Sunday, March 27, 2011

Davenport on Grouse Trips, Saturday 3/26

It has been decided that instead of waiting a week for a grouse trip to finish and getting reports, I will transcribe telephone reports of current grouse trips. I will do my best. Amy Davenport

March 26, 2011

The Stevens group started their birding at the Yuma County Road 45 lek. Five Greater Prairie-Chickens displayed. The lek is very far from the road; a scope is required.

Next, they circled Jumbo Reservoir, Logan/Sedgwick Counties. Some interesting gulls included a Glaucous Gull and Thayer's Gull. A black backed Gull was not identified. At least two Greater Scaup swan on the windy waters.

Besides a Merlin, Red-tailed Hawks and a Ferruginous Hawk they had the rare experience of seeing both a Rough-legged Hawk and Swainson's Hawk on the same day and same area.

At Tamarack Ranch Wildlife Area, Logan County, they found a Northern Cardinal around Tamarack Pond and Red-bellied Woodpeckers on the Platte River.

They did not find Mountain Plovers at Highway 14 and Weld County Road 51. However, drove up CR 96 and found a Mountain Plover 2.0 miles west of CR 77. A few McCown's Longspurs were along CR 96; no Chestnut-collared Longspurs were found.

They ended their day at Lower Latham Reservoir, Weld CR 48. Two Short-eared Owls appeared around sunset.

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