Thursday, December 26, 2013

Bonny Reservoir Christmas Count Week

December 23, 2013

Richard Stevens:

Bryan Ehlmann, Jacob Washburn, Ray Simmons and I visited Bonny Reservoir Wildlife Area today.  The timing was to include our sightings to the Bonny Reservoir Christmas Count (count week, not count day).

We considered our day to be quite successful as we found Eastern Screech-Owls (three locations), two Long-eared Owls, one Short-eared Owl, one Barn Owl and one Northern Saw-whet Owl.  We do not believe our Northern Saw-whet Owl was the same bird reported previously (ours was on private property which we had permission to bird).

Other interesting birds included a Northern Mockingbird, seven Red-bellied Woodpeckers and two Brown Thrashers.

Nearby Hale Ponds (Republican Wildlife Area) hosted a few interesting birds also.  We found two additional Eastern Screech-Owls, Eastern Bluebirds, Red-bellied Woodpeckers and Lapland Longspurs.  The highlight was a Winter Wren near Hale Ponds marsh.

Unfortunately, no Greater Prairie-Chickens could be located.  We also did not find the previously reported Harris's Sparrow.

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