Back Toward Denver, Kit Carson County

September 29, 2013

Richard Stevens:

What a beautiful day it was.  Temperatures reached into the high 70s; winds were mild most of the day.

Bryan Ehlmann and I walked around Fairview Cemetery north of Burlington and found it quite birdy.  Highlights were a Pine Warbler, Nashville Warbler and Red-breasted Nuthatch. 

There are no breeding records for Red-breasted Nuthatches along the eastern border of Colorado.  We do wonder if there might be a pair or two that do stay year round.

With our superb fall weather, I would have preferred to stay on the eastern plains.  Unfortunately, Bryan has to fly to California on Tuesday; we turned toward Denver.

Stops at the small towns along I70 (Bethune, Stratton, Vona) found few birds until we reached Siebert.  Another Red-breasted Nuthatch fluttered about town.  The highlight however was potential Yellow-bellied Flycatcher.  See October 2013 "Colorado Field Notes" for our concerns about the many Yellow-bellied Flycatcher reports this fall.

Only about, an hour was spent at Flagler Reservoir (Kit Carson).  A Winter Wren was relocated below the dam.  Few birds moved around the northeast windbreak and cottonwoods and we did not walk around the eastern and southern sides today.

We received a text message that the possible Yellow-bellied Flycatcher reported near Arriba City Park on 9/27 was again found today.  We continued west.  The potential Yellow-bellied Flycatcher was found east of the City Park.

Our birding day ended south of Limon looking unsuccessfully for Short-eared Owls.

Sprague's Pipit Search Heads South, Yuma County

September 28, 2013

Richard Stevens:

We rose early and walked around Rainbow Park in Wray (waiting for a reasonable time to visit a private yard).  It was a fortuitous choice of location.  A Pine Warbler was in the evergreens at the south end of the park.

Back at our motel, a Townsend's Warbler was found in the tall cottonwoods at the east end of the Sandhiller Motel.

Shortly after 8:00 am, we visited a private yard.  The Ruby-throated Hummingbird, which had been around for three days, flew in the feed within ten minutes of our vigilance.

Our plans were to search for additional Sprague's Pipits in Yuma County at Bonny Reservoir and Hale Ponds.  The day turned out to be quite productive.

We found at least two Sprague's Pipits at their traditional hillside below the Bonny Reservoir dam (north of the South fork of the Republican River).

A walk along the River from Yuma County Road LLLL.5 to Hale Ponds added a Harris's Sparrow and small flock of Eastern Bluebirds to our trip list.

It was a fabulous day weather-wise and we decided to hike the Republican River from highway 385 to Foster's Grove.  The hike added a Tennessee Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Blue-headed Vireo, Red-breasted Nuthatch (they appear to be everywhere on the plains this fall), White-breasted Nuthatches, Downy Woodpeckers, a Hairy Woodpecker, Western Wood-pewee, and unidentified Oriole to our day list. 

Late in the afternoon we hiked the hills south of Hale Ponds and found another Sprague's Pipit.  No Short-eared Owls appeared this evening; as a consolation, an Eastern Screech-Owl called north of Hale Ponds as we set up camp.

No Sprague's Pipits Today, Sedgwick County

September 27, 2013

Richard Stevens:

The devastation along the South Platte River from recent flooding is mind-boggling.  Most access roads across the River are closed.  The flooding has also closed the many Wildlife Areas along the S. Platte River.  One of my friend's ranches along the River is mostly under water (a pile of his personal possessions laid in a heap of mud outside of his destroyed home).

Bryan and I did manage to get over to Ovid and bird for a bit.  Ovid Woods was quiet.  A Red-bellied Woodpecker and White-throated Sparrow were north of the Ovid Sewage Pond area (permission required to bird this area). 

The young male Purple Finch is still visiting a friend's feeders.  The Whip-poor-will along Lodgepole Creek has not been heard since 9/19.  A male Northern Cardinal was observed as we departed town.  It was at the southwest corner and flew over to the water soaked Julesburg Wildlife Area.

