cobirds colorado rare bird: July 2017

Monday 31 July 2017

RE: [cobirds] Hawks Galore in Wetmore (Custer)

Dan et al.,

That is the large Plains Lubber (Brachystola magna) which comes in two color forms. Flightless, they are most abundant in areas with poor soil or in weedy areas adjacent to fields or roadways. Males are 40 mm long and females 50-60 mm. They will feed on insect cadavers but specialize on ragweed, sunflowers and other broadleaved plants.

I am leading a grasshopper walk at Chico Basin Ranch for Mile High Bug Club next Saturday, 4 August. We should see 35-40 grasshopper species if you or any birders are interested.

Bill Maynard

Colorado Springs

From: cobirds@googlegroups.com [mailto:cobirds@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Daniel Maynard
Sent: Monday, July 31, 2017 11:32 AM
To: Dave Leatherman
Cc: millerrichj@aol.com; COBIRDS
Subject: Re: [cobirds] Hawks Galore in Wetmore (Custer)

Apologies, I think that picture failed to upload

On Mon, Jul 31, 2017 at 11:22 AM, Daniel Maynard <dmaynar@gmail.com> wrote:

Rich (and Dave),

I too have witnessed what would seem to be the same phenomenon maybe 3-4 years ago. I was driving in the same general area near Wetmore (possibly Waterbarrel Road, possibly Siloam Road, I just don't remember) when I noticed (audibly at first) that the road was literally covered in large green insects. There were so many it was impossible to dodge them. I found a place to pull off and inspect what I was unintentionally slaughtering. They looked much like this (though this is a picture from a different time and place):

I then noticed that there were Swainson's Hawks perched everywhere around me, in trees, on fence posts, utility poles, ground, etc. I'd been so focus and repulsed at all the bugs I was crushing that I hadn't noticed the birds before. And as I drove further, I noticed more hawks lining the road; I probably saw more than 200 total. Eventually I passed out of this slaughterhouse, and as the insects dried up (pun intended), so did the hawks. There may have been some Red-tails in the mix, but at least 90% were Swainson's. I'm certain they were feasting on these insects, and I would guess they were in just this area specifically for the purpose of feasting on these insects. My entomology skills are zilch, but perhaps Dave can identify this guy.

Cool phenomenon, though the crunchy drive was actually quite disturbing.

Cheers,

Dan Maynard
Denver, CO

On Sun, Jul 30, 2017 at 8:32 AM, DAVID A LEATHERMAN <daleatherman@msn.com> wrote:

Rich,

I have been spending a fair amount of time on the western part of the West Unit of the Pawnee Grasslands this summer tracking the activities of loggerhead shrikes. I have seen virtually no Swainson's Hawks. I recorded a whopping 1 on each of two 150-mile loops in the last month. Grasshopper expert Tim McNary, formerly of USDA-APHIS and now an affiliate of the Gillette Museum at Colorado State recently went out to Crow Valley and came home with only a dozen or so specimens of hoppers of, I think, four species! Tim can usually find that many before he gets out of the car! Normally the most commonly impaled object of shrikes are grasshoppers (particularly two species, Xanthippus corallipes and Arphia conspersa). This summer, I've maybe seen a total of 10 grasshoppers impaled. I've seen 5X that many hoppers impaled in one shrike territory in years past. Very few big hoppers this year on the northern prairie. The shrikes have compensated by terrorizing herps and various crickets.

I have heard the hopper population in southeastern CO is just the opposite, at least at present in terms of nymphs. Clouds of them when you walk thru a pasture. Maybe there are also good hopper populations in the meadows of the Wet Mountains. All the moisture is growing green hopper food, i.e. plants. Maybe what you saw is a regional relocation of hawks in response to food abundance, sort of like what we're seeing with dickcissels. Maybe many of the hawks that normally populate the northern plains never made it up here, or maybe had second thoughts once they got here and drifted back south, who knows? I do know I had that big number of 160+ Swainson's hawks on my Lamar BBS route which was bizarre in my experience. I received comments that these were probably mostly young, non-breeding birds that just come north to loaf and feed for their first independent summer before returning south. Maybe the majority of what you saw was this age group. My bet would be the majority of buteos were Swainson's, and that they were also somewhat staging for their later departure south.

Interesting, whatever it was. Thanks for your post.

Dave Leatherman

Fort Collins

From: millerrichj via Colorado Birds <cobirds@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 30, 2017 12:00 AM
To: cobirds@googlegroups.com
Subject: [cobirds] Hawks Galore in Wetmore (Custer)

This morning in the fields north of Wetmore I counted over 100 buteos in an area of maybe 50 acres. Most were perched on fence posts, a few were on the ground. None were flying. They were mixed buteo species. I identified Red-tailed, Swainson's and a Harrier. It was private property and most were too far away to identify as species, however, they appeared to be mostly buteos.

I don't remember ever seeing anything like this before It was almost surreal. Why would so many hawks converge on one area in late July?

Rich Miller

Canon City

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Cheers,

Dan Maynard
Denver, CO

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Re: [cobirds] Hawks Galore in Wetmore (Custer)

Apologies, I think that picture failed to upload

On Mon, Jul 31, 2017 at 11:22 AM, Daniel Maynard <dmaynar@gmail.com> wrote:

Rich (and Dave),

I too have witnessed what would seem to be the same phenomenon maybe 3-4 years ago. I was driving in the same general area near Wetmore (possibly Waterbarrel Road, possibly Siloam Road, I just don't remember) when I noticed (audibly at first) that the road was literally covered in large green insects. There were so many it was impossible to dodge them. I found a place to pull off and inspect what I was unintentionally slaughtering. They looked much like this (though this is a picture from a different time and place):

I then noticed that there were Swainson's Hawks perched everywhere around me, in trees, on fence posts, utility poles, ground, etc. I'd been so focus and repulsed at all the bugs I was crushing that I hadn't noticed the birds before. And as I drove further, I noticed more hawks lining the road; I probably saw more than 200 total. Eventually I passed out of this slaughterhouse, and as the insects dried up (pun intended), so did the hawks. There may have been some Red-tails in the mix, but at least 90% were Swainson's. I'm certain they were feasting on these insects, and I would guess they were in just this area specifically for the purpose of feasting on these insects. My entomology skills are zilch, but perhaps Dave can identify this guy.

Cool phenomenon, though the crunchy drive was actually quite disturbing.

--
Cheers,
Dan Maynard
Denver, CO

On Sun, Jul 30, 2017 at 8:32 AM, DAVID A LEATHERMAN <daleatherman@msn.com> wrote:

Rich,

I have been spending a fair amount of time on the western part of the West Unit of the Pawnee Grasslands this summer tracking the activities of loggerhead shrikes. I have seen virtually no Swainson's Hawks. I recorded a whopping 1 on each of two 150-mile loops in the last month. Grasshopper expert Tim McNary, formerly of USDA-APHIS and now an affiliate of the Gillette Museum at Colorado State recently went out to Crow Valley and came home with only a dozen or so specimens of hoppers of, I think, four species! Tim can usually find that many before he gets out of the car! Normally the most commonly impaled object of shrikes are grasshoppers (particularly two species, Xanthippus corallipes and Arphia conspersa). This summer, I've maybe seen a total of 10 grasshoppers impaled. I've seen 5X that many hoppers impaled in one shrike territory in years past. Very few big hoppers this year on the northern prairie. The shrikes have compensated by terrorizing herps and various crickets.

I have heard the hopper population in southeastern CO is just the opposite, at least at present in terms of nymphs. Clouds of them when you walk thru a pasture. Maybe there are also good hopper populations in the meadows of the Wet Mountains. All the moisture is growing green hopper food, i.e. plants. Maybe what you saw is a regional relocation of hawks in response to food abundance, sort of like what we're seeing with dickcissels. Maybe many of the hawks that normally populate the northern plains never made it up here, or maybe had second thoughts once they got here and drifted back south, who knows? I do know I had that big number of 160+ Swainson's hawks on my Lamar BBS route which was bizarre in my experience. I received comments that these were probably mostly young, non-breeding birds that just come north to loaf and feed for their first independent summer before returning south. Maybe the majority of what you saw was this age group. My bet would be the majority of buteos were Swainson's, and that they were also somewhat staging for their later departure south.

Interesting, whatever it was. Thanks for your post.

Dave Leatherman

Fort Collins

From: millerrichj via Colorado Birds <cobirds@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 30, 2017 12:00 AM
To: cobirds@googlegroups.com
Subject: [cobirds] Hawks Galore in Wetmore (Custer)

This morning in the fields north of Wetmore I counted over 100 buteos in an area of maybe 50 acres. Most were perched on fence posts, a few were on the ground. None were flying. They were mixed buteo species. I identified Red-tailed, Swainson's and a Harrier. It was private property and most were too far away to identify as species, however, they appeared to be mostly buteos.

I don't remember ever seeing anything like this before It was almost surreal. Why would so many hawks converge on one area in late July?

Rich Miller

Canon City

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Cheers,

Dan Maynard
Denver, CO

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Re: [cobirds] Hawks Galore in Wetmore (Custer)

Rich (and Dave),

Cool phenomenon, though the crunchy drive was actually quite disturbing.

Cheers,

Dan Maynard
Denver, CO

On Sun, Jul 30, 2017 at 8:32 AM, DAVID A LEATHERMAN <daleatherman@msn.com> wrote:

Rich,

I have been spending a fair amount of time on the western part of the West Unit of the Pawnee Grasslands this summer tracking the activities of loggerhead shrikes. I have seen virtually no Swainson's Hawks. I recorded a whopping 1 on each of two 150-mile loops in the last month. Grasshopper expert Tim McNary, formerly of USDA-APHIS and now an affiliate of the Gillette Museum at Colorado State recently went out to Crow Valley and came home with only a dozen or so specimens of hoppers of, I think, four species! Tim can usually find that many before he gets out of the car! Normally the most commonly impaled object of shrikes are grasshoppers (particularly two species, Xanthippus corallipes and Arphia conspersa). This summer, I've maybe seen a total of 10 grasshoppers impaled. I've seen 5X that many hoppers impaled in one shrike territory in years past. Very few big hoppers this year on the northern prairie. The shrikes have compensated by terrorizing herps and various crickets.

I have heard the hopper population in southeastern CO is just the opposite, at least at present in terms of nymphs. Clouds of them when you walk thru a pasture. Maybe there are also good hopper populations in the meadows of the Wet Mountains. All the moisture is growing green hopper food, i.e. plants. Maybe what you saw is a regional relocation of hawks in response to food abundance, sort of like what we're seeing with dickcissels. Maybe many of the hawks that normally populate the northern plains never made it up here, or maybe had second thoughts once they got here and drifted back south, who knows? I do know I had that big number of 160+ Swainson's hawks on my Lamar BBS route which was bizarre in my experience. I received comments that these were probably mostly young, non-breeding birds that just come north to loaf and feed for their first independent summer before returning south. Maybe the majority of what you saw was this age group. My bet would be the majority of buteos were Swainson's, and that they were also somewhat staging for their later departure south.

Interesting, whatever it was. Thanks for your post.

Dave Leatherman

Fort Collins

From: millerrichj via Colorado Birds <cobirds@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 30, 2017 12:00 AM
To: cobirds@googlegroups.com
Subject: [cobirds] Hawks Galore in Wetmore (Custer)

This morning in the fields north of Wetmore I counted over 100 buteos in an area of maybe 50 acres. Most were perched on fence posts, a few were on the ground. None were flying. They were mixed buteo species. I identified Red-tailed, Swainson's and a Harrier. It was private property and most were too far away to identify as species, however, they appeared to be mostly buteos.

I don't remember ever seeing anything like this before It was almost surreal. Why would so many hawks converge on one area in late July?

Rich Miller

Canon City

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[cobirds] Colorado Rare Bird Alert, 31 July 2017

Compiler: Joyce Takamine

e-mail: RBA AT cobirds.org

Date: July 31, 2017

This is the Rare Bird Alert for Monday, July 31 sponsored by Denver Field Ornithologists and the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies.

Highlight species include: (* indicates new information on this species)

NOTE: The RBA is now using the new AOU checklist and the order of families has changes.

Wood Duck (Washington)

Bufflehead (Larimer)

Barrow's Goldeneye (Chaffee)

Northern Bobwhite (*Arapahoe)

Greater Sage-Grouse (Jackson)

White-tailed Ptarmigan (*Boulder)

Dusky Grouse (Boulder)

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (*Larimer)

Greater Roadrunner (El Paso)

Black Swift (*Boulder)

Chimney Swift (Jefferson)

RIVOLI'S (MAGNIFICENT) HUMMINGBIRD (Gilpin, Jefferson)

Sandhill Crane (Park)

Semipalmated Plover (Jackson)

Stilt Sandpiper (Jackson)

Pectoral Sandpiper (El Paso, Jackson)

Semipalmated Sandpiper (Jackson)

Solitary Sandpiper (El Paso)

Black Tern (El Paso, Washington)

Common Loon (Ouray)

CALIFORNIA CONDOR (Dolores)

Mississippi Kite (El Paso, Las Animas)

Red-headed Woodpecker (Adams, El Paso, Las Animas, Washington)

Williamson's Sapsucker (Pueblo)

American Three-toed Woodpecker (*Boulder, Gunnison)

Least Flycatcher (Weld)

Gray Flycatcher (*Boulder)

Eastern Phoebe (Douglas)

Chihuahuan Raven (Kiowa)

Pacific Wren (*Boulder)

Carolina Wren ((Las Animas)

Bewick's Wren (Las Animas)

Curve-billed Thrasher (*El Paso, Fremont)

Brown-capped Rosy-Finch (*Boulder, El Paso)

McCown's Longspur (*Larimer)

Northern Parula (Larimer)

Yellow-throated Warbler (Pueblo)

Lark Bunting (*Jackson, Washington)

Black-throated Sparrow (*Fremont)

Fox Sparrow (*Boulder, Jackson, *Larimer, San Juan)

Summer Tanager (Baca, Las Animas, Montezuma)

Indigo Bunting (Kiowa)

Dickcissel (Boulder, Douglas, El Paso)

Bobolink (Boulder)

ARAPAHOE COUNTY:

---On July 30 at Cherry Creek Valley Ecological Park, Cynthia Madsen and David Hill reported Northern Bobwhite.

BOULDER COUNTY:

---On July 22 at Rocky Mountain NP, Wild Basin, Renee Casias reported 3 Black Swift, Pacific Wren, and Fox Sparrow. On July 23 at Rocky Mountain NP, Wild Basin, Dean Shoup and Tim Smart reported 4 Black Swifts and singing Pacific Wren; Candice Johnson reported f American Three-toed Woodpecker just below Calypso Cascades and Pacific Wren. On July 25 at Rocky Mountain NP, Ouzel Falls, Luke Pheneger reported 3 Dusky Grouse, American Three-toed Woodpecker, Pacific Wren, and Fox Sparrow (slate-colored) and Ted Floyd reported Pacific Wren. On July 26 at Rocky Mountain NP, Ouzel Falls, Loch Kilpatrick reported Black Swift and Pacific Wren. On July 30 at Rocky Mountain NP, Wild Basin, Frank Farrell, Aaron Shipe, Peer Burke reported Black Swifts, American Three-toed Woodpeckers and Pacific Wren.

---On July 30 at Fourth of July Campground and Trail, Luke Pheneger reported 4 White-tailed Ptarmigan, 2 Fox Sparrows (slate-colored) and 4 Brown-capped Rosy-Finch.

---On July 39 at Boulder Creek on University of Colorado Campus, Paul Barchilon reported Gray Flycatcher.

CHAFFEE COUNTY:

---On July 24 at Sands Lake SWA, Christian Hagenlocher reported m Barrow's Goldeneye. On July 26 at Sands Lake SWA, Van Truan reported m Barrow's Goldeneye.

DOLORES COUNTY:

---On July 24, Steve Heath reported a soaring CALIFORNIA CONDOR 4 miles above Bradfield bridge on Dolores River.

DOUGLAS COUNTY:

---On July 29 at Charfield SP, Diane Roberts and Felice Lyons reported Eastern Phoebe.

---On July 24 at Spruce Mountain Road fields, Monday Birders reported Dickcissel.

EL PASO COUNTY:

---On July 26 at Ramah Reservoir SWA, Cheri Phillips reported Solitary Sandpiper, Red-headed Woodpecker, and Dickcissel; Cole Wolf reported Pectoral Sandpiper, 2 Solitary Sandpipers, 6 Black Terns, and 4 Dickcissels (2 at N end and 2 at S end).

---On July 27 at Fountain Creek Regional Park, Tanja Britton reported Mississippi Kite. On July 28 at Fountain Creek Regional Park, Diane Roberts reported Mississippi Kite.

---On July 24 at Pikes Peak Summit, Clive Harris reported 5 Brown-capped Rosy-Finch. On July 25 at Pikes Peak Summit, Joel Adams reported 3 Brown-capped Rosy-Finch.

---On July 28 at Hanover Road, Diane Roberts reported Greater Roadrunner and 2 Curve-billed Thrashers.

---On July 30 at Hanover Fire Station, Tanja Britton reported 2 Curve-billed Thrashers.

FREMONT COUNTY:

---On July 29 at Siloam Road at CR 110, Joel Adams reported 6 Black-throated Sparrows.

---On July 29 at CR 123 near Penrose, Joel Adams reported 2 Curve-billed Thrashers.

GILPIN COUNTY:

---On July 25 at Golden Gate Canyon Park, northernmost picnic area on Mountain Base Road, Steve Mlodinow reported f RIVOLI'S (MAGNIFICIENT) HUMMINGBIRD.

JACKSON COUNTY:

---On July 28 at MacFarlane Reservoir, Chuck Hundertmark reported 6 Greater Sage-Grouse and m Lark Bunting. On July 29 at MacFarlane Reservoir, Steve Mlodinow reported Semipalmated Plover and Semipalmated Sandpiper.

---On July 28 at Walden on CR 34, Chuck Hundertmark reported Lark Bunting.

---On Juy 28 at 18 Island Reservoir, Chuck Hundertmark reported Pectoral Sandpiper. On July 28 at 18 Island Reservoir, Steve Mlodinow reported 8 Stilt Sandpipers.

---On July 28 on CR 21, Steve Mlodinow reported a pair of Lark Buntings and Fox Sparrow (slate-colored).

JEFFERSON COUNTY:

---On July 27 at Hildebrand Ranch Park, David Suddjian reported Chimney Swift and Matt Clark reported

f-type RIVOLI'S (MAGNIFICIENT) HUMMINGBIRD by the stream.

LARIMER COUNTY:

---On July 27 at Rigden Reservoir (Strauss Cabin Lake), Nick Komar reported f Bufflehead.

---On July 24 at Gateway Natural Area, Jonathan Layman reported Northern Parula.

---On July 28 at Rocky Mountain National Park, Old Fall River Road, Elaine Coley and Jim Thompson reported Fox Sparrow.

---On July 29 at Wellington SWA Cobb Lake Unit, Andy Bankert and Mik McCloy found Yellow-billed Cuckoo and later Nick Komar, David Wade, John Shenot and Austin Hess were able to relocated the Cuckoo. On July 30 at Wellington SWA Cobb Lake Unit, Danny Montalvo, Austin Hess, Brandon Nooner, Walter Wehtje, Christine and Richard Sparks reported Yellow-billed Cuckoo.

---On July 30 at Soapstone Prairie NA, Mike McCloy reported 6 McCown's Longspurs.

LAS ANIMAS COUNTY:

---On July 24 at Cottonwood Canyon CG, Paul Conover reported Mississippi Kite, Red-headed Woodpecker, Carolina Wren, 3 Summer Tanagers (1m, 1f, 1juv), and Bewick's Wren.

---On July 30 in town of Branson, Tony Leukering reported Carolina Wren.

PARK COUNTY:

---On July 26 at Spinney Mountain Reservoir, Michael Emnaker reported 2 Sandhill Carnes at Antero rehab area.

PUEBLO COUNTY:

---On July 25 at Mineral Palace Park, Van Truan reported singing Yellow-throated Warbler at NW corner of park in Sycamore.

WASHINGTON COUNTY:

---On July 28 at Prewitt Reservoir, Norm Lewis reported Wood Duck, 10 Black Terns, 6 Red-headed Woodpeckers and Lark Bunting.

WELD COUNTY:

---On July 29 at Crow Valley CG, Cole Wolf reported 2 Least Flycatcher near the NW corner.

