The severe drought conditions that have plagued most of southeast Colorado this summer are quite evident in many locations even though there have been several significant rains in many areas in September (more rain in September than July and August in some areas, not in growing season-). The conifers in Fairmont Cemetery look very stressed. I visit on Monday netted a few Yellow-rumped Warblers, lot of Robins and FOS Pink-sided Juncos. Lamar Woods behind the college was very quiet Monday so I didn't spend much time there. Both Neenoshe and Neegronda Reservoirs are very very low. There were scattered ducks and distant peeps at Neenoshe Res on two short visits--most interesting thing was watching sparrows sallying after flying insects and doing a good imitation of flycatchers. The large cottonwoods are dying but one Western Tanager was trying to find something to eat there. The locust groves persist (do they have long tap roots?) but few birds there either. Neegronda had some grebes and white headed gulls as well as more ducks and 1 Am White Pelican but didn't see any shorebirds (lots of vegetation around shore).. Young cottonwoods around the dry (for years now) Upper Queens Reservoir netted several Yellow-rumped Warblers and an Orange-crowned Warbler. I did hear a high flying Sandhill Crane. In some larger cottonwoods south of Upper Queens were 2 Red-headed Woodpeckers. The ag fields and grassland in the Queens State Wildlife Area were parched dry and not supporting birds they usually do (ie,pheasant in ag fields in past years). All very sad as these areas used to support a lot of bird life especially during migration.
Nearby Temple Grove very quiet as the canal is dry (I expect they are doing work on it). Thurston Reservoir is an exception with reasonably good water levels given it is fall. Saw 2 Lesser Yellowlegs, nice group of Am White Pelicans and DC Cormorants, some remaining Yellow-headed Blackbirds, some ducks but no migrants in the deciduous trees on south shore (some dead and dying). Further west Lake Hasty hosted several Lesser Yellowlegs, 1 Great Egret, 1 Am Avocet and a bunch of Great Blue Herons. Turkey Vultures still working the area. John Martin still relatively low but with thousands of distant waterfowl, cormorants and Am White Pelicans. Today I birded in Baca County. The 'black hole' area of Two Buttes has a little water in the main pond area but the other ponds are dried up but there was a Belted Kingfisher, 2 Solitary Sandpipers and about 20 ducks there (one looked like a hybrid Am Wigeon and something else). It was very windy and gusty and with so little water around I choose not to go out on the little island area so as that would flush them out. In shrubs along road were a Ruby-crowned Kinglet and and Orange-crowned Warbler. Still have 15 or so Turkey Vultures and the resident Rock Pigeons (the only population of pigeons I know of that live away from humans and their free food). Another very sad area. Little Turk's Pond, a small state wildlife area just a ways south of Two Buttes, was the surprise. Not only did it have more water than Two Buttes black hole (and a good amount for fall) but I found 2-3 American Pipits and 2 Pectoral Sandpipers there as well as a small flock of Yellow-headed Blackbirds and a good number of ducks. I got some good photos of the Pectoral Sandpipers and one of the pipits that I have uploaded to my Birds and Nature <http://BirdsAndNature.blogspot.com> blog. Though some of the larger cottonwoods around this pond are dead or dying, there were a few Yellow-rumped Warblers working tree trunks and remaining leaves. Later in Springfield I also saw several Yellow-rumped Warblers. So what do I find in this drought stricken area worth hanging around for--hawk migration. I love this time of year out on the eastern plains as so many hawks migrating through stop over to feed in the grasslands (not so much this dry year) and agricultural fields (lots of them, even saw a field with over 30 hawks still down feeding at dusk tonight). They are so funny as they run after insects on the ground. I have posted some photos of this also on my Birds and Nature <http://BirdsAndNature.blogspot.com> blog (scroll down). Also enjoying evening Common Nighthawk (at least a dozen last several nights here in Lamar) and Chimney Swift flights. SeEtta Moss Canon City (still in Lamar) Personal blog @ http://BirdsAndNature.blogspot.com<http://birdsandnature.blogspot.com/> Blogging for *Birds and Blooms* magazine @ Birds and Blooms blog southcentral/ <http://birdsandbloomsblog.com/category/southcentral/> -- 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.
