Date: 5/9/25 3:05 pm From: John Tumasonis <snakemonev...> Subject: [cobirds] White Eyed Vireo - Westminster - Dry Creek
All: Found a White-Eyed Vireo along Dry Creek in Westminster about 9 am this morning. It was actively singing, giving alarm calls, and foraging for insects.
Directions: From Metzger Farm Open Space, off Lowell near 120th: From the main parking lot, follow the main trail east past the lake. Dry Creek does a big "S" turn here. Walk over the wood footbridge and search the area to the north that juts out into the "S" curve. The bird was in a small apple tree adjoining the creek. Warning: watch out for cactus and rattlesnakes if you step off the path.
White-eyed vireos are very furtive, and this bird was no exception, constantly diving into thickets and dense bushes along the creek. The song \ calls are very unique, which was what alerted me to its presence.
Other species seen along Dry Creek Westminster, from Big Dry Creek Park (128th near Zuni) over to Metzger Farm Open Space. Great Blue Heron - 2 Double Crested Cormorant - 1 flyover Mallard - numerous Red Tailed Hawk - 2 - soaring Cooper's Hawk - 1 - being harassed by magpies Killdeer - only 1 Mourning dove - 12 Eurasian Collared Dove - 10 Northern Flicker - 5 Say's Phoebe - 8 Western Kingbird - 6 - numbers increasing WHITE EYED VIREO - as mentioned above Yellow Breasted Chat - 3 - all singing Gray Catbird - 3 - songs and visuals Blue Jay - about 20 Black Billed Magpie - 25 - numbers increase around Metzger Farm Barn Swallow - 14 Northern Rough Winged Swallow - 2 perched Cliff Swallow - 100+ - near underpasses, already at or in nests Black Capped Chickadee - 4 House Wren - 11 all singing - NOTE: house wrens have been pouring up the Platte River, Boulder Creek, and Dry Creek drainages over the last 2 weeks. Blue Gray Gnatcatcher - only 1 female American Thrush (American Robin) - dozens European Starling - about 50+ Song Sparrow - 12 Western Meadowlark - 6 all singing Red Winged Blackbird - numerous Common Grackle - 30 Brown Headed Cowbird - 15 - numbers increasing Bullock's Oriole - breeding plumage male, only 1 American Goldfinch - 6
Conspicuously absent - no warblers!
Herps: Snakes are out: Bullsnake Plains Garter Snake Western Painted Turtle Bullfrog Chorus Frogs
Good luck, John T (Tumasonis), Broomfield CO "I'm not a real birder. I only pretend to be one on CoBirds."
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