August 25-27, 2018
Richard Stevens:
August 25
Warmer still with high temperature of 92 degrees. Winds were 7-8 mph with gusts to 21 mph. HOT!
Terry Michaels and I headed northeast; our target birds included the Red Knot and other shorebirds reported at Prewitt Reservoir (Logan/Washington Counties).
We enjoyed great success. Our Prewitt Reservoir list included Red Knot plus Long-billed Curlew, Pectoral Sandpipers, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Great Crested Flycatcher, Baltimore Oriole, and an Eastern Screech-Owl.
We continued northeast and found Pioneer Park in Sterling another Baltimore Oriole and two Red-headed Woodpeckers.
A stop at Logan CR 67/Tamarack Ranch site did not relocate the Eastern Meadowlarks reported on 8/19.
Our birding day ended at Tamarack Ranch Wildlife Area (Logan). No Bell's Vireos were found today. Are they gone?
We did count six Red-headed Woodpeckers, two Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and two Field Sparrows.
After dusk, we heard two Eastern Screech-Owls and two Great Horned Owls (at separate signed areas along the eastern side of the Wildlife Area.
August 26
Wow, high temperature was 99 degrees. Hot winds of 15-16 mph with gusts to 23 mph made for an uncomfortable day.
Terry and I stopped by Red Lion Wildlife Area (Logan) and found the Marbled Godwits reported on 8/25 by Bill Kaempfer. Unfortunately, we could not relocate the Bell's Vireo reported yesterday by Bill.
Jumbo Reservoir (Logan/Sedgwick) was quite slow. A Common Tern was our highlight. Terry saw a flash of red (Northern Cardinal?) below the western side of the dam; it was not relocated. Bill's Semipalmated Plovers (8/25) were not found.
We kept in mind that Least Bitterns have been reported several falls below the Jumbo Reservoir dam. None was found today.
A text message about an adult and juvenile Yellow-crowned Night-Heron at Stalker Pond (Yuma) caught our attention. We headed south.
Fortune was kind. We relocated both of the Yellow-crowned Night-Herons! Other birds encountered included a Red-headed Woodpecker, male Northern Cardinal, Baltimore Oriole and Marsh Wren. Later we learned that a Blackburnian Warbler was missed by us.
Our birding day ended with a drive along Yuma County Road 45. No Greater Prairie-Chickens or Short-eared Owls were encountered this evening.
August 27
High temperature 95 degrees. Winds 12-13 mph with gusts to 21 mph. It did not feel any cooler than yesterday.
Terry and I woke up to an Eastern Screech-Owl calling north of Hale Ponds (Yuma).
We hiked my usual four-mile loop along the Republican River west of Kansas. Highlight was a Yellow-billed Cuckoo!
We thought a small wren (Winter or Sedge Wren) popped out of the cattails at the northwestern Hale Pond; unfortunately, it was not seen again.
Other birds encountered included two Red-bellied Woodpeckers and four Eastern Bluebirds.
Bonny Reservoir (Wagon Wheel Campgrounds, Southern Road) were quiet and we headed back to Denver.
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