Sorry for the delayed email, but by the time I finished entering data into eBird, it was definitely past bedtime.
Cathy Sheeter and I did some birding in various bodies of water n and s of Greeley.
The pond along Weld Co Rd 46 near 37 was shrouded in fog at sunrise, or rather, mist rising off the waters, but we could still make out 6 TUNDRA SWANS there. Also, 150+ WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS and 30+ Am TREE SPARROWS and nearly 50 SONG SPARROWS. 23 KILLDEER where huddled up around a mud puddle. A TAIGA MERLIN snacked on a nearby pole.
We did a drive through Beebe Draw where we encountered a flock of 5000 or so RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS with 5 YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS, and an AMERICAN PIPIT (not with the blackbirds :o)
Deciding that fog avoidance was the best way to go, we headed north.
Seeley Reservoir was first up, with >1000 COMMON MERGANSERS and >100 RB MERGANSERS
At Neff Lake (along 392 several miles e. of Windsor) we had >4000 LESSER CANADA GEESE and nearly 1000 CACKLING GEESE. Also, several ROSS'S and SNOW GEESE.
Woods Lake was, as usual, fabulous: 32 SNOW GEESE, 11 ROSS'S GEESE, 1000 CACKLING GEESE, 1 SNOW x CACKLING GOOSE, 1 gorgeous MALLARD x N PINTAIL, 1 THAYER'S GULL, and a singing HARRIS'S SPARROW
Nearby Angel Lake was not to be outdone: 1 ROSS'S x CANADA GOOSE, 1 BUFFLEHEAD x HOODED MERGANSER, a TURKEY VULTURE, and a PEREGRINE FALCON, among masses of ducks (eg, 1000 Mallards, but no Mexi Duck this time).
Windsor Lake was not as good as a few days ago, but still had nearly 700 COMMON MERGANSERS and 51 RB MERGANSERS, + 3 THAYER'S GULLS and a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL (and >100 HERRING GULLS). There were also 4+ GREATER YELLOWLEGS about.
Black Hollow Res was slow, being a Sunday and the nearby dump closed, with only about 500 gulls present, with one THAYER'S and one LBB GULL each.
Drake Lake was a suprise, though, with a GREAT BLACK BACKED GULL and a GW x HERRING GULL (the latter probably the same seen a week earlier at Black Hollow). The birds seemed headed towards Windsor Reservoir, so off to that area we went.
At Windsor Reservoir, a nice man let us access the dike at the n. side of the lake through his yard. Cathy saw the GBB GULL fly in. Later, it was chasing Herring Gulls around like an enormous jaeger. Most of the gulls at Windsor Res were CALIFORNIA GULLS (hundreds) which surprised us, since we'd only seen handfuls at other locations. There was also a first cycle GLAUCOUS and a first cycle LBB GULL at Windsor Res + >1500 COMMON MERGS.
The Spanish Village Pond (near intersection of Weld Co Rd 55 an 54) had 3 GREATER YELLOWLEGS and a nearby hillside had 120 SANDHILL CRANES.
The Weld County Rd 59 pond was sans Eurasian Wigeon, as it was mostly frozen, but a nearby field had >50 SNOW GEESE among a couple thousand Canada Geese and another 115 SANDHILL CRANES.
Finally, Lower Latham had 59 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS upon it, thousands of geese, gulls, and ducks. The highlight, though, was 26 NORTHERN HARRIERS feeding and coming into roost along the south side.
A very long day, indeed, but much fun with vast numbers of birds seen, including a "lifer" for me in the Hooded Merganser x Bufflehead
Good Birding
Steven Mlodinow
Longmont, CO
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