Denver Field Ornithologists Field Trips:

The DFO Field Trip for August 5,6 to North Park led by Chuck Hundertmark and Paul Slingsby (chundertmark8 AT gmail.com; 303-604-0531). This is an overnight trip. Meet leaders at Moose Visitor Center, CO Hwy 14 at 1200 (Noon) on Saturday, August 5.

Leaders recommend making reservations at Park Inn and suites or Chedsey Motel. Scopes will be helpful. Bring lunch for the first day, sunscreen, insect repellent, and water. Register online or contact leader.

For more information on the field trips go to dfobirds.org.

Good Birding,

Joyce Takamine

Boulder

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Sunday 30 July 2017

Re: [cobirds] Hawks Galore in Wetmore (Custer)

Rich,

I was in that area birding the day before and was surprised to see 4 Swainson's flying together just north of Wetmore. There was a big storm moving in so if others were there they might have already dispersed.

SeEtta Moss

Canon City

http://BirdsAndNature.blogspot.com

On Sun, Jul 30, 2017 at 1:00 AM, millerrichj via Colorado Birds <cobirds@googlegroups.com> wrote:

This morning in the fields north of Wetmore I counted over 100 buteos in an area of maybe 50 acres. Most were perched on fence posts, a few were on the ground. None were flying. They were mixed buteo species. I identified Red-tailed, Swainson's and a Harrier. It was private property and most were too far away to identify as species, however, they appeared to be mostly buteos.

I don't remember ever seeing anything like this before It was almost surreal. Why would so many hawks converge on one area in late July?

Rich Miller

Canon City

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Re: [cobirds] Hawks Galore in Wetmore (Custer)

On Sunday, July 30, 2017 at 8:32:27 AM UTC-6, Dave Leatherman wrote:

Rich,

I have been spending a fair amount of time on the western part of the West Unit of the Pawnee Grasslands this summer tracking the activities of loggerhead shrikes. I have seen virtually no Swainson's Hawks. I recorded a whopping 1 on each of two 150-mile loops in the last month. Grasshopper expert Tim McNary, formerly of USDA-APHIS and now an affiliate of the Gillette Museum at Colorado State recently went out to Crow Valley and came home with only a dozen or so specimens of hoppers of, I think, four species! Tim can usually find that many before he gets out of the car! Normally the most commonly impaled object of shrikes are grasshoppers (particularly two species, Xanthippus corallipes and Arphia conspersa). This summer, I've maybe seen a total of 10 grasshoppers impaled. I've seen 5X that many hoppers impaled in one shrike territory in years past. Very few big hoppers this year on the northern prairie. The shrikes have compensated by terrorizing herps and various crickets.

I have heard the hopper population in southeastern CO is just the opposite, at least at present in terms of nymphs. Clouds of them when you walk thru a pasture. Maybe there are also good hopper populations in the meadows of the Wet Mountains. All the moisture is growing green hopper food, i.e. plants. Maybe what you saw is a regional relocation of hawks in response to food abundance, sort of like what we're seeing with dickcissels. Maybe many of the hawks that normally populate the northern plains never made it up here, or maybe had second thoughts once they got here and drifted back south, who knows? I do know I had that big number of 160+ Swainson's hawks on my Lamar BBS route which was bizarre in my experience. I received comments that these were probably mostly young, non-breeding birds that just come north to loaf and feed for their first independent summer before returning south. Maybe the majority of what you saw was this age group. My bet would be the majority of buteos were Swainson's, and that they were also somewhat staging for their later departure south.

Interesting, whatever it was. Thanks for your post.

Dave Leatherman

Fort Collins

From: millerrichj via Colorado Birds <cob...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 30, 2017 12:00 AM
To: cob...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [cobirds] Hawks Galore in Wetmore (Custer)

This morning in the fields north of Wetmore I counted over 100 buteos in an area of maybe 50 acres. Most were perched on fence posts, a few were on the ground. None were flying. They were mixed buteo species. I identified Red-tailed, Swainson's and a Harrier. It was private property and most were too far away to identify as species, however, they appeared to be mostly buteos.

I don't remember ever seeing anything like this before It was almost surreal. Why would so many hawks converge on one area in late July?

Rich Miller

Canon City

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Last Sunday I saw at least 4 Swainson's hawks between Falcon and Peyton which seemed high compared to prior visits to this area..

http://www.avoapples.com/birds/_MG_5242_cr.jpg

http://www.avoapples.com/birds/_MG_5313_cr.jpg

Bill Kosar

bill_kosar@msn.com

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[cobirds] Observation list

I submitted an observation list this morning. I did make a mistake. The swallow count should read 100+ Tree Swallows not Violet Green.
Question: Would it be better if I edited my observations to exclude Robins, Swallows, the go called common birds?

Thanks

JIM THOMPSON

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[cobirds] Fwd: eBird Report - Rocky Mt Nat. Park, Jul 28, 2017

Fall River Road can be tranversed via car without issue.
----- Forwarded Message -----
Rocky Mt Nat. Larimer County
Jul 28, 2017 9:45 AM - 3:15 PM
Protocol: Traveling
15.0 mile(s)
Comments: Elaine Coley and I drove the Old Fall River Road . The birds are all from the Fall River Road
18 species (+2 other taxa)

Broad-tailed Hummingbird 1
Hairy Woodpecker 2
Western Wood-Pewee 1
Steller's Jay 1
Black-billed Magpie 1 not on the Old Fall River Road but lower in the park at East entrance.
American Crow 3
Common Raven 2
Tree Swallow 0
Violet-green Swallow 100 Observed close up using cavities in Aspin trees. Do they nest this late in the year?
Mountain Chickadee 5 numerous thru out the trip.
chickadee sp. 25 heard and observed.
Bushtit 15 Low scrubs etc. Odd at this altitude? About 8000 feet. Close observation by two people.
nuthatch sp. 5 heard not seen
American Robin 3
American Pipit 3 seen and heard. near tree line
Fox Sparrow 1
Dark-eyed Junco 8
White-crowned Sparrow 3 two singing (seemed like a different song vs lower elevation birds, one visual at same location as bushtits and pine grosbeak. just below tree line--odd.
Pine Grosbeak 3 at tree line LIFE BIRD
Cassin's Finch 20 numerous. did not try counting.
Pine Siskin 15

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S38392325

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

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[cobirds] Pine Siskin, Adams Cty 7-29-17

Hi folks,

I'm sure that subject line wasn't exactly riveting to most birders, but during an early-evening run through my nearby residential neighborhoods, I encountered a pair of Pine Siskins attending to some sunflowers right along 92nd Ave not far from Federal Blvd. Pine Siskins are of course fully expected and typical at higher elevations right now, but seeing them in the city in July was a bit surprising. Ebird shows very few July urban Denver sightings of Pine Siskin over the past 10 years.

