Friday, December 28, 2018

Eighteenth CoBus Bonny Reservoir Christmas Count

December 22, 2018

Richard Stevens:

Temperatures dropped with a high temperature only reached 25 degrees.  Winds were 12-13 mph with gusts to 19 mph.

The eighteenth CoBus Bonny Reservoir Christmas Count was held today.  We try to conduct it the day after the Audubon Christmas Count for comparison.

Six birders and six feeder watchers enjoyed a birding day in spite of the cold temperatures.

We managed to relocate a dozen of thirty-nine Greater Prairie-Chickens reported yesterday along Yuma CR CLL.5.  The Greater Prairie-Chickens reported along CR 3 were not.

Before sunrise, four Eastern Screech-Owls were found along the Republican River east of Highway 385.  Another two were found at Hale Ponds.

Additional owls added to the Count included:

Barn Owls: east of Foster Grove and along CR 4.

A Long-eared Owl at Hale Ponds and two at Bonny Reservoir (closed road south of the Republican River).

A Northern Saw-whet Owl on a private ranch north of Bonny Reservoir.

At dusk we observed a Short-eared Owl flying around south of Bonny Reservoir.

Red-bellied Woodpeckers were found: three off Yuma CR 2 and two at Hale Ponds.

Eastern Bluebirds: four at Hale Ponds and one at Foster Grove.

Two Rusty Blackbirds were along the Republican River east of Hale Ponds.  A Harris's Sparrow was along CR 4, east of Hale Ponds.

Our only Northern Cardinal of the day was at the old Wagon Wheel Campgrounds.

Private lands added two Red Crossbills, a Purple Finch, a Common Redpoll, six Pine Siskins and four White-throated Sparrows.

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