December 20-22, 2013
Richard Stevens: Southern Colorado Trip
Richard Stevens: Southern Colorado Trip
December 20
On the way to pick up Bryan Ehlmann at the airport, I drove the DIA Owl Loop and found a Ferruginous Hawk, two Red-tailed Hawks and a Prairie Falcon. No Short-eared Owls appeared this morning.
Later we picked up Jacob Washburn and Ray Simmons and headed south (Limon to Rocky Ford to Springfield).
A stop in Rocky Ford found many Eurasian Collared-Doves and one White winged Dove. No Inca Doves, I have not heard of a sighting in Rocky Ford since January 2011.
On the way to pick up Bryan Ehlmann at the airport, I drove the DIA Owl Loop and found a Ferruginous Hawk, two Red-tailed Hawks and a Prairie Falcon. No Short-eared Owls appeared this morning.
Later we picked up Jacob Washburn and Ray Simmons and headed south (Limon to Rocky Ford to Springfield).
A stop in Rocky Ford found many Eurasian Collared-Doves and one White winged Dove. No Inca Doves, I have not heard of a sighting in Rocky Ford since January 2011.
December 21
Bryan Ehlmann, Jacob Washburn, Ray Simmons and I (along with three bird feeder watchers) conducted the Carrizo Canyon Christmas Count today. We ended up with a respectable 63 species (however not close to high of 72 species in 2006).
Highlights included a Winter Wren, Western Screech-Owls, a Long-eared Owl, Short-eared Owl, Lewis's Woodpecker (just one), Rufous-crowned Sparrows (2), Eastern Bluebirds, Hermit Thrush (unusual for count) and one Bohemian Waxwing (among 62 Cedar Waxwings).
Misses included: no Barn Owls or Northern Saw-whet Owl this year, no flyover Sandhill Cranes, Northern Shrike but no Loggerhead Shrike, Curve-billed Thrashers lacking, no longspurs (which had been on all previous counts as were Barn Owls), could not find the resident Northern Cardinal this year.
Total: only 4 birders this year, driving miles down to 52 as we only had one vehicle this year, 22 miles walking (mostly by Bryan and myself). The center point was near CR 8 & CR J so as to include Picture Canyon, North Canyon, Cottonwood Canyon, and Carrizo Creek.
Final count will be published in a future issue of "Colorado Field Notes".
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
Wild Turkey
Red-tailed Hawk
Ferruginous Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Golden Eagle
American Kestrel
Prairie Falcon
Killdeer
Ring-billed Gull
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Greater Roadrunner
Western Screech-Owl
Great Horned Owl
Long-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Say's Phoebe
Northern Shrike
Blue Jay
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Chihuahuan Raven
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Black-capped Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Rock Wren
Canyon Wren
Bewick's Wren
Winter Wren - new to count
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
Townsend's Solitaire
Hermit Thrush - new to count
Brown Thrasher - unusual for count
European Starling
Bohemian Waxwing - just one
Cedar Waxwing - 62
Spotted Towhee
Canyon Towhee
American Tree Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow - unusual for count
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Brewer's Blackbird
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
Bryan Ehlmann, Jacob Washburn, Ray Simmons and I (along with three bird feeder watchers) conducted the Carrizo Canyon Christmas Count today. We ended up with a respectable 63 species (however not close to high of 72 species in 2006).
Highlights included a Winter Wren, Western Screech-Owls, a Long-eared Owl, Short-eared Owl, Lewis's Woodpecker (just one), Rufous-crowned Sparrows (2), Eastern Bluebirds, Hermit Thrush (unusual for count) and one Bohemian Waxwing (among 62 Cedar Waxwings).
Misses included: no Barn Owls or Northern Saw-whet Owl this year, no flyover Sandhill Cranes, Northern Shrike but no Loggerhead Shrike, Curve-billed Thrashers lacking, no longspurs (which had been on all previous counts as were Barn Owls), could not find the resident Northern Cardinal this year.
Total: only 4 birders this year, driving miles down to 52 as we only had one vehicle this year, 22 miles walking (mostly by Bryan and myself). The center point was near CR 8 & CR J so as to include Picture Canyon, North Canyon, Cottonwood Canyon, and Carrizo Creek.
Final count will be published in a future issue of "Colorado Field Notes".
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
Wild Turkey
Red-tailed Hawk
Ferruginous Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Golden Eagle
American Kestrel
Prairie Falcon
Killdeer
Ring-billed Gull
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Greater Roadrunner
Western Screech-Owl
Great Horned Owl
Long-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Say's Phoebe
Northern Shrike
Blue Jay
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Chihuahuan Raven
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Black-capped Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Rock Wren
Canyon Wren
Bewick's Wren
Winter Wren - new to count
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
Townsend's Solitaire
Hermit Thrush - new to count
Brown Thrasher - unusual for count
European Starling
Bohemian Waxwing - just one
Cedar Waxwing - 62
Spotted Towhee
Canyon Towhee
American Tree Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow - unusual for count
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Brewer's Blackbird
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
December 22
After spending the night at a friend's ranch in Furnish Canyon our troupe headed back north. We drove around Comanche National Grasslands at first light in search of Lesser Prairie-Chickens; without success.
A hike to two previous "leks" (by way of open trails, not closed roads) did not find any prairie chickens. We did encounter a Curve-billed Thrasher, which was missed on yesterday's Christmas Count.
Birding Two Buttes Reservoir (Baca County) is tricky this fall due to flooding and construction. We did come across the "bird of our trip". A Carolina Wren was in the thickets below the northern rocky cliffs (below the dam).
We walked around Lamar Community College (Prowers County) in the afternoon. A male Northern Cardinal with his splendid red colors stood out at the southern end of the College woods.
A male Red-bellied Woodpecker, not quite as brilliant colored, was found at the northern end of the woods. Other birds included a Brown Thrasher (rare in winter), too many Eurasian Collared-Doves, a White-winged Dove, and White-crowned Sparrows. No uncommon sparrows (Harris's or White throated) could be found.
A quick detour to the Mike Higbee Wildlife Area just east of town did not find any uncommon sparrows either.
After spending the night at a friend's ranch in Furnish Canyon our troupe headed back north. We drove around Comanche National Grasslands at first light in search of Lesser Prairie-Chickens; without success.
A hike to two previous "leks" (by way of open trails, not closed roads) did not find any prairie chickens. We did encounter a Curve-billed Thrasher, which was missed on yesterday's Christmas Count.
Birding Two Buttes Reservoir (Baca County) is tricky this fall due to flooding and construction. We did come across the "bird of our trip". A Carolina Wren was in the thickets below the northern rocky cliffs (below the dam).
We walked around Lamar Community College (Prowers County) in the afternoon. A male Northern Cardinal with his splendid red colors stood out at the southern end of the College woods.
A male Red-bellied Woodpecker, not quite as brilliant colored, was found at the northern end of the woods. Other birds included a Brown Thrasher (rare in winter), too many Eurasian Collared-Doves, a White-winged Dove, and White-crowned Sparrows. No uncommon sparrows (Harris's or White throated) could be found.
A quick detour to the Mike Higbee Wildlife Area just east of town did not find any uncommon sparrows either.
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