-------

Eric DeFonso
Westminster, CO

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Re: [cobirds] Hawks Galore in Wetmore (Custer)

Rich,

Interesting, whatever it was. Thanks for your post.

Dave Leatherman

Fort Collins

From: millerrichj via Colorado Birds <cobirds@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 30, 2017 12:00 AM
To: cobirds@googlegroups.com
Subject: [cobirds] Hawks Galore in Wetmore (Custer)

I don't remember ever seeing anything like this before It was almost surreal. Why would so many hawks converge on one area in late July?

Rich Miller

Canon City

[cobirds] Colorado Rare Bird Alert, 30 July 2017

Compiler: Joyce Takamine

e-mail: RBA AT cobirds.org

Date: July 30, 2017

This is the Rare Bird Alert for Sunday, July 30 sponsored by Denver Field Ornithologists and the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies.

Highlight species include: (* indicates new information on this species)

NOTE: The RBA is now using the new AOU checklist and the order of families has changes.

Wood Duck (Washington)

Bufflehead (Larimer)

Barrow's Goldeneye (Chaffee)

Greater Sage-Grouse (Jackson)

Dusky Grouse (Boulder)

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (*Larimer)

Greater Roadrunner (El Paso)

Black Swift (Boulder)

Chimney Swift (Jefferson)

RIVOLI'S (MAGNIFICENT) HUMMINGBIRD (Gilpin, Jefferson)

Sandhill Crane (Park)

Semipalmated Plover (*Jackson)

Stilt Sandpiper (*Jackson)

Pectoral Sandpiper (El Paso, Jackson)

Semipalmated Sandpiper (*Jackson)

Solitary Sandpiper (El Paso)

Black Tern (El Paso, Washington)

Common Loon (Ouray)

CALIFORNIA CONDOR (Dolores)

Mississippi Kite (El Paso, Las Animas)

Red-headed Woodpecker (Adams, El Paso, Las Animas, Washington)

Williamson's Sapsucker (Pueblo)

American Three-toed Woodpecker (Boulder, Gunnison)

Least Flycatcher (*Weld)

Eastern Phoebe (*Douglas)

Chihuahuan Raven (Kiowa)

Pacific Wren (Boulder)

Carolina Wren (Las Animas)

Bewick's Wren (Las Animas)

Curve-billed Thrasher (El Paso, *Fremont)

Brown-capped Rosy-Finch (El Paso)

Northern Parula (Larimer)

Yellow-throated Warbler (Pueblo)

Lark Bunting (*Jackson, Washington)

Black-throated Sparrow (*Fremont)

Fox Sparrow (Boulder, *Jackson, Larimer, San Juan)

Summer Tanager (Baca, Las Animas, Montezuma)

Indigo Bunting (Kiowa)

Dickcissel (Boulder, Douglas, El Paso)

Bobolink (Boulder)

BOULDER COUNTY:

CHAFFEE COUNTY:

---On July 24 at Sands Lake SWA, Christian Hagenlocher reported m Barrow's Goldeneye. On July 26 at Sands Lake SWA, Van Truan reported m Barrow's Goldeneye.

DOLORES COUNTY:

---On July 24, Steve Heath reported a soaring CALIFORNIA CONDOR 4 miles above Bradfield bridge on Dolores River.

DOUGLAS COUNTY:

---On July 29 at Charfield SP, Diane Roberts and Felice Lyons reported Eastern Phoebe.

---On July 24 at Spruce Mountain Road fields, Monday Birders reported Dickcissel.

EL PASO COUNTY:

---On July 27 at Fountain Creek Regional Park, Tanja Britton reported Mississippi Kite. On July 28 at Fountain Creek Regional Park, Diane Roberts reported Mississippi Kite.

---On July 24 at Pikes Peak Summit, Clive Harris reported 5 Brown-capped Rosy-Finch. On July 25 at Pikes Peak Summit, Joel Adams reported 3 Brown-capped Rosy-Finch.

---On July 28 at Hanover Road, Diane Roberts reported Greater Roadrunner and 2 Curve-billed Thrashers.

FREMONT COUNTY:

---On July 29 at Siloam Road at CR 110, Joel Adams reported 6 Black-throated Sparrows.

---On July 29 at CR 123 near Penrose, Joel Adams reported 2 Curve-billed Thrashers.

GILPIN COUNTY:

---On July 25 at Golden Gate Canyon Park, northernmost picnic area on Mountain Base Road, Steve Mlodinow reported f RIVOLI'S (MAGNIFICIENT) HUMMINGBIRD.

JACKSON COUNTY:

---On July 28 at Walden on CR 34, Chuck Hundertmark reported Lark Bunting.

---On Juy 28 at 18 Island Reservoir, Chuck Hundertmark reported Pectoral Sandpiper. On July 28 at 18 Island Reservoir, Steve Mlodinow reported 8 Stilt Sandpipers.

---On July 28 on CR 21, Steve Mlodinow reported a pair of Lark Buntings and Fox Sparrow (slate-colored).

JEFFERSON COUNTY:

---On July 27 at Hildebrand Ranch Park, David Suddjian reported Chimney Swift and Matt Clark reported

f-type RIVOLI'S (MAGNIFICIENT) HUMMINGBIRD by the stream.

LARIMER COUNTY:

---On July 27 at Rigden Reservoir (Strauss Cabin Lake), Nick Komar reported f Bufflehead.

---On July 24 at Gateway Natural Area, Jonathan Layman reported Northern Parula.

---On July 29 at Wellington SWA Cobb Lake Unit, Andy Bankert and Mik McCloy found Yellow-billed Cuckoo and later Nick Komar, David Wade, John Shenot and Austin Hess were able to relocated the Cuckoo.

LAS ANIMAS COUNTY:

---On July 24 at Cottonwood Canyon CG, Paul Conover reported Mississippi Kite, Red-headed Woodpecker, Carolina Wren, 3 Summer Tanagers (1m, 1f, 1juv), and Bewick's Wren.

PARK COUNTY:

---On July 26 at Spinney Mountain Reservoir, Michael Emnaker reported 2 Sandhill Carnes at Antero rehab area.

PUEBLO COUNTY:

---On July 25 at Mineral Palace Park, Van Truan reported singing Yellow-throated Warbler at NW corner of park in Sycamore.

WASHINGTON COUNTY:

---On July 28 at Prewitt Reservoir, Norm Lewis reported Wood Duck, 10 Black Terns, 6 Red-headed Woodpeckers and Lark Bunting.

WELD COUNTY:

---On July 29 at Crow Valley CG, Cole Wolf reported 2 Least Flycatcher near the NW corner.

Denver Field Ornithologists Field Trips:

The DFO Field Trip for Sunday, July 30 will be to South Platte Park led by Gregg Goodrich (GreggGoodrich AT gmai.com; 303-665-9135). Meet at 0800 at the south end of South Platte Park near C-470. From C-470 take Platte Cany Rd/SouthPlatte Park exit. From Platte Canyon Rd at Depew St, turn southeast onto the entrance road for South Platte Park. Continue past a 90-degree left tur and the first parking lot, and meet in the second parking lot.