We birded five WIA properties on our trip to Wray.  No uncommon birds were encountered.  Our string of days of Sprague's Pipit sightings ended; none was found today.

Sprague's Pipit Search Continues, Sedgwick County

September 26, 2013

Richard Stevens:

Bryan and I wished to continue our Sprague's Pipit search today.  First, we made a stop at DePoorter Lake Park.  Our target bird was an American Woodcock.  We had to survey the park from highway 138 (due to the recent floods).

The stop was quite successful (in spite of no Woodcocks).  We observed a Hooded Warbler, two Harris's Sparrows, two White-throated Sparrows and a Field Sparrow.

Our day was spent north of I76 today (the last few mostly south of I76).  Eventually a Sprague's Pipit was found at a private ranch north of Sedgwick County Road 36.

Other interesting birds also on private ranches included a two Long-eared Owls, Greater Prairie-Chicken, Eastern Meadowlark, two Field Sparrows, Western Wood-pewee, Cassin's Kingbird (a surprise this far north), Veery, Philadelphia Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Magnolia Warbler, and Fox Sparrow (red form)!

At dusk, the resident Eastern Screech-Owl called at Roger Danka's ranch.

Sprague's Pipit Search, Sedgwick County

September 25, 2013

Richard Stevens:

Bryan and I continued our Sprague's Pipit search today.  Weather was again quite good.  We drove many of the roads (those that were accessible in spite of recent flooding).

Only one Sprague's Pipit was run across.  It was near yesterday's sighting, this time along Sedgwick County Road 59, and south of CR 30.

An interesting meadowlark caught our attention northeast of CR 61 & CR 32.  We were 99 percent sure; it was an Eastern Meadowlark!  It sang and called exactly like an Eastern Meadowlark.  Unfortunately, we never managed to get good looks at its throat.

The afternoon was spent at a friend's ranch along the South Platte River.  Most of the riparian area was flooded and we could not get close to the trees.  An unidentified warbler was most interesting (possible first fall female Cape May Warbler or female Black-throated Green Warbler or who knows what).

Fall warblers are difficult ids, especially females.  Even with a good look, it might have been difficult and we were too far away.  We will never know what it was.  A female Red-bellied Woodpecker was easier to identify.

At dusk, an Eastern Screech-Owl called!  It was a decent end to our birding day!

Search for Sprague's Pipits, Sedgwick County

September 24, 2013

Rebecca Kosten: transcript of telephone call:

Weather was much better than yesterday's thunderstorms.  Winds were mild; temperatures reached the 70s.

Richard Stevens and Bryan Ehlmann searched for Sprague's Pipits in Sedgwick County.  While did not find any yesterday, today was a different story.  They found one Sprague's Pipit along County Road 30, east of CR 51.  Another Sprague's Pipit was found along CR 47.5, north of CR 32.5.

Later in the afternoon, they found a female Baltimore Oriole at the Julesburg Wayside Rest Stop.

A Tennessee Warbler was found at private ranch # 1.  After dark two Eastern Screech-Owls were found also.

Return to Sedgwick County

September 23, 2013

Rebecca Kosten: transcript of telephone call:

Richard Stevens and Bryan Ehlmann drove to Ovid, target birds, Purple Finch and Eastern Whip-Poor-will.

Few birds were in Ovid Woods; the birds there were great.  A Black-throated Blue Warbler flew back and forth across Lodgepole Creek at just south of the High School.  A young male Rose-breasted Grosbeak was farther south near Parker Avenue.

They never found the Eastern Whip-Poor-will seen 9/16 to 9/19.  The young male Purple Finch was found at feeders it visited on 9/18 and 9/19.

At nearby Ovid Sewage Ponds they found a male Red-bellied Woodpecker and White-throated Sparrow.

Before the thunderstorm, they searched for Sprague's Pipits along the Sedgwick County Roads south of I76.  None was found but they did find a late migrating Dickcissel along CR 32.5.