Compiler: Joe Roller Date: March 3, 2014 email: rba AT cfobirds.org phone: 303-659-8750
This is the Colorado Rare Bird Alert for Monday, March 3, 2014, updated at 0755 sponsored by the 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. For a mega-rarity, just call me directly at 303 204-0828. Highlight species include (* indicates new information on this species in this report). Greater White-fronted Goose (Denver) BRANT (Douglas) TRUMPETER or TUNDRA SWAN (Morgan) TUNDRA SWAN (Boulder) Long-tailed Duck (Denver) Barrow's Goldeneye (Jefferson) MEW GULL (Arapahoe) Lesser Black-backed Gull (Arapahoe, Denver, Weld*) Thayer's Gull (Arapahoe, Denver, Weld*) ICELAND GULL (Weld*) GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL (Arapahoe) Glaucous Gull (Arapahoe) GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL (Weld*) White-winged Dove (Jefferson) Western Screech Owl (Delta) Northern Pygmy-Owl (Jefferson) Winter Wren (El Paso) VARIED THRUSH (Montrose*) Harris's Sparrow (Larimer) GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW (Jefferson*) Lapland Longspur (Weld) Rusty Blackbird (Boulder) ARAPAHOE COUNTY: --Dowell reports these gulls at Aurora Reservoir on February 26: MEW GULL, (ad)., Lesser Black-backed Gulls, (2 ad. & 1 3rd. yr.), Thayer's Gull, (2 juv., 1 or 2 ad.), GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, (2nd. winter), Glaucous Gull, (1 ad., 2 immature). --On February 22, Mlodinow reports a 1st yr. GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, 3 Glaucous Gulls, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 6 Thayer's Gulls, & a 1st yr. Thiceland Gull (that is, a bird intermediate between Iceland & Thayer's Gull. BOULDER COUNTY: --On February 1, Wilberding reported a TUNDRA SWAN at Cottonwood Marsh; the swan was seen there again on February 23 by Breitsch. --On February 28, Moore reports three Rusty Blackbirds at Walden Ponds. They were in a marshy area north of a trail at the southwest-most lake (the one with Osprey platforms) in Sawhill Ponds. DENVER COUNTY: --On February 27, T. Jones reports seeing these gulls on Marston Reservoir: Two, ad. Lesser Black-backed Gulls were on the ice. One was a very dark backed[almost black] colored bird. The other ad. Lesser Black-backed Gull had more of the typical dark gray colored back. A first cycle Thayer's Gull was also present. --On Feb 20 & again on the 28th, Breitsch reports a Greater White-fronted Goose (aka "tar belly" ) at the Rec pond at Green Valley Ranch (northeast corner of Tower Rd aka Green Valley Ranch Blvd, in Town Center Park). DELTA COUNTY: --On February 25, Beason reports a Western Screech-Owl in a cavity near Escalante SWA. DENVER COUNTY: --Vickery reports seeing a Long-tailed Duck on the South Platte on February 27 around noon. It was across the river from the aquarium, with a group of Gadwalls and Mallards. On March 1, Breitsch saw it just SW of Speer Blvd bridge. DOUGLAS COUNTY: -- Stachowiak reports seeing the BRANT, on February 15, at the southeast corner of Redstone Park located in Highlands Ranch. Access the parking lot located on the west side of S Foothills Canyon Blvd approximately 2/10's of a mile south of W Town Center Drive. Look straight ahead as you enter the parking lot or to the left towards the houses on the edge of the park. I have located the bird in this area in the past as well. The Brant was seen by Kellner on Feb 23, at the playground pond at Redstone Park. EL PASO COUNTY: --On February 28 Lee reports that the Winter Wren continues at Fountain Creek across from Mile Marker 18 & the concrete gazebo, west of the path. JEFFERSON COUNTY: --On February 18, Hackos reports seeing a Barrow's Goldeneye at Chatfield Reservoir over the weekend. It was in the open water near the dam