Monday, March 24, 2014

A Drive Around Adams County

March 23, 2014

Richard Stevens:

Bryan Ehlmann and I stopped at Banner Lakes Wildlife Area (Weld County) on our way to visit a friend's ranch east of Prospect Valley.  At least six Long-eared Owls continue at the Wildlife Area.

No Burrowing Owls or Mountain Plovers have shown up at my friend's ranch yet.  Both species have nested in his fields the last seven or eight years.

After dropping Bryan off, Rebecca Kosten and I drove around Adams County on Sunday afternoon.  Winds were 8 mph, gusts only 10 mph.  The sun shone; temperatures reached the high 50s.

We checked to see if additional Burrowing Owls had joined the lone bird from yesterday.  He/she still appeared to be alone at the prairie dog town at 3.2 miles east of Tower Road and 96th Avenue.

It is hoped that the flooded field along Tower Road, just north of 96th Avenue will attract some migrating shorebirds in the next few weeks.  Today we only found about 14 Killdeer.

A drive through the Rocky Mountain Arsenal found few birds.  The Greater Scaup count on Lower Derby Lake was up from four to six today.

Hundreds of Gulls were on Lake Ladora.   Unfortunately, except for two dozen California Gulls, the rest were Ring-billed Gulls.

No Short-eared Owls appeared along the DIA Owl Loop this evening.

No comments: