January 20, 2013
Richard Stevens:
Bryan Ehlmann, Jerry Petrosky and I decided to drive the Weld County Roads in search of Snow Buntings and Snowy Owls today. Temperatures warmed up to the low 40s; winds were measured at 8-10 mph, gusts to 13 mph. Sunshine and good company made for a wonderful birding day!
We stopped at the Fort Collins Discovery Science Museum at first light and counted 60+ Common Redpolls visiting the feeders. No Hoary Redpoll candidates or Bohemian Waxwings were observed. Then we headed east to the Pawnee National Grasslands area.
A walk around Crow Valley Campground (Weld) did not find many birds. A Long-eared Owl was in the firs at the southwest corner of the Campgrounds. A Northern Shrike was in the area just north of the group camping area. This area has been good for Common Redpolls in past years.
We checked the evergreens around the Washington Work Area for Northern Saw-whet Owls; none was found today.
At the USDA Central Plains Experimental Range Office area, we hiked down to Owl Creek. Then we walked about 3/4 mile south and north along the Creek. No Snow Buntings or owls were found today.
We finally found a Snow Bunting along CR 122, approximately 0.75 miles east of CR 45! The only one of the day. Hundreds of Horned Larks and about 30 Lapland Longspurs were counted along our trek!
Stops at two friend's ranches added a Long-eared Owl sighting today at one and reports of two Gray-crowned Rosy Finches visiting about a week ago (last snowstorm) at the other.
Our birding day ended at Wellington Wildlife Area (Larimer). Neither Long-eared nor Short-eared Owls were found today.
Richard Stevens:
Bryan Ehlmann, Jerry Petrosky and I decided to drive the Weld County Roads in search of Snow Buntings and Snowy Owls today. Temperatures warmed up to the low 40s; winds were measured at 8-10 mph, gusts to 13 mph. Sunshine and good company made for a wonderful birding day!
We stopped at the Fort Collins Discovery Science Museum at first light and counted 60+ Common Redpolls visiting the feeders. No Hoary Redpoll candidates or Bohemian Waxwings were observed. Then we headed east to the Pawnee National Grasslands area.
A walk around Crow Valley Campground (Weld) did not find many birds. A Long-eared Owl was in the firs at the southwest corner of the Campgrounds. A Northern Shrike was in the area just north of the group camping area. This area has been good for Common Redpolls in past years.
We checked the evergreens around the Washington Work Area for Northern Saw-whet Owls; none was found today.
At the USDA Central Plains Experimental Range Office area, we hiked down to Owl Creek. Then we walked about 3/4 mile south and north along the Creek. No Snow Buntings or owls were found today.
We finally found a Snow Bunting along CR 122, approximately 0.75 miles east of CR 45! The only one of the day. Hundreds of Horned Larks and about 30 Lapland Longspurs were counted along our trek!
Stops at two friend's ranches added a Long-eared Owl sighting today at one and reports of two Gray-crowned Rosy Finches visiting about a week ago (last snowstorm) at the other.
Our birding day ended at Wellington Wildlife Area (Larimer). Neither Long-eared nor Short-eared Owls were found today.
No comments:
Post a Comment