Swainson's Warbler - Barr Lake 7/7

[Cathy Sheeter]

Yesterday I birded around Barr Lake (actually forgot about the birding festival) and things started out pretty slow.

However at around 9:30 AM (near the white colored house) in the ditch I pished and a bird popped up that I was unfamiliar with, but my impression was that it wqs a Swainson's Warbler. It came up three times where I got quick but good views in excellent light, but then would drop back in to heavy cover before I could get a photo. It finally flew out of the ditch and in to the juniper tree by the house, where I lost sight of it. I took one photo, blindly of the portion of the juniper that the bird had flown into, but didn't think the bird was visible in the photo. At this point I was cursing a bit about not getting a photo, because I knew whatever it was, that it was rare. I did not announce the bird on here, because I started to second guess the ID I had made, as I have never seen a SWWA in real life, only photos. This morning I returned to Barr to try and relocate the bird for photos. I worked the same ditch for two hours and had an Ash Throated Flycatcher (perhaps the same one banded in the last week), but no brown colored warbler. Well tonight I was looking through my photos, and low and behold in that blind juniper shot is the bird! It is a 100% crop, but it does appear to be a Swainson's Warbler from what I can tell (and a couple of people have told me they think it looks good for one)! Photo at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aphelionart/9706653472/in/photostream/

Other birds of note:
From 7/7
Tennessee Warbler
Townsend Warbler
Cassin's Vireo
Plumbeous Vireo
Western Tanager (female)
Full list at: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S15115182

Today's list notables: (I didn't work the shoreline at all, just the ditch)
Ash-Throated Flycatcher
Black Headed Grossbeak (female)
Red-Eyed Vireo
Full list at: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S15121984

Cathy Sheeter
Ft. Lupton, CO

[Cathy Sheeter]

Sorry I am not very good with directions (nor sense of direction). If you are headed from the visitors center toward the gazebo there is a white colored house that will be on your left across the ditch (almost across from the first short trail that takes you to a blind). It was at the corner right before the house. The yard has junipers and Russian Olives in it. The juniper it flew into was in their yard. It is maybe 1/2 mile (or less) from the visitors center.

Cathy Sheeter