Saturday, December 26, 2015

Birding Around Wray

December 18, 2015

Bryan Ehlmann:

Richard Stevens and I continued on to Wray in Yuma County last night.

This morning we chanced upon six Greater Prairie-Chickens along Yuma County Road 45, less than 0.6 miles east of Highway 385.

A walk around Wray Fishing Unit found the highlight of the day.  A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was flying around the windbreak toward the ranger's office.

We hiked down to Stalker Pond where only a few birds were found.  The best was a bright red male Northern Cardinal easy to pick out in the brown/yellow landscape.

Sparrows included a dozen White-crowned Sparrows, one White-throated Sparrow and one Lincoln's Sparrow.

A Marsh Wren rattled at us from the marsh as we returned along CR FF.

Northern Cardinals were found at several yards: a pair at private yard #1, a male at private yard #2 and two males at private yard #3.  A Harris's Sparrow was also at private yard #3.

Nothing was flying around Wray City Park, the Hospital or the Sandhiller woodlot.  Just before sunset, we drove the Yuma County PP-45 loop.  We saw a Short-eared Owl flying around just before PP connects to CR 45.  It was close to the same area one was found a few weeks ago.

After dark, we returned to private yard #2 and found an Eastern Screech-Owl.

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