Prospect Reservoir (Weld)

[Cathy Sheeter]

Yesterday evening I birded near Prospect Reservoir in Weld County. The Reservoir itself has been drained and is 100% totally dry - not even mud for shore birds or gulls :(. However to the East of the reservoir along WCR 59 is a nice grove of Russian Olives and some additional brush and trees. In those thickets I found 4 American Redstarts (one especially cooperative female posed for several minutes out in the open: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aphelionart/9648502359/), many Wilson's and Yellow Warblers and what appeared to be a Juvenile BLACKPOLL WARBLER. Sparrows were in abundance with very large flock of Chipping frollicking mostly in the Russian Olive groves, plus around 30 Clay-Colored, Small numbers of Vespers, Brewers, Song, Lark, Lark Bunting and Savannah too! A GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER stopped in one of the trees very briefly. In the ditch north of the Reservoir (also along CR 59) there may have been a Sedge Wren, as the quick glance I got I thought I saw a dark streaked back with fairly shortish tail for a Marsh Wren, but I only saw it for about .1 seconds and could not get it to reappear. It could have been shadows on the back.

I returned this AM hoping to get a better view of the wren, but instead found guns being shot off about every 5-10 minutes (dove hunting I guess)with people walking all around the Wren ditch so I was not able to refind or confirm anything with that sighting. The Juvi Blackpoll did re-appeared for a very brief view before retreating back into thick brush.

Happy Birding!

Cathy Sheeter
Ft. Lupton