Colorado Rare Bird Alert, 17 February 2018

[Joyce Takamine]

Compiler:   Joyce Takamine

e-mail:      RBA AT cobirds.org  

Date:        February 17, 2018

This is the Rare Bird Alert for Saturday, February 17 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, *Jefferson, Morgan, Weld)

BRANT (Arapahoe)

Trumpeter Swan (Fremont)

Greater Scaup (Arapahoe, Chaffee, *Jefferson, Weld)

White-winged Scoter (*Arapahoe, *Jefferson)

Long-tailed Duck (*Montezuma)

Barrow’s Goldeneye (Adams, Arapahoe, El Paso, *Montezuma) 

Red-breasted Merganser (Montezuma)

Clark’s Grebe (Fremont)

Sandhill Crane (*Alamosa, Baca, *Costilla)

Spotted Sandpiper (Mesa)

Lesser Yellowlegs (Prowers)

Greater Yellowlegs (Prowers)

AMERICAN WOODCOCK (Larimer)

California Gull (*Adams, *Archuleta, Larimer, *Mesa)

Iceland Gull (El Paso, Larimer, Pueblo) 

Glaucous Gull (Larimer)

YELLOW-BILLED LOON (*Arapahoe, Gunnison, Jefferson)

Black-crowned Night-Heron (Weld)

Northern Goshawk (Jefferson, Larimer)

HARRIS’S HAWK (*Larimer)

Ferrugious Hawk (Park)

Snowy Owl (Jefferson, Kiowa)

Acorn Woodpecker (La Plata)

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Prowers)

RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER (El Paso)

Ladder-backed Woodpecker (El Paso)

Black Phoebe (*Montrose)

Say’s Phoebe (Adams, *Arapahoe)

Chihuahuan Raven (Fremont, Kiowa)

Juniper Titmouse (Montezuma)

Bushtit (*Weld)

Pygmy Nuthatch (Arapahoe, Broomfield)

Winter Wren (*Archuleta, Baca)

Bewick’s Wren (Montezuma)

Mountain Bluebird (Kiowa)

Hermit Thrush (Arapahoe)

Gray Catbird (Arapahoe)

Brown Thrasher (Morgan)

Northern Mockingbird (Baca)

American Pipit (*La Plata)

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (Park)

Common Redpoll (Chaffee, Larimer, Mesa)

Lapland Longspur (Denver, Kiowa, Kit Carson)

Chestnut-collared Longspur (Kit Carson)

McCown’s Longspur (Kiowa, Kit Carson)

Green-tailed Towhee (*Montrose)

Field Sparrow (Baca)

Savannah Sparrow (Weld)

Fox Sparrow (Larimer, *Prowers)

Lincoln’s Sparrow (*Archuleta, *Larimer, *Mesa)

Swamp Sparrow (*La Plata)

White-throated Sparrow (Arapahoe, *Prowers, Summit)

Harris’s Sparrow (El Paso)

Brown-headed Cowbird (El Paso, Morgan, Pueblo)

Rusty Blackbird (Baca)

Great-tailed Grackle (Prowers)

Pine Warbler (Larimer)

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Arapahoe, *Jefferson, Prowers)

Northern Cardinal (*Prowers)

ADAMS COUNTY:

---On February 11 at Mann Nyholt Lake, Adam Vesely reported California Gull.

---On February 12 at Barr Lake Bird Conservancy of Rockies Office and below dam, Colin Woolley reported Say’s Phoebe.

ALAMOSA COUNTY:

---On February 16 on Hwy 17 near Hooper, James Loy reported 1100 Sandhill Cranes.

ARAPAHOE COUNTY:                                                                  

---On February 10 at South Platte Reservoir, William Test reported White-winged Scoter and YELLOW-BILLED LOON.  On February 12 at South Platte Reservoir, Susan Broderick reported YELLOW-BILLED LOON.  On February 12 at South Platte Reservoir, Sean Fitzgerald reported White-winged Scoter and YELLOW-BILLED LOON and later he reported both birds in SW Bay (Jefferson).   On February 13 at South Platte Reservoir, David Suddjian and Dale Pate reported YELLOW-BILLED LOON; Suddjian, Pate, Myron Gerhard, and Frank Farrel reported White-winged Scoter in SW Bay (Jefferson); Matt Newport reported White-winged Scoter in Arapahoe side.  On February 16 at South Platte Reservoir, Chris Wood reported White-winged Scoter, YELLOW-BILLED LOON, and Say’s Phoebe; Chris Wood reported White-winged Scoter in SW  Bay (Jefferson).

