This morning, I took part in the September bird count at South Platte Park. My group was assigned to the southern section of the South Platte River and to adjacent ponds and lakes.
While we encountered only 23 species over two hours, we did see a large number of snowy egrets and double-crested cormorants; other sightings of note included six wild turkeys, more than a dozen common mergansers, wood ducks and a lone sharp-shinned hawk.
As is often the case, once we left our assigned area, we saw several more species: American white pelicans, an osprey and a kestrel, among others. Veteran birders know that we often encounter more species in our own backyard than we do on an official count; after all, birds are highly mobile and pay little attention to human boundaries and designated preserves (as well intentioned as those refuges may be).
