February 16, 2015
Richard Stevens:
After finishing chores on this snowy winter day, I drove around Adams County for a bit.
The pair of Bald Eagles that unsuccessfully tried to breed last year near 120th avenue and Hwy 470 has been around their nest today and for the past week or so.
Approximately 60 Great-tailed Grackles were around the goat farm along Buckley Road at approximately 0.8 miles found of 120th Avenue.
Hundreds of gulls fly around the bay east of the Pioneer Trail at Barr Lake. A Lesser Black-backed Gull was among many Ring-billed Gulls. Hundreds also flew below the southern end of the dam. Again, most were Ring-billed; a couple of Herring Gulls were also there. I could not find one to call a Mew Gull. Thousands also flew around the center of the lake, too far away to identify.
Then I drove the DIA Owl Loop. Final rapture count was eleven Red-tailed Hawks, seven Northern Harriers (five were males), three Ferruginous Hawks, one non-adult Bald Eagle and one Prairie Falcon.
After not finding any Short-eared Owls at various locations around the loop, I sat at the hill 3.0 miles east of Tower Road & 96th avenue (0.2 miles south of the infamous prairie dog village). I had decided to stay until it was too dark to see birds.
The field to the east had most of the above rapture count: six Red-tailed Hawks, five Northern Harriers, the Bald Eagle and Prairie Falcon. The Prairie Falcon was most interesting to watch as it soared back and forth across the valley.
By 5:40 pm, all of the raptors had departed for their nightly roosts. Finally, at 5:56 pm, a Short-eared Owl flew down the "valley" with its distinctive "moth like" flight pattern. By 6:01 pm, snow returned and I cautiously returned home on ice roads covered with snow.
Horned Larks were quite prevalent in the snowfields today. At least five hundred flew back and forth across the road. Regrettably, no Snow Buntings were observed among them.
Richard Stevens:
After finishing chores on this snowy winter day, I drove around Adams County for a bit.
The pair of Bald Eagles that unsuccessfully tried to breed last year near 120th avenue and Hwy 470 has been around their nest today and for the past week or so.
Approximately 60 Great-tailed Grackles were around the goat farm along Buckley Road at approximately 0.8 miles found of 120th Avenue.
Hundreds of gulls fly around the bay east of the Pioneer Trail at Barr Lake. A Lesser Black-backed Gull was among many Ring-billed Gulls. Hundreds also flew below the southern end of the dam. Again, most were Ring-billed; a couple of Herring Gulls were also there. I could not find one to call a Mew Gull. Thousands also flew around the center of the lake, too far away to identify.
Then I drove the DIA Owl Loop. Final rapture count was eleven Red-tailed Hawks, seven Northern Harriers (five were males), three Ferruginous Hawks, one non-adult Bald Eagle and one Prairie Falcon.
After not finding any Short-eared Owls at various locations around the loop, I sat at the hill 3.0 miles east of Tower Road & 96th avenue (0.2 miles south of the infamous prairie dog village). I had decided to stay until it was too dark to see birds.
The field to the east had most of the above rapture count: six Red-tailed Hawks, five Northern Harriers, the Bald Eagle and Prairie Falcon. The Prairie Falcon was most interesting to watch as it soared back and forth across the valley.
By 5:40 pm, all of the raptors had departed for their nightly roosts. Finally, at 5:56 pm, a Short-eared Owl flew down the "valley" with its distinctive "moth like" flight pattern. By 6:01 pm, snow returned and I cautiously returned home on ice roads covered with snow.
Horned Larks were quite prevalent in the snowfields today. At least five hundred flew back and forth across the road. Regrettably, no Snow Buntings were observed among them.
No comments:
Post a Comment