Denver Botanic Gardens and Cheesman Park (Denver County)

[Chris Rurik]

This morning I got a flurry of texts from Rebecca Laroche, who was seeing Western Tanagers and Black-headed Grosbeak among other birds in Cheesman Park. She moved into the botanic gardens when they opened. Within minutes she reported, "Blackpoll!"

I drove over there to bird with her. We never refound the Blackpoll Warbler, which Rebecca says was zipping from tree to tree as if it did not intend to stay, but the gardens had other goodies. First was an active empid we eventually identified as a Dusky Flycatcher. Then in the area behind the cafe we found a Virginia's Warbler and female Black-throated Gray Warbler. Ten minutes later we looked again and there were two Virginia's Warblers. The three warblers seem to like the tree in the island directly behind the cafe. The Dusky was in the same area.

The final highlight came soon after, when a large-ish bird came fluttering in toward the shale hillside. Common Poorwill! Within seconds it flushed again toward the Birds and Bees Trail, and we could not refind it.

Great birding in one of Denver's great migrant traps. Hopefully continued storms will bring more.

Best,

Chris Rurik

Westminster CO (soon to be Seattle and Alaska)