Colorado Rare Bird Alert, 9 January 2018

[Joyce Takamine]

Compiler:   Joyce Takamine

e-mail:         RBA AT cobirds.org

Date:       January 9, 2018

This is the Rare Bird Alert for Tuesday,  January 9 sponsored by Denver Field Ornithologists and the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies.

Highlight species include: (* indicates new information on this species)

NOTE:  The RBA is now using the new AOU checklist and the order of families has changed.

Greater White-fronted Goose (Adams, Boulder, El Paso, *Jefferson)

BRANT (Douglas)

Trumpeter Swan (Boulder, Garfield, Larimer)

Tundra Swan (Boulder, Larimer)

Wood Duck (*Montrose)

EURASIAN WIGEON (Fremont)

Mallard (Mexican Intergrade) (Boulder)

Greater Scaup (Delta, Jefferson, Pueblo, *Weld)

White-winged Scoter (*Arapahoe, La Plata, Weld)

Long-tailed Duck (Arapahoe, Jefferson, Weld)

Barrow’s Goldeneye (*Adams, *Garfield, Pueblo) 

Greater Prairie-Chicken (Yuma)

Red-necked Grebe (Jefferson, *Larimer, Pueblo)

White-winged Dove (Pueblo)

Greater Roadrunner (*El Paso)

Greater Yellowlegs (Adams)

Mew Gull (Pueblo)

Iceland Gull (*El Paso, *Larimer, Pueblo) 

Glaucous Gull (Bent, Boulder, *Larimer, Pueblo)

Great Black-backed Gull (*Pueblo)

Pacific Loon (Pueblo)

YELLOW-BILLED LOON (*Arapahoe/Jefferson, Jefferson)

Double-crested Cormorant (*Adams, Bent, *Pueblo)

American White Pelican (Bent, Boulder)

HARRIS’S HAWK (Larimer)

Snowy Owl (*Jefferson, *Pueblo)

RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER (*El Paso)

Ladder-backed Woodpecker (El Paso)

American Three-toed Woodpecker (Boulder, Teller)

Black Phoebe (Adams)

Say’s Phoebe (Arapahoe, Broomfield, *Denver, Larimer)

Steller’s Jay (Mesa)

Chihuahuan Raven (El Paso)

Common Raven (Adams)

Mountain Chickadee (*Larimer, Pueblo)

Pygmy Nuthatch (Arapahoe, Morgan, Phillips)

Winter Wren (*Arapahoe)

Carolina Wren (Pueblo)

Eastern Bluebird (Douglas)

Mountain Bluebird (Douglas, *Pueblo)

Hermit Thrush (Arapahoe)

Varied Thrush (*El Paso)

Curve-billed Thrasher (El Paso, Weld)

American Pipit (Boulder, Pueblo)

Gray-crowned Rosy- Finch (Teller)

Black Rosy-Finch (Teller)

Brown-capped Rosy-Finch (*Pitkin, Teller)

Red Crossbill (Arapahoe)

White-winged Crossbill (Larimer, Pueblo)

European Goldfinch (Boulder)

Lapland Longspur (El Paso)

Rufous-crowned Sparrow (Fremont)

Fox Sparrow (Boulder, *Larimer)

Lincoln’s Sparrow (El Paso, Jefferson, *Larimer, Pueblo)

Swamp Sparrow (Boulder, Weld)

White-throated Sparrow (Boulder, Pitkin)

Harris’s Sparrow (Denver, Larimer, Pueblo)

Rusty Blackbird (Larimer)

Yellow Warbler (Mesa)

Pine Warbler (Arapahoe, *Larimer)

Yellow-rumped Warbler (* Adams, Jefferson, Larimer, *Pueblo)

Prairie Warbler (*Pueblo)

Northern Cardinal (Logan)

ADAMS COUNTY:

---On December 29 on S. Platte River at sewage treatment plant near 64th and York, Bob Canter reported Black Phoebe.  This would be a new county record if accepted.  On January 3 east of 2 water discharges of sewage treatment plant, Cheryl Teuton and Dan Brooke reported Black Phoebe.  On January 4 at water treatment plant, Sue Riffe reported 4 Double-crested Cormorants.

---On January 3 at S Platte River and mouth of Sand Creek, Gabriel Wiltse reported Greater White-fronted Goose (about 58th Ave) and 3 Double-crested Cormorant; Gregg Goodrich reported 1 Double-crested Cormorant and Black Phoebe; Norm Lewis reported Double-crested Cormorant.  On January 4 at S Platte River and mouth of Sand Creek, Norm Lewis reported Double-crested Cormorant.  On January 8 at S Platte River and mouth of Sand Creek, David Dowell reported 4 Double-crested Cormornats and 3 Yellow-rumped Warblers.

---On January 3 at S Platte River at 88th, Charlie Curlee reported 4 Double-crested Cormorants; Gabriel Wiltse reported 4 Barrow’s Goldeneyes and 1 Double-crested Cormorant.   On January 6 at S Platte River at 88th, Julia Auckland reported 6 Barrow’s Goldeneyes and Double-crested Cormorant.  On January 7 at S Platte River at 88th Ave, Bill Fink reported m Barrow’s Goldeneye.  On January 8 at S Platte River at 88th Ave, Eric DeFonso reported Barrow’s Goldeneye and Double-crested Cormorant.

---On January 6 at McKay Road Ponds, Adam Veseley reported Greater Yellowlegs.

---On January 8 at 63rd and Fillmore, Christy Payne reported 2 Double-crested Cormorants and 7 Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s) Warblers.

---On January 8 at S Platte River and 78th Ave, David Dowell reported 2 Double-crested Cormorants.

ARAPAHOE COUNTY:                                                                  

---On January 3 on High Line Canal Trail from E Quincy Ave to Three Ponds Park, Elaine Wagner reported Hermit Thrush.  On January 4 on High Line Canal Trail from E Quincy Ave to Three Ponds Park, Diane Roberts reported 2 Pygmy Nuthatch

---On January 5 at Dahlia Hollow Park, Chris Gilbert reported Hermit Thrush.  On January 6 at Dahlia Hollow Park, Bez Bezuidenhout and Cynthia Madsen reported Pine Warbler, Hermit Thrush, and White-throated Sparrow.  On January 7 at Hollow Park, Cherry Hills Village Anna Troth and Gregg Goodrich reported Hermit Thrush.

---On January 4 at Aurora Reservoir, David Dowell reported 2 White-winged Scoters, 4 Long-tailed Ducks, and 4 Iceland (Thayer’s) Gulls.

---On January 5 at S Platte Reservoir, Joey Kellner reported YELLOW-BILLED LOON in north end of reservoir.

---On January 7 At Cherry Creek Valley Ecological Park, Cynthia Madsen and David Hill reported Say’s Phoebe.

---On January 7 at High Line Canal Trail Blackmer Lake, Jared Del Rosso reported 3 Pygmy Nuthatch.

---On January 8 at Goldsmith Gulch Trail between E Crescent Parkway and E Prentice Ave in Greenwood Village, Connie Kogler reported Winter Wren.

ARAPAHOE/JEFFERSON COUNTIES:

---On January 5 at S Platte Reservoir, Joey Kellner reported YELLOW-BILLED LOON in north end of reservoir.  On January 6, Todd Deininger reported that the YELLOW-BILLED LOON was still present on the Arapahoe County side but was heading towards the Jefferson County side.  Many, many birders reported the YELLOW-BILLED LOON on January 6 is both counties.  On January 7 at S Platte Reservoir, Steve Mlodinow and many other birders reported YELLOW-BILLED LOON.  On January 8 at S Platte Reservoir, David Suddjian and many other birders sreported YELLOW-BILLED LOON and in afternoon Phil Lyon and others reported White-winged Scoter.

