SW Loveland 1/12

This morning I stayed home watching out the window of our house waiting for the flock of bluebirds to show up, a flock that has consisted of all three species this winter. Unfortunately they didn't come through while I was looking.

Just after 11 in the morning I went to visit the southwest Loveland lakes and ponds. My first stop was at some feeders that Cheri Orwig told me about on Nadine Ct on the south side of Boedecker Reservoir. Here there were lots of birds. The first White-crowned Sparrows that I have had since the one we had on the Loveland CBC on the 1st. The best bird was a juvenile Harris's Sparrow (104) that responded to playback. 

                                                      Eurasian Collared-Dove

I then continued to Lon Hagler Reservoir where there was a flock of gulls. I had 6 Ring-billed, 14 Herring, and 1 Lesser Black-backed. I then went to Dry Creek Reservoir, but on the way I found this Prairie Falcon and a Golden Eagle.

                                                         Prairie Falcon

When I got to Dry Creek Reservoir I found that it is 100% frozen, which is very surprising as I didn't think it had gotten cold enough to freeze the entire reservoir. On my way back to Bud Mielke Reservoir in the Cattail Pond area I photographed this Red-tailed Hawk. 

                                                       Red-tailed Hawk

The Golden Eagle was in the nest tree south of Bud Mielke. Ryan's Gulch Reservoir had very little open water and still over 100 Ring-necked Ducks with 1 female Canvasback. It the tree on the north side of the reservoir had my 3rd Bald Eagle of this quick trip.

                                                       Bald Eagle

Cattail Pond still had its usual including the Trumpeter Swan that has been there since December 31. The only bird that I saw that I haven't seen there yet this winter was a male Greater Scaup. 

The numbers of Red-tailed Hawks and American Kestrels in the area today was outstanding along with 2 Golden Eagles, 3 Bald Eagles, and 1 Prairie Falcon.
At my house just before dusk I was watching flocks of Red-winged Blackbirds and American Robins when I noticed large numbers of gulls in the distance flying from the southeast towards Carter Lake for their evening roost. I saw over a thousand gulls fly by, unfortunately they were to far away to identify. All I could see were smaller gulls and larger gulls. I wonder if these gulls are coming from Boulder County or Broomfield County or even some unknown area with lots of gulls during the day. This might be the reason that gull numbers have been down recently at Lake Loveland and the rest of the Loveland area.