Thursday, 8 December 2022

[cobirds] Need observers for the Denver Christmas Bird Count - Saturday, December 17th

Cobirders,

The Denver Christmas Bird Count (Denver CBC) is almost upon us!  Saturday, December 17th, 23 teams of birders will be searching for and counting as many bird species and individuals as possible in their areas.  HOWEVER, some areas are in need of additional observers to help.  As in any birding, the more eyes and ears, the better.

 

Last year we had 118 people helping.  This was DOWN from 163 in 2019.  Currently, the Denver CBC needs additional eyes and ears in the following Count Areas (see below link to a map of the Count Areas and the announcement with contact information for that Count Area leader).

 

Area 7A – Middle South Platte - Chatfield State Park, mostly between Waterton Bridge and Kingfisher Bridge.  Will the Green-tailed Towhee still be near the Audubon Center?  If so, it would only be the 13th time in 67 counts that one was seen!

 

Area 10 – Lower Deer Creek (Chatfield Farms/Arboretum and lower Deer Creek Canyon) – This area has lots of riparian, prairie dog town, and some foothills birds.

 

Area 14 – North Turkey Creek – This area needs one or two more volunteers willing to hike some hillsides in search of Dusky Grouse (we miss this bird most years)!

 

Area 15 – Indian Hills – This area includes Mount Falcon Denver Mountain Park – LOTS of area to cover and should have plenty of foothills birds.  Will early risers get a Northern Pygmy-Owl this year?

 

Area 16 – Upper Bear Creek – Foothills hiking.  Good exercise with ~4 miles of uphill and downhill hiking.  The Area Leader states, “We usually get dippers at a local park which is a nice incentive!”

 

Area 20 – Willow Creek – This is a LARGE urban area that contains Harriman Lake and Hine Lake!

 

Other areas may want more people as well.  Below is a link to the DFO Facebook post that contains the Count Area map and Area Leader contact info:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dfobirds/posts/5816027201791837/

 

We add a new bird to the count about every 3 years.  The last new bird added after (67 years of counting) was in 2019 with the addition of Least Sandpiper!  So, we are overdue for another “new” bird for the Count!  Reports of Sedge Wren and White-winged Dove are intriguing!  Hope the water remains partly open!

 

Please consider helping out this year.  If you are not free on the 17th, then PLEASE help out on one of the other Denver metro area Counts…or one (or more) further afield!

 

Thank you for supporting “citizen science”.

 

Joey.

 

Joey Kellner
Littleton, Colorado
Compiler - Denver CBC
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