Cobirders,
I headed to Rocky Ford (Otero County) today hoping to see some
"mountain" birds far out on the eastern Plains. It took a while, but I
was rewarded with a cooperative Steller's Jay. It was associating with
Blue Jays on the south side of town. Drive south on Main Street to
Tennyson Drive (one block north of Washington). A house with feeders is
the second house east of Main Street on the south side of the street.
Very lucky birders may find two Inca Doves a few blocks farther east,
near Washington and Virginia Streets.
I have sporadically stocked a feeding station deep in a thicket at the
Purgatoire River Railroad Crossing two miles east of Las Animas. It is
on the east side of the bridge. Access is from the east, and with all
the train traffic (and diminishing numbers of hunters), access is scary
and dangerous. However, the effort is sometimes rewarded. This afternoon
at 3:30, a male Northern Cardinal and red Fox Sparrow were present. Let
me know if you are coming, I'll put out seed if I can. Amazingly, the
female type Blue Grosbeak (found on the John Martin Reservoir Christmas
Count) is still around. I had not seen it since December 16th. It has
survived temperatures as low as -9 F. When cooperative, it calls loudly
and feeds on sunflower seed heads in the vast weedy field southeast of
the railroad bridge. I've never been able to photograph it, and would
love it if someone could.
Yesterday, I visited a feedlot in open country at Bent County Roads BB
and 15. I lost count at 150 Brown-headed Cowbirds, in a pure flock on
the west side of Road 15. They vastly outnumber Brewer's Blackbirds here
this year, and I think this may represent the largest winter flock of
this less-than-exciting species in the state. Viewers here may be more
interested in the longspurs associating with the Horned Lark flock at
the same site as the cowbirds. Both McCown's and Lapland Longspurs were
present.
The swans reported by Dave Leatherman on 1/4 were apparently a one day
wonder. There are two holes in the ice in the reservoir, jammed with
waterfowl, but they are about a mile west of the dam. I do not recommend
entering the waterfowl closures on foot.
Duane Nelson
Las Animas, Bent County, CO
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