[cobirds] COLORADO RARE BIRD ALERT for March 1, 2020

Date: Sunday, March 1, 2020

Email: RBA AT Cobirds.org

Compiler: Dave Leatherman, daleatherman@msn.com

Phone: (970) 690-2257 (cell)

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Birders have been helpful by reporting updates to COBIRDS. Thanks!

CAPITAL LETTERS denote very rare species, as listed by the Colorado Bird Records Committee at the CFO website.

(*) indicates new information on a species.

For more information on birds seen today, go to cobirds.org and scroll to the bottom for "Recent eBird Sightings."

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Rare, out-of-place and out-of-season species include: 

 

Swan (Multiple counties reporting, with some listed below.  For other locations please check COBIRDS and eBird)

BRANT (*Denver)

Trumpeter Swan (*Mesa)

Tundra Swan (Eagle, Rio Grande, *Mesa)

Barrow's Goldeneye (Denver)

Sharp-tailed Grouse (Weld)

Dunlin (Pueblo)

Red-necked Phalarope (Boulder)

Mew Gull (Adams, Pueblo)

GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL (Larimer)

GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL (*Larimer, *Pueblo) 

Red-throated Loon (Pueblo)

Pacific Loon (*Pueblo)

GYRFALCON (Larimer)

PACIFIC WREN (Jefferson)

Winter Wren (*Jefferson)

SNOW BUNTING (Weld)

Rosy-Finches (*Boulder)

White-throated Sparrow (Pueblo)

Harris's Sparrow (Delta)

Rusty Blackbird (Eagle, Garfield)

Common Yellowthroat (*Jefferson)

Western Tanager (Pueblo)

 

Note, for locations listed below you are not familiar with, go to the Colorado Field Ornithologists' (CFO) website. Select the "Birding Resources" header and toggle down to "County Birding", and indicate county of interest. Site info is then available. https://coloradocountybirding.org/County/BySite.aspx. 

 

ADAMS COUNTY:

—On Feb 23 a Mew Gull was reported at Mann-Nyholt Lake in Henderson, first seen by Susan Rosine on Feb 20. 

 

BOULDER COUNTY: Mixed locks of Rosy-Finches (primarily Brown-capped Rosy-Finches and Gray-crowned Rosy Finches, with fewer Black Rosy-Finches) have been seen fairly regularly at 2 different feeders in Ward.  See Ted Floyd report for Feb 29.  The following map with the exact locations are from a COBirds post by Todd Deininger dated Feb. 25: https://www.google.com/mymaps/viewer?mid=1SJDqKgXs7pMs-DGfOShKT7CYC6I&hl=en_US

 

DELTA COUNTY:

---On Feb 27 a Harris's Sparrow was reported s of Hotchkiss on the e side of 34.00 Rd (38.785105, -107.724793) just s of the electric station by Dick Filby

 

DENVER COUNTY:

—On Feb 23 two Barrow's Goldeneyes were reported at Denver City Park/Duck Lake by Anita Denboske.

---On Feb 29 a black BRANT was reported from Central Park. This bird was first reported from nearby Bluff Lake Nature Center by Kathryn Kay on Feb 27.

 

EAGLE COUNTY:

—On Feb 26 a Tundra Swan was reported at Dostero Ponds by JoAnn Potter Riggle. 

—On Feb 26 two Rusty Blackbirds were reported at Daggett Lane. First reported on Feb 12 by JoAnn Potter Riggle.

 

GARFIELD COUNTY:

---On Feb 27 five Rusty Blackbirds were reported from Carbondale Nature Park by John Anderson.

 

JEFFERSON COUNTY:

—On Feb 23 a Rusty Blackbird was reported at Bear Creek Lake Park by Amanda Spears.

—On Feb 29 a continuing Winter Wren was reported at Wheat Ridge Greenbelt - West Lake.

—On Feb 29 the continuing wintering Common Yellowthroat on Clear Creek Trail (Golden to I-70) was reported by Michael Lester.

