[cobirds] Colorado RBA, Thursday ,August 4, 2011

[Joyce Takamine]

compiler:  Joyce Takamine
Date:   August 4, 2011
e-mail: rba@cfo-link.
phone: 303-659-8750

This is the Colorado Rare Bird Alert for Thursday, August 4, 2011
updated at 5:00 am, 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 you 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
this species in this report)

NEOTROPIC CORMORANT (Washington)
LEAST BITTERN (Huerfano)
REDDISH EGRET (Bent)
Green Heron (*El Paso)
Broad-winged Hawk (Jefferson, Pueblo)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (*El Paso)
White-winged Dove (Clear Creek, Las Animas)
LESSER NIGHTHAWK (Larimer)
BLUE-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD (San Juan)
American Three-toed Woodpecker (Boulder, Gunnison, Routt, Summit)
Black Phoebe (Delta), *Fremont)
White-eyed Vireo (Pueblo)
Bell's Vireo (Logan, Yuma)
Winter Wren (Boulder)
Fox Sparrow (*Clear Creek)

Bent County:
--A sub-ad dark morph REDDISH EGRET was reported by Duane Nelson on
August 2. on the west side of Adobe Creek Reservoir.  It was on the
mainland opposite the south end of the large island in the reservoir.

Boulder County:
--A Winter Wren was reported by Boswell in Wild Basin on July 25.  It
was singing 100m below the second bridge on trail to Calypso Cascade.
Wild Basin is part of Rocky Mountain NP and so a fee area and can be
accessed from Hwy 7 above Allenspark.
--A female American Three-toed Woodpecker was reported by Dunning on
the Pawnee Pass/Isabelle Glacier trail on July 31.  The trail can be
accessed from the Long Lake Trailhead in the Brainard Lake Area.  The
bird was just west of where the Jean Lunning Trail branches off the
Pawnee Pass Trail.
--American Three-toed Woodpeckers were reported by Frye near Gold Hill
on July 19.  There were 2.5 miles above the intersection of Four Mile
Canyon Road and Gold Run.  On July 31 Hutchinson saw 3 American
Three-toed Woodpecker at this location.

Clear Creek County:
--A White-winged Dove was reported by Bowling around 10th and Virginia
in Idaho Springs on July 31.  The dove was seen again on August 2 by Shade.
--"Slate-colored" Fox Sparrows were reported by Shade at Hell's Hole
on August 2.

Delta County:
--A Black Phoebe was reported by Cooper at the entrance to the old
Hotchkiss Sewage Lagoon on July 26.

El Paso County:
--2+ first year Lesser Black-backed Gulls were reported by Peterson at
Big Johnson on August 3.

Fremont County:
--Black Phoebes were reported by Peterson at Holcim Wetlands, Florence
River Park, and Pathfinder Park on August 3.
--A Green Heron was reported by Peterson at Florence River  Park on August 3.

Gunnison County:
--An American Three-toed Woodpecker was reported by Garrison at Bald
Mountain Reservoir on Black Mesa on August 1.

Huerfano County:
--A probable juvenile LEAST BITTERN was reported by Nelder at Lathrop
SP on August 1.  It was at the North Martin Inlet on the west side of
the lake.

Jefferson County:
--A calling Broad-winged Hawk was reported by Kellner at Chatfield SP
on July 30.  It was south of the west entrance where the road to the
horse stables turns off the main park road.

Larimer County:
--A LESSER NIGHTHAWK was reported by Wild west of Loveland on July 29.

Las Animas County:
--A White-winged Dove was reported by Snider at her feeder at 1200
Santa Fe Trail in Trinidad on August 1.

Logan County:
--Several singing Bell's Vireos were reported by Arnold at Tamarack
Ranch SWA on July 31.

Pueblo County:
--A singing White-eyed Vireo was reported by Silverman at Greenhorn
Meadows Park in Colorado City on July 8 and refound by Arnold on July
28.
--3 juv Broad-winged Hawks were reported by Silverman at Greenhorn
Meadows Park in Colorado City on July 30.

Routt County:
--An American Three-toed Woodpecker was reported by Rowe north of
Steamboat Springs on August 1.  Directions:  From the north end of
Steamboat Springs, take CR 129 north 16.5 miles to The Clark Store.
At 0.9 miles beyond the store, turn right on CR 64 (also called FS
400) and proceed 9.3 miles, turn right on FS 443.  Go about 1.6 miles
to a parking area on your right for the Burn Ridge trailhead.  The
woodpecker was seen about 300 yards from the start of the trail in
dense conifers on the left of the trail.

