Spotted a yellow-throated warbler at a backyard feeder near North Palo Park, Boulder. 3 experienced birders saw the bird clearly with binoculars but didn't get a photo.
On Tue, Dec 19, 2023, 1:20 AM <cobirds@googlegroups.com> wrote:
- December Winter Raptor Survey, and sighting of a mystery buteo - 1 Update
- Fountain Creek CBC Dec. 14th Results - 1 Update
- Jaeger and loon continue - 1 Update
- Register for Rawhide CBC- NOW! - 1 Update
"aiant...@gmail.com" <aiantony521@gmail.com>: Dec 18 08:06PM -0800
December Winter Raptor Survey of Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR and DIA Raptor
Alley, with sighting of a mystery buteo
This is our 2nd season doing volunteer Winter Raptor Surveys (WRS) for the
Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA) since moving to Denver
in July 2022. Prior to moving we did 4 WRS in New York State in the Hudson
Valley area since 2016.
Last winter season we did 3 surveys here – 1 in Denver and 2 in Boulder in
December 2022, and January and February 2023 for each route, following it
exactly, and roughly in the same week each month.
This year we added another WRS in the area between Bennett and Jackson Lake
SP. We did that route a week ago with nothing special to report. It may
improve as winter progresses.
Yesterday we completed the Rocky Mountain Arsenal to Barr Lake, and west of
Denver International Airport route for December 2023.
We saw and identified 78 Raptors, including
Ferruginous Hawk 5, all adult
Prairie Falcon 1, which attacked a Red-tailed Hawk as well
as a Northern Harrier
Bald Eagle 25
Northern Harrier 10
American Kestrel 5
Red-tailed Hawk 25, including 2 dark morph RT on Piccadilly Road
at Barr Lake, one perched and both in flight together. Spectacular.
In addition we had a mystery buteo at 1st Creek at DEN Open Space perched
in a tree next to Peña Boulevard at 10:15 AM. When we finished our survey
and on the way back we could still see it (presumably the same buteo) at
the same location at 4:30 PM while driving south on Peña Boulevard.
Our eBird checklist for that location with images is:
https://ebird.org/checklist/S156663182
My notes written during the observation were: The tail was reddish with
multiple equal width bands, no sub-terminal band, with more reddish
distally than proximally, as well the left side of the tail was slightly
more red than the right side of the tail which was less red. There was a
thin eyeline on an otherwise white head with a black blob in the malar
area, no belly band but a few speckles in the flank area, white scapulars
and coverts.
Liza fancied a Krider's Hawk looking at the Raptor ID app. Looking at
Brian Wheeler's Raptors of Western North America at the time, I felt it
could be a juvenile light morph Harlan's Hawk, except today reading more
about it in his Birds of Prey of the East and looking at the pictures, the
back is not stark black and white as his images show.
I sent the images to the WRS coordinator for expert opinions. So far one
opinion is that it could be a Krider's Hawk or an intergrade between
Krider's and an Eastern borealis Red-tailed Hawk.
Any learned expert opinions with detailed reasons for your ID would be most
welcome.
I have to admit that neither of us have ever seen any of these possible
species! Our ID speculations are book/image-based only.
You can see what we found on our previous WRSs along the same and other
routes at
https://wrs.hmana.org/public_html/index.php as well as the 1 other route
developed in the past winter season in Colorado – the Nunn Raptor Alley
route conducted by Robert Beauchamp. Go to the website to the left sidebar
and click on Survey Map and enlarge it to Colorado, you can click on
individual surveys and using the drop-down menu, find previous survey
results.
Anyone can develop their own survey route. It is open to all. You can get
more information at:
https://www.hmana.org/winter-raptor-survey/
If you like raptors and know of an area with raptors you can develop your
own route, as long as it doesn't overlap an established one. Just follow
the guidelines on the website. If you want any questions answered you can
email the WRS coordinator Janice Sweet. I can also be of help if you want
someone local.
Ajit & Liza Antony
Central Park, CO (which used to be called Stapleton)
Diana Beatty <otowi33.33@gmail.com>: Dec 18 02:33PM -0700
The Fountain Creek CBC in El Paso County took place on December 14th, 2023
- it was a successful count even in the face of some challenging driving
and viewing conditions. We had snow, very dense fog, and some difficult or
impassable roads that affected some effort and finding.
We had 5306 birds and 81 species plus 4 count week species. While our
long-term average is higher, out of the past four years, we had the 2nd
highest number of species (we had 90 in 2020), and the 2nd lowest number of
birds (we had 4806 in 2021 when we had 70mph winds affecting effort and
findability of birds).
Some interesting count observations:
1. Greater White-Fronted Goose count week bird on 12/12 in FCRP.
2. Blue-winged Teal reported by our team in FCRP on count day is a new
count species. They noted it had been reported at the park a week or two
earlier.
3. Yellow-throated Warbler in FCRP was found on count day and numerous
times in count week, new species for the count.
4. Tennessee Warbler in FCRP was found during count week only by multiple
birders, new to the count.
5. Winter Wren was found in FCRP during count week.
6. One area had a 'strange' Spotted/Eastern Towhee - maybe a hybrid.
7. New High Count for Mourning Doves at 58 birds, more than the number of
Eurasian Collared Doves!
8. New High Count for American Pipits at 24, mostly in southern FCRP
(Fountain Creek Regional Park) along the creek.
9. New High Count for Pine Siskins at 128, mostly in Clear Spring Ranch.
10. New High Count for Western Meadowlark at 260, the biggest groups on
private property.
11. Some birds we found that we don't always get or are more rare (but not
new) - Bewick's Wren (1), Marsh Wren (2), Lapland Longspur (1), Canyon
Towhee (2), Swamp Sparrow (11), Scaled Quail (7), Harlan's Hawk (2),
Prairie Falcon (1), Ladder-backed Woodpecker (1), Lewis's Woodpecker (2),
Curve-billed Thrasher (4), Brown-headed Cowbird (1), Great-tailed Grackle
(2), Eastern Bluebird (9), Intergrade Northern Flicker (1).
12. Our other count-week-only bird was Wood Duck - not rare, but hiding
well on count day.
Diana Beatty
Fountain Creek CBC coordinator
El Paso County
Brandon <flammowl17@gmail.com>: Dec 18 09:21AM -0700
Both the Pomarine Jaeger and Yellow-billed Loon are still present this
morning at Pueblo Reservoir. Middle to East side of lake is the best
chance.
Brandon K. Percival
Pueblo West, CO
Douglas Kibbe <dpkibbe@msn.com>: Dec 18 03:40PM
Just a reminder for those planning to attend the Rawhide Power Station CBC on January 2:
I must submit a form with your names this week if you hope to enter the power station property and view the waterfowl concentrations behind the power plant. I currently have about a half dozen names. Thanks to those who responded promptly to my earlier notice. Are there others who plan to attend?
Anyone planning to attend the Rawhide CBC on Tuesday January 2, 2024 must let me know ASAP if they want to access the power station property.
I have to submit a form requesting access permission, so if you hope to see the large concentration of waterfowl in the cooling pond let me know now!
As in past years, we assemble at the power station reservoir overlook parking lot at 8 AM to break into teams. Compilation will be in Wellington at 1PM (location TBD).
Doug Kibbe Compiler
303-910-9476
dpkibbe@msn.com
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