Birders,
I drove to Adobe Creek Reservoir (aka Blue Lakes) this afternoon. This
lake straddles the Bent / Kiowa County lines, and is about 13 miles
north of Las Animas via Road 10.
The north lake is mostly in Kiowa County. I had one Pacific Loon, rare
in Kiowa County. An early adult Bald Eagle was present. Sandhill Cranes
called constantly, and while I was there, a few Snow Geese arrived.
There are lots of American White Pelicans, several species of grebes,
hundreds of cormorants, and a fair number of ducks.
The south lake is where the shorebirds are. The north end of the south
lake (Bent County) had double-digit Greater Yellowlegs, two
Black-bellied Plovers, American Avocets and one late Lesser Yellowlegs.
The best birding was on the south end of the south lake, accessed by
County Road UU. From the dam, head north on the two-track on the east
side of the outlet canal all the way to the lake. There are several
small islands, chock full of shorebirds and other water birds. As I was
watching, I heard a sharp "pick" call (similar to a Sanderling) I looked
up to see a robust shorebird with a white wing stripe coming in for a
landing. When it landed on the water and began to swim, I knew I was on
to something; a basic-plumaged Red Phalarope. The phalarope swam just
offshore, and I got lots of photographs. If my pictures are not great,
it's not the phalarope's fault.
Duane Nelson
Las Animas, Bent County, CO
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