San Juan County:
--A probable BLUE-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD was reported by Gillilan NW of
Silverton on July 27 - 29.  Gillilan was camping on the Ice Lakes
Trail.


Summit County:
--An American Three-toed Woodpecker was reported by Moore in the
Alfred M Bailey Bird Nesting Area on July 31.  It was about a mile up
the trail.

Washington County:
--A NEOTROPIC CORMORANT was reported by Mlodinow on July 10 at
Prewitt.  Arnold refound the cormorant at Prewitt on July 31.

Yuma County:
--Bell's Vireo was reported by Edwards at Bonny Reservoir 

[cobirds] Dickcissels at Teller Farms, Boulder Co

[Cara Stiles]

I have been out at Teller Farms several times since last reporting a 
Dickcissel.  Each time there have been 2 males singing in 2 areas, clearly 
staked out territories as they are there each time.  Last week there was a 
third male, but I've not refound that one.  Last night there was also a female 
with 1 of the males.  One of the males is around the first bend of the road, 
coming in from the Valmont side.  The second is in the same area previously 
reported, along the stretch of E-W road about 1/4 mile after it straightens 
out.  The mosquitoes have been fierce, so if you go, be prepared for battle.  

Cara Stiles
Boulder, CO

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[cobirds] Birding field trip this coming SUNDAY

[Leon Bright]

COBirders,

 

On Aug. 7, this coming SUNDAY, Dave Silverman will lead an Arkansas Valley
Audubon outing to find birds in the Greenhorn Valley near Rye and Colorado
City, southern Pueblo County.  Dave reports that the Black Swifts have
indeed appeared there on schedule.  He also expects to spot four species of
hummingbirds.  For those of you that aren't in the know, this is one of
Colorado's neatest birding areas.  For more details visit our webpage at
www.socobirds.org.  Dave may be contacted by calling (719) 489-3565.

 

Leon Bright, AVAS Membership Chair

Pueblo

 

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[cobirds] Least Bittern, Holcim Wetlands, FreCo

[millerrichj]

Yesterday morning while I was walking around the cattail marsh at the  
Holcim Wetlands, a Least Bittern flushed up from the shoreline and flew off 
into 
 the tall cattails.  I went back to the car and got my camera, but never 
got  another look at it.
 
I returned this morning hoping for a picture but again the LEBI  flushed up 
unexpectedly and disappeared into the cattails.  It didn't  reappear.
 
Other birds seen today were a Black Phoebe in the marsh and a Gr.  
Roadrunner along CR 120 near the Beaver Cr. bridge.
 
The Holcim Wetlands is south of Penrose on SR 120, about 1 mile west of the 
 Holcim cement plant.  Parking and trails provided.
 
Rich Miller
Canon City

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[cobirds] Reddish Egret at Adobe Creek Reservoir

[Duane Nelson]

Birders,

I had enough spare time today to try to find the sub-adult dark-morph 
Reddish Egret I first saw at Adobe Creek Reservoir on August 2nd. It 
helped that the roads have dried out from some localized heavy rains, as 
this is a place where it is both easy to get stuck in mud, and a bad 
place to be if you do.


Today, the Reddish Egret was on a narrow sand spit jutting out into the 
lake from the eastern shore of the lake. This is in Kiowa County. The 
best place to look is from the main boat ramps on the south side of the 
northeast part of the reservoir. There is a modern restroom marking 
these boat ramps. If it's muddy, the best approach is from Haswell Road, 
a paved road connecting Ft. Lyon and Haswell. It makes a jog at the 
county line. Head west on the gravel road that goes due west from the 
jog to the reservoir and boat ramp.


I think this bird might linger for a while.

Duane Nelson
Las Animas, Bent County, CO

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[cobirds] Dickcissels confirmed breeding in Larimer County

[Matt Webb]

Hey all,

Erin Youngberg and I spent time working for the Rocky Mountain Bird
Observatory searching for late nesting birds on a large piece of short
grass prairie on private property near the border of Wyoming this week
and last.  Today we were able to watch an adult female Dickcissel feed
a juvenile that clambered up a twig to meet her.  The juvenile still
had down and no tail feathers and did not try to fly away as we
approached.  Males sang from at least 3 different locations throughout
our extensive efforts to find the nest.

Other birds seen exhibiting breeding behaviors in this same property
were Grasshopper Sparrows (juveniles and feeding adults seen),
Mourning Dove, Lark Bunting, and Common Nighthawks.  Also found were
at least 6 pre-migration Mountain Plovers gathering in a Prairie Dog
colony awaiting the signals to move south.

