Colorado Rare Bird Alert, 12 December 2017

[Joyce Takamine]

Compiler:   Joyce Takamine

e-mail:    RBA AT cobirds.org

Date:      December 12, 2017

This is the Rare Bird Alert for Tuesday,  December 12 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 (Arapahoe, *Bent, *Denver, El Paso, Weld)

BRANT (*Douglas)

Trumpeter Swan (*Adams, Larimer, Montrose, Routt)

Tundra Swan (Adams, Boulder, *Park, Weld)

Wood Duck (Jefferson)

Greater Scaup (Jefferson)

Surf Scoter (Logan, Ouray, Routt)

White-winged Scoter (Grand, Mesa, Montezuma, Routt)

Long-tailed Duck (Mesa, Summit, *Weld)

Barrow’s Goldeneye (Chaffee, Garfield, Grand, *Larimer, Pueblo, San Miguel, Summit, *Weld) 

Hooded Merganser (*Pitkin, Summit)

Northern Bobwhite (Logan)

Sharp-tailed Grouse (Weld)

Red-necked Grebe (*Arapahoe)

Sora (Arapahoe)

Sandhill Crane (Montezuma, Ouray)

Black-legged Kittiwake (Sedgwick)

Mew Gull (Pueblo)

Iceland Gull (Kiowa, Weld) 

GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL (Larimer)

Glaucous Gull (*Bent, Logan, Weld)

Great Black-backed Gull (*Pueblo, Weld)

Pacific Loon (Boulder, Weld)

Double-crested Cormorant (Delta)

American White Pelican (*Arapahoe, Otero)

Great Egret (Delta)

HARRIS’S HAWK (*Larimer)

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Logan)

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Arapahoe)

Peregrine Falcon (Fremont)

Least Flycatcher (Jefferson)

Hammond’s Flycatcher (Boulder)

Pinyon Jay (Chaffee)

Steller’s Jay (Mesa)

Chichuahuan Raven (*El Paso)

Violet-green Swallow (Mesa)

Pygmy Nuthatch (*Arapahoe, Morgan, Phillips)

Carolina Wren (Pueblo)

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Arapahoe, Boulder, Mesa, *Pueblo)

Hermit Thrush (Mesa)

Gray Catbird (*El Paso, Weld)

Curve-billed Thrasher (*El Paso)

Brown Thrasher (Boulder)

Northern Mockingbird (Logan, Weld)

American Pipit (Archuleta, Mesa, Pueblo)

Evening Grosbeak (Fremont)

Rosy-Finch (Teller)

Gray-crowned Rosy- Finch (Weld)

PURPLE FINCH (Logan)

Common Redpoll (Arapahoe, Weld)

Red Crossbill (El Paso, Weld)

European Goldfinch (Boulder)

Lapland Longspur (Logan, Weld)

Lincoln’s Sparrow (Jefferson, Otero, Pueblo)

Swamp Sparrow (Boulder, Weld)

White-throated Sparrow (Mesa, Otero)

Harris’s Sparrow (*Adams, Arapahoe, Denver,  Jefferson, Larimer)

Yellow-headed Blackbird (*Weld)

Rusty Blackbird (Weld)

Black-and-white Warbler (Larimer)

Common Yellowthroat (Broomfield)

Yellow Warbler (Mesa)

Chestnut-sided Warbler (Pueblo)

Prairie Warbler (*Pueblo)

Summer Tanager (Mesa)

Northern Cardinal (Logan, Otero)

ADAMS COUNTY:

---On December 9 at Barr Lake North end, Ira Sanders reported 3 Tundra Swans (2 ad, 1 juv).

---On December 9 at Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR Lower Derby Lake, Bruce Snyder reported Trumpeter Swan.  On December 10 at Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR Lower Derby Lake, Eric DeFonso and many other birders reported Trumpeter Swan at Lower Derby Lake.  On December 11 at Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR Lower Derby Lake, John Breitsch, g Stacks, Frank Farrell, and Eric DeFonso reported Trumpeter Swan.

---On December 11 at First Creek at Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR, Myron Gerhard reported juv Harris’s Sparrow.

ADAMS/DENVER COUNTIES:

---On December 9 at First Creek, the DFO Field trip led by John Breitsch reported Harris’s Sparrow which crossed the county line between

Denver and Adams county.  

