Hamilton Reservoir (Larimer) on 1/15/15

[DAVID A LEATHERMAN]

Hamilton Reservoir associated with the Rawhide Power Plant has some of the only open water in the Fort Collins area.  It is reached by exiting I-25 at the Buckeye Exit north of Wellington and going west for a few miles, turning toward the dam and immediately taking the road to the observation overlook on the south side of the res.

I have been up there a couple times lately but today the wind was not doing a frozen laser on one's forehead, so was better.

Fairly good birds for the winter were:
Pied-billed Grebe (4)
Western Grebe (4)
Ruddy Duck (20)
Canvasback (10)
Redhead (8)
Double-crested Cormorant (1)
White Pelican (1) no doubt the same lingerer from before Christmas
Lesser Scaup (6)
Herring Gull (4+)
American Coot (80)
Bufflehead (8)
Gadwall (several)

Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins