January 12, 2012
Bryan Ehlmann
Richard Stevens, I, and four additional birders drove over to Harvest Road and 138th Avenue at sunrise. The Snowy Owl was easy to spot when we scoped the field to the northwest (scoping spot was northeast corner of Harvest Road & 138th Avenue).
There is no need to drive down 138th and stress an already stressed owl. They are finding many of the Snowy Owls (27+) in Iowa dying probably from stress and lack of food.
Afterwards we drove the DIA Owl Loop in Adams County and found 2 Ferruginous Hawks, a Prairie Falcon, Red-tailed Hawks, American Kestrels and Northern Harriers. Where are the Rough-legged Hawks this winter?
We dropped Richard off at home to conduct personal business and the rest of us went up I76 toward Jackson Lake State Park in Morgan County.
Just before I76 exit 60, a Northern Goshawk was on a telephone pole. It is really a strange place to find one, far from any forest or trees for that matter.
Finally a Rough-legged Hawk which turned out to be a dark morph Rough-legged Hawk standing on a fence post along highway 144, south of Jackson Lake.
A few Yellow-rumped Warblers and many Robins were around the Campgrounds at Jackson Lake. The Eastern Screech-Owl was out sunning himself and provided nice looks for all. A Great Horned Owl was in a cottonwood off to the distant west.
Several groups of Lapland Longspurs were mixed with Lapland Longspurs along Morgan County Road 4, which turns into Weld County Road 105.
We ended the birding part of our trip at Lower Latham Reservoir. A Peregrine Falcon was southwest of the reservoir, location along Weld County Road 43 at 0.6 miles south of County Road 48.
We searched for the Short-eared Owl that Richard and I found last week north of Lower Latham Reservoir. We did not find it. Fortunately, two Short-eared Owls flew after sunset over the fields south of County Road 48 and Lower Latham Reservoir.
We also found Long-eared Owls, location to remain not posted to protect the owls.
Bryan Ehlmann
Richard Stevens, I, and four additional birders drove over to Harvest Road and 138th Avenue at sunrise. The Snowy Owl was easy to spot when we scoped the field to the northwest (scoping spot was northeast corner of Harvest Road & 138th Avenue).
There is no need to drive down 138th and stress an already stressed owl. They are finding many of the Snowy Owls (27+) in Iowa dying probably from stress and lack of food.
Afterwards we drove the DIA Owl Loop in Adams County and found 2 Ferruginous Hawks, a Prairie Falcon, Red-tailed Hawks, American Kestrels and Northern Harriers. Where are the Rough-legged Hawks this winter?
We dropped Richard off at home to conduct personal business and the rest of us went up I76 toward Jackson Lake State Park in Morgan County.
Just before I76 exit 60, a Northern Goshawk was on a telephone pole. It is really a strange place to find one, far from any forest or trees for that matter.
Finally a Rough-legged Hawk which turned out to be a dark morph Rough-legged Hawk standing on a fence post along highway 144, south of Jackson Lake.
A few Yellow-rumped Warblers and many Robins were around the Campgrounds at Jackson Lake. The Eastern Screech-Owl was out sunning himself and provided nice looks for all. A Great Horned Owl was in a cottonwood off to the distant west.
Several groups of Lapland Longspurs were mixed with Lapland Longspurs along Morgan County Road 4, which turns into Weld County Road 105.
We ended the birding part of our trip at Lower Latham Reservoir. A Peregrine Falcon was southwest of the reservoir, location along Weld County Road 43 at 0.6 miles south of County Road 48.
We searched for the Short-eared Owl that Richard and I found last week north of Lower Latham Reservoir. We did not find it. Fortunately, two Short-eared Owls flew after sunset over the fields south of County Road 48 and Lower Latham Reservoir.
We also found Long-eared Owls, location to remain not posted to protect the owls.
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