Date: April 23, 2011, updated at 5:45 AM e-mail: r...<http://groups.google.com/groups/unlock?_done=/group/cobirds/browse_thread/thread/43de0ce1681d054c&msg=a4b399c584793893> @cfo-link.org
phone: 303-659-8750 This is the Colorado Rare Bird Alert for Saturday, April 23, 2011, sponsored by Denver Field Ornithologists and the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory. If you are phoning in a message, you can skip the recording by pressing the star key (*) on your phone at any time. Please leave your name, phone number, detailed directions, including county and dates for each sighting. It would be helpful if you would spell your last name. Highlight species include: (* denotes that there is new information on the species in this report) RED-THROATED LOON (Arapahoe) RED-NECKED GREBE (Arapahoe) NEOTROPIC CORMORANT (Arapahoe) Glossy Ibis (*La Plata) Broad-winged Hawk (*Jefferson) HUDSONIAN GODWIT (*Kiowa, Otero) Dunlin (Arapahoe) Short-billed Dowitcher (LaPlata) BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE (Weld, *Logan) Yellow-throated Vireo (*Boulder) SEDGE WREN (Boulder) Curve-billed Thrasher (Jefferson) LUCY'S WARBLER (*Montezuma) YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER (*Boulder) PALM WARBLER (Boulder) LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH (Bent) EASTERN TOWHEE (Broomfield) BLACK-CHINNED SPARROW (*Mesa) BAIRD'S SPARROW (Yuma) White-throated Sparrow (Jefferson) Harris's Sparrow (El Paso, Jefferson) GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW (Jefferson) Summer Tanager (*Yuma) Arapahoe County: --Andrews reported a Long-billed Curlew and a breeding plumage RED-NECKED GREBE at Cherry Creek Reservoir on April 16th; they were seen again on the 17th. --A juv NEOTROPIC CORMORANT was reported by Asteriades at the marina at Cherry Creek State Park on April 8. It is associating with Double-crested Cormorants. It has been seen daily through the 21st. --Teuton reported an alternate plumaged RED-THROATED LOON near the Marina on April 19. Bent County: --A LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH was reported April 20 by Nelson from Tempel Grove. To get there, study a map & travel on Highway 287 to Bent County road A (not signed). This is south of the Great Plains Reservoirs (NeeGrande, etc). Road A goes west just before the sign for Prowers County. Go west on A and then south on the first road. You will then be in Bent County. The mature trees at Tempel Grove will loom up in front of you. The bird was still there on 4/21, but very shy. The bird stuck around even after most of its favored feeding sites were flooded by a sudden, large influx of water into the canal. The Tempel Ranch property is off limits, but you may walk on the path along the canal. As always, please do not disturb this very rare warbler. Photographs confirmed the ID as Louisiana Waterthrush and will be submitted to the Colorado Bird Record Committee of the CFO. Tempel Grove is a stop on the Colorado Birding Trail. Boulder County --A brightly colored Yellow-throated Vireo was reported by Alex Brown on 4/21 from near the intersection of the Boulder Creek Trail and the Skunk Creek Trail, which site is just west of where Arapahoe crosses Boulder Creek. Later in the day Kaempfer found it a little south of there. It is best found by looking through a flock of warblers in that general area. -- A Yellow-throated Warbler was reported from the same general area by xxxxxxxx on April 22. --On 4/21 Floyd reported a PALM WARBLER at the Greenlee Preserve. "The bird was in that strip of dense vegetation that runs between the south side of Greenlee Reservoir and the north side of Waneka Lake." --On 4/21 Nunes reported a calling SEDGE WREN "in the extensive cattail marsh just south of the Eagle Trailhead on 51st St, about 1/8th mile north of the south entrance to Boulder Reservoir." Broomfield County: -- A male Eastern Towhee was reported by Zorawowicz from the southeast corner of Plaster Reseroir on April 19. Sanders saw it in the same place later in the day. This is a first county record. Jefferson County: --On April 9, Henwood reported Curve-billed Thrasher, White-throated Sparrow, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW, and Harris's Sparrow at Red Rocks Trading Post. Bob Spencer reported these again on April 17, and they were there on the 20th. -- On April 16 the Schmokers reported 4 Broad-winged Hawks including one dark morph at the Dinosaur Ridge Hawkwatch site, southeast of the intersection of I-70 and Morrison Road. 4 more were seen on the 21st. Kiowa County: -- A trio of Hudsonian Godwits was reported by Duane Nelson from NeeNoShe on April 18. One of these was color banded. Duane learned from several helpful researchers that the banded bird was a male, banded on Chiloe Island, CHILE, 15 months ago, January, 2010. This is stunning news. Access is from US 287 between Wiley and Eads. The west boat ramp entrance is signed and is north of Cottonwood Road (Kiowa County Road 41.2). Go east until it is clear that you will get stuck in the mud by proceeding farther. These birds were not seen on 4/19. HOWEVER, Nelson reported 3 Hudsonian Godwits, probably different individuals, not color banded, at nearby NeeGronda Reservoir on the 20th, but were not seen on the 21st. LaPlata County: --Beatty reported a Short-billed Dowitcher from Pastorius SWA on 4/19. Allerton reported that Reynolds, Rees and Rees found a Glossy Ibis among many White-faced Ibis on the 20th at Pastorius. On the 221st Beatty found two Glossy Ibis there. Logan County: --On 4/22 Kranik reported a juv BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE east of Sterling on Highway 138 between CR 36.5 and milepost 6. It was in a field with Franklin's Gulls and a flock of White-faced Ibis. Mesa County: --A BLACK-CHINNED SPARROW was reported by Frid (an Ontario birder) on Devil's Kitchen Trail in Colorado National Monument on April 9. On April 11 Stigen and Arnold were able to relocate a singing BLACK-CHINNED SPARROW about 300 m up the Devil's Kitchen Trail in a wash beyond Big Sage in an open area with native bunch grasses. On April 12, Trappett and many other birders were able to see the bird. On April 13, Shoffner reported the BLACK-CHINNED SPARROW in late afternoon. On April 13, Wild reported hearing another BLACK-CHINNED SPARROW across the road from the trail parking area. On April 14 Tischbein reported flushing the sparrow from bunch grass. On April 15, Gent reported the BLACK-CHINNED SPARROW in the usual spot. On April 16, McConnell reported that the sparrow was seen by many birders. Still there on 22nd. Parking is limited in the area. Please do not park along the road or off road. Please stay on trails and use restraint in approaching the bird. Dogs are not allowed in the monument. Directions courtesy of Larry Arnold: use the East entrance to CNM. After passing through the East Entrance station go about .2 miles and you will see a road to the right leading to the Devils Kitchen Picnic Area. Stay on the main road; on the left side there is a small parking lot at the Devil's Kitchen Trailhead. Use that lot if space is available. If space is not available there, use the picnic area parking. Take the trail. Look and listen for the bird where the trail levels off in a large sagebrush meadow. Montezuma County: -- Percival and Rutherford found a LUCY'S WARBLER at its usual breeding site in Yellow-jacket Canyon on April 22. Directions are available in the County Birding Website. Otero County: --Moss saw 4 distant godwits at Lake Holbrook, located north of LaJunta, and photos show that these are Hudsonian. Yuma County -- Dan Maynard saw and heard 2 BAIRD'S SPARROWS in sand-sage habitat near Wray, Colorado, as well as a Summer Tanager in Wray City Park on April 21. Weld County: --A 1st-cyc BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE was reported by Wild at Windsor Lake- on April 7. Mlodinow saw it on the 21st. The field trip for Sunday, April 24, will travel to Fountain Creek Regional Park in El Paso county and will be led by Paul Slingsby. The next DFO meeting is coming up soon -- Jeffrey A. Gordon - The New President of ABA What's New at the ABA? / Birding Quiz Show Monday, April 25, 2011, 7:30 p.m. Denver Museum of Nature and Science We appreciate the reports by birders visiting the Centennial State this month. ** * Sunday, April 24 Fountain Creek Regional Park Leader: Paul Slingsby, (303) 422-3728 pasling...@comcast.net . Please register with the leader beforehand. Meet the leader at 0630 at the south-east corner of the Great Indoors parking lot. We will carpool from there. This is just north of C470 on Yosemite. From Denver by I-25 use exit 195, and go West on County Line Road to Yosemite. Take Yosemite south to the Great Indoors store, which will be on the right (west). Fountain Creek Regional Park has good trails for easy walking near ponds, wetlands, grassland and creek. Spring migration should be underway, so expect surprises. Bring lunch. Telescope and 2-way radio will be useful if you wish to bring them. Plan to be back at the carpool meeting place by 1700 at the latest. * Good Birding. Joe Roller, Denver Please call me at 303 204-0828 with reports or corrections. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. 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