Date: December 24, 2018 Compiler: Joyce Takamine E-mail: RBA AT cobirds.org
This is the Colorado Rare Bird Alert for Monday, December 24, sponsored by Denver Field Ornithologists. Rare, out of place and out of season species include: (*) indicates new information on this species; CAPITAL LETTERS are used for very rare species, as listed by the Colorado Bird Records Committee, Observers have been diligent in reporting sightings on COBirds - thanks! Please check there for updates. PINK-FOOTED GOOSE (Weld) Brant (Weld) White-winged Scoter (Larimer, Pueblo) Black Scoter (Arapahoe) Long-tailed Duck (*Weld) Barrow’s Goldeneye (*Mesa, Pueblo) Iceland Gull (Kiowa, Larimer) SLATY-BACKED GULL (*Larimer) GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL (Larimer) Glaucous Gull (Larimer) Great Black-backed Gull (Adams, Larimer) Black-crowned Night-Heron (Pueblo) Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (La Plata) GYRFALCON (*Larimer) Lewis’s Woodpecker (*La Plata) Vermillion Flycatcher (Boulder) Bushtit (*Mesa) Winter Wren (Jefferson, *Teller) Hermit Thrush (*La Plata) Gray Catbird (Yuma) Northern Mockingbird (*Boulder) Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (El Paso) Black Rosy-Finch (El Paso) Brown-capped Rosy-Finch (El Paso) Pine Siskin *Kiowa) Rufous-crowned Sparrow (Baca) Field Sparrow (El Paso) Fox Sparrow (Red) (Kiowa, Yuma) Lincoln’s Sparrow (*Mesa) Swamp Sparrow (Kiowa, *Weld) Golden-crowned Sparrow (Jefferson) Yellow-headed Blackbird (Yuma) Brown-headed Cowbird (*Larimer) Palm Warbler (Arapahoe, Boulder, Jefferson) Yellow-rumped Warbler (*La Plata) ADAMS COUNTY: ---On December 22 at Barr Lake SP, Ira Sanders and Reed Gorner reported 1-st yr Great Black-backed Gull. ARAPAHOE COUNTY: —On December 20 a (f) Black Scoter continued at South Platte Park--South Platte Reservoir, present since Nov 26. ---On December 19 at South Platte Park on a trail on the east side of the river, Polly Reetz reported Palm Warbler. BACA COUNTY: ---On December 19 at Picture Canyon, Kathy Mihm Dunning reported Rufous-crowned Sparrow. BOULDER COUNTY: ---On December 21 a Palm Warbler was reported by Luke Pheneger at Longmont Wastewater Treatment Ponds. On December 22 at Longmont Wastewater Treatment Plant, Ron Podhajsky reported Palm Warbler. ---On December 18 the male Vermillion Flycatcher was seen again at Walden Ponds, having been here since mid-November. On December 22 at Cottonwood Marsh, Chris Friedman reported Vermilion Flycatcher. ---On December 23 on Centennial Trail—Dimmitt Drive to Old Tale Road, Leslie S reported Northern Mockingbird. EL PASO COUNTY: ---On December 19 through December 21 at Red Rock Canyon Open Space, Jim Merritt reported Field Sparrow. ---On December 21 at Rainbow Gulch Trail, Terence Berger, David and John Marvin reported 300 Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, 5 Black Rosy-Finch, and 8 Brown-capped Rosy-Finch on shoreline of Rampart Reservoir. On December 22 at Rainbow Gulch Trail, Alan Vershaw, Tyler Stewart, and Bez Bezuidenhout reported 200 Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch including Hepburn’s, 10 Black Rosy-Finch, 75 Brown-capped Rosy-Finch. JEFFERSON COUNTY: ---On December 18 Chris Wood & Jessie Barry reported a (first winter) Golden-crowned Sparrow at Bear Creek Lake Park between the boat launch & the dam. ---On December 16 (3) Palm Warblers were reported by Mark Chavez in the Denver West Office Park in front of buildings 15 and 16. ---On December 20 at Bear Creek Greenbelt – S Kipling Pkwy to S Wadsworth, Tom Wilberding reported Winter Wren about .5 mile east of Estes, 300 ft east of beaver dam. On December 21 at Bear Creek Greenbelt, Timothy Burkhardt reported Winter Wren. On December 22 at Bear Creek Greenbelt, Michael Lester reported Winter Wren. KIOWA COUNTY: ---On December 22 at Neegronda Reservoir, Steve Mlodinow reported 3 Iceland (Thayer’s) Gulls, and 22 Pine Siskins. ---On December 22 at Upper Queens/Neeskah Reservoir, Steve Mlodinow reported Swamp Sparrow and Fox (Red) Sparrow. LA PLATA COUNTY: —On December 17 a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was reported at Animas River--Huck Finn Pond & Hatchery area by Ryan Votta, who first spotted it there on Dec 2, as the second county record. On December 23 at Animas River – Huck Finn Pond & Hatchery area, Susan Allerton reported 2 Lewis’s Woodpeckers, Hermit Thrush, and Yellow-rumped Warbler. LARIMER COUNTY: —On December 14 through 18 an (imm) dark-phase GYRFALCON was seen off and on along W Trilby Rd and from Taft Hill Rd (where parking is not safe) & over the Larimer County Landfill. On the 13th it was reported at the landfill by Nick Komar. If you visit the landfill, be sure to check in at one of the pay windows (or the main office) & park as directed. On December 20 the GYRFALCON was seen on W Trilby on S side of road on brown metal pole between Shields and Taft Hill Rd by Ray and Joan Galbach. On December 21 the GYRFALCON was reported by Sarah Spotten, Sue Riffe, and Tom Hall