and west of the tower. On February 28, Kibbe reports the Barrow's Goldeneye continues on the northwest corner of the reservoir. --On February 26, Suddjian reports a White-winged Dove taking off from a yard with a bird feeding station along Massey Draw in the Ken Caryl Valley, close to Valley Parkway. --On February 24, Suddjian reports a Northern Pygmy Owl calling from a patch of Douglas-firs in the steep part of Massey Draw at Ken Caryl Valley, which is up from Valley Parkway. --On March 2, Teuton and Brooke saw the continuing Golden-crowned Sparrow at Red Rocks Trading Post. LARIMER COUNTY: --On February 26, Baron reports finding a Harris's Sparrow, 1st. winter, with a flock of house sparrows at Boyd Lake SP. The flock with the Harris's was located a little northwest of the marina. From the contact station, drive 0.1 to the intersection, then turn left (north) & drive 0.5 mile. The road bends 90 degrees to the right here at the power lines. The bike path crosses the road here, too. Park in the nearby lot. The birds were near the barbed wire fence on a little rise. MONTROSE COUNTY: --On March 2 Briggs reported a VARIED THRUSH in the 500 block of Cobble Drive. This would be a first county record! MORGAN COUNTY: --On February 8, Kellner reports 2 imm TRUMPETER SWANS at Boyd Ponds SWA at Log Lane Village near Ft. Morgan. Directions: Take Exit 79 off I-76, take Elm St. in Log Lane Village north to the parking lot near the river. From the parking lot walk the "road" east & cross the canal. Head further east along the canal. The swans were in the open water of the pond on the south side of the canal & were seen by Breitsch on 2/26. Mlodinow ID'd two swans there on March 2, as TUNDRA SWANS. WELD COUNTY: --Lefko reports Lapland Longspurs call over head in "Raptor Alley", WCR 100 x WCR 23 x WCR 102 x WCR 27 on February 27. --On March 2 Mlodinow reports these gulls at Woods Lake, east of Severance: a near adult GBB Gull, a continuing second year ICELAND GULL, 4 Thayer's Gulls & a young Lesser Black-backed Gull. *Upcoming DFO Field trips: * *Saturday, March 8, Cherry Creek State Park* Leader: Joe Roller, jroll...@gmail.com Join leader at 7:30 a.m. MST. Half-day trip until 12 or 1 PM. to find gulls, waterfowl, early migrants, & lingering winter birds. Please email leader to sign. Limit 15 participants. Enter at the EAST entrance to the Park from South Parker Road. NOTE: this is NOT the regular meeting site for most previous trips. Go past the entrance kiosk and take the first left turn. Continue on this road, past the east boat ramp and turn left to the "East Shades, Picnic Shelters," as shown on the park map, located on the east shore of the lake. We will sign in and scope the lake from there. Walking will be kept to less than two miles on flat trails. Lunch is optional. State Parks pass and $3 "water sticker" are required. Bring scopes, binocs, water, snacks, and dress for the predicted weather. *Sunday, March 9, DAYLIGHT SAVINGS BEGINS TODAY Chatfield State Park* Leaders: Ira and Tammy Sanders, 303-278-7172 Meet leaders at the swim beach at 7:30 a.m. MDT. Half-day trip until about noon. State Parks pass required. Walking will be held to a minimum, a mile or less. This would be a good trip for less experienced birders. Bring scopes, binocs, and dress for the weather. Lunch is optional. Look for waterfowl such as ducks and grebes, early migrants such as bluebirds, and resident birds including woodpeckers, finches, and some sparrows. Good Birding! Joe Roller, Denver 303 204-0828 Please call for corrections, or email me at jroll...@gmail.com -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAJpZcUBdfocHt6S%3Di%3D6NHdkp%2B3y%3Dkj3COyrZmZ7gn7bUo85BSQ%40mail.gmail.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
