Greetings All,
Today Bill Schmoker and I wandered around sw. Weld County. For most of the day, we were buffeted by winds varying from strong to gale force. Bittersweet Park, along 35th Avenue in Greeley, held approximately 3500 LESSER CANADA GEESE, a Blue Goose, and an adult BLUE (SNOW) GOOSE X LESSER CANADA GOOSE. The bird looks rather like a Blue Goose, but the bill is duskier and of intermediate shape, and the tertials were not white-edged, as in Blue Geese Greeley Lake W. Reservoir along 20th Street had fewer overall geese, but another BLUE (SNOW) GOOSE X LESSER CANADA GOOSE. This bird showed its dusky feet, had a completely dark bill, but was close enough that we could see the grin patch (structurally) on the all dark bill. Bill smoked the bird with his camera, so interesting shots to come. We heard, but could not visually locate, the BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER at its previously noted location: intersection of 15th Street and 22nd Avenue. A Harlan's Hawk flew overhead as well. At Loloff Reservoir, there was a female RN DUCK X LESSER SCAUP. The bird looked like a Lesser Scaup with a somewhat RN Duck headshape, very dark brown back, diminished white facial ring (at base of bill), diffuse pale area on face, and white ring around base of bill similar to that of a RN Duck. LUNA Reservoir in the sw. corner of Weld County (see the CFO County Birding Website) was packed with birds, including 4 GREATER SCAUP, 70 or so Lesser Scaup, and about 15 birds that defied ID despite long study. This typically challenging ID was made harder by the wind, which altered birds' apparent head shape, and by frequent feeding (during which Lesser Scaups flatten their head feathers, causing the head shape to more resemble that of Greater Scaup). Also at LUNA were 4000 CACKLING GEESE. It is interesting that Bittersweet Park had few Cacklers and LUNA few Lesser Canadas. One wonders why the Cacklers liked LUNA and the Lesser Canadas the parks in Greeley. One Snow Goose was at LUNA as well. At Union Reservoir, the wind was absent, the water flat, and birds numerous. There are still plenty of Bonaparte's Gulls around, but not as many as Thursday's 80+. We could not relocate David Leatherman's Barrow's Goldeneye, but we were most happy to refind the LONG-TAILED DUCK. There still are a number of "Swan Grebes" present at Union, with about 50 Western Grebes, 3 Clark's Grebes, and one CLARK'S X WESTERN GREBE. The hybrid had a face close-to-normal for a Clark's Grebe, but a bill pretty much typical of Western Grebe. A most excellent day, despite some battles with rapidly moving air. Good Birding, Steve Mlodinow Longmont CO -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en.
