compiler: Joyce Takamine
Date: August 9, 2011
e-mail: rba@cfo-link.
phone: 303-659-8750
This is the Colorado Rare Bird Alert for Tuesday, August 9, 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 (Fremont)
REDDISH EGRET (Bent/Kiowa)
Green Heron (*Boulder, El Paso. Fremont, Huerfano, Mesa)
Snowy Plover (Otero)
Short-billed Dowitcher (Weld)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (El Paso)
Least Tern (Bent)
White-winged Dove (Clear Creek)
Greater Roadrunner (Fremont)
Red-belllied Woodpecker (Prowers)
Black Phoebe (Fremont)
Curve-billed Thrasher (Otero)
SCARLET TANAGER (*El Paso)
Rufous-crowned Sparrow (Otero)
Fox Sparrow (Clear Creek)
Northern Cardinal (Prowers)
Indigo Bunting (Fremont)
Bent County:
--Several Least Terns were reported by Floyd off the John Martin Dam
on August 3.
Bent/Kiowa Counties:
--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.
On August 4, Nelson refound the REDDISH EGRET on the narrow sand spit
jutting out into the lake from the eastern Shore. Best viewing is
from the main boat ramps on the southside of the NE part of the
reservoir. On August 5, Roller reported that the REDDISH EGRET was on
the north tip of Tern Island which separates north and south sections
of the lake.
Boulder County:
--A Green Heron was reported by Hutchinson at Cottonwood Marsh on August 8.
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.
El Paso County:
--2+ first year Lesser Black-backed Gulls were reported by Peterson at
Big Johnson on August 3.
--An orange-variant SCARLET TANAGER was reported by Walker at
Starsmore Discovery Center in Colorado Springs on August 9.
Directions from Bill Maynard: At the mouth of North Cheyenne Canyon,
turn and go up the canyon keeping (Starsmore) on your left as you
drive upstream. After about .5 mile you will see a big green water
storage tank on the hill above you on the right. In just a few
hundred feet there will be a free parking area on the right. Park and
walk on the road upstream until you come to a path that will take you
to a footbridge on the left that has a short stone walls. The tanager
was seen on both sides of the road and on both sides of the small
stream almost always very low in bushes in the area of the bridge. If
you see tall Mountain Ashes in the streambed with lots of
orange-colored fruits you need to look mostly upstream from there.
There is lots of traffic on the narrow road
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.
--A LEAST BITTERN was reported by Rich Miller on August 3 4 at the
cattail marsh at Holcim Wetlands. Miller also reported a Black Phoebe
on August 4. On August 5, Bill Maynard reported the Least Bittern, 2
Green Herons, and a male Indigo Bunting at Holcim Wetlands, On August
6, Patrick reported Least Bittern and Black Phoebe at Holcim Wetlands.
On August 6, Moss reported Least Bittern and 2 Green Herons at Holcim
Wetlands. On August 7, Roller reported that the Least Bittern
continued at Holcim Wetlands.
--A Greater Roadrunner was reported by Rich Miller along CR 120 near
the Beaver Creek Bridge on August 4.
Huerfano County:
--2 Green Herons were reported by Nelder at Lathrop SP on August 7.
Mesa County:
--A Green Heron was reported by Arnold at Connected Lakes SP on August 6.
Otero County:
--Snowy Plovers were reported by Moss at Lake Cheraw on July 29 and August 4.
--Rufous-crowned Sparrows were reported by Floyd in the Higbee area on August 3.
--A Curve-billed Thrasher was reported by Floyd on Higbee Valley Road
on August 3.
Prowers County:
--Northern Cardinals were reported by Floyd at Lamar Community College
Woods on August 4.
--At Willow Creek Park in Lamar on August 4, Floyd reported 2
Red-bellied Woodpeckers and 1 White-winged Dove.
Washington County:
--2 imm NEOTROPIC CORMORANTS were reported by Mlodinow on a pond by
Prewitt on August 6.
Weld County:
--A Short-billed Dowitcher was reported by Mlodinow on a pond on CR 59
on August 6.
The DFO field trip for Saturday, August 13 will be to Lair o'the Bear
and Corwina Park led by Tammy
