Barr Lake, a 1,037-acre reservoir northeast of Denver next to Interstate 76, is the centerpiece of 2,715-acre Barr Lake State Park. Barr Lake itself is one of the best birding spots in the metropolitan Denver area and Evergreen Audubon visits Barr Lake at least once a year to enjoy the great birding on the lake itself, along the riparian trails and shore habitats, and around the open short prairie grasslands that comprise mush of the park.
Barr Lake was a buffalo wallow until Oasis Reservoir was built in 1885. It was filled by a 19-mile-long canal from the South Platte River. The lake was doubled in size and renamed Barr Lake in 1908. Water from this shallow warm-water reservoir is used for crop irrigation in the surrounding area and the lake, an oasis in this dry region, is now a bird-watching paradise that provides crucial wetland habitat for mammals, amphibians, and reptiles.
Our trip this year started at 7:30 am on Saturday, September 30, 2023, when nine early-rising Evergreen Audubon members arrived at the Barr Lake Nature Center and made the short walk to Bird Conservancy of the Rockies’ banding station at Barr Lake. This station, in operation for more than 30 years, provides critical data for understanding fall migration for many passerine species.
We spent an hour observing how birds are banded, seeing a House Wren, Song Sparrow, and two Lincoln’s Sparrows up close, and touring the site to see how the mist nets are operated. It was an incredible start to the morning, and we thank Meredith McBurney, Colin Woolley, and the rest of the Bird Conservancy of the Rocky volunteers for their hospitality and for sharing their knowledge and love of birds.
We then birded the south edge of Barr Lake along the Niedrach Nature Trail, named for Robert Niedrach, pioneering Colorado ornithologist, bird photographer, and coauthor of “Birds of Colorado.” Much of this trail consists of board walks that take birders out to the edge of the lake, above the often-wet shoreline plant beds, and provides ideal places to scan the western half of the lake, which is managed as a nature preserve. Boats and fishing aren’t permitted.
This was the most productive period of the morning. Hundreds of Western Grebes were present and we diligently scanned the birds to see if we could find a Clark’s Grebe among them. Given the large numbers on the lake, one or two Clark’s Grebes should have been present, but we were not able to find them. White Pelicans, Green-winged Teal, huge numbers of Ruddy Ducks, American Coots, Redheads, Canada Geese, and other waterfowl were present in large avian flotillas.
Despite high water, absence of mudflats, and the relative lateness of the season, we were not disappointed in our search for shorebirds. Least Sandpipers, Short-Billed Dowitchers, and a Lesser Yellowlegs challenged our ID skills as they foraged in shallows amongst the ducks.
Although passerines and other birds of prairie and woodlands were not as prolific as we would have wished for (a trend noted by the Bird Conservancy banding team), we were able to see and hear several species. The full list of our observations follows. Get out to Barr Lake and have a great day while our pleasant early Fall weather persists!
Good Birding!
Ed Furlong
Barr Lake State Park, September 30, 2023
9 Perticipants
36 species (+1 other taxa)
Canada Goose 39
Gadwall 25
American Wigeon 30
Mallard 15
Green-winged Teal 23
Redhead 39
Ruddy Duck 290
Pied-billed Grebe 2
Western Grebe 510
Eurasian Collared-Dove 3
Mourning Dove 2
American Coot 75
Killdeer 25
Least Sandpiper 18
Short-billed Dowitcher 12
Lesser Yellowlegs 1
Ring-billed Gull 350
California Gull 1
Double-crested Cormorant 159
American White Pelican 67
Great Blue Heron 32
Great Egret 5
Snowy Egret 13
Turkey Vulture 2
Northern Flicker 2
American Kestrel 2
Blue Jay 3
Black-capped Chickadee 2
swallow sp. 6
House Wren 1
European Starling 47
Gray Catbird 1
House Sparrow 12
White-crowned Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 1
Lincoln’s Sparrow 2
Western Meadowlark 3
Additional Resources
Barr Lake History
OutThere Colorado Barr Lake Highlights