Colorado Rare Bird Alert, 22 July 2017

[Joyce Takamine]

Compiler:             Joyce Takamine

e-mail:                 RBA AT cobirds.org

Date:                    July 22, 2017

This is the Rare Bird Alert for Saturday, July 22 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 changes.

Barrow’s Goldeneye (Chaffee)

Ruddy Duck (Cheyenne)

Northern Bobwhite (Logan)

White-tailed Ptarmigan (Gunnison)

Dusky Grouse (Gunnison, Summit)

Gunnison Sage-Grouse (Gunnison)

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Logan, Washington)

Sandhill Crane (Larimer)

Snowy Plover (Alamosa)

Semipalmated Plover (*Bent, El Paso)

Mountain Plover (Weld)

Long-billed Curlew (*Bent)

Stilt Sandpiper (El Paso)

Semipalmated Sandpiper (*Bent, Washington)

Solitary Sandpiper (El Paso, Logan, Washington)

Laughing Gull (Kiowa)

Caspian Tern (Kiowa, Weld)

Black Tern (El Paso)

Common Loon (Ouray)

Mississippi Kite (Baca, Cheyenne, *El Paso)

Red-headed Woodpecker (Adams, Baca, Cheyenne, El Paso, Jefferson, Kiowa, Logan, Washington)

Acorn Woodpecker (Pueblo)

Williamson’s Sapsucker  (Pueblo)

Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Baca)

American Three-toed Woodpecker (Clear Creek, Gunnison, Mesa)

Least Flycatcher (Cheyenne, Douglas)

Eastern Phoebe (Baca, *Boulder, Douglas, Jefferson)

Great Crested Flycatcher (Washington)

Cassin’s Kingbird (Baca)

Gray Vireo (Conejos)

Chihuahuan Raven (Baca, Fremont, Kiowa)

Purple Martin (Las Animas)

Pacific Wren (Boulder)

Bewick’s Wren (Baca)

Curve-billed Thrasher (Baca, Fremont)

Grace’s Warbler (Mesa)

Rufous-crowned Sparrow (Baca)

Canyon Towhee (Baca)

Brewer’s Sparrow (Arapahoe)

Field Sparrow (Logan)

Sagebrush Sparrow (Alamosa, Jackson)

Lark Bunting (Jackson, Summit)

BAIRD’S SPARROW (Larimer)

Fox Sparrow (Boulder, Larimer, San Juan)

Summer Tanager (Baca, Montezuma)

Indigo Bunting (Logan)

Dickcissel (*Bent, *Boulder, Chaffee, Cheyenne, El Paso, Kiowa, Las Animas, Logan, Saguache)

Bobolink (*Boulder)

ALAMOSA COUNTY:

---On July 16 at Blanca Wetlands, Jeff Guy reported 3 Snowy Plovers and Leah Dood and Daniel Tronto reported 5 Snowy Plovers and Sagebrush Sparrow.

ARAPAHOE COUNTY:

---On July 19 at Parker Jordan Centennial Open Space, Cynthia Madsen and David Hill reported juv

Brewer’s Sparrow.

BACA COUNTY:

---On July 18 at Cottonwood Canyon, Evan Carlson reported 6 Mississippi Kites, Red-headed Woodpecker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe, 4 Cassin’s Kingbirds, 3 Bewick’s Wrens, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, 4 Canyon Towhee, Summer Tanager.

---On July 18 at Cottonwood Canyon (southern loop), Evan Carlson reported 2 Red-headed Woodpeckers, 3 Cassin’s Kingbirds, 4 Chihuahuan Ravesn, Curve-billed Thrasher, and 2 Rufous-crowned Sparrows.

BENT COUNTY:

---On July 21 at Adobe Creek Reservoir, Cole Wolf reported Semipalmated Plover, 18 Long-billed Curlew,

8 Semipalmated Sandpipers, and 3 Diickcissel. 

BOULDER COUNTY:

---On July 14 at Calpyso Cascades in Wild Basin, Rocky Mountain NP, Kathy Mihm Dunning reported 2 Pacific Wrens.