BENT COUNTY:

---On January 6 at John Martin Reservoir, Duane Nelson reported 1st cyc Glaucous Gull, 3 American White Pelicans, 2 Doube-crested Cormorants.  Best viewpoint is Overlook Point on the north side of the Reservoir.

BOULDER COUNTY:

---On January 1 at Valmont Reservoir Complex, Bill Kaempfer, Richard Trunker, Dan Zmolek, Leslie S,  and Luke Phenger reported 3 Trumpeter Swans and Tundra Swan; Zmolek also reported 3 Greater White-fronted Geese.  On January 1 Norm Lewis and Nick Moore reported 3 Trumpeter Swans, Tundra Swans, and 2 Double-crested Cormorants.  On January 2 at Valmont Reservoir Complex, DFO Field Trip led by David Suddjian, Sue Riffe, David Waltman, Willem Van Vliet, Alexander Brown, and Ted Floyd reported 3 Trumpeter Swans and Tundra Swan.  On January 3 at Valmont Reservoir Complex, Loch Kilpatrick reported 3 Trumpeter Swans and Tundra Swan.

---On January 4 at Golden Ponds in Longmont on Greenway trail, Jamie Simo reported  White-throated Sparrow and 2 Swamp Sparrows.

---On January 4 on Bear Canyon Trail, Ted Floyd reported Fox Sparrow.

---On January 4 at Waneka Lake/Greenlee Preserve in Lafayette, Randy Siebert reported Trumpter Swan.

---On January 5 at Boulder Creek and 75th St, Leslie S reported European Goldfinch.  On January 6 at Boulder Creek and 75th St, Alex Brown reported European Goldfinch.

---On January 6 on Wild Basin Trail, Brian Schmid reported American Three-toed Woodpecker.

BROOMFIELD COUNTY:

---On December 29 at Interlocken East Park, Nick Moore reported Say’s Phoebe.  On January 4 and January 5 at Interlocken East Park, Matt Hofeditz reported Say’s Phoebe.

DENVER COUNTY:

---On January 4 at Westerly Creek Park, Jason Bidgood reported Say’s Phoebe.  On January 6 at Westerly Creek Park, Jason Bidgood reported Harris’s Sparrow.

---on January 7 at Parkfield Lake Idalia Park, Patrick O-Driscoll reported Say’s Phoebe.

DOUGLAS COUNTY:

---On January 8 at Parker regional Park (aka Salisbury Equestrian Park), Loch Kilpatrick, Dale Pate, and Diane Roberts reported Brant.

---On January 4 in Franktown on Willow Lake Dr, Hugh Kingery reported 1 Mountain Bluebird and 1 Eastern Bluebird.

EL PASO COUNTY:

---On December 21 and 22, David Tonnessen reported RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER (ruber) on Miranda Road in Colorado Springs.  This is a new state record if accepted.  The sapsucker has been seen on Broadmoor property.   On January 3 Bill Fink, Lisa Edwards and John Drummond and others reported RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER at Austrian Pine at 13 Miranda Road, Cynthia Madsen and David Hill reported the sapsucker at the Golf Course.  On January 4 Chris Brobin and Brandon Percival and several other birders reported RED- BREASTED SAPSUCKER at Austrian Pines at 13 Miranda Road.  On January 5 Kara Carragher and several other birders reported RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER at Austrian Pines at 13 Miranda Road.  On January 6 Sue Riffe and several other birders reported RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER at Austrian Pines at 13 Miranda Road and one mentioned that the sapsucker flew in from the golf course.  On January 7 Ginny Bergstrom and several other birders reported RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER at Austrian Pines at 13 Miranda Road.  On January 8, Norm Lewis, James McCall, David and Cheryl Hubbard, and David Tonnessen and others reported RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER at Austrian Pines at 13 Miranda Road.

