I visited the park yesterday (8/4). The reservoir water levels were about a foot below the "normal" exposing new shoreline / mud bar / sand bar habitat in various areas. The Swim Beach and Marina sandspit areas had some interesting looking habitat opportunties but nothing of note was taking advantage of them on my visit. The mud bars exposed at the South Platte inlet (delta) were more interesting and did have a few minor goodies. The road to the Plum Creek delta area is still closed, but I suppose one could walk in.
-- At the Swim Beach an adult Bald Eagle cruised through, with an offended Osprey hot on its tail. Two White-faced Ibis flew over. A Forster's Tern was foraging of the beach and a Willet was there.
The Platte inlet (delta) area had a Solitary Sandpiper and a Least Sandpiper. I was surprised to have two female Hooded Mergansers fly in and land on the water. The willows here had a Green Heron, and there were good numbers of Great Blue Herons assembled, plus Snowy Egrets and Black-crowned Night-Herons.
Birding in some upland and riparian areas had some migrants such as Sage Thrashers, Chipping Sparrows, Lark Sparrows, some Yellow Warblers out of riparian habitat and such. A Townsend's Solitaire in the grove of small pines and juniper south of the Platte River parking lot was a surprise for me there in early August. In the recently flooded riparian along the Platte there were still Least Flycatchers (4 in DOU, 6 in JEF; several were juv.), 1 Red-eyed Vireo and 1 American Redstart (both DOU), and a handful of Yellow-breasted Chats. Yellow Warblers and Western Wood-Pewees were both still abundant, and both seemed to have had a successful nesting season perched about the flood waters, as there were many local young being fed.
Back home at Ken Caryl Valley a juvie Prairie Falcon was screaching around after an adult. Feed me!
David Suddjian
Littleton, CO
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