Hi Everyone-- On my way back from KS and OK, I stopped at a few migrant traps. Late on 5/21, I stopped at the Holly Rest Area. A male Black-and-white Warbler was in the olive where the entrance road splits. Sunday morning 5/22, I went to Lamar Community College. A roost of about 20 Turkey Vultures in the bare trees to the south was a new development. At the north end, I saw a male Blackpoll Warbler. A Least Flycatcher was singing near the volleyball court. A Philadelphia Vireo was singing in the depths of the south end, and I got good looks at it (it sounds a lot like a Red-eyed, but a bit softer and with less variation). A Mississippi Kite sat in a cottonwood next to the admin building. A Mountain Plover was just off US 287 at Kiowa CR C (the turnoff for Queens SWA). At the corner of county roads C and 46.5 (just west of the Queens boat ramp), three Red-headed Woodpeckers were on the fence posts. A Northern Waterthrush was in a tiny pond at the Monger Ranch along Cheyenne CR 9, 1.7 miles south of the Kit Carson county line (this was generally a very birdy spot). Last Chance had a singing Tennessee Warbler, two Northern Waterthrushes, and an American Redstart.
Not a bird, but still very cool: a large bat with red in the underwing and a red collar was flying around in broad daylight along Cheyenne CR 9. My best guess was a Big Free-tailed Bat. Since I didn't see anyone posting about Crow Valley on 5/20, I am forwarding a report from Sav Saville, a friend of mine who is visiting from New Zealand. ----------- Excellent day out today. Spent most of the day at Crow Valley and saw pretty much everything that had been found: Veery (maybe 2 birds), Black-throated Green Warbler, Blackpoll, Green-tailed Towhee, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Cordilleran Flycatcher, etc. Only miss was Northern Parula (but I've seen that in Britain!) Heaps of Lark Buntings, Brewer's Sparrows, Horned larks and McCown's Longspurs, and a Golden Eagle, but no Mountain Plover (though 2 were seen on CR96 this morning) or Chestnut-collared Longspur. Total of 62 species for the day. I think the biggest surprise was a Red-headed Woodpecker at the NW corner of the bird route. I so nearly got bogged down at one point but just made it through. ----------- Mark Miller Longmont, CO -- 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.com/group/cobirds?hl=en.
