Sunday, March 22, 2009

Gunnison County to Kansas

March 20, 2009

Richard Stevens:

Allyson Marceau and I were at the Waunita Hot Springs Lek long before sunrise. It was surprisingly warm for this time of year and winds were calm. It is early in the season; however 3 male Gunnison Sage-Grouse did show up about 15 minutes before sunrise.

Today was a day of much driving as we had to travel almost 400 miles to Elkhart, Kansas for a shot at Lesser Prairie-Chicken tomorrow. We tried to get there before sunset to see the Lesser Prairie-Chickens dance; unfortunately we missed it by 15 minutes.

On the way we stopped at the Monarch Pass (Chaffee County) overlook. An American Three-toed Woodpecker fluttered about the evergreens and telephone poles just south of the overlook (which appears to be the roof of a Monarch's store).

Our only other stop was for a quick search for the Eastern Towhee which had been at Bent County Roads JJ & 16. The farmer had burned the underbrush and there were few places for the Eastern Towhee to hide. It was not found.

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