[cobirds] New Boulder County shorebird hotspot

Hello, Birders.

In between birthday parties and soccer games (how all my Saturdays are, these days) this Saturday, May 3, I explored along N. 109th Street in Erie, eastern Boulder County. Just south of the Boulder Creek crossing, there's a new wetland created by the September 2013 floods. And it had birds, notably shorebirds: 2 Black-necked Stilts, 7 American Avocets, 1 Semipalmated Plover, 3 Killdeer, 6 Marbled Godwits, 2 Least Sandpipers, and 6 Long-billed Dowitchers. Also a Great Egret, cormorants and pelicans coming and going, and 5 White-faced Ibi. And several Vesper Sparrows, plus Swainson's Hawks going over. (Big Swainson's Hawk flight all day in eastern Boulder County.)

Here's a map and coordinates for the site:

http://tinyurl.com/Jasper-Road-mudflats

I've channeled Jean Dixon, and she tells me that this site is going to be Boulder County's 2014 version of Clover Basin Rez in 2010 or Teller Lake No. 5 in 2012. Let's keep an eye on this place. Park safely, obey signs, bird sensibly, and post your sightings to COBirds, eBird, and CFO-Facebook.

Over at Cottonwood Marsh, early in the morning, Hannah and Andrew and I saw an alternate male Cinnamon x Blue-winged Teal hybrid, 3 Eastern Kingbirds, and not a whole lot else.

Early afternoon, Sale Lake (it's near a soccer field...) had an Orange-crowned Warbler and some Bushtits.

Mid-afternoon, the north Boulder foothills had a lot of soccer players. And Swainson's Hawks going over.

Late-afternoon, Greenlee Reservoir had the usual suspects: singing Soras (at least three have taken up residence there) and Pied-billed Grebes, "singing" Yellow-headed Blackbirds, and silent drake Wood Ducks. Also my first western tiger swallowtail of the year.

Ted Floyd

Lafayette, Boulder County, Colorado