Folks,
Kathy Mihm-Dunning and I birded some south metro ponds today, concentrating on gulls. Cherry Creek Reservoir is starting to open up. It is about 10% open and held a few hundred gulls this morning. There was a 2nd cycle Glaucous Gull, originally found by Bob Rozinski along with an adult Glaucous Gull that was subsequently found dead. Bob recovered the bird and took it to the Denver Museum of Science. Cherry Creek had a couple of Thayer's Gulls and a possible Glaucous-winged Gull X Herring Gull hybrid. I expect the number of gulls here to increase during the next few weeks.
South Platte Reservoir was our next stop. Almost immediately, we noticed a first cycle Iceland Gull and a Great Black-backed Gull, or so we thought. The dark bird was nearly the size of adjacent Herring Gulls and was very dark with bright yellow legs. We eventually determined the bird is a Lesser Black-backed Gull of the intermedius race. It is as dark as Great black-backed Gull but not as large. Leg color, bill size and gape color eliminate Kelp Gull, but it is nearly dark enough for that species. The first cycle Iceland Gull was very pale overall, had a small head and bill and patterned tertials. A Bald Eagle sent a portion of the gulls flying east, including the Iceland Gull. The 2 Long-tailed Ducks from before the Denver CBC, continue at South Platte Reservoir. There are also cooperative Greater Scaup, and Swamp Sparrow (Henwood, Raker) nearby.
McClellan Reservoir is about 50% open, but had very few birds. Chatfield Reservoir is 100% frozen with no birds. I plan to gull S. Platte Reservoir and Cherry Creek again tomorrow. I will start at S. Platte Reservoir around 8 am, if anyone cares to join me.
Glenn Walbek
Castle Rock, CO
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