Tim Smart and I just returned from a rather fabulous day in NE Colorado. We started in Logan County, where fog lay low to the ground at sunrise. We tried Red Liion SWA, but the fog was too much. We went to the easternmost end of Tamarack SWA, and near the pond (by the manager's former home?) we had AN ADULT NORTHERN GOSHAWK, 7 Northern Cardinals, 4 Eastern Bluebirds, and 3 Mountain Bluebirds.
On our way back to Red Lions SWA/Little Jumbo Reservoir, we were stunned to have an immature SNOWY OWL fly up and land on a water tank about 100 yards from the road. The location was on the north side of US 138, just west of Logan County Road 95. The bird was still there 2-3 hours later.
At Jumbo Reservoir, on the Sedgwick side, we had our FOY Clark's Grebes plus a stunning male NORTHERN PINTAIL x GADWALL HYBRID. On the Logan side, along the shore in a mixed goose group, there was a ROSS'S x SNOW GOOSE.
Headed back to Tamrack, we birded east from CO 55, and we had 6 Red-bellied Woodpeckers, but no more N Cardinals or bluebirds.
Next was N Sterling Reservoir, also in Logan County. At the SE corner of the reservoir, there were a few thousand gulls, mostly Ring-billeds, but also THREE GLAUCOUS GULLS (all first years) and 5 THAYER'S GULLS.
From there, we went to Merino, birding the ponds just w. of town and had a KRIDER'S RED-TAILED HAWK or a KRIDER'S x EASTERN RTHA.
The pond along CO 6, just w. of Prewitt Reservoir had THREE GLAUCOUS GULLS (2 first years and a second year), FOUR LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS (2 second years and 2 adults), TWO THAYER's GULLS (1st year and 2nd year) and a Thayer's/Iceland thingy.
At Prewitt itself, the lighting was good except some heat waves at a distance, but not as bad as it can be for there had been high overcast skies for much of the PM. We likely had the first year ICELAND GULL across the reservoir, but could not be certain. A first winter GW x HERRING GULL made an appearance, likely the same bird present since at least 11 March. Then, an adult GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL flew around for some time, but at some distance. Making us much happier, later, by the dam at Prewitt (Washington County side), we had the ad GW GULL as close as 100 feet in the scope before it winged its way back across the reservoir. We also had another adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL and TWO IMMATURE GLAUCOUS GULLS.
Finally, we searched for a staked-out Snowy out on CO 52, east of Hudson about 16 miles, between Weld Co Rds 77 and 79. It was ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD, on the north side, about half way between these roads. It flushed up onto a roadside pole. This was at about 7:10 pm, that is, dusk.
A pretty incredible day.
With lovely weather.
Might I say that, though I miss my Washington friends, I am SO GLAD to be in Colorado.
Cheers
Steven Mlodinow
Longmont, CO
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