Friday, May 28, 2010

Colorado Big Day

May 15, 2010

Big Day: Bryan Ehlmann:

Richard Stevens and I did a big day on Saturday for the fund raising event for the Colorado Birding Society. We started out at midnight and did not end until just about midnight today (Sunday). Our plan was to hit the mountains in the dark, swing over to Coalmont then back across the northeast and end at Bonny Reservoir. With a $20 bounty on any bird that was not reported more than once on a listserve in the past month and $50 bounty of first of the season birds we continued to the Fort Lyons Wildlife Easement to bird in the complete dark for rails.

Excuse the choppy report; I will probably not list all 224 species that we found.

One minute after midnight, we relocated a Northern Pygmy-Owl first heard an hour before at Prairie Stove Road and Highway 14 (Larimer County). We continued to Pennock Pass where we relocated two Flammulated Owls (found on a scouting trip last week). A Northern Saw-whet Owl answered out tape (also found on a previous scouting trip).

From there, we continued to Cameron Pass. It took a while to get a Boreal Owl (Jackson County Side). We then had to rush to Jackson County Road 26 and arrived just in time to see ten Greater Sage-Grouse displaying. Vesper Sparrows and Horned Larks were along CR 26.

At Walden Reservoir, 20+ Marbled Godwit and 4 Willet were on the north side along with California Gulls, Eared Grebes, American Coots, American Avocets, Baird's Sandpipers, and three species of teal (Cinnamon, Green-winged and Blue-winged).

At the Colorado State Forest Visitor's Center; a Band-tailed Pigeon was a nice find along with an American Three-toed Woodpecker drumming, Olive-sided Flycatcher hawking insects and 2 Brown-capped Rosy Finches visiting the feeders. Several Broad-tailed Hummingbirds also dropped by.

A quick stop at Grandview Cemetery in Fort Collins: it only took 5 minutes to locate the male White-winged Crossbill in the southeast corner. A Cooper's Hawk and Sharp-shinned Hawk were also here.

We stopped at Timnath Reservoir, missed the Laughing Gull reported the day before, but did see a Red-necked Phalarope.

When we left the mountains, we did not take the chance on missing Chestnut-collared Longspurs and went to Weld County Road 114 and Highway 85. Picked up the Chestnut-collared Longspurs and several Cassin's Sparrows and continued east and south.

A Golden Eagle and Prairie Falcon were seen along CR 114. A male Blue Grosbeak stood on a fence post along CR 45.

Weld County Roads 100 and 57 were very good. We added a Red-eyed Vireo, Blackpoll Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Swainson's Thrush and Hermit Thrush here.

CR 96 was good to us as we picked up a Mountain Plover and several McCown's Longspurs about 2 miles west of CR 77.

Crow Valley Campground added a Plumbeous Vireo, Orchard Oriole, Bullock's Orioles, Brown Thrasher, House Wren, Black-headed Grosbeak and Northern Flicker.

Prewitt Reservoir was especially good. We found a Summer Tanager, Great Crested Flycatcher, Plumbeous Vireo, Cassin's Vireo, Blackpoll Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Northern Parula, Ovenbird and several resident birds.

Tamarack Ranch Wildlife Area was even better. We saw the most birds here; Broad-winged Hawk, Northern Cardinal, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Field Sparrow, Blue-headed Vireo, Tennessee Warbler, Veery, Swainson's Thrush, Hermit Thrush, Cassin's Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-breasted Chat, Wilson's Warbler, and Warbling Vireo.

Red Lion Wildlife Area had a few additional birds; Burrowing Owls, Upland Sandpiper, a Black-necked Stilt, Western Sandpipers, Least Sandpipers, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, and a Stilt Sandpiper.

Jumbo Reservoir added; Bonaparte's Gull, Common Tern, White-rumped Sandpipers, Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Pectoral Sandpiper and Short-eared Owl (at dusk) along with swallows: Cliff, Barn, Violet-green, Tree, Bank and Northern Rough-winged.

After dark we drove south to Bonny Reservoir and Hale Ponds and added Eastern Screech-Owl and Common Poorwill.

That's when we got the idea to drive south to John Martin Reservoir and the marshes at Fort Lyons Wildlife Easement. Just before midnight we got Black Rail, Sora, Virginia Rail and American Bittern to call!

We did beat the other two teams for most one day species count!

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