Date: Wednesday, March 4, 2020
Email: RBA AT Cobirds.org
Compiler: Joe Roller (jroller9@gmail.com)
Phone: (303) 204-0828 (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:
BRANT (Denver)
Trumpeter Swan (*Mesa)
Tundra Swan (Eagle*Mesa)
Dunlin (Pueblo)
GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL (*Larimer)
Glaucous Gull (Larimer)
GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL (*Larimer, *Pueblo)
Red-throated Loon (Pueblo)
Pacific Loon (Pueblo)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (*Boulder, *Larimer)
GYRFALCON (Larimer)
PACIFIC WREN (Jefferson)
Winter Wren (*Larimer, Jefferson)
Rosy-Finches (*Boulder)
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 the county of interest. Site info is then available. https://coloradocountybirding.org/County/BySite.aspx.
BOULDER COUNTY:
Mixed flocks of Rosy-Finches (primarily Brown-capped and Gray-crowned, with a few Black Rosy-Finches) have been seen fairly regularly at two private feeders in Ward through March 3. See Ted Floyd's Feb 29 report on CObirds and Todd Deininger's helpful map from Feb 25: https://www.google.com/mymaps/viewer?mid=1SJDqKgXs7pMs-DGfOShKT7CYC6I&hl=en_US
—On March 2 a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was reported from Lyons Cemetery by Eric Defonso.
DELTA COUNTY:
---On Feb 27 a Harris's Sparrow was reported south of Hotchkiss on the east side of 34.00 Rd (38.785105, -107.724793), just south of the electric station, by Dick Filby
DENVER COUNTY:
---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 March 2 a Rusty Blackbird was reported at Daggett Lane. First reported on Feb 12 by JoAnn Potter Riggle.
GARFIELD COUNTY:
---On March 3 five Rusty Blackbirds were reported from Carbondale Nature Park; first reported Feb 27 by John Anderson.
JEFFERSON COUNTY:
—On March 3 the continuing Winter Wren was reported at Wheat Ridge Greenbelt-West Lake. First found on February 20 by Chris Petrizzo.
—On Feb 29 the 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 Bear Creek Lake Park in Lakewood. From the Whitetail Deer parking area walk to the creek. A favored area is 50-100 ft downstream. The wren was first reported on Dec 22 by Chris Wood and is a first record for the county. Note, this location requires a fee via Daily or Annual Pass (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 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 almost 2 weeks, including searches mid-morning on Feb 26, this bird is probably still around and, thus retained on the RBA.
—On March 3 a Winter Wren was reported at Lee Martinez Park; first reported by Josh Bruening on March 2. Directions to the exact site are in his March 3 post to Cobirds.
—On March 3 the wintering Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was seen again at Grandview Cemetery.
---On March 2 a GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL (1st winter) was at Warren Lake in Fort Collins.
---On March 2 an adult GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL was reported by Nick Komar at Robert Benson Lake (east of US287 between Ft Collins and Loveland). First reported there by Komar on March 1.
---On March 2 a first winter Glaucous Gull was reported at Warren Lake in Ft Collins; first reported by Adam Vesely.
Larophiles, take note: other unusual, big, white-headed gulls, including hybrids, are at Warren Lake in Fort Collins, best viewed from Breakwater Drive. This gull set has been present for weeks at various locations in the Fort Collins area, including Horsetooth Reservoir, Boyd Lake SP and the Larimer County Landfill. They move around.
LOGAN COUNTY:
---On Feb 29 two Trumpeter Swans were reported at Red Lion SWA by Luke Pheneger.
MESA COUNTY:
---On March 2 a bevy of nine Trumpeter Swans were reported at Highline Lake SP. First reported by Ron Lambeth.
---On March 2 two Tundra Swans were reported at Highline Lake SP; first reported by Ron Lambeth.
PUEBLO COUNTY:
—On March 2 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 March 1 two wintering Dunlins continue at Pueblo West Gravel Pit. These birds have also been seen at Pueblo Reservoir-South Marina.
—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 27 a continuing second-cycle Mew Gull was at Pueblo West Gravel Pit, first reported by CU Bird Club. Along the river nearby the group reported four White-throated Sparrows.
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Upcoming Denver Field Ornithologists field trips (details at dfobirds.org)
Bear Creek Lake Park (Jefferson County)
Saturday, March 7
7 AM – 2 PM
Mark Amershek (Email: mamershek AT msn.com; 303-329-8646)
Cherry Creek SP Wetlands Loop (Arapahoe County)
Sunday, March 8
9 AM – 1 PM
Patrick O'Driscoll (Email: patodrisk AT gmail.com; 303-885-6955)
Good birding,
Joe Roller, Denver
jroller9 @ gmail.com
303 204-0828 cell