This is an eBird mobile training field trip. You will need a smart phone and need to set up an account with eBird and download the app to your phone. Register online or contact leader.

For more information on the field trips go to dfobirds.org.

Good Birding,

Joyce Takamine

Boulder

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Saturday 29 July 2017

[cobirds] Hawks Galore in Wetmore (Custer)

I don't remember ever seeing anything like this before It was almost surreal. Why would so many hawks converge on one area in late July?

Rich Miller

Canon City

[cobirds] Eastern Larimer County 7/29

The Yellow-billed Cuckoo is still present at the shelter belt just north of Cobb Lake in the State Wildlife Area. Vocalizing very occasionally. Only got views because it flew out of the Juniper and Russian Olive trees a few times. Extremely difficult to see otherwise. Seen at about 4:20 P.M. on 7/29/17 with Nick Komar, David Wade, and John Shenot

Austin Hess
Fort Collins, Colorado

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[cobirds] Eastern Larimer County 7/29

Mike McCloy and I decided to skip hiking in the mountains with rain in the forecast and decided to bird a few local hotspots looking for early fall migrants. We found a lot of birds at Duck Lake and Fossil Creek Reservoir including a Baird's Sandpiper, 2 Hooded Mergansers, a family of Wood Ducks, large numbers of the gulls of the three expected species, and a Warbling Vireo. After that we decided it would be ok to check on a pond in Weld County along the county line road where we found a Ring-necked Duck, American Wigeon, Sora, and Least Sandpipers. Cobb Lake turned out to be the best spot of the day with over 50 species. Since we wanted to get as many species as possible on the eBird list, we decided to start by scanning the lake from the south parking area but were quickly distracted when a YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO started singing. Mike got a few photos and a recording which will be posted to eBird later today. The wildlife area had Brewer's Sparrow, a family of Northern Harriers, as well as a probable migrant wood-pewee. One last scan of the lake before leaving produced an early Common Loon. A few more stops for shorebirds around the northern part of the county had more Baird's Sandpipers, Wilson's Phalaropes, and a Greater Yellowlegs. Overall, we had 94 species for the morning and I was able to get a new county bird which is always exciting!

Good Birding,

Andy Bankert

Fort Collins

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[cobirds] June 2017 Birds, Woodland Park Area and Beyond

Woodland Park Yard Area, 8500 feet elevation, most species singing thru the month

Black-headed Grosbeak
Evening Grosbeak, a few
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Warbling Vireo
House Wren
Pine Siskin
Western Tanager
Mourning Dove
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Chipping Sparrow
House Finch
Red-breasted Nuthatch, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4, 6-6, 6-21, 6-22, 6-28
House Sparrow, 4 (2M, 2F) on 6-4, 2 MF on 6-7, 2 MF on 6-15
Green-tailed Towhee
Downy Woodpecker, 6-2
Lesser Goldfinch, 6-3, 6-20, late June too
Clark's Nutcracker, 6-4, 6-13, 6-20, 6-21, noisy family flocks in late June
Red Crossbill, 6-13 at Memorial Park, about 6 in yard area on 6-18, also late June
Cordilleran Flycatcher (at elevated birdbath on 6-15)
Western Bluebird, at ground moving water feature in late June
Eurasian Collared-Dove, 6-29, singing
Western Wood-Pewee, 6-29, singing

Weston Pass, Weston Peak, Ptarmigan Peak S of Fairplay on 6-8-17
American Pipit
Horned Lark
American Robin
Brown-capped Rosy-Finch (FOS)
Wilson's Warbler
Broad-tailed Hummingbird (at about 13,000 feet elevation)
Hammond's Flycatcher

Catamount Reservoir Loop Trail on 6-10-17, most birds singing
Spotted Sandpiper (FOS)
Hermit Thrush
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Ring-billed Gull
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Warbling Vireo
House Wren
Pine Siskin

South Ben Tyler Trail, Lost Creek Wilderness on 5-29-17
Three-toed Woodpecker

Parent's House in Englewood on 6-18 and 6-19
House Wren, feeding young in nest box, singing
Broad-tailed Hummingbird, 2M
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Chipping Sparrow, singing

Sister's House in Highlands Ranch on 6-18
Lesser Goldfinch, singing
House Wren, singing
Bushtit

Missouri Mountain Trail W of Buena Vista on 6-25, most species singing
White-tailed Ptarmigan, scat and a feather in small willows along trail just before split in trail to Elkead Pass and Missouri Mountain
Brown-capped Rosy-Finch
American Pipit
White-crowned Sparrow
Wilson's Warbler
Hammond's Flycatcher
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
Mountain Chickadee
Hermit Thrush
Lincoln's Sparrow
Williamson's Sapsucker

Fourmile Creek Trail, Dome Rock SWA, S of Divide on 6-26-17, most species singing
MacGillivray's Warbler
Cordilleran Flycatcher
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Black-headed Grosbeak
Hermit Thrush
Lincoln's Sparrow

Mount Columbia Trail, Southern Route on 6-21-17
Golden Eagle, 2
American Pipit
Brown-capped Rosy-Finch
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
Broad-tailed Hummingbird, at 12,000+ feet
Green-tailed Towhee
Snowshoe Hare

Rainbow Gulch and Rampart Reservoir Trail, Woodland Park on 6-30-17, most species singing
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
House Wren
Lazuli Bunting, 1
Hermit Thrush
Warbling Vireo
Western Tanager
Black-headed Grosbeak
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Song Sparrow

Joe LaFleur
Woodland Park, Teller County, 8500 feet elevation

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[cobirds] Colorado Rare Bird Alert, 29 July 2017

Compiler: Joyce Takamine

e-mail: RBA AT cobirds.org

Date: July 29, 2017

This is the Rare Bird Alert for Saturday, July 29 sponsored by Denver Field Ornithologists and the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies.

Highlight species include: (* indicates new information on this species)

NOTE: The RBA is now using the new AOU checklist and the order of families has changes.

