Monday, February 21, 2011

Yuma County

February 20, 2011

Bryan Ehlmann;

We sat at the Yuma County 45 lek before sunrise. No Greater Prairie-Chickens were seen or heard displaying. We were looking for a new "early date".

Visits to two Wray yards found Northern Cardinals (2 males, 3 females), a red race Fox Sparrow, a Brown Thrasher and 2 Spotted Towhees. Wray Fishing Unit was quiet and slow.

We didn't relocate the Swamp Sparrow at Sandsage Wildlife Area. A White-throated Sparrow was among many White-crowned Sparrows, American Tree Sparrows and 2 Song Sparrows.

The walk around Bonny Reservoir was more satisfying. We found a Northern Cardinal at the west side of Foster's Grove Campgrounds. A Harris's Sparrow was in the brush along Yuma County Road 2, west of the sharp bend to the south on the way into Bonny Reservoir.

Two Long-eared Owls were found in the Hale windbreak. Unfortunately, the windbreak has been damaged by high winds and is not as dense as previous years. It was once a good shelter for wintering Long-eared Owls and Great Horned Owls.

A pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers was in the tall cottonwoods at the east side of Hale Ponds.

We visited a friend in Kansas and found five Long-eared Owls on his property. He heard of a Northern Saw-whet Owl at a neighbor's ranch. We raced over but couldn't find the owl.

After dark, the Eastern Screech-Owl was found north of the eastern Hale Ponds.

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