---On July 19 at Brainard Lake, Matt Hofeditz and Boulder Bird Club reported Fox Sparrow.

CHAFFEE COUNTY:

---On July 14 on CR 128 near Poncha Springs, Christian Hagenlocher reported 2 singing male Dickcissels and David Orth-Moore reported one singing Dickcissel.  On July 15 on CR 128 in Poncha Springs, Brandon Percival reported 6 Dickcissels.  On July 17 on CR 128 in Poncha Springs, Van Remsen reported 2 Dickcissels.

---On July 15 at Sand Lake SWA in Salida, Brandon Percival reported m Barrow’s Goldeneye.  On July 17 at Sands Lake SWA, Van Remsen reported Barrow’s Goldeneye.

CHEYENNE COUNTY:

---On July 18 in Kit Carson (town), Steve Mlodinow reported 4 Red-headed Woodpeckers.

---On July 18 in Cheyenne Wells, Steve Mlodinow reported Ruddy Ducky and Mississippi Kite.

---On July 18 on CR 9 between CR DD and CR GG, Steve Mlodinow reported 2 Least Flycathcers and 22 Dickcissels.

CLEAR CREEK COUNTY:

---On July 16 an American Three-toed Woodpecker was reorted by Bez Bezuidenhout at Echo Lake.

CONEJOS COUNTY:

---On July 15 on Hwy 17 (37.0650,-106.2346) W of Antonito, Jan Allen reported Gray Vireo.

DOUGLAS COUNTY:

---On July 13 at Chatfield SP, Norm Lewis reported Eastern Phoebe fledgling near Kingfisher Bridge.

---On July 18 at Chatfield SP Platte River Parking Area, David Suddjian and DFO field trip reported 4 Eastern Phoebe at nest at restroom (1 ad, 3 good size nestlings) and 2 Least Flycatchers.

EL PASO COUNTY:

---On July 14 at Ramah Reservoir SWA, Mel Goff reported Solitary Sandpiper and 3 Dickcissell on south shore.  On July 15 at Ramah Reservoir SWA, Alan Versaw reported 5 Semipalmated Plovers, Stilt Sandpiper, Solitary Sandpiper, Red-headed Woodpecker and 20 Dickcissels.  On July 19 at Ramah Reservoir SWA, Cheri Phillips reported Black Tern, 2 Red-headed Woodpecker and 4 Dickcissel.

---On July 18 at Adams Open Space in Fountain, Tanja Britton reported Mississippi Kite.

---On July 21 at Venetucci Farm, David Rudin reported a flyover Mississippi Kite.

FREMONT COUNTY:

---On July 17 at Siloam Road, Evan Carlson reported 2 Chihuahuan Raven and Curve-billed Thrasher.

GUNNISON COUNTY:

---On July 12 in Gunnison National Forest outside of Crested Butte, Tracy Hixon reported 2 White-tailed Ptarmigan and Dusky Grouse.

---On July 15 and 16, Brandon Percival reported Gunnison Sage-Grouse in areas S of town of Gunnison.

JACKSON COUNTY:

---On July 14 at 18 Island Reservoir, Beth Wolff reported 3 Lark Buntings in hill N of reservoir and 6 Sagebrush Sparrows.

JEFFERSON COUNTY:

---On July 11 at Stony Pass Road at Wigwam Creek, Phil Lyon reported 2 Red-headed Woodpeckers.  On July 16 at Stoney Pass Road, Norm Lewis and Jerry Lewis reported Red-headed Woodpecker.

---On July 13 at Waterton Canyon from Waterton Rd to overhead pipes, Norm Lewis reported Eastern Phoebe.

---On July 17 at Deer Creek at W Buckhorn Rd, David Suddjian reported Eastern Phoebe.

KIOWA COUNTY:

---On July 15 at Upper Queens/Neeskah Reservoir, Cheryl Teuton reported Laughing Gull and Caspian Tern in eastern body of water (Lower Queens Lake).  

---On July 17 at Neenoshe Reservoir, Gloria Nikolai reported 2 Red-headed Woodpeckers and 2 Chihuahuan Ravens.