Trumpeter Swan (Archuleta)

Wood Duck (Kiowa, *Washington)

Mallard (Mexican Intergrade) (Weld)

Bufflehead (Larimer)

Barrow's Goldeneye (Chaffee)

Ruddy Duck (Cheyenne)

Northern Bobwhite (Logan, Weld)

Greater Sage-Grouse (*Jackson)

Dusky Grouse (Boulder)

Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Cheyenne)

Yellow-billed Cuckoo Kiowa)

Greater Roadrunner (*El Paso)

Black Swift (Boulder)

Chimney Swift (Jefferson)

RIVOLI'S (MAGNIFICENT) HUMMINGBIRD (Gilpin, Jefferson)

Sandhill Crane (Park)

Semipalmated Plover (Bent)

Mountain Plover (Weld)

Upland Sandpiper (Larimer)

Long-billed Curlew (Bent, Kiowa)

Stilt Sandpiper (El Paso)

Semipalmated Sandpiper (Bent, Kiowa)

Pectoral Sandpiper (El Paso, *Jackson)

Solitary Sandpiper (El Paso, Jefferson, Logan)

Black Tern (El Paso, Kiowa, *Washington)

Common Loon (Ouray)

CALIFORNIA CONDOR (Dolores)

Mississippi Kite (Baca, Cheyenne, *El Paso, Las Animas, Pueblo)

Cattle Egret (Jefferson)

Lewis's Woodpecker (Arculeta)

Red-headed Woodpecker (Adams, Baca, Cheyenne, El Paso, Kiowa, Las Animas, Logan, *Washington, Weld)

Acorn Woodpecker (Pueblo)

Williamson's Sapsucker (Pueblo)

Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Baca)

American Three-toed Woodpecker (Boulder, Gunnison, Mesa)

EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE (Logan)

Least Flycatcher (Cheyenne, Douglas, Logan)

Gray Flycatcher (Archuleta)

Black Phoebe (Boulder)

Eastern Phoebe (Baca, Boulder, Douglas, Jefferson)

Cassin's Kingbird (Baca)

Bell's Vireo (Logan)

Chihuahuan Raven (Baca, Fremont, Kiowa)

Purple Martin (Las Animas, Mesa)

Pacific Wren (Boulder)

Carolina Wren (Las Animas)

Bewick's Wren (Baca, Las Animas, Montezuma)

Curve-billed Thrasher (Baca, *El Paso, Fremont)

Brown-capped Rosy-Finch (El Paso)

McCown's Longspur (Larimer)

Lucy's Warbler (Montezuma)

Northern Parula (Larimer)

Yellow-throated Warbler (Pueblo)

Rufous-crowned Sparrow (Baca)

Canyon Towhee (Baca, El Paso)

Brewer's Sparrow (Arapahoe)

Lark Bunting (Alamosa, Eagle, *Jackson, *Washington)

BAIRD'S SPARROW (Larimer)

Fox Sparrow (Boulder, Larimer, San Juan)

Summer Tanager (Baca, Las Animas, Montezuma)

Indigo Bunting (Kiowa)

Dickcissel (Bent, Boulder, Chaffee, Cheyenne, Douglas, El Paso, Kiowa, Las Animas)

Bobolink (Boulder)

Great-tailed Grackle (Kiowa)

Baltimore Oriole (Logan, Weld)

ALAMOSA COUNTY:

---On July 23 at Alamosa NWR, Courtenay Lou Harding reported Lark Buntings.

ARAPAHOE COUNTY:

---On July 19 at Parker Jordan Centennial Open Space, Cynthia Madsen and David Hill reported juv

Brewer's Sparrow.

ARCHULETA COUNTY:

---On July 22 at Pinon Lake Reservoir, Brandon Nooner reported Trumpeter Swan and 2 Lewis's Woodpeckers.

---On July 23 at Navajo SP and Reservoir, Charles Martinez reported Lewis's Woodpecker and 2 Gray Flycatchers.

BACA COUNTY:

---On July 18 at Cottonwood Canyon, Evan Carlson reported 6 Mississippi Kites, Red-headed Woodpecker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe, 4 Cassin's Kingbirds, 3 Bewick's Wrens, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, 4 Canyon Towhee, Summer Tanager.

---On July 18 at Cottonwood Canyon (southern loop), Evan Carlson reported 2 Red-headed Woodpeckers, 3 Cassin's Kingbirds, 4 Chihuahuan Ravesn, Curve-billed Thrasher, and 2 Rufous-crowned Sparrows.

BENT COUNTY:

---On July 21 at Adobe Creek Reservoir, Cole Wolf reported Semipalmated Plover, 18 Long-billed Curlew,

8 Semipalmated Sandpipers, and 3 Diickcissel.

BOULDER COUNTY:

---On July 19 at Brainard Lake, Matt Hofeditz and Boulder Bird Club reported Fox Sparrow.

---On July 22 at Boulder Creek at 75th St., David Blue reported Eastern Phoebe. On July 23 at Boulder Creek at 75th St., Alexander Brown reported Black Phoebe.

CHAFFEE COUNTY:

---On July 17 on CR 128 in Poncha Springs, Van Remsen reported 2 Dickcissels.

---On July 17 at Sands Lake SWA, Van Remsen reported Barrow's Goldeneye. On July 24 at Sands Lake SWA, Christian Hagenlocher reported m Barrow's Goldeneye. On July 26 at Sands Lake SWA, Van Truan reported m Barrow's Goldeneye.

CHEYENNE COUNTY:

---On July 18 in Kit Carson (town), Steve Mlodinow reported 4 Red-headed Woodpeckers.

---On July 18 in Cheyenne Wells, Steve Mlodinow reported Ruddy Ducky and Mississippi Kite.

---On July 18 on CR 9 between CR DD and CR GG, Steve Mlodinow reported 2 Least Flycathcers and 22 Dickcissels.

---On July 22 on CR 2 N of CR M, Steve Mlodinow reported 2 Lesser Prairie-Chickens.

DOLORES COUNTY:

---On July 24, Steve Heath reported a soaring CALIFORNIA CONDOR 4 miles above Bradfield bridge on Dolores River.

DOUGLAS COUNTY:

---On July 18 at Chatfield SP Platte River Parking Area, David Suddjian and DFO field trip reported 4 Eastern Phoebe at nest at restroom (1 ad, 3 good size nestlings) and 2 Least Flycatchers.

---On July 24 at Spruce Mountain Road fields, Monday Birders reported Dickcissel.

EAGLE COUNTY:

---On July 23 at Gypsum near Eagle Airport, Tom McConnell reported family of Lark Buntings; Vic Zerbi and Joann RIggle refound the Lark Buntings.

EL PASO COUNTY:

---On July 19 at Ramah Reservoir SWA, Cheri Phillips reported Black Tern, 2 Red-headed Woodpecker and 4 Dickcissel. On July 23 at Ramah Reservoir SWA, David Tonnessen reported Stilt Sandpiper, Solitary Sandpipers, Red-headed Woodpecker and 14 Dickcissels. On July 26 at Ramah Reservoir SWA, Cheri Phillips reported Solitary Sandpiper, Red-headed Woodpecker, and Dickcissel; Cole Wolf reported Pectoral Sandpiper, 2 Solitary Sandpipers, 6 Black Terns, and 4 Dickcissels (2 at N end and 2 at S end).

---On July 18 at Adams Open Space in Fountain, Tanja Britton reported Mississippi Kite.

---On July 21 at Venetucci Farm, David Rudin reported a flyover Mississippi Kite.

---On July 22 on Birdsall Road, Scott Somershoe reported Curve-billed Thrasher and 9 Canyon Towhee.

