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2001: a chicken odyssey
Day 1 Friday 4/13/01

First page number refers to the ABA Birders Guide to Colorado
The page number at the end of the notation refer to DeLorme Colorado Atlas and Gazetteer

Day 1 ~ Friday April 13th
Drive approximately an hour north-east of Denver to Lower Latham Reservoir and the surrounding wet meadows, where Western and Clark's Grebe, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Cinnamon Teal and Wilson's Phalarope breed, and lingering Ross' Geese are possible. We then head east to Wray, where we'll enjoy a BBQ dinner and program on the Greater Prairie Chicken.
Overnight: Wray

Denver Airport Area:
4/1 I could not locate any Great-tailed Grackle along 136th avenue and Buckley road. Two Burrowing Owls were at the Prairie Dog village 3.4 miles east of Tower Road and 96th avenue. One Rough-legged Hawk stood on a telephone pole near the Prairie Dog Village 0.5 miles south of Piccadilly Road and 128th avenue. (P.41)

Longmont (P.91)
An adult basic MEW GULL was seen at Jim Hamm Park east of Longmont on County Road 1 3/12 also check Union reservoir (P.30) LUNA (Large, unnamed) Res: Greater/Lesser Scaup- the reservoir is just barely inside Weld Co. (north of Adams Co.) and just east of I-25. Take exit 229 and go east on Rt. 7. Where Rt. 7 starts bending to the SE, turn left onto 168th/2 Rd. Go east for a bit over a mile to 11 Rd and turn north. The reservoir is on the east side of 11 Rd. The best viewing is from the road at the NW corner of the reservoir. (P.30)

Jackson Reservoir
At Jackson Reservoir (Morgan County), we observed five Long-eared Owls in the western side campgrounds. (P.94) 1/4 mi. west of Ft. Lupton, north at Pearson Park about 2 blocks, on east side about 80 feet south of the entrance to the sewage ponds, - 3 large great horned owl chicks on the nest, with an adult 12 ft. away next to the trunk. (P.31) BLUE JAY colony in La Salle, only one in CO (P.31)

Lower Latham Reservoir
(P.87) + Short-eared Owl (up to 4) (first 11/14) last 3/10 (South side of CR 48; look south from Southwest oil company pullout) This evening 3/18 along Weld CR 48 on the south side of Latham Res. Were 3 SEOW's. 3/22 - About 6:20 PM, on the EW weld county road 1/2 mi south of the road that goes across the south end of the Latham Reservoir (3 miles east of LaSalle).....a great horned owl on top of a telephone pole….a short- eared owl working the fields about 1/2 mi. north Ross Geese, Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle, raptors & shorebirds (P.31)

NOTE: WATCH SPEED ON MORGAN to WRAY ROAD

Long Eared Owls
The owls were in thick (artificially planted) rows of pine/juniper behind a USDA Experimental Station, about four miles east of Akron. I just walked the rows the station is on the north side of the road. The line of pines/junipers stretches along a county road (I didn't get the road number) to the north. (P.95)

Arrive in Wray by 7:00 pm

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