---On December 31 at Northern Cheyenne Canyon Park in Colorado Springs, Deb Carstensen reported Varied Thrush.  The bird was along Cheyenne Creek upstream from footbridge near parking lot.  This park is across the street from Starsmore Nature Center.  On January 3 at Starsmore Nature Center and S Cheyenne Canyon, Bill Fink, Lisa Edwards, and John Drummond and several other birders reported Varied Thrush; Diane Roberts also reported 3 Red Crossbill.   On January 4 at Starsmore Nature Center and S Cheyenne Canyon, Chris Brobin and Brandon Percival and several other birders reported Varied Thrush.  On January 5 at Starsmore Nature Center and S Cheyenne Canyon, Kara Carragher and others reported Varied Thrush.  On January 6, Bill Kosar and several other birders reported Varied Thrush near Starsmore Center and S Cheyenne Canyon.  On January 7, Ginny Bergstrom and several other others reported Varied Thrush near Starsmore Discovery Center and S Cheyenne Canyon.  On January 8 at Starsmore Discovery Center, Norm Lewis, Cathy Bondy and Doug Flores reported Varied Thrush.

---On January 4 on Meridian Road just S of Hanover Road, Brandon Percival, Kevin Ash, David and Cheryl Hubbard reported Greater Roadrunner.    On January 5 near intersection of Meridian Road and Hanover Road, Mel and Jeanne Goff and Richard Bunn and Tanja Britton reported Greater Roadrunner.  On January 6 near intersection of Meridian Road and Handover Road, Todd Deininger, Joy and Leonard Lake, and Gloria Nikolai reported Greater Road runner; Pablo Quezada reported Curve-billed Thrasher.  On January 7 on Hanover Road, Robb Hinds and several other birders reported Greater Roadrunner.  On January 8 at Hanover Road and Meridian Road, Alan Ketcham, Jim Merrit, and Jeannie Mitchell reported Greater Roadrunner.

---On January 5 on Hanover Road, Richard Bunn, Tanja  Britton, Alan and MaryLynne Ketcham reported 2 Chichuahuan rave, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, 3 Lapland Longsurs, and Curve-billed Thrasher.

---On January 6 at Hanover Fire Station, Gloria Nikolai and Todd Deininger reported Curve-billed Thrasher.

---On January 8 at Memorial Park and Prospect Lake in Colorado Springs, David Tonnessen reported 1-st cyc Iceland Gull.

FREMONT COUNTY:

---On January 5 at Canon City Valco Pond, Brandon Percival,  Bill Maynard, and Jerry DeBoer reported EURASIAN WIGEON.  This is private property so observed behind fence.  On January 6 at Canon City Valco Pond, Kevin Ash reported EURASIAN WIGEON.

---On January 5 at Tunnel Drive, Dan Stringer reported Rufous-crowned Sparrow.

GARFIELD COUNTY:

---On January 8 in Carbondale, Dick FIlby reported 15 Barrow’s Goldeneyes on the Roaring Fork River viewed from road bridge on Catherine Store Road.

---On January 6 at Coryell Ranch Ponds (private) viewed from Satank Road by Hwy 82 east, Dick Filby reported 55 Barrow’s Goldeneys and on January 7 Filby reported 4 Trumpter Swans.

---On January 8 at Devereux road and Two Rivers Park, JoAnn Riggle reported 3 Barrow’s Goldeneyes.

JEFFERSON COUNTY:

---On January 6 on south shore of Standley Lake, Veronica Blazewicz reported Snowy Owl perched at top of large pine tree.  On January 7, Joey Kellner and many other birders reported Snowy Owl on top of dam at Standley Lake.  On January 8 S of 100th Ave and N of western extension of Lake, near where Woman Creek enters Standley Lake, Paula Hansley reported Snowy Owl; Shannon Cwik and Karl Brummert reported Snowy Owl on Standley Lake Dam.

---On January 5 at Coors Ponds, Gwen Moore, Frank Farrell, Brian Johnson, and Pablo Quezada reported 2 Long-tailed Ducks and Red-necked Grebe.  On January 7 at Coors Ponds, Kevin DeBoer and Eric DeFonso reported 2 Long-tailed Ducks and Red-necked Grebe.

