Arapaho NWR field trip report

Willet by Shawn Billerman

We had a great trip to Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge on May 3, 2014. Although traces of winter still lingered, we were treated to Willets displaying, a beautiful pair of adult Bald Eagles at their nest, a Marsh Wren nest-building, and incubating Double-crested Cormorants. We saw many returning migrants, including a good diversity of ducks and grebes, two Semipalmated Plovers, and four Black-crowned Night-Herons. The trip highlight may have been the 29 beautiful Marbled Godwits foraging along the shore of Walden Reservoir.

Bird List
Canada Goose 
Gadwall 
American Wigeon 
Mallard 
Blue-winged Teal 
Cinnamon Teal 
Northern Shoveler 
Northern Pintail 
Green-winged Teal 
Canvasback
Redhead 
Ring-necked Duck 
Scaup sp.
Ruddy Duck 
Pied-billed Grebe 
Eared Grebe
Western Grebe 
Double-crested Cormorant – On nests 
American White Pelican 
Great Egret 
Black-crowned Night-Heron 
White-faced Ibis 
Bald Eagle – Pair at nest
Swainson’s Hawk – Pair copulating
Red-tailed Hawk
Golden Eagle
American Kestrel
American Coot 
Semipalmated Plover 
Killdeer 
American Avocet 
Willet – Calling and displaying
Marbled Godwit – 29 of them foraging together on bank of reservoir!
Wilson's Phalarope 
Franklin's Gull 
Bonaparte's Gull 
California Gull 
Horned Lark 
Black-billed Magpie
Common Raven
American Crow
Tree Swallow 
Cliff Swallow 
Marsh Wren 
Song Sparrow 
Red-winged Blackbird 
Yellow-headed Blackbird 
Brewer's Blackbird