ARAPAHOE COUNTY:

---On December 5 at Cherry Creek Campground, Bob Righter reported Greater White-fronted Goose.

---On December 8 at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens, Jared Del Rosso reported Harris’s Sparrow.

---On December 8 at Cherry Creek SP 12 Mile Trail, Christy Payne reported 2 Sora and 2 Common Redpoll.

---On December 8 at  Big Dry Creek Trail between Dry Creek and Arapahoe Blvd, Mary O’Connor reported Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and 2 Pygmy Nuthatch.  On December 10 at Big Dry Creek trail from Dry between Dry Creek and Arapahoe Blvd, Jared Del Rosso reported Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and 4 Pygmy Nuthatch.  On December 11 at Big Dry Creek Trail from E Dry Creek Rd to E Arapahoe Rd, Cynthia Madsen reported 4 Pygmy Nuthatch.

---On December 9 at Cherry Creek SP near marina, Chris Goulart reported Red-necked Grebe.  On December 10 at Cherry Creek SP, Rebecca Laroche and Diane Roberts reported Red-necked Grebe.  On December 11 at Cherry Creek SP Marina and nearby dam, Monday Birders and Candice Johnson reported Red-necked Grebe; Monday birders also reported 21 American White Pelicans.

---On December 10 at Cherry Creek SP, Kathy Mihm Dunning reported Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.

ARCHULETA COUNTY:

---On December 7 at Navajo SP, Jim Beatty reported 22 American Pipits on shore at Windsurf Beach.

BENT COUNTY:

---On December 11 at Verhoeff Reservoir (private), view from Hwy, Jane Stulp and Janeal Thompson reported Glaucous Gull and 3 Greater White-fronted Geeose.

BOULDER COUNTY:

---On December 2 at Twin Lakes, Peter Gent reported Hammond’s Flycatcher.  On December 9 at Twin Lakes, Leslie S reported Hammond’s Flycatcher.

---On December 2 at Boulder Creek at 75th St, Steve Frye and his field trip reported Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Swamp Sparrow and European Goldfinch.  The

Goldfinch was just west of the parking lot;  later in the day Chris Gilbert was about to relocated the goldfinch across Boulder Creek.  On December 3 at Boulder Creek and 75th St. Willem van Vliet reported European Goldfinch.   On December 8 at Boulder Creek, John Vanderpoel reported Eurpean Goldfinch, it was at a feeder at a private residence, north of Boulder Creek and west of 75th St.

---On December 7 in Nederland, David Hyde reported Brown Thrasher.  If you want to see the thrasher, the address is 517 W 1st St. Knock on door.  On December 8 in Nederland on 1st St, John Vanderpoel and Peter Gent reported  Brown Thrasher.

---On December 10 at Valmont Reservoir Complex, Bill Kaempfer reported Tundra Swan and Pacific Loon.

BROOMFIELD COUNTY:

---On December 2 at Plaster Reservoir, Matt Hofeditz reported Common Yellowthroat.  On December 3 at Plaster Reservoir, Matt Hofeditz reported Common Yellowthroat.

CHAFFEE COUNTY:

---On November 30 at Buena Vista Ice Pond as viewed from road, Christian Hagenlocher reported 4 Barrow’s Goldeneyes and 280 Pinyon Jays.

DELTA COUNTY:

---On December 3 at Johnson’s Pond near G50 road, Mike Henwood reported Great Egret.

---On December 4 at G50 Rd, Andre Robinsong reported 340 Sandhill Cranes and Great Egret.

---On December 9 at Confluence Park, Richard Harner reported Great Egret and Double-crested Cormorant.  On December 10 at Confluence Park, Betty Fenton reported  Double-crested Cormorant.

DENVER COUNTY:

---On December 3 at Denver City Park, John Breitsch spotted a Common Redpoll on the DFO Field Trip led by Patrick O’Driscoll at retention pond along 17th Ave, SE of Ferril Lake.   On December 10 at Denver City Park, Patrick O’Driscoll reported 2 Greater White-fronted Geese on Duck Lake.

DOUGLAS COUNTY:

---On December 3 at Parker Regional Park (aka Salisbury Equestrian Park), Rebecca Laroche reported BRANT.  On December 7 at Parker Regional Park (aka Salisbury Equestrian Park), Chris Gilbert reported Dark-bellied BRANT.  On December 11 at Parker Regional Park (aka Salisbury Equestrian Park),  Monday Birders reported BRANT.

EL PASO COUNTY:

---On December 1 at Memorial Park and Prospect Lake, Alan and Mary Lynne Ketcham reported Great White-fronted Goose.  On December  4 at Memorial Park and Prospect Lake, Kevin Ash reported Greater White-fronted Goose.

---On December 10 at Mountain Shadows Park in Colorado Springs, Chris Selvig reported 11 Red Crossbills.

---On December 11 at Fountain Creek RP Nature Center/Cattail Marsh area, Alan Versaw reported Gray Catbird.

---On December 11 at Birdsall Road, Alan Versaw reported 2 Curve-billed Thrashers.

---On December 11 at Midway Landfill, Alan Versaw reported 2 Chihuahuan Ravens.

FREMONT COUNTY:

---On December 4 at Canon City Riverwalk Sells Lake to S Raynolds, Jerry DeBoer reported Peregrine Falcon and Evening Grosbeaks.

GARFIELD COUNTY:

---On December 4 at Rifle Gap SP, JoAnn Riggle reported Barrow’s Goldeneye.

GRAND COUNTY:

---On December 1 at Lake Grandy, Paul Slingsby and DFO Field Trip reported 6 Barrow’s Goldeneyes.

---On December 1 at Shadow Mountain Lake, Paul Slingsby and DFO Field Trip reported White-winged Scoter and Barrow’s Goldeneyes.

JEFFERSON COUNTY:

---On December 6 at Robert A Easton Regional Park, David Suddjian and DFO Field Trip reported Greater Scaup.

---On December 6 at Harriman Lake Park, David Suddjian and DFO Field Trip reported pair of Wood Ducks, 1-st yr Harris’s Sparrow, Least Flycatcher; Brian Johnson reported Greater Scaup.

---On December 6 at Westminster City Park, Kim Mauritz reported 2 Common Redpoll.

LARIMER COUNTY:

---On December 2 at Boyd Lake, Nick Komar reported 1st-cyc GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL.

---On December 3 at CSU Environmental Learning Center, John Shenot , Sara and Brandon Nooner reported Black-and-white Warbler.  On December 4 at CSU Environmental Learning Center, Lori Zabel reported Black-and-white Warbler.  On December 10 at CSU Environmental Learning Center, Austin Hess reported Black-and-white Warbler.

---On December 3 at Welch Reservoir in Berthoud, Walter Wehtje and Nick Komar reported Red-necked Grebe.

---On December 3 at Lonetree Reservoir, Walter Wehtje and Nick Komar reported Winter Wren.

---On December 9 at Rawhide Reservoir, Walter Wehtje and Nick Komar reported 3 ad Trumpeter Swans.

---On December 10 at Running Deer NA in Fort Collins, David Wade and Nick Komar and many other birders reported HARRIS’S HAWK.  On December 11 at Running Deer parking lot on S side of E Prospect, Peter Gent and John Vanderpoel refound HARRIS’S HAWK around 1300.

---On December 10 at Box Elder Creek at SW Frontage Road, Fort Collins, Nick Komar reported HARRIS’S HAWK.

---On December 11 Lori Zabel reported HARRIS’S HAWK flying E to W along N side of Poudre River opposite Bike Path at CSU ELC about 1630.

---On December 11 at Arapahoe Bend NA Rigden Reservoir, Autin Hess reported ad m Barrow’s Goldeneye.

LOGAN COUNTY:

---On December 5 at Tamarack ranch SWA, Steve Larson reported m PURPLE FINCH and 8 Northern Bobwhite.  On December 9 at Tamarack Ranch SWA,  Bill Kaempfer reported 2 Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Northern Cardinal, Northern Mockingbird, Northern Bobwhite, and 4 Lapland Longspurs.

---On December 5 at Jumbo Reservoir, Steve Larson reported Surf Scoter and Glaucous Gull.

MESA COUNTY:

---On November 30 at Whitewater Ponds, Carol Ortenzio reported Long-tailed Duck.

---On November 28 at Colorado River SP Fuita Section, Mike Henwood reported White-winged Scoter on Bookcliff Pond (smaller pond to north).  On December 3 at Colorado River SP Fruita Section, Carol Ortenzio reported White-winged Scoter.

