I did some early winter birding today, in Phillips, Sedgwick and Logan Counties. Back roads were muddy and it was 35 degrees with a brisk south wind. Road 2 east of highway 59 along the Phillips-Yuma border, was sparrowy, as described by Mark Peterson and Brad Steger recently, but there was not as much variety - mostly Vespers, Savannah and an immature Harris's Sparrow (first of the season for me). I was hoping for a long-shot at the big playa (near Road 31 and Road 2) - a Black-bellied Plover. In fact it was the only shorebird there, and close to the road. Holyoke cemetery was dead, except for a mourning Dove. Twenty Cedar Waxwings were on the north end of town. Not much else, but I was not there very long. I drove up to Julesberg, and the cemetery there produced some common species- Pine Siskins, Townsend's Solitaire, Robins, an Orange-crowned Warbler and a jittery flock of 30 Cedar Wawxings. A little pond at the river crossing produced more diving ducks than I have seen this fall - Ring-necked, Redheads and also Wood Duck. Ovid Woods was very quiet. The resident Eastern Screech Owl responded to my low, quavering whistle,. Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Dark-eyed Juncos were at almost every stop I made. At Jumbo I was happy to see a flock of forty Snow Geese (FOS) fly in from the north, circle and land on the east end. There were some young birds with them, but no Ross's. Shorebirds at Jumbo were non-existent. No swallows either. Finally as I drove home on I-76 a flock of 200 or so Sandhill Cranes garrrrruwed over Sterling, flying south (go figure). Joe Roller, Denver
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