More Larimer Shorebirds 4/17

This morning I decided to hike the Big Thompson Bike Trail again. On the way I stopped by Boedecker Reservoir and saw 14 Western Grebes, 13 Franklin's Gulls, and 4 White-faced Ibis. The numbers of Yellow-rumped Warblers continue to grow along the bike trail of both subspecies and integrades between them. Both Eastern Phoebes continue and after talking with Elaine Coley I found out they have finished building their nest. At one point in time I flushed a Great Horned Owl out of a tree while walking through the woods. The best bird was the second shorebird I saw in the area, Killdeer being the first and Solitary Sandpiper (186) was the other.

                                                   Solitary Sandpiper

                                                   Solitary Sandpiper

I then stopped at Duck Lake. Here I found 4 species of shorebirds. Several Killdeer, 1 Greater Yellowlegs, 3 Black-necked Stilts, and 1 Willet (187). The Trumpeter Swan appears to have left the area. The numbers of waterfowl has also grown since the last time I have been there, but still all expected species.

                                                            Willet

A stop at Kechter Pit produced nothing new. The best birds were 4 American Avocets.
During my lunch break I spent some time at Timnath Reservoir and ended up seeing 47 species of birds. The hundreds of Franklin's Gulls flying around was amazing to watch. A single Canvasback continues and I heard a Ring-necked Pheasant has still been calling from the same location I have heard if from the last few times I was there. I saw 2 Clark's Grebes, 2 Greater Scaup, a Wood Duck, a large flock of Tree Swallows with a couple of Cliff Swallows, a single White-faced Ibis, and a Great Egret in its amazing breeding plummage.

                                               Yellow-headed Blackbird