Chatfield SP mostly

[David Suddjian]

I spent a little time in Chatfield SP on Sept 13. I walked upstream on the eastside of the South Platte, upstream of the perimeter road covering areas both in the riparian and in the more open uplands (Douglas Co). Things were slowish overall, but I hit a very active and diverse area of birding in an open stand of small pines planted in the uplands east of the river, just NE of the northernmost lake on the east side of the river. This area also has a shrubby swale. Here I had the following, among others: 1 Olive-sided Flycatcher, 1 Ferruginous Hawk, 1 Gray Flycatcher, 1 Dusky, 2 Pink-sided Juncos (my 1st this season and I think a bit early), 1 Townsend's Warbler, 1 MacGillivray's 2 Orange-crowneds, 1 Sage Thrasher, a pile of Green-tailed Towhees, and Red-breasted Nuthatch.  

In the riparian along the river I had 2 Willow Flycatchers,  1 Hammond's, 1 Cordilleran, and 1 Eastern Phoebe. Not much of interest from the Swim Beach (JeffCo). 1 Am. Avocet there.

A Ferruginous Hawk passed over Ken Caryl Valley today 9/14 (JeffCo).

David Suddjian

Littleton, CO