---On November 30 at Grand Juncion SW, Mike Henwood and Katey Buster reported White-throated Sparrow and Steller’s Jay.

---On December 1 at Grand Junction, Connee Moffatt reported a pair of Summer Tanagers visited her yard in Grand Junction.  On December 3 the female Summer Tanager returned. On December 4 at home of Jim and Connee Moffat, Carol Ortenzio, Eileen Cunningham, and Kathleen McGinley reported f Summer Tanager.   If you would like updates and try to see the bird, contact her at jcmof...@msn.com.

---On December 3 at Connected Lakes SP Blue Heron Section, Drew Kelly reported Violet-green Swallow.

---On December 9 at 21 Road and Canal Crossing, Ronda Woodward reported Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and 200 American Pipits.

---On December 9 at Colorado River Trail Audubon Section, Katey Buster reported Hermit Thrush.

MONTEZUMA COUNTY:

---On December 2 at Narraquinip Reservoir, Jim Beatty reported a 1st-year White-winged Scoter.  On December 10 at Narraquinnep Reservoir, Erik Hendrickson  reported White-winged Scoter.

---On December 5 at Totten Reservoir, Erick Hendrickson reported 4 Sandhill Cranes.

MONTROSE COUNTY:

---On December 9 at Chipeta Lake SWA, Bill Harris and Jon Horn reported Trumpeter Swan.

OTERO COUNTY:

---On November 30 at Rocky Ford SWA, David Dowell reported pair of Wood Ducks, Lapland Longspur, 4 Common Redpoll, and Northern Cardinal.

---On December 7 at Holbrook Reservoir, Van Truan reported 7 American White Pelican on North Portion of Reservoir.

OURAY COUNTY:

---On December 6 at Ridgway Reservoir Dallas Creek, Betty Fenton reported Surf Scoter.  On December 7 at Ridgway Reservoir Dallas Creek at inlet, Vic Zerbi reported Surf Scoter and 5 Sandhill Cranes.  On December 9 at Ridgway SP Dallas Creek Entrance, Bruce Ackerman reported Surf Scoter.

PARK COUNTY:

---On December 11 at Eleven-mile Reservoir, Aaron Driscoll reported 12 Tundra Swans.

PITKIN COUNTY:

---On December 11 at Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, Catherine Hagen reported f Hooded Merganser.

PUEBLO COUNTY:

---On December 3 at Pueblo Reservoir South Shore Marina, David Tonnessen, Alan, and Mary Lynne Ketcham reported Great Black-backed Gull.  On December 9 at Pueblo Reservoir, David Tonnessen reported Great Black-backed Gull.  On December 10 at Pueblo Reservoir, Roger Massey, Joel and Dale Adams reported Great Black-backed Gull.  On December 11 at Pueblo Reservoir South Shore Marina, Jim Merrit and Alan Ketcham reported Great Black-backed Gull.

---On November 25 at Arkansas River Trail Reservoir Road to train bridge, Paul Hurtado reported 2 Barrow’s Goldeneyes and Chestnut-sided Warbler; Van Truan reported on trail east of Pueblo Blvd, 2 Barrow’s Goldeneyes, Carolina Wren, and Chestnut-sided Warbler; Steve Mlodinow reported Chestnut-sided Warbler.  On November 27 on Arkansas River Trail east of Pueblo Blvd, Monday Birders reported Carolina Wren.    On December 3 on Arkansas River Trail east of Pueblo Blvd, David Tonnessen reported Carolina Wren and Chestnut-sided Warbler.   On December 9 on Arkansas River Trail, John Drummond and Jane Stulp reported Chestnut-sided Warbler; Stulp also reported 2 Barrow’s Goldeneyes.  On December 10 on Arkansas River Trail east of Pueblo Blvd, Joel and dale Adams reported Carolina Wren and Chestnut-sided Warbler.

---On December 5 at Pueblo Reservoir below the dam, Brandon Percival and Leon Bright reported Prairie Warbler.  On December 9 at Pueblo Reservoir below the dame, David Tonnesse and John Drummond reported Prairie Warbler; Tonnessen also reported 16 American Pipit, and 9 Lincoln’s Sparrows.

---On December 5 at Pueblo Reservoir below the dam, John Drummond reported ad Mew Gull.  On December 10 at Pueblo Reservoir, Chris Gilbert, Joel and Dale Adams reported Prairie Warbler.  On December 11 at Pueblo Reservoir, Alan Ketchum reported Prairie Warbler and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.