---On January 4 at South Platte Reservoir, SW Bay, Elaine Wagner reported 5 Greater Scaup.

---On January 6 at Belmar One,  Mark Chavez reported Yellow-rumped Warbler.

---On January 7 and 8 at Clement Park and Johnson Reservoir, Doug Kibbe reported Greater White-fronted Goose.

LA PLATA COUNTY:

---On January 3 at Bodo SWA, Jason St. Pierre and Ryan Volta reported White-winged Scoter.

---On January 5 at CR 210 on Lake Nighthorse, Jack Maher reported White-winged Scoter.

LARIMER COUNTY:

---On January 2, Walter Wehtje reported HARRIS’S HAWK SW of Rest Area.  On January 6 near Rest Area, Michelle Puplava reported HARRIS’S HAWK.

---On January 8 at Wild Horse Ct Birdfeeder, John Reichhordt reported Pine Warbler.

---On January 3 at Rocky Mountain NP Lily Lake Area, Austin Hess and Joshua Smith reported White-winged Crossbill.

---On January 4 at Arapahoe Bend NA Rigden Reservoir (Strauss Cabin Lake), Cliff Hendrick, Nick Komar, and April Eisele reported Trumpeter Swan and Tundra Swan.

---On January 5 on Big Thompson River Rec Trail between Taft and Wilson in Loveland, Elain Coley reported Lincoln’s Sparrow.

---On January 5 at CSU Environmental Learning Center, Andy Bankert and Carl Bendorf reported Fox Sparrow (Red) with a flock of Juncos at intersection of Alden and Wilcox Trail.  On January 7 at CSU Environmental Learning Center, Dave Leatherman reported Fox Sparrow (Red).  On January 8 at CSU EnViromental Learning Center, Austin Hess and Lori Zabel reported Fox (Red) Sparrow.

---On January 6 at North Shields Pond NA, Doug Swartz and John Shenot reported Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler.

---On January 6 at Prospect Ponds, NA, DFO Chase trip led by Christ Gilbert reported Rusty Blackbird.

---On January 7 at Ryan Gulch, Christine and Richard Sparks reported Say’s Phoebe.

---On January 7 at North Shield Ponds NA, Rob Sparks reported Lincoln’s Sparrow and 2 Mountain Chickadees.

---On January 8 at Carter Lake, Andy Bankert and Walter Wehtje reported Iceland Gull, 4 Iceland (Thayer’s) Gulls,

3 Glaucous Gulls.

MONTROSE COUNTY:

---On January 8 at Nucla Sewage Lagoons, Coen Dexter and Brenda Wright reported m Wood Duck.

PITKIN COUNTY:

---On January 3 at Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, Jason Gregg reported White-throated Sparrow.

---On January 8 at Snowmass, Denise Landau reported Brown-capped Rosy-Finches at the feeder at the top of Village Express.

PUEBLO COUNTY:

---On January 5 at Pueblo Reservoir South Marina, Gloria Nikolai and Loch Kilpatrick reported 7 Greater Scaup, Pacific Loon, Double-crested Cormorant, Glaucous Gull, 2 Iceland (Thayer’s) Gulls, Great Black-backed Gull and Yellow-rumped Warbler.  On January 6 at Pueblo Reservoir South Marina, David Tonnessen reported 3 Double-crested Cormorants, 6 Iceland (Thayer’s) Gulls, Great Black-backed Gull, 2 Mountain Chickadees, 33 Lapland Longspurs; Pablo Quezada reported Iceland (Kumlien) Gull, and Eastern Bluebird.  On January 6 at Pueblo Reservoir South Marina, David Tonnessen reported Pacific Loon, 2 Red-necked Grebe, White-winged Scoter, 2 Mew Gulls and 48 Mountain Bluebirds; Gwen Moore reported 9 White-winged Scoters.  On January 7 at Pueblo Reservoir South Marina, Glenn Walbek, Loch Kilpatrick, Ginny Bergstrom, and Adam Veseley reported 8 Double-crested Cormorants, Iceland  Gull (Thayer’s), Great Black-backed Gull, 42 Mountain Bluebirds, and Yellow-rumped Warbler.  On January 8 at Pueblo reservoir South Marina, Jim Merritt and Alan Ketcham and many other birders reported Great Black-backed Gull, Double-crested Cormorants, Iceland (Thayer’s) Gull.

