May 28, 2008
Administator, Richard Stevens: This blog is no longer just my trip reports. Anyone can post a trip report and is invited to do so. I have given the password to six people. Anyone not having the password can have a trip report added by emailing it to me.
Contact me though the Colorado Birding Society's website: http://home.att.net/~birdertoo
Richard Stevens:
Rebecca Kosten and I decided to explore Elbert and Douglas Counties today and visit an old friend.
Our first stop was a drive along Elbert County Road. Well we did drive through the subdivision of homes along the south side of Highway 86 and just east of Franktown. Northern Cardinals and Scissor-tailed Flycatchers have been reported in this area in the past. We of course found neither. There were Pine Siskins, Western Wood-pewees, White-breasted, Red-breasted, and Pygmy Nuthatches. No real surprises.
Along Elbert County Road at 4.1 miles south of hwy 86, we stopped and walked the road for 0.5 mile in either direction. At least 2 Dickcissels were heard and we finally managed to put our scope on one after about an hour. The Dickcissels are in the scraggy alfalfa field on the east side of the road. There were plenty of Vesper Sparrows and one or two Grasshopper Sparrows on the west side of the road.
Two Western Kingbirds and an Eastern Kingbird, a pair of Blue Grosbeaks, many Western Meadowlarks, Red-winged Blackbirds, and a Swainson's Hawk were also observed along the road.
We had lunch at my friend's ranch. In several of the past half dozen years we have found nesting Common Poorwill on his property. None could be found today, but perhaps it is a little early in the year. I only heard of a few Common Poorwill being found across the state so far.
After our hike we wandered down to highway 24 and back up Judge Orr Road. A few Burrowing Owls were located, again nothing surprising.
Near sunset we were back north at the Winkler Ranch (along Castlewood Canyon Road, south of the southwest entrance to the State Park). We stood and heard Bobolinks, Cordilleran Flycatchers, and Vesper Sparrows all singing an end to the day. A Wild Turkey wandered across the section of road where it runs from east to west between the Winkler Ranch and the park.
After dark we listened for Northern Saw-whet Owls at several locations of past "sightings". It was quiet this night.
Administator, Richard Stevens: This blog is no longer just my trip reports. Anyone can post a trip report and is invited to do so. I have given the password to six people. Anyone not having the password can have a trip report added by emailing it to me.
Contact me though the Colorado Birding Society's website: http://home.att.net/~birdertoo
Richard Stevens:
Rebecca Kosten and I decided to explore Elbert and Douglas Counties today and visit an old friend.
Our first stop was a drive along Elbert County Road. Well we did drive through the subdivision of homes along the south side of Highway 86 and just east of Franktown. Northern Cardinals and Scissor-tailed Flycatchers have been reported in this area in the past. We of course found neither. There were Pine Siskins, Western Wood-pewees, White-breasted, Red-breasted, and Pygmy Nuthatches. No real surprises.
Along Elbert County Road at 4.1 miles south of hwy 86, we stopped and walked the road for 0.5 mile in either direction. At least 2 Dickcissels were heard and we finally managed to put our scope on one after about an hour. The Dickcissels are in the scraggy alfalfa field on the east side of the road. There were plenty of Vesper Sparrows and one or two Grasshopper Sparrows on the west side of the road.
Two Western Kingbirds and an Eastern Kingbird, a pair of Blue Grosbeaks, many Western Meadowlarks, Red-winged Blackbirds, and a Swainson's Hawk were also observed along the road.
We had lunch at my friend's ranch. In several of the past half dozen years we have found nesting Common Poorwill on his property. None could be found today, but perhaps it is a little early in the year. I only heard of a few Common Poorwill being found across the state so far.
After our hike we wandered down to highway 24 and back up Judge Orr Road. A few Burrowing Owls were located, again nothing surprising.
Near sunset we were back north at the Winkler Ranch (along Castlewood Canyon Road, south of the southwest entrance to the State Park). We stood and heard Bobolinks, Cordilleran Flycatchers, and Vesper Sparrows all singing an end to the day. A Wild Turkey wandered across the section of road where it runs from east to west between the Winkler Ranch and the park.
After dark we listened for Northern Saw-whet Owls at several locations of past "sightings". It was quiet this night.
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