---On February 11 at South Platte Park C470 area, Ben Sampson reported 7 Greater Scaup (1 on Blackrock, 6 on Eaglewatch), f Barrow’s Goldeneye on Eaglewatch, and 4 Yellow-rumped Warblers.

---On February 12 at South Platte River Northern Wildlife Area to W Bowles Ave, Ted Uhlemann reported 14 Yellow-rumped Warblers on the Mary Carter Greenway trail.  On February 13 at South Platte Park, Northern Wildlife Area, Dale Pate and David Suddjian reported 2 Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warblers and 2 Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s) Warblers.

---On February 13 at Highline Canal Trail from E Quincy Ave to S Colorado Blvd, Joe Roller reported Say’s Phoebe.  On February 14 at High Line Canal Trail from E Quincy Ave to S Colorado Blvd (Three Pond and Dahlia Hollow Parks), Jared Del Rosso reported Hermit Thrush.

---On February 14 at High Line Canal Trail E Bellview Ave to E Quincy Ave (Blackmer Lake), Jared Del Rosso reported Pygmy Nuthatch.

---On February 14 at Ketring Park, Elaine Wagner and Doug Kibbe reported Hermit Thrush and Gray Catbird.  On February 16 at Ketring Park in Littleton, Doug Kibbe and Elaine Wagner reported BLACK BRANT.

ARCHULETA COUNTY:

---On February 16 at Navajo Lake Sailboard beach, Kathy Mihm Dunning reported California Gull.

---On February 16 at Pagosa Riverwalk, Kathy Mihm Dunning reported Lincoln’s Sparrow and Winter Wren.

BACA COUNTY:

---On February 10 at Two Buttes SWA below dam, Ted Floyd and Brian Johnson reported 50 Sandhill Cranes, Winter Wren, Northern Mockingbird, and Rusty Blackbird.

CHAFFEE COUNTY:

---On February 11 at Sands Lake SWA, Christian Hagenlocher reported pair of Greater Scaup.

COSTILLA COUNTY:

---On February 16 on E Hwy 160 near Blanca, Emily Samuel reported 10 Sandhill Cranes.

DENVER COUNTY:

---On February 13 on Gun Club Road E of 112th Ave, Brian Johnson reported Lapland Longspur.

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 11 at Monument Wastewater Treatment Plant, Tanja Britton and John Drummond reported pair of Barrow’s Goldeneyes; Joy and Leonard Lake reported m Barrow’s Goldeneye.  On February 12 at Monument Wasterwater Treatment Plant, Jan Allbright and Richard Bunn reported pair of Barrow’s Goldeneyes; Heidi Eaton, Kevin Ash, and Jim Merritt reported 1 Barrow’s Goldeneye.  On February 13 at Monument Wastewater Treatment Plant, Rod Schmidt, David and Cheryl Hubbard, Alan and Mary Lynn Ketcham, and David Tonnessen reported f Barrow’s Goldeneye.  On February 14 at Monument Watewater Treatment Plant, Alan Ketcham reported pair of Barrow’s Goldeneye.  On February 15 at Monument Wastewater Treatment Plant, Chris  Brobin reported pair of Barrow’s Goldeneye.

---On February 10 at Red Rock Canyon Open Space, David Tonnessen reported Harris’s Sparrow.

---On February 10 at Fillmore Ridge, Rod Schmidt reported Greater White-fronted Goose.

---On February 13 on Hanover Road, Kevin Ash reported Ladder-backed Woodpecker.

---On February 13 on Birdsall Road, John Drummond reported 4 Brown-headed Cowbirds.

---On February 16 on Chapel Hills Drive in Colorado Springs, Roger Massey reported  Greater White-fronted Goose foraging on a front lawn.

FREMONT COUNTY:

---On February 13 at Brush Hollow Reservoir, Rich Miller reported 2 Trumpeter Swans.  On February 14 at Brush Hollow Reservoir, Kevin Ash reported 2 Trumpeter Swans.

GUNNISON COUNTY:

---On February 13 at Blue Mesa Reservoir between mm 138 and mm 139 on US 50 east of Red Creek, Kathy Mimh Dunning reported YELLOW-BILLED LOON.  Location was on US 50 between Red Creek and Bay of Chickens.

 

JEFFERSON COUNTY:

---On February 10 along Ralston Creek near east edge of West Woods Golf Course, Steven Snyder reported Northern Goshawk.

---On February 10 at Standley Lake near 86th and Sims, Karl Gerken reported Snowy Owl.  He first saw it in the neighborhood

South of Standley Lake.  The owl flew to the gazebo N of 86th and Simms, to the lake.  Gerken said that the ranger reported that the Snowy Owl has been back at Standley since Thursday 2/8.

