Date: 3 February 2011 e-mail: [email protected] phone: 303-659-8750 compiler: Allison Hilf
This is the Colorado Rare Bird Alert for Thursday, February 3, 2011 at 7am, 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 the species in this report). TUNDRA SWAN (Boulder) TRUMPETER SWAN (Lake) Long-tailed Duck (Adams) Barrow's Goldeneye (Adams, *Delta, Douglas, *Larimer, Summit) Dunlin (Adams) Lesser Black-backed Gull (Broomfield, Pueblo) Great Black-backed Gull (Pueblo) Glaucous Gull (Pueblo) White-winged Dove (*Huerfano) YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER (Larimer) Carolina Wren (Yuma) Curve-billed Thrasher (Jefferson, Pueblo) White-throated Sparrow (*Delta, *Jefferson) Harris's Sparrow (*Broomfield, Jefferson, Las Animas) GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW (*Jefferson) Northern Cardinal (Yuma) Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (*Huerfano, Jefferson, Routt) Black Rosy-Finch (*Huerfano, Jefferson) Adams County: --4 Barrow’s Goldeneye and a Dunlin were reported by Gent on the South Platte River at 88th Ave on January 30. The Dunlin was on the island in the river right under the green and white water tank. The Goldeneyes were about 100 yards south. --A Long-tailed Duck was reported by Hundertmark at the Thornton Water Pond on the west side of the Platte River south from 88th on January 9 and was seen by Wild on January 17. It was seen by Chavez on January 25. just north of Florida Ave. Boulder County: --An adult TUNDRA SWAN was first reported by Gent at the Valmont Power Plant on November 25 and was seen as recently as January 30. Broomfield County: --A Lesser-Black Backed Gull was reported by Gent at the pond south of Highway 7 and east of Lowell Street on January 30. --A Harris’s Sparrow was reported by Burke at an office feeding station (121st and Perry Street on February 1. Delta County: --11 Barrow’s Goldeneye were reported by Garrison at Confluence Park on February 1. --A White-throated Sparrow was reported by Garrison at the Forest Service office in Paonia (9403 N. Rio Grande) on January 27 and 28 and 30. Douglas County: --2 Barrow’s Goldeneyes (1m, 1f) were reported by Spellman in Parker at Twenty Mile Road and Main Street on January 30. Huerfano County: --All 3 species of Rosy-Finches and a White-winged Dove have returned to the yard of Beverly Jensen in La Veta and are regularly being seen. If you would like to try to see these birds, call her at 719-989-1398. Jefferson County: --On February 1, Henwood reported that the GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW, White-throated Sparrow, and all 3 species of Rosy-finches were seen at Red Rocks Trading Post. The Harris’s Sparrow and Curve-billed Thrasher were last reported on January 31. Lake County: --3 TRUMPETER SWANS (first reported in November by Kalbach) were reported by Kalbach at Twin Lakes (near the power plant) on January 29 and were seen by McConnell on January 30. Larimer County: --2 female Barrow’s Goldeneye were reported by Rashid at Lake Estes on February 2. --A YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER was reported by Leatherman at Grandview Cemetery (at the west terminus of Mountain Avenue in Fort Collins) on January 26 and was seen again by Biggerstaff on January 27 and by Letterman on January 30. If you come west on Mountain Avenue past the cemetery office and in the main entrance, go across the ditch bridge, make an immediate right (heading north) and parallel the ditch for a hundred yards or so until reaching a 90-degree curve in the extreme northeast corner of Section A. Between the road curve and the ditch is a big, double-stemmed Scots Pine (the only true pine in the immediate area). The bird is difficult to observe near the upper part (within ten feet of the top of the tree) of the main (thicker) trunk. Leatherman recommends driving slowly north from the entrance along the ditch, thru the corner to locate the tree, then parking at least 50 yards west of it. Scan the north side of the pine trunk about half way up for the bird from inside your car. If present, it will probably allow slow approach on foot to within about 20 yards, then will start playing hide and seek. ----A juv. Long-tailed Duck was reported by Meyer at the North Shields Pond Natural Area (NSPNA) in Fort Collins on January 18 and was seen agin by Leatherman on February 1. It was seen in an area of open water along the north part of the pond that dominates the Sterling Natural Area (SNA). SNA is just north of NSPNA. From the NSPNA parking lot, walk west to the river and follow the dirt path north until you see a big mostly-frozen pond on your right (to the east). Pueblo County: --2 Glaucous Gulls, a Lesser Black-backed Gull, and a Great Black-backed Gull were reported by Percival at Pueblo Reservoir on January 28. The Great Black-backed Gull was reported by Kosar on January 30. On January 27, Percival reported 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and the Great Black-backed Gull. --A Curve-billed Thrasher was reported by Koasar at Pueblo Reservoir, by the marina, on January 30. Routt County: --Gray-crowned Rosy Finches (and a few Brown Rosy -Finches )were reported by Merrill visiting the feeders at the Steamboat Springs ski area feeding station on top of Mt. Warner (just off the Bar UE Chairlift) on January 20 and continue to be seen as of January 24. Summit County: --32 Barrow’s Goldeneyes were reported by Floyd at the Blue River Water Treatment Plant in Silverthorne on January 28. Yuma County: --A Carolina Wren and a male Northern Cardinal were reported by Newport at Bonny State Park, east of Foster’s Campground on January 29. There is no DFO Field trip for Saturday, February 5. The DFO Field Trip for Sunday, February 7, is Northeastern Colorado Raptors, and will be led by Joey Kellner (303-978-1748). Meet leader at 6:30am at the Colorado Division of Wildlife parking lot, 6060 N. Broadway. Exit I-25 at 58th Street, go west 2 blocks to Broadway, then north to parking lot on the right. All day trip, bring layers of clothes and lunch. The DFO Field Trip for THURSDAY, February 10, is to South Valley Park and marks the initiation of “Thursday theme walks” Not so much a “guided walk” as a roundtable. Meet at 9:30. Will bird until about 2:00. Bring lunch. South Valley is a small park but offers a variety of habitats. The group will consider the winter feeding strategies of birds it sees. To get to South Valley, take C-470 to Ken Caryl Avenue, exit westbound. Go a short distance and turn left onto South Valley Road and proceed to the park’s north parking area. Try to call coordinator Jill Boice at 303-863- 7580 if you are interested (but not required). Good Birding, Allison Hilf, Denver, CO -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. 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