Cobirders, I have finally started scouting for birds in the John Martin Reservoir Christmas Count Circle. The date for this count will be 12/15/09. I visited Las Animas Junction today. This is on the east side of the Purgatoire River Railroad Crossing about two miles east of Las Animas. This has historically been the best place in Bent County to find Northern Cardinal, and probably the westernmost nesting location of this rare resident species in Colorado. Today, it took about an hour to find a Cardinal, but I finally saw a female 150 feet west of the propane tank east of the bridge on the south side of the railroad track. While I was looking, I found an adult tan-striped White-throated Sparrow and a late Blue-headed Vireo. I am going to leave it to potential seekers of these birds to figure out directions. Start with heading south from Las Animas on State Highway 101 and heading east on the network of county roads that head east, south, east, south, east, south then west from just south of the Purgatoire River Crossing.
I have had an Inca Dove every other day for the past week at the feeders at my home in Las Animas. It was here as recently as 11/10. This may be a first documented record of this species in Bent County (although I had one briefly a couple of years ago). Today, I had a Harris' Sparrow at my feeder. I request that birders contact me in advance before coming to look for birds, and to not show up without notifying me. Outside of the Count Circle in Bent County, I walked through Setchfield State Wildlife Area on 11/9. This remote area is the only public access to the Canyon Country of southern Bent County. Most of the bird species of Canyon Country can be found here in season. Juniper berries are abundant here this fall, and wintering Mountain Bluebirds are here in numbers I have never seen before. There may be thousands encountered if one walks for any distance. I usually drive south to the ruptured Muddy Creek Dam, and head uphill to the west to the old rock quarry used to build the doomed dam, then south and west through the juniper forests. Duane Nelson Las Animas, Bent County, CO -- Colorado Field Ornithologists: http://www.cfo-link.org/ 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