I'm unable to give exact locations of these birds because they were on
private property, but I have seen and heard Dickcissels along North
Taft Hill road where it intersects with Owl Canyon Road (Larimer
County Road 70).  The birds were seen along the east side of the road
at the tops of some short pine trees.  Also hear here were many
Cassin's Sparrows.

Great birding!
Matt Webb
Fort Collins, Colorado

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[cobirds] Clay-colored Sparrow: Boulder

[Steven Mlodinow]

Greetings All,



Today I had a buffy juv Clay-colored Sparrow in the willows and weeds along the 
edge of Fairgrounds Pond (I believe that is the name) in Longmont. The pond is 
on the east side of Hover, just south of the turnoff for Golden Ponds.


Good Birding,
Steven Mlodinow
Longmont, Colorado

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[cobirds] RFI: Gunnison area

[Morgan Churchill]

Hello,

Sometime in the next few weeks I would like to head down to the Gunnison
area, and I am hoping to connect with several potential lifers.  Near the
top of my list would be Dusky Grouse, which I have had bad luck with in the
past.  I know the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park can be a pretty
reliable place, but can anyone tell me where in the Park would be a good
place to concentrate my efforts?  Also how reliable is this species in
August?

Thanks in advance for any assistance

-- 
Morgan Churchill
Laramie, Wyoming

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[cobirds] Lake Cheraw to Ordway-Sanderlings and more

[SeEtta Moss]

 I birded lakes, playas, canals and grasslands roughly from Lake Cheraw to
Ordway yesterday as well as five days before.  I ran into west slope birders
Andrea Robinsong and Larry Arnold on 7-29

Lake Cheraw:  On 7-29 I saw an adult Snowy Plover with 2 very small (like
cotton balls on two toothpicks) chicks.  Yesterday I found 2 apparent
juvenile Snowy Plovers but these were grown much beyond the cottonball
stage.  Hundreds of Wilson's Phalaropes both times, almost a hundred Black
Terns, 2+Lesser Yellowlegs, 1 Greater Yellowlegs, Spotted Sandpiper,
Black-necked Stilts, Baird's Sandpiper

Lake Holbrook:  on 7-29 I heard then saw a Yellow-billed Cuckoo-that was a
surprise as the habitat is generally in poor shape due to uncontrolled,
off-road ATV use but high water levels have improved the vegetation and
especially the trees.  As this reservoir has record amounts of water it is
being highly used for recreation including motor boats and water skiing (on
this relatively small body of water).  As I expected I could not relocate
the cuckoo yesterday and expected it was just using this area for migration
habitat.  Due to the heavy and intense recreation use there were few birds-
a few Aechmorphorus grebes, 1 cormorant, just Black Terns flying around the
lake (not even one pelican).  I have been told that a lot of this water will
be moved of the lake (into farm fields) soon so hopefully there will be some
mudflats (virtually no shore/mudflats now) when shorebird migration cranks
up.

Lake Meredith--Yesterday I  found early Sanderlings working the small amount
of shoreline (water level is dropping).  I have posted photos of them on my
BirdsAndNature  blog.   I also saw 2
Baird's Sandpipers , 1 Lesser Yellowlegs, lots of distant white-headed gulls
and a Great Blue Heron-that's all I could see even in my scope

Lake Henry-Water level still high here with virtually no shoreline and
almost no birds--a few distant Aechmorporus grebes (no evidence of nesting
tho there is above water vegetation where they have nested in past) and
white-headed gulls

Ordway Stockyards' Effluent ponds--American Avocet, Black-necked Stilts,
Franklin's Gulls (most on 7-29), white-headed gulls, Baird's Sandpipers,
Lesser and 1 Greater Yellowlegs.  On 7-29 there were 2 Short-billed
Dowitchers (none seen yesterday)

Other areas in northern Otero and Crowley counties:


Red-headed Woodpeckers--photos uploaded to my blog

Scaled Quail-parent's with fledglings--will upload photos to blog soon

Burrowing Owls-several adults including two with one fledgling-photos to
blog soon

Lark Buntings--one large flock of close to 50 and several smaller flocks,
mostly males, either gathering for or beginning migration--photo uploaded to
blog

Chipping Sparrows--hundreds everywhere

Swainson's Hawk--7-8 each trip (still fewer per mile than near Salida)



SeEtta Moss
Canon City
http://BirdsAndNature.blogspot.com

Now blogging for Birds and Blooms magazine at BirdsAndBlooms
blog

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