LARIMER COUNTY:

---On July 14 on Terry Lake Rd between E CR 72 and E CR 76, Brandon Nooner reported 5 Sandhill Cranes feeding in an agricultural field.

---On July 20 at Soapstone Prairie NA, Derek Lecy reported hearing BAIRD’S SPARROW.

LAS ANIMAS COUNTY:

---On July 16 on CR 42 (37.2903, -104.8377), Kara Carragher reported 2 Purple Martins and  Dickcissel.

---On July 20 on CR 42 west of Aguilar, Brandon Percival reported m Purple Martin and 6 Dickcissels.

LOGAN COUNTY:

---On July 11 at Tamarack Ranch SWA, Jack Bushong reported 3 Northern Bobwhite, 2 Solitary Sandpipers, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, 12 Red-headed Woodpeckers, 2 Indigo Bunting, 2 Nothern Cardinal, 8 Field Sparrows, 8 Dickcissels.

MESA COUNTY:

---On July 11 at Carson Hole, Nic Korte reported 3 Grace’s Warblers (1m, 2f)

---On July 19 at Fruita Reservoir #1, Mike Henwood reported 2 American Three-toed Woodpeckers (ad m and fledging)

---On July 20 on Grand Mesa, David Price reported 2 American Three-toed Woodpeckers.

PUEBLO COUNTY:

---On July 17 at Pueblo Mt Park, Evan Carlson reported Acorn Woodpecker.

SAGUACHE COUNTY:

---On July 11 on CR X between CR 50 and CR 52, John and Bayard Cobb reported 17 Dickcissels.  On July 15 on CR X near Saguache Creek, John W Cobb reported 5 Dickcissels,

SUMMIT COUNTY:

---On July 16 on Shrine Pass Road, Van Remsen reported 3 Dusky Grouse and Lark Bunting.

WASHINGTON COUNTY:

---On July 11 at Prewitt Reservoir, Jack Bushong reported Semipalmated Sandpiper.   On July 16 at Preweitt Reservoir, Steve Mlodinow reported Semipalmated Sandpiper, Solitary Sandpiper, 7 Red-headed Woodpeckers, 4 Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Great Crested Flycatcher.

WELD COUNTY:

---On July 11 at Lower Latham Reservoir, Steve Mlodinow reported Caspian Tern.

---On July 18 on CR 89 just N of Hwy 14, Noah Kuck reported Mountain Plover.

Denver Field Ornithologists Field Trips  

The DFO Field Trip for Saturday, July 22 will be to Staunton SP led by John Breitsch (jbreitsch AT hotmail.com; 303-588-0552).    Directions:   Take US 285 south to Shaffers Crossing, about 5 miles west of Conifer.  Turn north on Elk Creek Road and follow signs 1.5 miles to park entrance.  State Parks pass or day pass required.  

    Will meet at 0730 at Mason Creek parking lot of Staunton SP.  After the entrance station, take an immediate right and go a short distance south.  Mason Creek Trail is a moderate level hike with some steep includes.  Will hike about 2-4 miles.  Bring binoculars, water, hat sunscreen, bug repellent, snacks, and sturdy hiking shoes.  Register online or contact leader.

    Optional earlier hike at Reynolds Park 0500 meeting time.  From Hwy 73 in Conifer, travel south on US 285 South for 0.3 miles, take slight right onto Kennedy Gulch Rd for 01. Mi.  take the first left toward

S. Foxton Rd.  Turn left onto S Foxton Rd (Hwy 94) for 5.6 miles to Reynolds park.  There are steep, narrow trails.  We will take a loop route up to the top and back.  This portion is strenuous.

The DFO Field Trip for Sunday, July 23 will be to Morrison Nature Center at Star K Ranch led by A>J. Gest (offsetaj AT comcast.net; 303-994-2420).  Directions:  Meet at 0800.  Center is located south of I-70 on Smith Road between Chambers.  Address 16002 E. Smith Road.  Bring snacks, water, and binoculars; scopes are optional.  Portable toilets on site.  Register online or contact leader.

For more information on the field trips go to dfobirds.org.

Good Birding,

Joyce Takamine

Boulder