Another Northeastern Plains Trip

September 14, 2016

Richard Stevens:

Terry Michaels took over my trip to northeastern Colorado today.  Winds 12+ mph, gusts to 19 mph.

Few birds were found at Sterling Reservoir (Logan) and they continued to Tamarack Ranch Wildlife Area.

They found the following at Tamarack Ranch Wildlife Area: Nashville Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, two Field Sparrows, a Baltimore Oriole and Eastern Screech-Owl.

Wray Fall Count, Eastern Trip Continued

September 11-12, 2016


Richard Stevens

September 11

Richard Stevens:

Terry Michaels, Sue Ehlmann, Jacob Washburn and Ray Simmons conducted the Wray fall Count, results to be published in "Colorado Field Notes".

Highlights included:

Wray Fishing Unit (Red-eyed Vireo, Baltimore Oriole, two Eastern Bluebirds, two White-throated Sparrows)

Stalker Pond (Bell's Vireo and three Northern Cardinals)

Wray (private yards and ranches): five Northern Cardinals, one Rose-breasted Grosbeak, one Fox Sparrow (red form), Blue-headed Vireo, Tennessee Warbler, Eastern Screech-Owl, four Chimney Swifts, Northern Bobwhite, one Greater Prairie-Chicken)

 September 12

Yuma Cty
Terry Michaels and all saw a Greater Prairie-Chicken cross CR 45 between Hwy 385 and the CR 45 lek (1.7 miles to east).

Winds were 19 mph, gusts to 31 mph.  They decided to return to Denver.

Break In Birding

September 11-15, 2016

I was not feeling well and Rebecca and I returned to Denver.  I would spent the next five days in the hospital.

Bonny Reservoir/Hale Fall Count

September 10, 2016

Richard Stevens:

Six of us conducted the Bonny Reservoir/Hale Ponds fall Count today.  Joining Terry Michaels and I were Sue Ehlmann, Rebecca Kosten, Jacob Washburn and Ray Simmons.

The fall count will be published in "Colorado Field Notes".

We enjoyed a few highlights which included a Mourning Warbler, Blue-headed Vireo, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Eastern Screech-Owls (at Bonny Reservoir & Hale Ponds), Northern Waterthrush, Harris's Sparrow, Red-bellied Woodpeckers (Bonny Reservoir & Hale Ponds), seven Eastern Bluebirds (Hale), Bell's Vireo (along Yuma CR 2), two Long-eared Owls (Bonny Reservoir).

Wray to Holyoke

September 9,  2016

Richard Stevens:

Terry Michaels and I returned to the Wray Fishing Unit (Yuma) shortly after sunrise this morning.  The best bird was a Pine Warbler in the evergreens along the entrance road.

A Red-eyed Vireo, Eastern Bluebird and Northern Mockingbird were in the same windbreak.

Then we continued North to Holyoke.  Anemometer readings were 23 mph with gusts to 41 mph.  It was fortunate that any birds were discovered.

Eventually we found a Pine Warbler and Tennessee Warbler at the Holyoke Cemetery.  A Philadelphia Vireo was found in town at the east end of Akron Street.

We drove over to Frenchman Creek Wildlife Area; however, few birds were moving around in the high winds.

Hale Ponds to Wray

September 8, 2016

Richard Stevens:

Terry Michaels and I continued our scouting for this weekends fall counts on the eastern plains.

An Eastern Screech-Owl called near our campsite at Hale Ponds

Today at Bonny Reservoir Wildlife Area, we relocated a Yellow-billed Cuckoo and then headed north toward Wray.

A stop at Beecher Island found a Blue-headed Vireo and a late migrating Baltimore Oriole in the cottonwoods near the parking area.

Wray Fishing Unit was closed by the time we arrived in Wray.  Nearby Stalker Pond added a Least Flycatcher, two Northern Cardinals, and another Baltimore Oriole to our day list.

 No Greater Prairie-Chickens could be found along the road to the Kitzmiller Ranch.

Birding Along the Kansas Border

September 7, 2016

Rebecca Kosten: transcript of telephone call:

After missing yesterday's interesting birds at Bethune and Kit Carson County N, Terry and I headed to Bonny Reservoir.  No uncommon birds were found a Palmer Park in Burlington or Fairview Cemetery north of town.

We enjoyed better birding at Bonny Reservoir adding a Great Crested Flycatcher and Red-bellied Woodpecker along CR 3. 

A walk along the Republican River at Hale Ponds found a Magnolia Warbler, about 0.2 miles west of Kansas; Northern Waterthrush another 0.1 miles west; and a Harris's Sparrow at the north end of the eastern pond.

Thirty minutes before sunset, we drove along the Kansas border searching for a Whip-poor-will.  None was found; surely a few make it this far west?

(Note: the last Eastern Whip-Poor-wills recorded in Colorado were:
Along Lodgepole Creek in Ovid, Sedgwick County on 9/16/2013 (Stevens & five Ovid residents) and
Along Logan County Road 4 at CR 77 9/20/2013 (Stevens & Ehlmann)

After sunset, we walked along Yuma County Road 3 and located two Eastern Screech-Owls.  Another Eastern Screech-Owl called north of Hale Ponds.