I made a trip to the Lower Arkansas Valley on Wednesday, a great day to take advantage of this unusually cool weather. However, a number of severe thunderstorms also traveled through this area so my birding route was contingent on being able to drive around the 6-7 storms I worked to avoid after hearing on the radio that parts of SE Colo were being pummeled with golf ball size hail.
I was delighted to see 4 Least Terns at Adobe Creek Res (aka Blue Lake) north of Las Animas. However, though I was outside the nesting exclosure I had to leave the area to avoid distressing apparent parent birds as they repeatedly flew in my direction, calling in an agitated manner. I couldn't see any nests or nestlings with my binoculars but their behavior was certainly indicative of nest, or nestling, defense. Proof that they are pugnacious nest defenders, they even came towards me when I drove to a section of beach several hundred yards from the nest exclosure. Again I left the area as I don't like to disturb breeding birds especially those federally listed as Endangered like Least Terns. The only shorebirds I saw at Adobe Creek were a few Semipalmated Sandpipers and a single Snowy Plover. There were a number of Black Terns flying around the lake, a few Black-necked Stilts, and Am White Pelicans. North of the reservoir I did find a Swainson Hawk nest that had 2 nestlings still in it and parent birds that circled overhead. Lake Cheraw had the most water in it I think I have ever seen. And there was a lot of vegetation around the shore which is unusual and probably accounted for the reduced number of shorebirds (generally the shoreline is like salt flat which isn't conducive to vegetation but possibly the heavy rains have diluted the normally saline lake and provided a more hospitable environment for growth). Besides the usual waterfowl there was a flock of Eared Grebes in their gorgeous breeding plumage. There were a number of Black-necked Stilts including birds in juvenal plumage. Vying for the best-parent species award, the Black-necked Stilt adults flew in my direction calling in an agitated manner as though protecting nests (I didn't see any nests, nestlings or adults sitting on nests so guess they were "protecting" the juvenile offspring though they were flying around). There were also some Black Terns and lots of Wilson Phalaropes as usual. The only shorebirds I saw were on the far shores too distant to identify. Lake Holbrook was so full of water there is effectively no shoreline except where there is vegetation (actually small cottonwood and tamarisk trees). There were a number of Aechmophorus grebes on the lake, Black Terns and white-headed gulls flying around it, the requisite Am White Pelicans and a small flock of dark ibis on the far north shore. I was surprised to not find an Red-headed Woodpeckers in the grove of cottonwoods to the east of the lake (I thought they might have fledglings around) but did see one adult bird about a mile away. Also got to enjoy 4 likely juvenile Burrowing Owls as they practiced their flying skills. I am putting photos of the Least Terns, Snowy Plover, Swainson Hawk nestlings on my blog at http://BirdsAndNature.blogspot.com . Just a note, I did recheck the area where I found the Black-throated Sparrows south of Canon City yesterday just in case but found none. SeEtta Moss Canon City http:BirdsAndNature.blogspot.com --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Colorado County Birding: http://www.coloradocountybirding.com/ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.as/group/cobirds?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