---On December 9 at Pueblo City Park, Christy Payne reported Carolina Wren and Chestnut-sided Warbler.

ROUTT COUNTY:

---On December 7 at Stagecoach Reservoir, Coen Dexter and Brenda Wright reported Trumpeter Swan, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, and 30 Barrow’s Goldeneyes.

SAN MIGUEL COUNTY:

---On December 4 at Miramonte Reservoir, George Steele reported Barrow’s Goldeneye.        

SEDGWICK COUNTY:

---On December 9 at Jumbo Reservoir, Bill Kaempfer reported juv Black-legged Kittiwake.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

SUMMIT COUNTY:

---On December 2 at Dillon Reservoir, Doug Ward reported ad f Long-tailed Ducks at Snake River Inlet Trailhead at junction of Hwy 6 and Swan Mt Road.

---On December 10 at Silverthorne WTP, Ryan and Jack Bushong reported 27 Barrow’s Goldeneyes and Hooded Merganser.

TELLER COUNTY:

---On December 4 at Victor, Cici Lee reported Rosy-Finches have returned in small numbers.

WELD COUNTY:

---On November 28 at Black Hollow Reservoir, Steve Mlodinow reported 2 Iceland (Thayer’s) Gulls, Iceland (Kumlieni) Gull, Greater Black-backed Gull.  On December 3 at Black Hollow Reservoir, Gene Rutherford reported Greater Black-backed Gull and Iceland (Thayer’s) Gull.

---On November 28 at Poudre Ponds on 35th Ave in Greeley, Aaron Yappert reported Red Fox Sparrow.  On December 2 at Poudre Ponds on 35th Ave in Greeley, Gene Rutherford reported Red Fox Sparrow.  On December 6 on Poudre River Trail approx. 80-90 yards east of 35th Ave bridge, Joe Mammoser reported Red Fox Sparrow.  It was foraging around base of some small trees in river bed below paved trail.

---On December 2 at Frank SWA, Steve Mlodinow reported 2 Rusty Blackbirds.

---On December 2 at Pawnee NG Glover, Tracy Pheneger reported Sharp-tailed Grouse, 85 Lapland Longspurs and Snow Bunting.

---On December 3 at CR 111 between CR 124 and CR 128 near Grover, Gene Rutherford reported 5 Sharp-tailed Grouse.

---On December 3 on CR 107 between CR 112 and CR 118 near Grover, Gene Rutherford reported 2 Sharp-tailed Grouse.

---On December 3 at Pawnee NG at CR 136 and CR 105, Joey Kellner and Kathy Mihm Dunning reported 16 Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches on power lines and 1 Gray-crowned (Helpburn’s) Rosy-Finch.

---On December 5 at Horse Creek Reservoir, Steve Mlodinow reported 6 ad Tundra Swans and 2 Lapland Longspur.

---On December 5 at Prospect Reservoir, Steve Mlodinow reported 2 Iceland (Thayer’s) Gulls, Glaucous Gull, and Gray Catbird.  On December 9 at Prospect Reservoir, Steve Mlodinow reported 7 Greater White-fronted Geese, 2 Iceland (Thayer’s) Gull,  Lapland Longspur, and Swamp Sparrow.

---On December 5 at Union Reservoir, Steve Mlodinow reported Pacific Loon.

---On December 9 at Linn Grove Cemetery, Steve Mlodinow reported 2 Red Crossbill.

---On December 9 at Drake Lake, Steve Mlodinow reported 4 Iceland (Thayer’s) Gulls all juv and 1 Iceland (Iceland) Gull.

---On December 10 at Crow Valley, Robert  Beauchamp reported Northern Mockingbird and 12 Common Redpolls.

---On December 10 at Union Reservoir, Steve Mlodinow reported Tundra Swan.

---On December 11 at Lower Lathan Reservoir, Norm Lewis reported Yellow-headed Blackbird.

---On December 11 at Windsor Lake, Gary Lefko and Josh Bruening reported Long-tailed Duck; Bruening also reported f Barrow’s Goldeneye.

DFO Field Trip:

No Field Trips scheduled until Jan 1.  Help with a Christmas Count.

Good Birding,

Joyce Takamine

Boulder