flying over Trilby Rd close to Hidden Springs Rd and heading SW over the ridge. On December 22 the GYRFALCON was see by Walter Wehtje and Nick Komar on tall power poles along Triby east of Taft Hill and it later flew to a low post east of Taft Hill and found by Komar. On December 23 the GYRFALCON was reported by Georgia Goyle and Chery Teuton near Trilby and Taft but it flew. Peter Burke managed to get a flight shot but did not tell us the location. ---On December 15 a GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL was reported by Loch Kilpatrick at Larimer County Landfill (restricted access). ---On December 18 a Great Black-backed Gull was reported at the Larimer County Landfill by Steve Mlodinow. On December 20 a Great Black-backed Gull was reported by Scott Somershoe and Alec Hopping at 2751 – 2889 W Trilby Road. On December 21 at Larimer County Landfill, David Ely, Matt Hofeditz, and Dave Leatherman reported 8 Iceland (Thayer’s) Gull, SLATY-BACKED GULL, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, Glaucous Gull, and imm Great Black-backed Gull. On December 22 at Larimer County Landfill, Doug Kibbe, Elaine Wagner, and Mackenzie Goldthwaite reported Iceland Gull (Thayer’s) and Great Black-backed Gull. On December 23 at Larimer County Landfill, David Ely and Loch Kilpatrick reported SLATY-BACKED GULL. ---On December 17 a White-winged Scoter was reported from Fossil Creek Park by Tim Priehs. ---On December 23 in afternoon, Nick Komar and Tim Smart reported ad SLATY-BACKED GULL at Horsetooth Reservoir opposite Dixon Dam. ---On December 23 at Four Corners Bison Pens, Nick Komar and Tim Smart reported Brown-headed Cowbird. MESA COUNTY: ---On December 23 at Grand Junction Wildlife Area, Mike Henwood reported pair of Barrow’s Goldeneye, 10 Bushtit in SE corner, and Lincoln’s Sparrow. PUEBLO COUNTY: ---On December 18 a White-winged Scoter was reported at 29th Lane & S Rd (St Charles Mesa Reservoir #2) by Scott Shaum. On December 19 at 29th Lane and South Road, Van Truan and Rebecca Laroche reported White-winged Scoter on Pueblo CBC. ---On December 22 on Arkansas River Trail – east of Pueblo Blvd, Pueblo, David Fries reported 2 Barrow’s Goldeneye, and flyby Black-crowned Night-Heron. TELLER COUNTY: ---On December 23 at Manitou Lake, Scott Shaum reported Winter Wren. WELD COUNTY: ---On December 12 through 18 the PINK-FOOTED GOOSE continued at Frederick Lake (Milavec Reservoir) & Recreation Area, where it has been among a diverse gaggle of goose species and hybrids. It was first reported by Steve Mlodinow at Idaho Creek Open Space on Dec 11. This would be a first state record if approved by the CBRC. On December 19 at Frederick Lake (Milavec Reservoir) & Recreation Area, the PINK-FOOTED GOOSE and Long-tailed Duck were reported by several birders. On December 20 at Frederick Lake (Milavec Reservoir) & Recreation Area, the PINK-FOOTED GOOSE and Long-tailed Duck were seen again by several birders. On December 21 at Frederick Lake (Milavec Reservoir) & Recreation Area, the PINK-FOOTED GOOSE, Long-tailed Duck, and Brant were seen by several birders. On December 22 an eagle scatter the geese early on Frederick Lake so it was found at a field SW of intersection of CR 17 and CR 16 by Paul Hurtado and at 7000-7998 CR 19 by Mike Hearell and Taylor Abbot. The PINK-FOOTED GOOSE returned to Frederick Lake later and also seen were Long-tailed Duck and 2 Swamp Sparrows. On December 23 at Frederick Lake (Milavec Reservoir) & Recreation Area, Michelle Puplava, Alison Hixon and Andy Bankert reported Long-tailed Duck and Swamp Sparrow. ---On December 14 a (Black) Brant was reported by Chris Wood at Frederick aka Firestone Lake (Milavec) Reservoir. Seen on Dec 15. ---On December 22 at CR7 gravel pits, Phillip McNichols reported 4 Long-tailed Duck. YUMA COUNTY: ---On December 21 at CR-2 between CR-C and US 385, Joey Kellner and Kathy Mihm Dunning reported 2 Yellow-headed Blackbird on Bonny CBC. ---On December 21 at Bonny SWA, Berm Area, Joey Kellner and Kathy Mihm Dunning reported Fox Sparrow (red) and Gray Catbird on Bonny CBC. DFO Field Trips...trip details are at the DFO website: DFObirds.org No DFO trips are scheduled until December 27, but the Christmas Bird Count season is upon us, through Jan 5, 2019. Saturday (12/29/2018) Cortez Douglas County Great Sand Dunes NP Greeley Westcliffe Monday (12/31/2018) Barr Lake Rawhide Energy Station Tuesday (01/01/2019) Denver (Urban) Grand Mesa Loveland Friday (01/04/2019) Air Force Academy Flagler Saturday (01/05/2019) Black Forest Dotsero Eagle Valley Hotchkiss Lake Isabel Sterling To learn more about Christmas Bird Counts, go to https://www.audubon.org/conservation/…/christmas-bird-count/ To sign up for Christmas Bird Counts, contact the compiler soon. https://audubon.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=fadfb421e95f4949bde20c29a38228bd Good birding, Joyce Takamine Boulder -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. 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