[cobirds] Re: Chatfield SP June 16 (Jeffco/Douglas) and Ken Caryl Valley June 17 (Jeffco)

Hi CoBirders,

Just a clarification on my report from Chatfield for June 16, fwiw. I walked along the South Platte for a river distance of about 2 km, but with traveling on side trails and some coverage on the Douglas side as well as Jeffco, birding distance was probably more like 3+ km.

David Suddjian

Littleton, CO

On Tue, Jun 17, 2014 at 8:58 PM, David Suddjian <dsuddjian@gmail.com> wrote:

June 16

 

I birded in the early morning along the South Platte River at Chatfield SP from Kingfisher Bridge upstream for about 2 km, where I encountered too much flooding of the trails to continue comfortably (and flourishing poison ivy hindered off trail advances). Rare birds mentioned below were in Jeffco, except as noted. Highlights were a Yellow-billed Cuckoo about 1.75 km upstream of Kingfisher Bridge, an Eastern Phoebe continuing at Kingfisher Bridge, 3 male Indigo Buntings (2 south of Gravel Pond, 1 immediately south of the Platte River Parking Lot [Douglas]), 3 Blue Grosbeaks (2 south of Kingfisher, 1 at the Platte River Lot [Douglas]). 5 Red-eyed Vireos were in Jeffco, and 1 was on the Douglas side. A singing MacGillivray's Warbler about 400 m upstream of Kingfisher seemed to be notable for the park in June, and a calling Swainson's Thrush and Western Tanager were at the tail end of migration. An Osprey flew upriver, and a family of Bushtits had 9-10 young.

Some tallies of select other migrants were: 28 Broad-tailed Hummingbird, 6 Black-chinned Hummingbird, 55 Western Wood-Pewees, 24 Least Flycatchers (4 in Douglas), 8 Warbling Vireos, 108 House Wrens, 17 Gray Catbirds, 7 Cedar Waxwings, 133 Yellow Warblers, 11 American Redstarts (1 in Douglas), 39 Yellow-breasted Chats, and 19 Lazuli Buntings. I had confirmed breeding observations for the Least Fly, Red-eyed Vireo and redstart.

Additional uncommon breeders elsewhere in Chatfield included 1 Least Flycatcher at Deer Creek near the balloon launch site and two near Cottonwood Grove Picnic Area (Douglas), 1 Red-eyed Vireo at Cottonwood Grove (Douglas), and 1 Am. Redstart at Cottonwood Grove (Douglas).

June 17

Covered areas in Ken Caryl Valley Jeffco, including the trails (and off trail) on the slopes on the west side of the Valley. There is no general public access here. The best bird was a RED-HEADED WOODPECKER in an old pine / D-fir burn in the upper watershed of Massey Draw. I sampled some additional Ovenbird habitat that I did not sample on my late May mini-survey, and found 10 additional Ovenbirds (9 singing and one carrying nest material).

Some other birds noted were a singing Ruby-crowned Kinglet in the suburban style development at North Ranch Road (seemed odd in mid-June, but there are many planted conifers), Bushtit families at North Ranch Road and at a spot on the trails in the hills, and an adult Sharp-shinned Hawk in the upper watershed of Dutch Creek.

David Suddjian

Littleton, CO

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