Saturday, May 20, 2023, started cool and dry, a change from the wet weather that characterized the previous week. It was also surprisingly hazy from smoke drifting in from Alberta, where current wildfires remind and warn us that all that moisture we are so grateful to receive can also produce fuel for wildfires in our Evergreen world.
Our party of 13 Evergreen Audubon members and friends arrived bright and early at the Walden/Sawhill Ponds complex along Boulder Creek, east of the city of Boulder. This interconnected network of small ponds and cattail marshes is made up of played-out gravel pits along Boulder Creek floodplain. It is an oasis for migrating and local birds, especially during migration.
The presence of both local and migratory birds was apparent as we stepped onto the boardwalk at Cottonwood Marsh. The cacophony of Red-Winged Blackbirds calls was a counterpoint to many other singers, in particular, Common Yellowthroats and Yellow Warblers. Our walk along the eastern side of Walden Pond and Cottonwood Marsh was a great opportunity to hear a variety of birdsongs and to practice distinguishing the different species by ear. Then, heading south into the Sawhill Ponds area, we were lucky to observe a Kildeer parent along with four very recently hatched young! The precocial young are 1/4-sized versions of their parents, mobile and blending in well on the gravel bar and searching for food when we observed them.
Other highlights of the walk included multiple opportunities to observe Bullock’s Orioles, singing noisily and perching out in the open so we could admire the males’ vibrant breeding plumage. Eastern Kingbirds, with their striking postures and bright white chests, stood out all along the trails. Several Yellow Breasted Chats, typically heard before they were seen, were also present. We were also delighted to observe two Osprey nests and another Osprey in flight nearby.
While waterfowl and shorebirds were not as abundant as we had hoped, we had some great views of two charismatic species, a mating pair of Cinnamon Teal and several male Wood Ducks in full breeding plumage, along with females, one with half a dozen chicks in tow.
The Walden Ponds/Sawhill Ponds complex truly deserves its designation as a Front Range birding hotspot, and you will be well rewarded if you get out there in Spring. Below is the list of birds we were fortunate to see!
Walden Ponds Wildlife Habitat–Walden & Sawhill Ponds all together, Boulder, Colorado, US
May 20, 2023 7:42 AM – 12:16 PM
44 species
Canada Goose 40
Wood Duck 9 One female 6 chicks
Blue-winged Teal 3
Cinnamon Teal 2
Mallard 5
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 9
Mourning Dove 15
White-throated Swift 1
Killdeer 12. four of which were chicks
Spotted Sandpiper 2
Double-crested Cormorant 7
American White Pelican 20
Great Blue Heron 12
Turkey Vulture 2
Osprey 9 Two pairs on nests at two sites; 5 in flight
Northern Harrier 1
Bald Eagle 2
Swainson’s Hawk 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Hairy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 3
Western Kingbird 2
Eastern Kingbird 17 Perched along trail, often in multiples
Warbling Vireo 4
Blue Jay 7
Black-capped Chickadee 2
Tree Swallow 30
Violet-green Swallow 12
Barn Swallow 6
House Wren 13
European Starling 11
Gray Catbird 3
American Robin 8
House Finch 5
American Goldfinch 8
Song Sparrow 2
Yellow-breasted Chat 4
Bullock’s Oriole 9
Red-winged Blackbird 57
Brown-headed Cowbird 2 Di
Common Grackle 5
Common Yellowthroat 9
Yellow Warbler 14
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s) 3