Tuesday, 16 May 2017

[cobirds] Deer Creek Canyon, South Valley Park, Ken Caryl Valley, JeffCo 5/15

Yesterday (5/15) I began at Massey Draw below my home in Ken Caryl Valley, where the highlight was a male Indigo Bunting. Gray Catbirds had arrived significantly, with 5 or so along Massey Draw in my home area, and many others elsewise in the morning at Deer Creek and South Valley Park.

The wetlands at the southern area of South Valley Park (Google Earth says the small drainage is named Docmann Gulch) had 8 Wilson's Snipe (they love that place!), and both Sora and Virginia Rail called (the former more noteworthy). A flock of 14 Cedar Waxwings flew north.

Moving to Deer Creek Canyon I stopped at the Grizzly Drive crossing of Deer Creek, where I found a pair of Eastern Phoebes. This was my first time to have the species there, having visited multiple times in the past three springs. So there are now at least three pairs of Eastern Phoebes on Deer Creek from the hogbacks to the first main foothill slopes. I confirmed the continuing presence of the other two pairs yesterday, too, and found one of the pair at Buckhorn Road was now sitting on a nest under the bridge there. 

Rattlesnake Gulch Trail in Deer Creek Canyon Park was very birdy with lots of singers and migrants. A highlight was a singing Nashville Warbler. A Dusky Grouse was a surprise for this trail. I rounded a bend, and there see was, soon scurrying up into the scrub. 

Ovenbirds had returned big time to their favored habitats along South Deer Creek Road, High Grade Road and Pleasant Park Road. I tallied a cumulative 22 at a number of stops, all in known locations, all singing.Other birds in these areas included a few Red Crossbills (Type 2), 2 Evening Grosbeaks, a number of MacGilivray's Warblers, etc. Oehlmann Park Road along the upper margin of the Deer Creek watershed had 2 Band-tailed Pigeons, more Wilson's Snipes, Red-naped and Williamson's Sapsuckers, a singing Townsend's Warbler, and two singing Lincoln's Sparrows in suitable breeding habitat.

Returning down canyon, a Red-eyed Vireo was at Buckhorn Road near Cougar Road. It was silent, but the Warbling and Plumbeous Vireos in an adjacent tree were vociferous.

Lastly, this bird at South Valley Park tried to help me with its ID, but I'm not sure it is correct... 



David Suddjian
Ken Caryl Valley
Littleton, CO

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAGj6RopVvFO%2BPLY7mQqWWK2DnOfwjAyM2%2BpevW%2BwFk4GABwQmQ%40mail.gmail.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

No comments:

Post a Comment