Date: April 17, 2011 e-mail: r...@cfo-link.org
phone: 303-659-8750 This is the Colorado Rare Bird Alert for Sunday, April 17, 2011 at 6 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 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) Barrow's Goldeneye (Gunnison) RED-NECKED GREBE (*Arapahoe) NEOTROPIC CORMORANT (*Arapahoe) Broad-winged Hawk (El Paso, *Jefferson) Snowy Plover (Kiowa, Otero) Dunlin (Arapahoe) Thayer's Gull (*Weld) Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larimer, *Weld) Glaucous Gull (*Weld) BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE (*Weld) Caspian Tern (Bent) Chihuahuan Raven (Otero) Curve-billed Thrasher (Jefferson) Summer Tanager (La Plata) BLACK-CHINNED SPARROW (*Mesa) Black-throated Sparrow (*Mesa) White-throated Sparrow (Jefferson) Harris's Sparrow (El Paso, Jefferson) GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW (Jefferson) Arapahoe County: --Andrews reported a Long-billed Curlew and a breeding plumage RED-NECKED GREBE at Cherry Creek Reservoir on April 16th. --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. On April 15, Pieplow reported that the NEOTROPIC CORMORANT continues at the marina. It was not seen on the 16th. --A Dunlin was reported by Chavez at Cherry Creek on the Prairie Loop mudflats on April 13. It was associating with Least Sandpipers. Bent County: --A Caspian Tern was reported by Frieberg at Lake Hasty on April 13. El Paso County: --A 1st yr Harris's Sparrow was reported by Pals at Fountain Creek Regional Park near the south nature center bird feeders on April 14. --A Broad-winged Hawk was reported by Teuton at Garden of Gods on April 14. Gunnison County: --Barrow's Goldeneyes were reported by Pike on Blue Mesa Reservoir on April 10. They were west of the intersection of Hwy 50 and Hwy 149. 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. -- On April 16he 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. Now is prime time to see these and other raptors there. Kiowa County: --13 Snowy Plovers were reported by Duane Nelson at Neenoshe Reservoir on March 31. 8 Snowy Plovers were reported by Kaempfer at Neenoshe on April 10. La Plata County: --A first spring Summer Tanager was reported by Morris in Dallabella Park in Durango on April 9. The park is on the west side of Animas River upstream from bridge at River Road, behind Home Depot Mesa County: --2 Black-throated Sparrows were reported by Bonomo in Coal Canyon on April 7 and have been seen daily. --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. 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. Otero County: --4 Snowy Plovers were reported by Percival at Lake Cheraw on April 1. On April 12, Moss found 1 Snowy Plover there. --Chihuahuan Ravens were reported by Moss in the Higbee area on April 12. Weld County: --On April 14 at Black Hollow Reservoir, Mlodinow reported 8 Thayer's Gulls (5 1st-cyc, 2 2nd-cyc, 2 ad), 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (3 1st-cyc, 1 3rd-cyc, 1 ad), and 2 Glaucous Gulls (1 3rd-cyc, 1 1st or 2nd-cyc). The same species were there on the 16th. Black Hollow is private but can be scanned from CR 19. ---A 1st-cyc BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE was reported by Wild at Windsor Lake- on April 7. It persisted at least through the 16th. The DFO field trip for Wednesday, April 20 will be to Chatfield Reservoir led by Bob Shade (303-975-2476). Meet at 0700 at the Swim Beach just after the west entrance to the park. Parks pass required. 1/2 day trip. Bring water, but lunch, snacks optional. Good Birding, etc. 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. 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