Barr Lake (Adams County) Birding on 11/28

[William H Kaempfer]

I joined Niña Routh and her band of Black Friday Birders a day late this year for a half-day of birding at Barr Lake State Park.

 

We started in the NW corner by the BCOR (aka RMBO) headquarters where we had our most unusual birds of the day—5 Least Sandpipers trying to find some shore between the ice and the water.  Also in this area were a fairly large number of Mourning Doves for November (16) and a Say’s Phoebe.  Swinging around to the BLSP Visitor Center we worked through the 4 species of white and white-cheeked geese present as well as good numbers of regular diving ducks but did not find the Lesser Black-backed Gull reported earlier by the Sanders family. 

 

We continued on for quick visits to Horsecreek and Prospect Reservoirs (the latter will soon be frozen) but our most significant finds on that loop were a Merlin tending a large flock of Horned Larks and a sharp looking Rough-legged Hawk.

 

(as an aside, I will note that the afore mentioned, by Peter Gent, White-winged Scoter was still present, but over by the Baseline Reservoir dam by 4:00 p.m.)

 

Bill Kaempfer

Boulder