Dear Cobirders,
Given that the Campo Lek is closed this year, I thought this would be
pertinent. I finally headed down to Elkhart, KS to watch natures very
own chicken fighting yesterday (3/23). I had intended to arrive in
Elkhart last evening and scope out the east lek in preparation for the
pre-dawn drive. I drove up to the blind around 6:00 PM (Central Time,
don't forget!) and looked around. I initially didn't see any birds,
but something about one of the Yucca's didn't look right. I waited a
few more minutes and that something behind the Yucca stood up --- a
Lesser Prairie-Chicken! Within a few more minutes, this Chicken was
displaying; the sounds of his display attracted other males and soon
there were 10 displaying Lesser Prairie-Chickens. The displays went
on until after sunset and just after 8:00 PM a Burrowing Owl emerged
from a burrow less than a foot from two displaying males. The owl
began cooo-cooing and the Prairie-Chicken display immediately stopped,
all Chickens frozen in place. After a brief stomping and leaning-over
dance, the owl headed back underground. Most of the Prairie-Chickens
flew off east into the short-grass prairie and I left, happy that I
didn't have to wake up early on the 24th.
The next morning (3/24), I headed out to the Cimarron Recreational
Area and birded the riparian corridor. More Lesser Prairie-Chickens
could be heard displaying north of the river and many species of
Sparrow were present including White-crowned Sparrow (gambelli), Song
Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow and two Swamp Sparrows. Other birds such as
Wild Turkey were common and a found a small covey of 4 Quail that
quickly headed for cover, unidentified (likely Scaled Quail).
SInce I need some Colorado birding to make this relevant, I stopped by
the Community College Woods in Lamar. I failed to relocate the
Northern Cardinal, Carolina Wren of the Red-bellied Woodpecker. I did
find many Marsh Wrens and one Eastern Phoebe in the southern section
of the woods; I don't know if this is early or unusual for Lamar.
Cheers,
Walter Szeliga
Boulder, CO
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