Greetings All,
It was a fascinating day at Prewitt in may respects. I spent 7 hours walking, mostly to and along the inlet canal, encountering 97 species. More on that later; for those wanting to know of the rarities: Sabine's Gull (2 juvs) -- bay with shorebirds near sw. corner of reservoir (There were also 2 juv Sabine's Gulls at Jackson Res later in day) Common Tern (1 ad basic) -- near Sabine's Gull SB Dowitcher (juv) -- with Stilt Sandpipers, same location Great-crested Flycatcher (2) -- along inlet Eastern Phoebe (1) -- along inlet Cassin's Vireo (2) -- below dam, in Washington County Tennessee Warbler (1) -- literally with the Cassin's Vireo Blackpoll Warbler (1) -- along inlet canal Palm Warbler (1) -- near wooded bridge at base of lake in Akron GC BAWW (1) -- same location Subspecies: Apparent Mountain Downy Wood photographed along inlet canal Apparent Lutescens Orange-crowned Warbler near Tennessee Warbler/Cassin's Vireos Below is some details on how I birded Prewitt, which will also give some idea as to how birds were moving today at that location. I arrived at Prewitt Res at 7:30, just as the fog began to lift. I went to the bay that is near the sw. corner of the reservoir. This bay (not very large) sweeps from one of the camping areas, back to a gravel road, and then out to where the inlet channel empties into the reservoir. Usually, in the morning, viewing birds here can be challenging, but with the high fog, lighting was quite good. I parked on the n. side of the bay, walked around it to the mouth of the inlet, and then walked that to the edge of the SWA property. This took 5 hours round trip. When I first arrived, the was a duck hunter at the "tip" where the inlet empties into the reservoir. This scared away some of the usual roosting birds there, but probably pushed others (like the 2 Sabine's) further into the bay where more easily observed. When I first arrived, Audubon's Warblers were literally dropping out of the air, landing, and then moving on from tree top to tree top. Not large numbers, but 2 here, 3 there. When I started walking the inlet, it was devoid of migrants, then I hit a very fast moving flock of 40-50 birds (and no Yellow-rumpeds among them!!!). I pursued this flock, sometimes running to get ahead of them, as they moved towards the end egress of the inlet. Amazing that I did not fall and break something, or at least do a face-plant in the mud. I can only shudder to think what I missed in that flock. I then continued on my way to the south (roughly). I encountered few other migrants (beyond that nice flock), but what I did encounter was interesting. A GC Flycatcher here, a YB Cuckoo there, an Eastern Phoebe over there. When I walked back to the mouth of the inlet, the hunter was gone, and gulls and terns had started to roost there. I also found a flock, largely of Yellow-rumpeds, but including Townsend's W and a couple RE Vireos stationed there. The birds in this area did not pish in at all; indeed, until about 10pm or so, migrants fled quickly from any pishing/owling sort of noise. I then birded below the dam on the Wash Co side. Robins were thick in the Russian Olives, but pishing got them riled up and brought in stuff like OC Warblers and the aforementioned rarities. Okay, so, first, the shorebird list for Prewitt: 2 Semi Plover 52 Killdeer 81 Am Avocet 1 Spotted Sandpiper 1 Western Solitary Sandpiper 3 Greater Yellowlegs 15 Lesser Yellowlegs 38 Sanderling 5 Semi Sands 115 Least Sands 180 Baird's Sands 11 Pec Sands 220 Stilt Sands 1 SB Dowitcher 2 Wilson's Phalaropes 35 RN Phalaropes And a list of most "migrant" landbirds 1 YB Cuckoo 1 OS Flycatcher 5 WW Pewees 1 Eastern Phoebe 1 Say's Phoebe 2 GC Flycatchers 2 Cassin's Vireos 3 Warbling Vireos (where have they been???) 3 Red-eyed Vireos 3 Red-breasted Nuthatches 2 BG Gnatcatchers 2 RC Kinglets 2 Hermit Thrushes 1 American Pipit 1 Tennessee Warbler 16 "normal" OC Warblers 1 Lutescent OC Warbler 1 Nashville Warbler (probably western) 2 Common Yellowthroats 1 Yellow Warbler 4 Myrtle Warblers 48 Audubon's Warblers 1 Myrtle x Audubon's Warbler 9 Townsend's Warblers 41 Wilson's Warblers 1 Western Tanager 1 Blue Grosbeak and a few Chippys and Brewer's and a couple CC Sparrows. Also, 3 Canvasback were my first of the fall. Good Birding, Steven Mlodinow -- 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.
