There were a lot of lovely cloudscapes over the mountains today, and I managed to skirt most of the serious rain showers. My goal was to visit the large bodies of water and some lesser ones that have good bird potential. Not counting Antero (closed to access and largely dewatered), the only main spot I missed was Tarryall Reservoir.
First bird of some note before reaching Park was a flock of 9 Common Grackles in Florrisant (Teller), late for the county and no doubt migrants.
Lake George had a Sora in the lake's cattail marsh, and another one downstream near where the Platte crosses Highway 24. Also a big bump up in Ring-necked Ducks, and one male Bufflehead.
County Road 90 had a Canyon Wren (not much data for Park, but this was my latest yet, and likely a migrant based on location), Nor. Pygmy-Owl, a tardy Red-naped Sapsucker, and 2 straggling Green-tailed Towhees. Bluebirds of one or both of the expected species were at every stop and often in numbers. Some Pinyon Jays were near the National Forest boundary where Highway 24 enters the open South Park habitat north of Wilkerson Pass.
At Eleven Mile Reservoir three Common Loons were the only waterbirds of note. Also about 3600 Am. Coots.
Spinney Mountain Reservoir was finally interesting, and even had shorebirds (hard to find any in Park lately). Of the latter there were at least 14 Baird's Sandpipers, 8 Long-billed Dowitchers (and eleven more dowitchers flying far off that I can assume were also that species), 5 Least Sandpipers, and 2 Greater Yellowlegs. Also present were 1 Red-necked Grebe, 1 Sabine's Gull, 1 Osprey (late for Park), 1 Peregrine Falcon, 1 Merlin, 8 Bufleheads, and an estimated 11,000 American Coots. An American Badger was out on the open shoreline having a discussion with some ravens.
The pond at Trout Creek Ranch north of Hartsel had a Green Heron (rare in Park). A Sandhill Crane was near the Platte at Badger Basin SWA downstream of Antero. Buffalo Creek Reservoir was not worth the stop, except to gaze wishfully toward the distant remains of Antero, which still has a tantalizing "puddle" in the upper area that is large by general standards. I could see pelicans out there and a mass of black dots that must have been another horde of 1000s of coots. Only they know what else was there.
An American Dipper was down out of the mountains along the Middle Fork of the South Platte near its southern crossing of Highway 9, out in the open region of South Park, with my only Orange-crowned Warbler of the day there, too. My only Vesper Sparrow and Nor. Harrier were along CR 34. The fine pond along CR 34 had a good variety of ducks including my only Blue-winged Teal of the day (2), plus 3 Long-billed Dowitchers, 4 Baird's Sandpipers, and 4 southbound Barn Swallows (only sighting today). Como Pond had a high count of 318 Green-winged Teal.
A migrant Common Grackle was at Jefferson (late for Park).
Three Moose (bull, two cows) along Highway 285 were stopping traffic on the north side of Kenosha Pass. These were the first I have happened upon in Park. So I parked, too.
David Suddjian
Littleton, CO
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