Lower Latham Reservoir, Steve Mlodinow reported Black Rail, 3 Sandhill Cranes, and Dickcissel.

---On June 26 at S Platte River at Hwy 60, Steve Mlodinow reported Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, and 3 Orchard Orioles.

---On June 26 on Hwy 14 between CR 77 & CR 79, Johanna Beam reported 23 Mountain Plover, Peregrine Falcon, 2 Chestnut-collared Longspur, 2 McCown’s Longspur, and 7 Grasshopper Sparrows.

DFO Field Trips

See DFO website for more information

Staunton State Park

Saturday, June 30

6:45 AM – 2:00 PM

Rebecca Laroche (RebeccaLLaroche AT gmail.com; 626-318-4435)

This trip is FULL.

Turkey Creek Ranch and Flying J Ranch

Sunday, July 1

6:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Karen Drozda (drozforte AT AOL.com; 303-388-0891)

Good Birding

Joyce Takamine

Boulder