A New Year of Birds

This year on New Year's Day, we got up at the crack of dawn to see the first birds of the year.  Our first birds were different ... an American Robin for Joel and a Pine Siskin for Marcel.  After seeing 14 common bird species around our house, we headed out towards Boulder.  We took our dad to see the White-winged Scoter at Thomas Reservoir and saw it.  There were also Canada Geese, a pair of Mallards, Ring-billed Gulls, 2 Herring Gulls, and 2 Red-tailed Hawks.

Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk at Thomas Reservoir - by Joel Such

We also checked out the Valmont Reservoir Complex.

Bird Count for Valmont Reservoir Complex:

Cackling Goose - 6

Canada Goose - 10

Gadwall - 1 male, 1 female

American Wigeon - 3

Mallard - 10

Canvasback - 6

Lesser Scaup - 1 male

Hooded Merganser - 6

Common Merganser - 15

Pied-billed Grebe - 10

Western Grebe - 8

Doubler-crested Cormorant - 4

Great Blue Heron - 3

Bald Eagle - 2 adults, 2 immature

Red-tailed Hawk - 1

American Coot - 40

Ring-billed Gull - 30

Herring Gull - 1

Rock Pigeon - 20

Eurasian Collared-Dove - 2

Great Horned Owl - 2

Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) - 8

American Crow - 25

American Tree Sparrow - 5

Song Sparrow - 3

House Finch - 1

House Sparrow - 15

TOTAL SPECIES = 27