Folks- my dad Jim & I enjoyed the cool weather today, birding around Lower
Latham/ Loloff/ Beebe Draw area in Weld County SE of Greeley. Like many who
were out today we had scads of first-of-year birds but I think both of us
especially enjoyed the 14 species of shorebirds that we found.
A brood of young Killdeer tried to fool us as rarer small plovers but their
attendant parent and off-kilter proportions turned us to the proper conclusion-
another case of the earlies this spring? Plenty of Black-necked Stilts and
American Avocets were to be found but only a few Greater Yellowlegs and one
Lesser turned up. One Willet at Loloff was eclipsed by 19 at WCR 40 ponds in
Beebe Draw. Tops were two Whimbrels at the WCR 42 pond. Peeps were limited to
a smattering of Semipalmated and Least Sandpipers in a handful of locations.
Two Short-billed Dowitchers kept to themselves at WCR 59 ponds (1 continuing
from Steve Mlodinow's 3 May sighting?) while 8 Long-billed Dowitchers did what
dowitchers do in another part of the marsh. A few Wilson's Snipe were heard
with one viewed. Phalaropes stole the show, with Red-necked Phalaropes
outnumbering Wilson's about 3-to-1 on the day. Our two best gatherings of
phalaropes were at Loloff Res & WCR 59 ponds. The former had around 40 birds
total, perhaps 25 Red-necked, while the latter had about 150(!) Red-necked to
about 50 Wilson's.
Enjoy- Bill Schmoker, Longmont
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• Bill Schmoker •
______________________
http://schmoker.org
http://brdpics.blogspot.com
[email protected]
720/201-5749
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