Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Another Grouse Trip, Day Five

April 10, 2012

Rebecca Kosten;

Another Grouse Trip, Fifth Day

The day started by watching Lesser Prairie-Chickens at the Elkhart, Kansas Lek.

Several Long-billed Curlews were seen as they returned to Colorado. The only Lark Buntings were found in Kansas, just south of Colorado. Temperatures were in the 70s, winds were mild.

Cassin's, Vesper, Brewer's and a Clay-colored Sparrow were found along Baca County Road G. The Cassin's Sparrows were singing and displaying on the gravel road that runs south from east of the old Campo Lesser Prairie-Chicken Lek road.

Two Burrowing Owls and a Curve-billed Thrasher were also seen along CR G as the group returned to highway 287/385. Ferruginous Hawk count was five before they reached highway 385.

No Mountain Plovers or Long-billed Curlews have yet returned to Pasture G, across from the Washington Work Center.

Glenn Martin found a Black-and-white Warbler with several Yellow-rumped Warblers at Turk's Pond Wildlife Area.

A drive along Baca County Road VV, between highway 287 and CR 30, south of Two Buttes Reservoir found a Mountain Plover.

Todd Peabody found a Winter Wren below the dam at Two Buttes Reservoir, Baca County. Several Wild Turkeys and a Ladder-backed Woodpecker remain in the area.

They skipped Lamar Community College, Prowers County. Birds probably had not changed much from yesterday's visit.

Instead, they rushed to Bonny Reservoir and Hale Ponds, Yuma County. A search for the Reeve reported on Sunday did not turn up the bird. A Northern Cardinal was at the Foster's Grove Campgrounds.

A Field Sparrow was seen in the trees along Yuma County Road 2, southern entrance to the once State Park, now designated as a Wildlife Area.

While searching for Long-eared Owls along the southern side of the reservoir, they found a male Red-bellied Woodpecker. No Long-eared Owls were found.

They stood around the eastern Hale Ponds at sunset. No Common Poorwills or other goatsuckers called or were found. The resident Eastern Screech-Owls did not call at dusk either.

A hike from highway 385 almost to Foster's Grove did find an Eastern Screech-Owl!

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