---On July 22 at Fountain Creek Regional Park, Robb Hinds reported Mississippi Kite. On July 27 at Fountain Creek Regional Park, Tanja Britton reported Mississippi Kite. On July 28 at Fountain Creek Regional Park, Diane Roberts reported Mississippi Kite.

---On July 23 at Squirrel Creek Road Reservoir, Tanja Britton reported Mississippi Kite.

---On July 23 at Pi Ute Park, Diana Beatty reported 2 Mississippi Kites.

---On July 24 at Pikes Peak Summit, Clive Harris reported 5 Brown-capped Rosy-Finch. On July 25 at Pikes Peak Summit, Joel Adams reported 3 Brown-capped Rosy-Finch.

---On July 28 at Hanover Road, Diane Roberts reported Greater Roadrunner and 2 Curve-billed Thrashers.

FREMONT COUNTY:

---On July 17 at Siloam Road, Evan Carlson reported 2 Chihuahuan Raven and Curve-billed Thrasher.

GILPIN COUNTY:

---On July 25 at Golden Gate Canyon Park, northernmost picnic area on Mountain Base Road, Steve Mlodinow reported f RIVOLI'S (MAGNIFICIENT) HUMMINGBIRD.

JACKSON COUNTY:

---On July 28 at MacFarlane Reservoir, Chuck Hundertmark reported 6 Greater Sage-Grouse and m Lark Bunting.

---On July 28 at Walden on CR 34, Chuck Hundertmark reported Lark Bunting.

---On Juy 28 at 18 Lsland Reservoir, Chuck Hundertmark reported Pectoral Sandpiper.

JEFFERSON COUNTY:

---On July 17 at Deer Creek at W Buckhorn Rd, David Suddjian reported Eastern Phoebe.

---On July 23 at Tucker Lake, Lorraine Lanning reported Cattle Egret and Solitary Sandpiper.

---On July 27 at Hildebrand Ranch Park, David Suddjian reported Chimney Swift and Matt Clark reported

f-type RIVOLI'S (MAGNIFICIENT) HUMMINGBIRD by the stream.

KIOWA COUNTY:

---On July 17 at Neenoshe Reservoir, Gloria Nikolai reported 2 Red-headed Woodpeckers and 2 Chihuahuan Ravens. On July 22 at Neenoshe Reservoir, Steve Mlodinow reported Long-billed Curlew, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Red-headed Woodpecker, Indigo Bunting and 445 Great-tailed Grackles.

---On July 22 at Adobe Creek Reservoir, Steve Mlodinow reported Semipalmated Sandpiper and 6 Dickcissel.

---On July 22 at Lower Queens Reservoir, Steve Mlodinow reported f Wood Duck, 3 Black Terns, and Dickcissel.

LARIMER COUNTY:

---On July 20 at Soapstone Prairie NA, Derek Lecy reported hearing BAIRD'S SPARROW. On July 23 at Soapstone Prairie NA, Adam Veseley, Chris Gilbert, and Renee Casias reported McCown's Longspur and 2 BAIRD'S SPARROWS.

---On July 23 at Rigden Reservoir (Strauss Cabin Lake), David Wade reported f Bufflehead. On July 27 at Rigden Reservoir (Strauss Cabin Lake), Nick Komar reported f Bufflehead.

---On July 23 at Wellington SWA Schware Unit, Nick Komar and Austin Hess heard Upland Sandpiper.

---On July 24 at Gateway Natural Area, Jonathan Layman reported Northern Parula.

LAS ANIMAS COUNTY:

---On July 20 on CR 42 west of Aguilar, Brandon Percival reported m Purple Martin and 6 Dickcissels.

---On July 24 at Cottonwood Canyon CG, Paul Conover reported Mississippi Kite, Red-headed Woodpecker, Carolina Wren, 3 Summer Tanagers (1m, 1f, 1juv), and Bewick's Wren.

LOGAN COUNTY:

---On July 22 at Tamarack Ranch SWA, Heather and Riley Morris reported 5 Northern Bobwhite, 4 Solitary Sandpipers, 19 Red-headed Woodpeckers, EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE, Least Flycatcher, 2 Bell's Vireo, 2 Baltimore Orioles.

MESA COUNTY:

---On July 19 at Fruita Reservoir #1, Mike Henwood reported 2 American Three-toed Woodpeckers (ad m and fledging)

---On July 20 on Grand Mesa, David Price reported 2 American Three-toed Woodpeckers.

---On July 22 NE of Collbran where 64.3 Rd enters first Aspen Grove, Nic Korte reported 2 m Purple Martins.

MONTEZUMA COUNTY:

---On July 22 on Road G (37.3369, -108.8347), Steve Larson reported 2 Lucy's Warblers and Bewick's Wren.

PARK COUNTY:

---On July 26 at Spinney Mountain Reservoir, Michael Emnaker reported 2 Sandhill Carnes at Antero rehab area.

PUEBLO COUNTY:

---On July 17 at Pueblo Mt Park, Evan Carlson reported Acorn Woodpecker. On July 22 at Pueblo Mt Park, Van Truan reported Acorn Woodpecker.

---On July 23 at 19th and Court St in Pueblo, Van Truan reported 2 Mississippi Kites and Yellow-throated Warbler.

---On July 25 at Mineral Palace Park, Van Truan reported singing Yellow-throated Warbler at NW corner of park in Sycamore.

WASHINGTON COUNTY:

---On July 28 at Prewitt Reservoir, Norm Lewis reported Wood Duck, 10 Black Terns, 6 Red-headed Woodpeckers and Lark Bunting.

WELD COUNTY:

---On July 18 on CR 89 just N of Hwy 14, Noah Kuck reported Mountain Plover.

---On July 22 at Behren's Reservoir, Gene Rutherford reported Mallard (Mexican intergrade).

---On July 22 at S Platte River near CR 61, Gene Rutherford reported Red-headed Woodpecker and 3 Baltimore Orioles (1 f, 2 1st fall m).

---On July 23 at CR 37 between CR 86 and CR 88, Gene Rutherford reported Northern Bobwhite.

Denver Field Ornithologists Field Trips

The DFO Field Trip for Saturday, July 29 will be to Bann Lakes SWA led by Mark Amershek (mamershek AT msn.com; 303-329-8646). Meet at the wildlife area at 0700 for a half-day trip. Take I-76 east; at the Hudson exit (exit 31), go four miles east on CO 52. The main parking lot is on the left (north) just past CR 53.

Will bird both the north and south sides of the area. There is moderate o- and off-trail hiking of about 2 to 3 miles. Scopes would be helpful but not necessary. Potential for a hawk/owl search of the DIA loop in the afternoon. Register online or contact leader.

This is an eBird mobile training field trip. You will need a smart phone and need to set up an account with eBird and download the app to your phone. Register online or contact leader.

For more information on the field trips go to dfobirds.org.

Good Birding,

Joyce Takamine

Boulder

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Friday 28 July 2017

[cobirds] nighthawks

I too saw over a dozen nighthawks flying around over my house near Davidson Mesa last night

Janet Hanley

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