Yesturday my mom and I headed to Valmont Reservoir. We got multiple birds including:
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 1 (audubon's that was giving its "chit" like call. This bird was originally found by the Boulder Bird Club.)
Red-breasted Merganser - 16 (the most beautiful rusty brown hash marks in its chest that I've ever seen. Combined with the striking ruby-red eye on the evergreen-colored head, wow!)
Pied-billed Grebe - 7 (it was crazy counting this bird like," oh there is just another Ped-billed Grebe, a summer bird in our home town.)
Tundra Swan - 1 (We saw both Tundra, at Valmont Res., and a Trumpeter Swan, at Cattail Pond, that day.)
Eared Grebe - 1 (It was interesting finally seeing this bird in winter plumage. Not what I expected.)
After a very successful morning and afternoon at Valmont Reservior and then the Walden Ponnds area we headed home, but decided to bird our way home. So, we moved on to Cattail Pond at about 1:30 PM where we refound ( for about the 7 time) the Trumpeter Swan, but that was not all that was there this time. Amoungest the many (47) Ring-billed Gulls was a slightly larger gull, with a more blue/gray color on the legges and a black bill tip with the slightest yellow on the tip barely seen through our scope at 60 power. After consulting our field guides (Nat. Geo., Sibley, Peterson, and Stokes(we wanted to sure that we were seeing this bird)) we decided on a California Gull, a rare bird for this time of year this far north in Colorado. This also was a new year bird for me.
On another note, we almost went out to go see the Common Crane last weekend in Nebraska but it didn't work with our schedule and we weren't sure if the bird would stay. I am glad too; some people say it was a one day wonder and others we know said it was there for only a few days so we did not chase this "Common" Crane.
Skyler Bol
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