Wednesday, September 14, 2011

More Tamarack Ranch Wildlife Area Birding

Instead of waiting a week for a bird trips to finish and getting reports, I will transcribe telephone reports of current bird trips. Amy Davenport

September 14, 2011

Today three birders covered the southern sections of Tamarack Ranch Wildlife Area. Birders seldom have reported from these areas. They walked the 7.5 miles west of Logan County Road 55 and 4 miles to the east.

While, they wanted a total bird count, they hoped for a Greater Prairie-Chicken or Sharp-tailed Grouse sighting. Neither of these birds was found. They also missed Short-eared Owls today.

Weather was overcast, winds 12+ mph with gusts to 18 mph.

The morning technique was to spread out 50 yards and walk in a line from one end of the property to the other.

The highlight was three Sprague’s Pipits! All three found on the west southern section. Sprague’s Pipits have not been reported here before. However, the area is seldom covered. Richard Stevens reported having accomplished this task five times in the past fifteen years.

He has found Sharp-tailed Grouse and Greater Prairie-Chickens in the past. Two of the last four years, he has found Greater Prairie-Chickens displaying.

The late afternoon technique was to sit in chairs at three high points and scope the lowlands for gallinaceous birds and owls. Weather was not cooperative.

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