Breeding Krider's Red-tailed Hawk and possible Mourning Warbler at Barr Lake SP and - Adams County

[Cathy Sheeter]

On Tuesday, below the dam at Barr lake SP, I had a bird that was either a very drab MacGillivray's, or possibly a Mourning Warbler.  It was observed in the first set of trees/brush as you walk below the dam.  Unfortunately I was viewing it from on top of the dam (so quite far away) and it stayed pretty tucked into the brush, and then flushed into even deeper cover, and I was not able to relocate it from down below.  At no point could I see any white eye arcs, but with the distance they could well have been obscured.  Quite possibly the same bird that Ira had like 10 days ago on the board walk, which he felt in the long run was a Mac.  One terrible blurry photo obtained, but not conclusive.

My only other bird of interest was an almost certain breeding Krider's Red-tailed Hawk, paired up with a Western bird.  There are not very many breeding records for Krider's in Colorado, so it is somewhat noteworthy.  I did not approach the tree with nest (which is quite far off the trail, and possibly across a fence line) to see if there were juveniles in it.   I believe I photographed this same bird in this same location in April 2019, so likely it is a repeat nester.

ebird list for anyone interested:  eBird Checklist - 25 May 2021 - Barr Lake SP - 70 species (+6 other taxa)

Good birding - 

Cathy Sheeter

Aurora, CO