—On Feb 26 the wintering PACIFIC WREN was reported at BearCreek LakePark in Lakewood.  From the Whitetail Deer parking area walking to the creek, it has often been reported as close as 50-100 ft downstream.  This 1^st JeffCo eBird record first reported on Dec 22 by Chris Wood.  Note, this location requires a fee via Daily or AnnualPass (not covered by State Park Pass).

 

LARIMER COUNTY:

—On Feb 18 a GYRFALCON was seen on the big poles west of Taft on W Trilby Rd, near the Larimer County Landfill in Fort Collins. There is a new stake-out eBird hotspot near its favorite perch. This winter's first report was on Nov 3 by Robert Beauchamp. Please post updates to COBirds. Although not seen for over a week, including searches mid-morning on Feb 26, this bird is probably still around and, thus, retained on the RBA.  

---On Feb 29 a GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL (1st winter) was at WarrenLake in Fort Collins.

---On Feb 29 a GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL (1^st winter basic) was seen at Warren Lake, first reported by Nick Komar.

 

A word of caution: other unusual big, white-headed gulls, including hybrids, are at Warren Lake in Fort Collins eating winter-killed fish, best viewed from Breakwater Drive.  The core group of this gull set has been present for weeks at various locations in the Fort Collins area including Horsetooth Reservoir, Boyd Lake State Park and the Larimer County Landfill.  These gulls move around and updates are appreciated.

 

LOGAN COUNTY:

---On Feb 29 two Trumpeter Swans were reported at Red Lion SWA by Luke Pheneger.

 

MESA COUNTY:

---On Feb 26 three Trumpeter Swans were reported on the Colorado River at Debeque (39.1962,-108.2673) by Carol Ortenzio.

---On Feb 29 nine Trumpeter Swans were reported at Highline Lake SP by Ron Lambeth.

---On Feb 29 two Tundra Swans were reported at Highline Lake SP by Ron Lambeth.

 

PUEBLO COUNTY:

—On Feb 29 a Pacific Loon was reported at Pueblo Reservoir.  This bird and a Red-throated Loon were reported much earlier this winter by Brandon Percival.  The Red-throated Loon is also probably still around and retained on the RBA.

—On Feb 29 the Great Black-backed Gull known as "Murray" was reported at Pueblo Reservoir. Murray has spent 20-plus years as a winter resident at Lake Pueblo SP.

—On Feb 27 two wintering Dunlins continue at Pueblo West Gravel Pit.  These birds have also been seen at Pueblo Reservoir-South Marina.

---On Feb 22 the amazing wintering Western Tanager continues in Russian-olives along the Arkansas R e of Pueblo Res Dam at Pueblo West Gravel Pit area.  Probably still around, retained on RBA.

---On Feb 27 a continuing second-cycle Mew Gull was at Pueblo West Gravel Pit, first reported by CU Bird Club.  Along the river nearby were four White-throated Sparrows, also by CU Bird Club.

 

RIO GRANDE COUNTY:

—Monte Vista Refuge currently is hosting thousands of Sandhill Cranes.

 

WELD COUNTY:

—On Feb 23 a SNOW BUNTING was reported on Weld CR 134 e of CR 111 by Sue Riffe.

---On Feb 23 a flock of 14 Sharp-tailed Grouse by Sue Riffe n of CR134 just e of CR111.

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 Upcoming Denver Field Ornithologists field trips (details at dfobirds.org)

 

Dawson Butte Ranch Open Space (Douglas County)

Saturday, February 29

7:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Chris Gilbert (Email: chrisgee9 AT gmail.com; 804-214-1508)

 

Littleton (Arapahoe County)

Monday, March 2

6:30 AM - 12:00 PM

David Suddjian (Email: dsuddjian AT gmail.com;  831-713-8659)

 

Bear CreekLakePark (Jefferson County)

Saturday, March 7

7 AM – 2 PM

Mark Amershek (Email: mamershek AT msn.com; 303-329-8646)

 

Cherry CreekStatePark Wetlands Loop (Arapahoe County)

Sunday, March 8

9 AM – 1 PM

Patrick O'Driscoll (Email: patodrisk AT gmail.com; 303-885-6955)

 

Good birding,

Dave Leatherman, Fort Collins

daleatherman AT msn.com

970(690-2257) cell