late report...varied thrush Cherry Creek SP

[Karl Stecher Jr.]

Varied thrush CCSP Tues evening Feb 23

 

    All winter there have been 20-30 robins out the road to the gun range, from any bushes until the road turns through the fence/gate and even to the trees to the left of the gate.  Late afternoon Feb 23 there was a varied thrush on the right side of the road.  It sat on a tree branch for over two minutes, then dropped toward the ground as light dimmed.  I went back on Wednesday but did not see the bird.  I would believe the bird is still there, and difficult to find, as I have birded this place many times this winter without seeing it.

 

One of my favorite times of year occurs as ice thaws in early spring and ducks arrive.  At the Cottonwood creek pond there were two pairs of hooded mergansers and one pair of gadwall.  In the water by the marina were many common goldeneye, two lesser scaup, about a dozen hooded mergansers, 25 common/American mergansers, and lots of mallards.

 

Karl Stecher

Aurora/Arapahoe