Date: April 26, 2011 e-mail: r <mailto:r...@cfo-link.org> b...@cfo-link.org phone: 303-659-8750 This is the Colorado Rare Bird Alert for Tuesday, April 26, 2011, updated at 11:00 PM, 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) Great Egret (Lake, Montrose) RED-THROATED LOON (Arapahoe) NEOTROPIC CORMORANT (Arapahoe) Glossy Ibis (La Plata) Little Blue Heron (Adams) Broad-winged Hawk (Jefferson, Boulder, Larimer) HUDSONIAN GODWIT (Kiowa, Otero, Boulder) Short-billed Dowitcher (LaPlata) BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE (Weld, Logan) ACORN WOODPECKER (LaPlata) VERMILLION FLYCATCHER (Montrose) Gray Flycatcher (*Boulder) 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) BLACK-THROATED SPARROW (*Boulder) BAIRD'S SPARROW (Yuma) White-throated Sparrow (Jefferson) Harris's Sparrow (El Paso, Jefferson, Huerfano, Boulder) GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW (Jefferson) Summer Tanager (Yuma) Scott's Oriole (Montezuma) Adams County: --Gilbert reports a Little Blue Heron at the ponds 4 blocks west of 64th and Pecos on April 16. Arapahoe County: --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. --Walbek reports a Caspian Tern at Cherry Creek State Park on April 25. It was in the east cove. He and Kilpatrick report 15 species of shorebirds. 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 from HWY 287 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 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. It has not been refound. -- A YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER was found by Gent, & reported by Schmoker on April 22 & seen again on the 26th. It was along the Boulder Creek Bike Path near the Yellow-throated Vireo site. It is on the south side of Boulder Creek along the bike path between Foothills Parkway and 30th usually west of the spot where Skunk Creek meets the Boulder Creek bike path on the CU East Campus. It was seen at several places along the bike path north of a 3 story building that has a volleyball net set up on the north side of the building. Parking can be a problem. --Wild reports a Blackburnian Warbler in the same area on April 24. --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." The bird is reported as calling (rarely) and visible (not so much). -- On 4/24 Alan Bell reported a Hudsonian Godwit from the NW corner of Boulder Reservoir. It had an aberrant light crown. --On 4/22 and 4/23 several Broad-winged Hawks were seen in Boulder County by various observers. --On 4/23 and again on 4/26, Nunes reports a calling and tail-dipping Gray Flycatcher in the CU Open Space south of Table Mesa. Here's the precise location: <http://tinyurl.com/3wk47rd> http://tinyurl.com/3wk47rd. It is several hundred yards south of where the Black-throated Sparrow is being seen. --On 4/24 Ruprecht reports a Harris's Sparrow at the Singletree trailhead at the corner of S 3rd Ave and W Thomas St in Original Superior. (Turn S off of Coal Creek Dr onto 2nd Ave, then W on Thomas). --On 4/24, and seen again on 4/26, Gent found an adult BLACK-THROATED SPARROW at the CU tennis courts, south of Table Mesa Dr., west of highway 36. It was directly adjacent to the SW corner of the tennis courts. Broomfield County: -- A male Eastern Towhee was reported by Zorawowicz from the southeast corner of Plasters Reservoir on April 19. Sanders saw it in the same place later in the day. This is a first county record. Douglas County: --On April 18 Walbek found 2 Eastern Phoebes at the footbridge over Plum Creek at Chatfield State Park. They have been seen intermittently in the area thru 4/24. Huerfano County: --A Harris's Sparrow continues at Polly Nelder's home in La Veta thru 4/23. Jefferson County: --The Curve-billed Thrasher, White-throated Sparrow, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW and Harris's Sparrow continue at Red Rocks Trading Post thru April 20th. 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 saw a Short-billed Dowitcher at 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 21st Beatty found two Glossy Ibis there. --On 4/23 Percival found only one Acorn Woodpecker at the usual site near Durango. Please see the County Birding Website for directions. Lake County: --Kalbach reported a first county record Great Egret from Crystal Lakes on 4/23. 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 13, Wild reported hearing another BLACK-CHINNED SPARROW across the road from the trail parking area. It was still there on 23nd. 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 and 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 and stay to the right. 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 at the County Birding Website. Montrose County: --On 4/23 Coen reported a Vermillion Flycatcher and a Great Egret, both first county records he surmises. Otero County: --Moss saw 4 HUDSONIAN GODWITS at Lake Holbrook north of LaJunta on 4/21. 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-cycle BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE was first reported by Wild at Windsor Lake on April 7 and it continues through the 24th. --Lefko reports a Caspian Tern at the 35th Ave gravel ponds in Greeley on April 24. Upcoming DFO Fieldtrips: Birding Castle Rock and Other South Metro Areas: Thursday, April 28, 2011 Leader: Chuck Thornton-Kolbe. Meet at the K Mart parking lot at the NE corner of Alameda and Broadway at 7:30 AM. If you want to meet us at the Castle Rock Museum, 420 Elbert St, please be there at 8:00 AM. This trip is part of a celebration of Castle Rock, sponsored by the local historical society and Denver Field Ornithologists. Direction to their location can be found on their website at http://castlerockmuseum.org/ We will be looking for early migrants and other birds in the area all day long. We will likely start in Castle Rock and bird a few sites there and nearby. After lunch, we will wander into El Paso or Douglas county to find a few more goodies. Some participants may want to go to the Castle Rock Museum and enjoy their bird exhibit. This will be an all day or half-day trip as per your choice. The day will likely be nice, but please bring layers of clothing and coats (including rain gear), binoculars, scope (if you have one), lunch, snack, beverages. Bring breakfast if you have not eaten before leaving. Also two way radio and cell phones can be helpful to support car-to-car communication. Bring about $10 to $15 for your gas share if leaving from Denver or otherwise $5 to $10 if leaving from Castle Rock. If bad weather, come to parking lot, and we will go for it (and maybe consider an alternative plan). Saturday, April 30 Rocky Mountain Arsenal Leader: David Rhoades, 303 424-8633. We’ll bird from 0800-1300, expecting to see grassland birds, ducks, raptors, possible early migrants, likely swallows, and possible burrowing owls . Space is limited by the size of the passenger van that we’ll use. Meet at the parking lot of the Visitor Center. Call David to reserve a space and to get directions. Lunch optional (BYO). Sunday May 1 Gregory Canyon and Walden Ponds Leaders: Ira and Tammy Sanders, 303-278-7172. Meet leaders at 06:30 am at the parking lot for Chataqua Park, 900 Baseline. You will need a Boulder County Open Space Pass or plan to pay $5 at Gregory Canyon. Lunch is optional as trip will probably be a half day. Group will meet at Chataqua then car pool to Gregory Canyon. We will go to Walden Ponds after Gregory Canyon. Good Birding. Ira Sanders Golden, CO -- 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. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en. -- 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. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en.
