RE: Saint Vrain State Park (Barbour Ponds)

[B K]

I was up at Saint Vrain State Park (near Longmont) yesterday (2/25) -- and while I did not see anything exotic, the waterfowl variety was quite rewarding.  Waterfowl was my goal.  This location lends itself to either binoculars or scope.  Some of the ponds still have thin ice along the edges -- but they have mostly melted off in the center.  The largest pond (Pelican Pond, north of the campground center main house -- with it's eastern edge near I-25) was the most productive viewing area for me.  This pond does not offer bucolic repose (freeway noise), but it has great views west (Indian Peaks and Longs Peak) and the western edge of the lake (and park) is much quieter.  The flat trail walk around Pelican Pond is 1.3 miles.  There were many folk successfully fishing the other ponds -- but I had Pelican Pond to myself and made 2 circles.  I also hid out in the brush as a blind for about 45 minutes.  I did observe some interesting bird courtship behaviors.   

Sightings included: 

Canada Goose -- scores
Ring-billed Gull -- scores
Mallard -- about 12 pair in the water -- many more at roost on the pond islands
Gadwall -- scores
Bufflehead -- 6 pair
Redhead -- 2 pair
Canvasback -- 4 pair -- by far, the most skittish of the waterfowl
Hooded Merganser -- 1 pair -- lovely and rather stand-offish from the rest of the waterfowl
Belted Kingfisher -- 2 -- fishing quite successfully from the "cormorant drying stumps" on the northeast section of the pond
Lesser Scaup -- 8 pair
Common Goldeneye -- 8 pair
Ring-billed Duck -- 12 pair -- great to see these in comparison to the Scaup
American Wigeon -- 6 pair
American Coot -- just 2 -- hiding near the shoreline
Northern Shoveler -- 2 pair
Green-winged Teal -- 3 pair

Overhead (did not spend much time looking): 

Red-tailed Hawk -- 2 circling pairs -- common but still splendid
American Kestrel -- 1 pair
American Robin, Red-winged Blackbird, House Finch, House Sparrow and American Goldfinch were my constant companions. 

The automobile road is now fully paved into and through most of the park -- much less dust -- hooray!  There is major construction on the park's far west end which is not a problem on weekends, but I was told that it can be pretty noisy during the week (so then, it might be loud and noisy all over the park). 

Ben Kemena
Denver, Colorado