Compiler: Joyce Takamine Date: July 12, 2012 email: rba AT cfobirds.org phone: 303-659-8750
This is the Colorado Rare Bird Alert for Thursday, July 12, 2012, 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 this species in this report) Barrow's Goldeneye (Clear Creek) Red-throated Loon (Bent) Little Blue Heron (Adams) BLACK VULTURE (Douglas) Snowy Plover (Otero, Washington) Piping Plover (Bent) Least Tern (Bent) Greater Roadrunner (Bent) ACORN WOODPECKER (Jefferson, Pueblo) American Three-toed Woodpecker (Larimer, Mineral) Great Crested Flycatcher (Boulder) White-eyed Vireo (Weld) Carolina Wren (*Douglas) Winter Wren (*Larimer) Hooded Warbler (Pueblo) Rose-breasted Grosbeak (*Conjeos) Please note, detailed directions to most of the following locations can be found on the Colorado County Birding Website: http://www.coloradocountybirding.com/index.php<http://www.coloradocountybrding.com/index.php> Adams County: --An adult Little Blue Heron was reported by Carter near 88th and Platte River. Park in the parking lot and walk north along the trail about 10 minutes until you see the large lake on the left. The heron was seen on the lake on June 27 and again on July 6. On July 7 Lowrie relocated the Little Blue Heron on the first lake to the north of the parking lot. On July 8, Chartier found the Little Blue Heron on the east side of the lake. Dunning refound the Little Blue Heron on the lake on July 9. Bent County: --A Red-throated Loon (first-summer) was reported by Nelson on the south side of John Martin Reservoir on July 3. The loon was approximately 15 feet offshore within a Piping Plover / Least Tern nesting closure about 1 1/2 mile west of the dam. If the loon stays in the same place, it might be possible to either see it from the dam, or from the rocky point east of the closure. Note, DO NOT enter any closed areas and respect all closure signs. Duane Nelson reported on July 7 that the Red-throated Loon remains in the same area as he reported on July 3. Goff refound the Red-thoated Loon at John Martin on July 8 and had a Greater Roadrunner in the process. The Neldners had Least Terns and one Piping Plover while searching for the loon on July 8 Boulder County: --A Great Crested Flycatcher was reported by Severs at the Westlake Middle School southwest of 17th Ave and Airport Rd in Longmont mid-day on June 29. It was seen on the NW side of the school next to the kid's wildlife habitat. The Great Crested Flycatcher was seen by Kloster by the volleyball area on July 4. Pheneger refound the Great Crested Flycatcher on July 6 south of the volleyball court. Clear Creek County: --A female Barrow's Goldeneye along with 6 young was reported by Schmoker on Echo Lake on July 4. Kemena refound the family on July 5. Conjeos County: --A m Rose-breasted Grosbeak was reported by Lisa Rawinski west of Pike's Stockade on July 11. She reports that the area is full of bugs and rattlesnakes. Douglas County: --A BLACK VULTURE was reported by Poulsen on July 8 about one mile W of Perry Park Road on Jackson Creek Road. This is south of Sedalia. --The Carolina Wren first reported by Huffstater in June was refound by Kingery on July 11. Take the middle I-25 exit in Castle Rock (182) and go east and then south on Wilcox St to 2nd Ave. Turn left (east) and park in the angled parking on the street. Take the trail west towards Plum Creek go under the Wilcox bridge, and turn left at the trail junction. In a 100 yards or so you'll come to a black bench. The wren sang from perches within 200 yards of the bench, north, west and south. Kingery also reported a possible Yellow-bellied Flycatcher while he was searching for the Carolina Wren. Jefferson County: --An ACORN WOODPECKER was reported by Karen Martin at her feeders on July 7. Visitors are welcome to park along Jefferson County ROAD 97, from where the feeders can be seen well. Directions: Travel SW from Denver along HWY 285 from its intersection with C-470. After passing through the village of Aspen Park, watch for a sign for "Kennedy Gulch Road". Exit 285 here, go under Hwy 285, following the clear sign to Foxton Road. and go SE on Foxton Road as it winds down, through minor construction at Reynolds Park and on down to the S Platte River. Take the river road East which is JCR 97 downstream about 3.6 miles to the mailbox marked 17355. Near the mailbox you will see the only "P" sign (for parking allowed). Park here and walk back up the road until you can see the feeders. Please watch out for traffic. This information was provided by Joe Roller. Larimer County: --A Winter Wren was reported by Dunning in the blowdown area below Black Lake in Rocky Mountain NP on July 2. On July 9 Leatherman heard the Winter Wren at the north end of the blow down area. --2 - 3 American Three-toed Woodpeckers were seen by the DFO Field Trip to RMNP led by Ed Holub on July 8. They were seen in the Endo Valley Picnic Area. Mineral County: --A family of American Three-toed Woodpeckers was reported by Mast on Wolf Creek Pass just S of the road on July 5. Pueblo County: --2 ACORN WOODPECKERS were reported by Van Manen in Pueblo Mountain Park just south of Beaulah on June 16. The birds were in a large snag next to the little amphitheater between the pavilion and the lodge. On June 23 Percival saw the Acorn Woodpeckers at the usual tree in Pueblo Mountain Park, at the parking lot just west of the Horseshore Lodge (1 seen by Percival on July 1) Also, there was a singing male Hooded Warbler (first found by Van Truan), and one or two singing male Grace's Warblers. These warblers were not far up the road from the old basketball court (south end of the Park). The Hooded Warbler was mostly along the creek and the Grace's Warblers were singing in the tall ponderosa pine trees. On July 5, Roller refound ACORN WOODPECKER, Hooded Warbler, and Grace's Warbler at Pueblo Mountain Park. Washington County: --A Snowy Plover was reported by Kellner at Prewitt on July 4. Weld County: --A White-eyed Vireo was found by Bouton in the SW corner of Crow Valley on July 10. The DFO field trip for Saturday, July 14 will be a Woodpecker Trip from Sedalia to Cheeseman led by Chris Blakeslee (303-694-4670) and Kirk Huffstater. Meet the leaders in the parking lot of the Sedalia Post Office at 0600. Take Hwy 85 to Sedalia in Douglas County; turn SW on Hwy 67, drive through Seladia over 2 major sets of railroad tracks. The U.S. Post Office is on the NW (right) side of Hwy 67. Group will carpoll from here. Bring lunch and water for a fun filled day chasing woodpeckers and any other mountain birds that may cross our paths. Bring clothing for changeable mountain weather. Full day trip. Limit of 16 birders; must make a reservation. The DFO field trip for Sunday, July 15 will be to Lair o' the Bear led by Toni Rautus (303-422-7322). Meet at 0800 at Lair o' the Bear parking lot. From Morrison and C-470 drive 4 miles west on Hwy 74 to park entrance on the left. Will bird until about noon and then for those who want, we will adjourn to the Bear Creek Restaurant in Kitteredge for lunch and viewing of their hummingbird feeders. Trip is limit to 12 participants, so please call the leader to reserve a spot. Good Birding, Joyce Takamine -- 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-US.
