The Colorado Birds Records Committee also accepted a documented sighting of an Anhinga, from Barr Lake State Park, Adams County, May 3, 2003. If anyone happens to see one in Colorado again, get a good photo, and let us all know.
Thanks, Brandon K. Percival Pueblo West, CO On 6/4/18, Joe Roller <[email protected]> wrote: > On May 28 Delta County birder Sandy Beranich saw a possible ANHINGA > (*Anhinga > anhinga*) at Sweitzer Lake, near Delta, Delta County and reported it to > eBird. > > > Sandy has been searching the area and will look again with a park ranger, > also a birder. Campground hosts also saw the individual in question. Here > is the original eBird note and all subsequent information from Sandy, whom > I know from hotspot discussions. > > > Original post to eBIrd: > > > Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) (1) > - Reported May 29, 2018 08:33 by Sandy Beranich > - Sweitzer Lake, Delta, Colorado > - Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=38.712734,- > 108.032265&ll=38.712734,-108.032265 > - Checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S46138997 > - Comments: "I could only see the underside of the bird, which included a > striking very light tan to yellow-colored neck and upper breast; the rest > of the bird was black. It was soaring and circling over me and I could not > see its bill or back. I didn't note the tail length.The campground hosts > had told me earlier that they had seen this bird and that it was one they > had seen in Florida. Although skeptical, I compared the bird I saw to a > Double-crested Cormorant and believe the flight pattern of soaring and real > light tan-yellow neck and upper breast was a confirmation for the anhinga. > Note that in 2016, there was a Neotropic Cormorant in nearby Montrose all > summer, so I do expect unusual sightings." > > > Joe, > Before entering on eBird, I did go online and looked at images for both of > these birds and then asked google to side-by-side compare the DC cormorant > w Anhinga- the big thing seemed to be the way the anhinga soared, the tail > length, and the bill shape- last two which i did not see- i use a 10x > binocular and the bird was circling quite high with the sun full on it. I > will go back soon- the ranger who knew birds wasn't there today. The campgr > hosts were from Tx and knew this bird and said they knew it wasn't supposed > to be here- (nor was that neotropic cormorant supposed to be in montrose 2 > yrs ago!) The convincing part was the way it circled overhead, just kind of > floating. I just reviewed images again and note that what also struck me > was a clear color change betw the light breast and dark rest of bird. > > > Sandy's note to me from June 4: > > A little status on the Anhinga. I returned to Sweitzer Lake on May 30 and > drove the west and part of the south side of the lake where there are two > jetties. The park ranger thought it might be hanging out there. I stayed in > place at several locations. I did not record findings on eBird and saw the > usual expected birds similar to what I had found on the north and east > sides. I didn’t see cormorants or the anhinga. Today, June 3, I returned > to talk with the camp host to get more information (the host was not > present on the 30th) and to walk the dirt road on the north and east sides > again. She said that a state park person was out to do a bird survey on > Friday, May 25 and thought she had seen an Anhinga. The camp host who is a > birder said that on May 27 (Sunday) she had seen a group of 4 Anhinga’s fly > over, and then I was first there on May 29 and saw one Anhinga. The state > person thought that the one she saw was just a fly over. Each of us saw the > bird(s) flying in the same direction to the northwest. The camp host said > she was positive that she was not looking at a cormorant and was very > familiar with both birds. I thought the way the breast color had a distinct > margin and the way it flew made it an Anhinga. The state park person is to > return and do another bird survey and I will be notified and hope to meet > up with her. I will chase this some more and let you know if something > changes. > > Sandy > > > So in summary we have multiple observers seeing a bird they thought to be > an Anhinga. The descriptions are plausible for Anhinga, but I am a little > thrown off by the report of FOUR birds by the campground hosts. > > BUT who knows? Birds fly.* > > Keep your gas tank full, and prepare an excuse for permission to be gone > all day if this pans out. > > > There is one previous specimen of Anhinga from Aurora, Coal Creek, > Arapahoe County on 9/24/1931. Denver Museum of Nature and Science. > > > That's the only Colorado record so far. Another specimen collected from > 1927 is an Australian Darter (*Anhinga melanogaster*), an escapee from > someone's darter collection. > > Bob and Bob, p 14; also Bailey and Neidrach, p 92 > > > Joe Roller, Denver > > > * The Lark Bunting, Sept, 2016 > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Colorado Birds" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAJpZcUC-jgy5mBJX1KDji-3Y39zB03z%3Dd_W4qt9QusBuY6EGfg%40mail.gmail.com. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- Brandon Percival Pueblo West, CO -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CA%2BXeEuVDhvDv6FKSGdqok2OUO7MWTL6HnPFvGBUPD%3DTohryAhQ%40mail.gmail.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
