RFI Nesting Great Egrets (Weld). Also update from the Weld side of Longmont.

[Bill Blackburn]

While browsing through the old Colorado Breeding Bird Atlas (published in 1998 and found online here: http://www.cobreedingbirdatlasii.org/New%20Home%20page/Colorado%20Breeding%20Bird%20Atlas%20I.pdf) I noticed that Great Egret is only listed as having bred along Boulder Creek 8 miles East of Boulder.  Is this still the case?  1998 was a long time ago now and the data was from a few years before that at least.

Today south of the confluence of Boulder Creek and St. Vrain Creek (along HWY 119 near the entrance to St. Vrain State Park in Weld county) I had at least two Great Egrets standing in the large heron rookery and two apparent Great Egrets sitting low in nests.   Is this still rare?  The rookery is on land currently closed to the public but can probably be viewed from both Weld CR5 and Weld CR7

Also any idea on when the COBBA2 is going to be published?

We now have nesting American Robins, European Starlings, Eurasian Collared-Doves, Tree Swallows, American Kestrels and (probably) Barn Owls at Sandstone Ranch District Park in Longmont (Weld).  Barn Swallows, House Wrens, Wild Turkey and a Say's Pheobe are now being seen there regularly as well.  A Lark Bunting pair, several Lark Sparrows, and nesting Black-billed Magpies were also seen at some of the closed Weld properties today.  Other new arrivals include Spotted Sandpiper, Eastern Kingbird, Western Kingbird, and a possible Vesper Sparrow flushed by the vehicle.  The most interesting sighting to me were three male Ring-necked Pheasants fighting over territory in the heavily flood damaged area between Paschel and Sandstone Ranch (also closed to the public).  I do not remember hearing about them being there before.

Nesting is wrapping up for many of our Great Horned Owls and Bald Eagles with the Swainson's Hawks and Ospreys just starting.  

Bill Blackburn

City of Longmont Open Space

Broomfield, CO