---On February 11 at Wheat Ridge Greenbelt, Kevin DeBoer reported Yellow-rumped Warbler.  On February 15 at Wheat Ridge Greenbetl, Ginny Bergstrom reported Yellow-rumped Warbler.

---On February 16 on Clear Creek trail from Golden to I-70, Chuck Aid and Micahel Kiessig reported 3 Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s) Warblers.

---On February 16 at Clement Park and Johnson Reservoir, Thomas Holub reported Greater White-fronted Goose.

---On February 16 at Harriman Lake Park, Chris Wood reported 14 Greater Scaup.

KIOWA COUNTY:

---On February 10 at Queens State WA Queens Reservoir, JoAnn Andrews reported Snowy Owl.

---On February 11 at Neenoshe Reservoir, Steve Mlodinow reported Chihuahuan  Raven, 6 Lapland Longspurs.

---On February 11 on CR 48 between CR E and CR C, Steve Mlodinow reported 2 Mountain Bluebirds and 10 Lapland Longspurs.

---On February 11 on CR 27 between CR C and CR 3, Steve Mlodinow reported 125 Lapland Longspurs and 3 McCown’s Longspurs.

KIT CARSON COUNTY:

---On February 11 at CR B between CR 10 and CR 11, Kathy Mihm Dunning reported 3000 Lapland Longspurs in 4 flocks of 700 – 800+, Chestnut-collared Longspur, McCown’s Longspur.

LA PLATA COUNTY:

---On February 9 at Meadow Rd, Rafter J Subdivision, Ryan Votta reported 4 Acorn Woodpeckers.

---On February 16 at Pastorius Reservoir, Kathy Mihm Dunning and Jason St. Pierre reported American Pipit and Swamp Sparrow.

LARIMER COUNTY:

---On February 8, Bill Fink, Kat Bradley-Bennet, Tina Jones and others reported HARRIS’S HAWK on Frontage Road N of Prospect.

---On February 9 at Livermore Community Church, Sue Riffe reported 3 Common Redpoll.

---On February 12 at Horsetooth Mountain Park, Arvind Panjabi reported 7 Common Redpoll.  On February 13 at Horsetooth Mountain Park, Carl Schimmel and Arvind Panjabi reported Common Redpolls.

---On February 6 at CSU Environmental Learning Center, Joey and Burke Angstman reported Red Fox Sparrow.

---On February 9 at Bobcat Ridge NA, Sue Riffe reported AMERICAN WOODCOCK.  On February 10 at Bobcat Ridge NA, Nick Komar and David Wade reported AMERICAN WOODCOCK at Buffum Creek in the morning and in the afternoon Nick Komar and Walter Wehtje reported AMERICAN WOODCOCK at creek below parking lot; Andy Bankert and Caroline Olson found the AMERICAN WOODCOCK on the road to Bobcat Ridge on the south side by 3rd stream crossing and 15 mph sign.  On February 12 at Bobcat Ridge NA, Norm Lewis reported AMERICAN WOODCOCK near cattails below Castle House.

---On February 12 at Wildhorse Birdfeeder in Loveland, John Reichhardt reported Pine Warbler.

---On February 12 at Clear Spring Ranch, Jim Merritt reported White-throated Sparrow.

---On February 12 at Carter Lake, David Dowell reported California Gull, 3 Iceland (Thayer’s) Gull, Iceland (kumlieni) Gull, and 2 Glaucous Gulls.

---On February 13 at Larimer County Landfill (restricted access), Joshua Smith reported California Gull.

---On February 13 at Running Deer NA in Fort Collins, Richard Herrington reported Northern Goshawk.

---On February 16 on I-25 near Loveland, Gene Rutherford reported HARRIS’S HAWK near Exit sign.  

---On February 16 at Cottonwood Run NA Rec trail Wilson to Taft, Christine Sparks reported Lincoln’s Sparrow.

MESA COUNTY:

---On February 8 on Grand Mesa, Denise and Mark Vollmar reported 10 Common Redpoll.

---On February 14 at Grand Junction Wildlife Area, Aaron Yappert reported Spotted Sandpiper.

---On February 15 at Colorado River Isaland SWA, Glenn Pearson reported 2 California Gulls.

---On February 16 at Grand Junction Wildlife Area, Kathleen McGinley and Mike Henwood reported 2 Lincoln’s Sparrows.

MONTEZUMA COUNTY:

---On February 9 at Hwy 145 in Dolores, Aaron Yappert reported m Barrow’s Goldeneye.

