November 13, 2011
Richard Stevens:
After seeing the Common Ground-Dove near Julesburg, Bryan Ehlmann, Jerry Petrosky, Gary Weston and I birded some additional locations in Northeastern Colorado. The Common Ground-Dove when accepted will be a first Sedgwick County record!
We walked Ovid Woods and found few uncommon birds until the southern end. The Purple Finch again visited the area where we have been throwing seeds on each trip (just north of the southern bridge over Lodgepole Creek). A Brown Thrasher was also in this area.
Later, we relocated the Purple Finch a few streets over to the west!
We scoped Jumbo Reservoir and found a Common Loon and the Greater Scaup reported earlier in the week. A Lesser Black-backed Gull was at the southern shore. A late Baird's Sandpiper was also there.
Then we walked from Jumbo Reservoir west to Little Jumbo Reservoir. Hoping for an uncommon sparrow or warbler/vireo, none was found. We did see a Common Redpoll (looked like a male) flipping about the cattails.
We went back to Roger Danka's ranch and saw a Red race Fox Sparrow. We managed to scare up one of his resident Eastern Screech-Owls.
We stood at the southeast corner of Jumbo Reservoir at dusk (CR 26 & CR 3). A Short-eared Owl flew across the field to the south!
Playing an Eastern Screech-Owl tape at the north side of Jumbo got a response of one!
Part 2 (additional information on a sent email):
Sue or Rebecca already sent an email about the great Sunday we enjoyed on the eastern plains. After dark, four of us continued our merriment. We found Eastern Screech-Owls at 4 locations (a Sedgwick private ranch, Tamarack Ranch Wildlife Area, Prewitt Reservoir, and Jackson Reservoir).
>>On the way back to Denver, we made several stops. An Eastern Screech-Owl was between Sections 6 & 7 East at Tamarack Ranch Wildlife Area (Logan).
>>Another Eastern Screech-Owl was heard at the inlet area of Prewitt Reservoir (Washington). Yet another Eastern Screech-Owl was heard at the western Campgrounds at Jackson Reservoir.
>>Using the Night Vision Binoculars, we saw three Long-eared Owls at the Jackson Reservoir Campgrounds! Pretty cool to walk along and scope the trees, then have these eyes (Long-eared Owl) looking at you!
I had wanted to tryout my Night Vision Binoculars and they worked out fantabulous tonight. I was having too much fun and almost spaced that I am leading a bird trip this morning.
While at Jackson Reservoir, we received a text message about the White-eyed Vireo at Last Chance Rest Stop (Washington). What a way to test the night vision glasses. Bryan, Jerry and Gary were crazy enough allow the detour back 30 miles from Jackson Reservoir and we headed south to Last Chance Rest Stop.
It only took about 20 minutes and I was able to find the White-eyed Vireo in the dark night! Demented, but superb!
>> This was the coolest event tonight! While there are no colors, we could tell from the shape of the bird that is was not a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher or Ruby-crowned Kinglet. We could just pick out the bill that looked more like a vireo than a warbler. Only briefly, did we hit the bird with a spotlight and see that it was a White-eyed Vireo!
>>We continued around the small pond. As we walked by the ditch along the southern border, a couple of eyes popped out at us. A Short-eared Owl was perched in a Russian Olive Tree!
The technique would probably not work on a passerine that prefers to stay high in trees. Fortunately, White-eyed Vireos favor "low level" sanctuaries. In addition, if the weather was better, it might have migrated at night. In the cold night air, the vireo appeared to prefer hiding in the bushes.
I do not know how much of a demand a $3000 pair of night vision binoculars will have in the birding Community? However, they just may be something every owling trip needs/requires? Still testing, have to wonder how the $20,000 ones would do? Anyone want to let me borrow his or hers?
5:45 am, off birding!
Richard Stevens:
After seeing the Common Ground-Dove near Julesburg, Bryan Ehlmann, Jerry Petrosky, Gary Weston and I birded some additional locations in Northeastern Colorado. The Common Ground-Dove when accepted will be a first Sedgwick County record!
We walked Ovid Woods and found few uncommon birds until the southern end. The Purple Finch again visited the area where we have been throwing seeds on each trip (just north of the southern bridge over Lodgepole Creek). A Brown Thrasher was also in this area.
Later, we relocated the Purple Finch a few streets over to the west!
We scoped Jumbo Reservoir and found a Common Loon and the Greater Scaup reported earlier in the week. A Lesser Black-backed Gull was at the southern shore. A late Baird's Sandpiper was also there.
Then we walked from Jumbo Reservoir west to Little Jumbo Reservoir. Hoping for an uncommon sparrow or warbler/vireo, none was found. We did see a Common Redpoll (looked like a male) flipping about the cattails.
We went back to Roger Danka's ranch and saw a Red race Fox Sparrow. We managed to scare up one of his resident Eastern Screech-Owls.
We stood at the southeast corner of Jumbo Reservoir at dusk (CR 26 & CR 3). A Short-eared Owl flew across the field to the south!
Playing an Eastern Screech-Owl tape at the north side of Jumbo got a response of one!
Part 2 (additional information on a sent email):
Sue or Rebecca already sent an email about the great Sunday we enjoyed on the eastern plains. After dark, four of us continued our merriment. We found Eastern Screech-Owls at 4 locations (a Sedgwick private ranch, Tamarack Ranch Wildlife Area, Prewitt Reservoir, and Jackson Reservoir).
>>On the way back to Denver, we made several stops. An Eastern Screech-Owl was between Sections 6 & 7 East at Tamarack Ranch Wildlife Area (Logan).
>>Another Eastern Screech-Owl was heard at the inlet area of Prewitt Reservoir (Washington). Yet another Eastern Screech-Owl was heard at the western Campgrounds at Jackson Reservoir.
>>Using the Night Vision Binoculars, we saw three Long-eared Owls at the Jackson Reservoir Campgrounds! Pretty cool to walk along and scope the trees, then have these eyes (Long-eared Owl) looking at you!
I had wanted to tryout my Night Vision Binoculars and they worked out fantabulous tonight. I was having too much fun and almost spaced that I am leading a bird trip this morning.
While at Jackson Reservoir, we received a text message about the White-eyed Vireo at Last Chance Rest Stop (Washington). What a way to test the night vision glasses. Bryan, Jerry and Gary were crazy enough allow the detour back 30 miles from Jackson Reservoir and we headed south to Last Chance Rest Stop.
It only took about 20 minutes and I was able to find the White-eyed Vireo in the dark night! Demented, but superb!
>> This was the coolest event tonight! While there are no colors, we could tell from the shape of the bird that is was not a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher or Ruby-crowned Kinglet. We could just pick out the bill that looked more like a vireo than a warbler. Only briefly, did we hit the bird with a spotlight and see that it was a White-eyed Vireo!
>>We continued around the small pond. As we walked by the ditch along the southern border, a couple of eyes popped out at us. A Short-eared Owl was perched in a Russian Olive Tree!
The technique would probably not work on a passerine that prefers to stay high in trees. Fortunately, White-eyed Vireos favor "low level" sanctuaries. In addition, if the weather was better, it might have migrated at night. In the cold night air, the vireo appeared to prefer hiding in the bushes.
I do not know how much of a demand a $3000 pair of night vision binoculars will have in the birding Community? However, they just may be something every owling trip needs/requires? Still testing, have to wonder how the $20,000 ones would do? Anyone want to let me borrow his or hers?
5:45 am, off birding!
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