May 13, 2011
Richard Stevens
Twenty minutes before sunrise, Jean Henderson and I watched 8 Greater Prairie-Chickens at a lek that I had never visited before. The property is owned by a friend that lives in Aurora and he just mentioned it to me a couple of weeks ago.
After getting our fill of the dancing Greater Prairie-Chickens, we headed over to the Yuma County Road 45 leks to see if they were still active. Yes, they were. Another seven Greater Prairie-Chickens displayed here. In addition, we could hear a dozen additional Greater Prairie-Chickens calling from over the hill to the southeast!
Back in Wray, we stopped shortly at a friend's house to say "Hi"! She still has an eastern Fox Sparrow (most of the winter) and 2 male and a female Northern Cardinals visiting her feeders.
A neighbor of hers stopped by so I quizzed for additional bird information. He put us on to a Barn Owl just outside of Wray! Also, he took us to a barn where a pair of Eastern Screech-Owls was nesting. He said that there were two eggs in the nest; we however did not want to disturb the owls and left. Strange that an Eastern Screech-Owl would nest in an abandoned barn (not the same barn as the Barn Owls).
We wandered north and stopped at Jumbo Reservoir (Logan/Sedgwick). A few good shorebirds walked along the southeast end of the lake. The best being a Semipalmated Plover and 2 Red-necked Phalaropes (just off shore).
We looked for Eastern Meadowlarks at the Campgrounds; without success. A male Baltimore Oriole flew along the southern tree break. A Red-eyed Vireo was just north of the restrooms.
A Common Loon was about all we could pick out on the lake. High winds created some awful high waves, which obscured most of the waterfowl.
Tamarack Ranch Wildlife Area (Logan) never disappoints. We found our first Bell's Vireo of the year at Section 1 West. Red-bellied Woodpeckers were seen both on the east and west sides of County Road 93. A male Eastern Towhee sang at 1 West (some believe all Eastern Towhees in Colorado are hybrids. If it looks and sounds like an Eastern Towhee, must it not be an Eastern Towhee?)
A male Northern Cardinal flew around the north side of Tamarack Pond. A Yellow-billed Cuckoo calling briefly along the south side caused us fits. Finally, we were able to figure out which tree and branch is was hiding.
We walked the windbreak at Section 7 East and found a couple of Field Sparrows. A Cassin's Sparrow did its "mating flight" to the east. A beautiful song and display, it was a treat to see.
Our next stop was a private ranch that was one of Dan Bridges favorite birding locations in the county. He found many uncommon warblers and Upland Sandpipers on the property. It was slow today as the highlight was a small flock of 7 Eastern Bluebirds.
On the way back to Tamarack Ranch Wildlife Area, a Upland Sandpiper was seen standing on a fence post at the corner of Highway 138 and Logan County Road 93!
After sunset, we made three stops for owls in Tamarack Ranch Wildlife Area. An Eastern Screech-Owl answered between Sections 6 & 7 East.
Richard Stevens
Twenty minutes before sunrise, Jean Henderson and I watched 8 Greater Prairie-Chickens at a lek that I had never visited before. The property is owned by a friend that lives in Aurora and he just mentioned it to me a couple of weeks ago.
After getting our fill of the dancing Greater Prairie-Chickens, we headed over to the Yuma County Road 45 leks to see if they were still active. Yes, they were. Another seven Greater Prairie-Chickens displayed here. In addition, we could hear a dozen additional Greater Prairie-Chickens calling from over the hill to the southeast!
Back in Wray, we stopped shortly at a friend's house to say "Hi"! She still has an eastern Fox Sparrow (most of the winter) and 2 male and a female Northern Cardinals visiting her feeders.
A neighbor of hers stopped by so I quizzed for additional bird information. He put us on to a Barn Owl just outside of Wray! Also, he took us to a barn where a pair of Eastern Screech-Owls was nesting. He said that there were two eggs in the nest; we however did not want to disturb the owls and left. Strange that an Eastern Screech-Owl would nest in an abandoned barn (not the same barn as the Barn Owls).
We wandered north and stopped at Jumbo Reservoir (Logan/Sedgwick). A few good shorebirds walked along the southeast end of the lake. The best being a Semipalmated Plover and 2 Red-necked Phalaropes (just off shore).
We looked for Eastern Meadowlarks at the Campgrounds; without success. A male Baltimore Oriole flew along the southern tree break. A Red-eyed Vireo was just north of the restrooms.
A Common Loon was about all we could pick out on the lake. High winds created some awful high waves, which obscured most of the waterfowl.
Tamarack Ranch Wildlife Area (Logan) never disappoints. We found our first Bell's Vireo of the year at Section 1 West. Red-bellied Woodpeckers were seen both on the east and west sides of County Road 93. A male Eastern Towhee sang at 1 West (some believe all Eastern Towhees in Colorado are hybrids. If it looks and sounds like an Eastern Towhee, must it not be an Eastern Towhee?)
A male Northern Cardinal flew around the north side of Tamarack Pond. A Yellow-billed Cuckoo calling briefly along the south side caused us fits. Finally, we were able to figure out which tree and branch is was hiding.
We walked the windbreak at Section 7 East and found a couple of Field Sparrows. A Cassin's Sparrow did its "mating flight" to the east. A beautiful song and display, it was a treat to see.
Our next stop was a private ranch that was one of Dan Bridges favorite birding locations in the county. He found many uncommon warblers and Upland Sandpipers on the property. It was slow today as the highlight was a small flock of 7 Eastern Bluebirds.
On the way back to Tamarack Ranch Wildlife Area, a Upland Sandpiper was seen standing on a fence post at the corner of Highway 138 and Logan County Road 93!
After sunset, we made three stops for owls in Tamarack Ranch Wildlife Area. An Eastern Screech-Owl answered between Sections 6 & 7 East.
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