---On February 14 at McPhee Reservoir Dolores End, Kathy Mihm Dunning reported Long-tailed Duck.  On February 15 at Dolores Ponds (wastewater plant) Jim Beatty reported f Long-tailed Duck in second pond past Dolores wastewater treatment ponds.  On February 14 at West End, Jim Beatty reported 2 f Red-breasted Mergansers.  On February 16 at Dolores Ponds (Watewater Treatment Plant), Jason St Pierre and Eric Hynes reported Long-tailed Duck and Barrow’s Goldeneye.

---On February 14 at Sand Canyon Trail, Kathy Mihm Dunning reported 6 Juniper Titmouse and 3 Bewick’s Wrens.

MONTROSE COUNTY:

---On February 15 at Marine Road Park, Susna Entsminger reported Black Phoebe at edge of North Ponds and Green-tailed Towhee at South side of Park.

MORGAN COUNTY:

---On February 13 at Jackson Reservoir, Steve Mlodinow reported 2 Greater White-fronted Gees, Brown Thrasher, and 3 Brown-headed Cowbirds.

PARK COUNTY:

---On February 13 in town of Jefferson, Jerry Baines reported 3 Ferruginous Hawks and 40 Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches.

PROWERS COUNTY:

---On February 10 at Lamar Community College Woods, Brian Johnson reported Red Fox Sparrow and Northern Cardinal.  On February 17 at Lamar Community College Woods, Adam Vesely reported Red Fox Sparrow, 2 Yellow-rumped Warblers, White-throated Sparrow and Northern Cardinal.  On February 16 at Lamar Community College, Jane Stulp reported Red Fox Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, and 2 Northern Cardinals.

---On February 9 at Willow Creek in Lamar, Ted Floyd reported Hermit Thrush, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler, Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s) Warbler, and Northern Cardinal.  On February 9 at Willow Creek Park, Ted Floyd reported Red-bellied Woodpecker, Red Fox Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, and singing m Great-tailed Grackle.

---On February 9 at pond at US 287 and Hwy 50, Chip Clouse reported Greater Yellowlegs.   On February 10 at pond at US 287 and Hwy 50, Paula Moyers reported 3 Lesser Yellowlegs; Sharon Stiteler reported 2 Greater Yellowlegs.

PUEBLO COUNTY:

--- On February 10 at 40th Lane, JoAnn Riggle reported 4 Brown-headed Cowbirds.

SUMMIT COUNTY:

---On February 11 at Bills Ranch Lake, Ryan Bushong reported White-throated Sparrow.

WELD COUNTY:

---On February 13 at Woods Lake, Steve Mlodinow reported Black-crowned Night-Heron.

---On February 13 at Lower Latham Reservoir, Steve Mlodinow Reported Savannah Sparrow.

---On February 14 at LUNA Reservoir, Sean Fitzgerald reported Greater Scaup.

---On February 16 in Bittersweek Park in Greeley, Matthias Sirch reported Bushtit.

DFO Field Trips:

The DFO Field Trip for Saturday, February 17 will be to Prospect Park (Wheat Ridge Greenbelt) led by Jackie King (jackie.king AT ccd.edu; 720-281-3314)  Directions:  From i-70 exist 267, take Kipling south about ¾ mile and turn right (west) on 44thAve.  Go one mile west.  Look for the entrance to Prospect Park on your left (south).    Meet at 0900 just inside the park in the lot right next to Prospect Lake.  

      This is a trip with easy walking, accessible for mobility impaired individuals.  Bring water and a snack; lunch optional.  Good trip for novice birders and new members.  Register online or contact leader.  

The DFO Field Trip for Sunday, February 18 will be to Tamarack State Wildlife Area and Associated Prairie led by Chris Goulart (cgoulart001 AT comcast.net; 586-764-2126).  Meet at 0600 at the Division of Parks and Wildlife parking lot 2 block north of E 58th Ave on east side of Broadway:  6060 Broadway, Denver.  

    This will be an intense trip looking for late winter prairie and eastern forest specialties.  Target birds include Snow Geese, Greater Prairie Chickens, and more.  Register online or contact leader.

The DFO Field Trip for Tuesday, February 20 will be to Northeastern Colorado led by david Suddjian (dsuddjian AT gmail.com; 831-713-8659).  Directions:  Meet at 0500 at Colorado Park and Wildlife Office at 6060 N. Broadway.  Exit I-25 at 58th Ave, go west 2 blocks to Broadway,  then north 2 blocks to parking lot on right. 

     Special guest leader:  Norm Lewis.  May visit Jumbo, Red Lion, and Tamarack and Prewitt.  Prepare for this full day winter outing with supplies of food.  Possible park entry fees.  Register online or contact leader.

Good Birding,

Joyce Takamine

Boulder