Firestone Gravel Pits and surrounding ponds

[Cathy Sheeter]

I  headed out to take a look at the Firestone Gravel Pits today.  All three ponds near CR 24 3/4 are free or mostly free of ice and all had many birds on them.  The highlight of the visit were 2 RED-NECKED GREBES on the pond closest to HWY 119.  There was also an adult male CINNAMON TEAL on the pond on the East side of CR 9 3/4 - my first of season.  Large numbers of canvasback, redheads, ring-necked ducks, lesser scaup and common goldeneye.  One of the birds hanging with the scaup in the East pond appeared to be a LESSER SCAUP x RING NECK DUCK HYBRID (paler sides that extend higher up, darker back and more peaked head shape than scaup).  From there I continued north on the I-25 Frontage Rd. to the ponds on the East side of I-25.  Some of those ponds are frozen, but one of them had many birds on it, especially Redhead (over 400), but also a good number of pintail.  Between these ponds I ened up with 19 species of water birds (not including geese).

 

Two fairly poor and distant photos of the grebes can be viewed at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aphelionart/8520138876/in/photostream and http://www.flickr.com/photos/aphelionart/8519023877/in/photostream/

 

Ebird report with total bird numbers can be viewed at: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13232383

 

And not related to the ponds, but I viewed and photographed an amazing 6 Ferruginous Hawks (all light morph; five adults, one immature) within about a 7 mile radius of my house (four within one mile of my house!!) within two and a half hours.  My house is about 5 miles East of Firestone on HWY 119.  I have seen a decent number of Ferrug all winter, but this is a record for me. 

 

Happy Birding!

 

Cathy Sheeter 

Ft. Luton, CO