---On January 4 at Pueblo Reservoir, Tanja Britton and Richard Bunn reported Prairie Warbler.  On January 5 on Juniper Road at Pueblo Reservoir, Loch Kilpatrick reported Mew Gull, Iceland (Thayer’s) Gull, and Prairie Warbler.  On January 7 in Rock Canyon below the dam at Pueblo Reservoir, Debbie and Tom Behnfield and Ginny Bergstrom reported Prairie Warbler.  On January 8 at Pueblo Reservoir below the dam, Richard Bunn and Norm Lewis reported Prairie Warbler.

---On January 7 on Juniper Road at Pueblo Reservoir, Jim Merritt reported 12 Mountain Bluebirds, American Pipit and Prairie Warbler.

---On January 4 on Arkansas River Trail East of Pueblo Blvd, Tanja Britton reported Carolina Wren and Lincoln’s Sparrow.  On January 5 on Arkansas River Trail East of Pueblo Blvd, Loch Kilpatrick reported Carolina Wren and 2 Lincoln’s Sparrows.  On January 7 on Arkansas River Trail east of Pueblo Blvd, Renee Casias reported 2 Barrow’s Goldeneyes, Carolina Wren, and 2 Yellow-rumped Warblers.

---On January 6 at Pueblo  Reservoir, Van Truan reported Pacific Loon, 2 Double-crestd cormorants, Mew Gull, Glaucous Gull, Great Black-Backed Gull, 4 Mountain Chickadees, 25 Mountain Bluebirds, Lapland Longspur, 3 Yellow-rumpled Warblers and Prairie Warbler.

---On January 7 at Pueblo Reservoir S Fishing Road, Renee Casias and Chris Gilbert reported 2 Double-crested Cormorants, Great Black-backed Gull, and 2 Mountain Chickadees, and 30 Mountain Bluebirds.

---On January 6 at Mountain View Cemetery on W Northern Ave, David Tonnessen reported a m White-winged Crossbill feasting on the many cones in the “forest” on the cemetery.  Brandon Percival went over to see and helped about 30 birders see the bird.  The crossbill likes Spruce cones between Acero and Brown St in the middle of the cemetery.  On January 7 at Mountain View Cemetery, Brandon Percival and many other birders reported White-winged Crossbill; Brandon also reported 2 White-winged Doves.

---On January 8 at Pueblo Reservoir South Marina tires, Brandon Percival reported Snowy Owl which was seen by many birders.  The Snowy Owl was still on the tires when Brandon left.

TELLER COUNTY:

---On January 3 on CR 861 south of Victor, Kevin Ash, reported 30 Black Rosy-Finch, 10 Brown-capped Rosy-Finch, and 10 Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch.

---On January 3 on Pancake Rock Trail section after it diverges from Horsethief Falls Trail, Kevin Ash reported 6 American Three-toed Woodpeckers.  On January 5, on Pancake Rock Trail, John Maynard reported 9 American Three-toed Woodpeckers.

WELD COUNTY:

---On January 6 at CR 116 and CR 133, Gene Rutherford and Mike Stanley reported Curve-billed Thrasher.

---On January 7 at LUNA Reservoir, Steve Mlodinow and Gene Rutherford reported 4 Greater Scaup and White-winged Scoter.

DFO Field Trips:

The DFO Field trip for Tuesday, January 9 will be to Aurora Reservoir and Prairie Roads led by David Suddjian (dssuddjian AT gmail.com; 831-713-8659)

Good Birding,

Joyce Takamine

Boulder