Bear Creek Lake Park
Date: 10/18/2025
Time: 08:00 a.m.
Address: 3699 S Zang St, Lakewood CO
Summary:
I hope you are all as excited about this birding adventure as I am! Bear Creek Lake Park offers us three distinct terrains to bird. There is a little wooded area where we will search for migrating warblers and other woodland preferring Passerines. There is open scrub land, which is perfect for species such as Kingbirds and Meadowlarks. And there is a lake where we will be able to search for migratory ducks. There is also a trail that runs through the wooded section aptly named Turkey Creek loop and a point called Pelican point. I think we are bound to find some exciting birds! We will look for Blue-winged/Green-winged Teals, some Merganser species and Eared/Western Grebes. Because we will be birding in October, I expect to see American White Pelicans. Looking up and seeing a squadron of American White Pelicans’s is always a highlight of my year. Those who bird with me frequently will be familiar with my love of all Anatidae species (I’ll include Grebes as I don't want them to feel left out). Some of my earliest and best birding memories are of me and my parents watching the spectacular winter migration of Snow Geese back in my home state of Illinois.
We will meet in the main parking lot located at 3699 S Zang St, Lakewood CO, and will begin our walk at 08:30. This start time will allow us to see a large variety of birds, while not requiring anyone wake up with the sun. Please give yourself enough time to get to the lake and parking lot by 08:30 so that we can start exploring on time. The bird walk is planned to last one hour, but we can extend our outing if the birding is exceptional. There will be a map provided in this posting to illustrate the meeting place, as it is not the standard parking lot for Bear Creek Lake Park. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions at zachqh@milehighbirding.com. I will be sending out an email announcement a couple of days before we meet at Bear Creek Lake Park with some final reminders and relevant information.
I am very excited to explore this area with you. See you all in the field!!!
Bear Creek Lake Park Bird Species -
Duck, Goose & Swan Family — Anatidae
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Gadwall (Mareca strepera)
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)
Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata)
Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris)
Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)
Grebe Family — Podicipedidae
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)
Eared Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis)
Loon Family — Gaviidae
Common Loon (Gavia immer)
Cormorant Family — Phalacrocoracidae
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)
Heron & Egret Family — Ardeidae
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
Rail, Gallinule & Coot Family — Rallidae
American Coot (Fulica americana)
Plover & Lapwing Family — Charadriidae
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)
Gull & Tern Family — Laridae
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)
California Gull (Larus californicus)
Pigeon & Dove Family — Columbidae
Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
Kingfisher Family — Alcedinidae
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)
Woodpecker Family — Picidae
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)
Falcon Family — Falconidae
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)
Merlin (Falco columbarius)
Hawk, Eagle & Kite Family — Accipitridae
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
Cooper’s Hawk (Astur cooperii) (ABA/AOS recent genus change)
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
Crow & Jay Family — Corvidae
Black-billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia)
Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma woodhouseii)
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
Chickadee & Tit Family — Paridae
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)
Bushtit Family — Aegithalidae
Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus)
Nuthatch Family — Sittidae
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)
Treecreeper Family — Certhiidae
Brown Creeper (Certhia americana)
Wren Family — Troglodytidae
Bewick’s Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)
Kinglet Family — Regulidae
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa)
Thrush Family — Turdidae
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus)
Starling Family — Sturnidae
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
Waxwing Family — Bombycillidae
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)
New World Sparrow Family — Passerellidae
White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)
Lincoln’s Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii)
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)
Blackbird & Meadowlark Family — Icteridae
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)
Finch Family — Fringillidae
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)
Old World Sparrow Family — Passeridae
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
Target Species:
American White Pelican
Blue-winged Teal
Eared Grebe
Additional Information:
Since we will be birding early in the morning in late October, the weather can change rapidly. I recommend wearing plenty of warm layers so that more can be added if it becomes colder, or removed if the sun decides to shine. In addition to plenty of layers, comfortable walking shoes are important as well as proper hydration prior to and during the walk.
Directions from Denver to Bear Creek Lake Park:
Option A
Get onto US-6 W (6th Ave Fwy) heading toward Lakewood/Golden.
Exit for CO-121 S / Wadsworth Blvd toward Littleton; turn left/south onto Wadsworth.
Stay on Wadsworth to the US-285 / W Hampden Ave ramps.
Merge right/west onto US-285 / W Hampden Ave (toward the foothills).
Continue on W Hampden Ave ~7 miles (you’ll pass Kipling Pkwy and Simms St).
Look for the 13000 block; your destination 13021 W Hampden Ave, Lakewood will be along this stretch.
eBird- Bear Creek Lake Park https://ebird.org/hotspot/L487899/bird-list
What to bring? -
Binoculars (encouraged but not necessary)
Water Bottle
Bird Field Guide
Proper clothing