Dave Ely (formerly of CO and now residing in Salem, MA) and I birded the Pawnee Grasslands today, spending most of our time at Crow Valley Campground. It was cool and overcast, but no rain. The grasslands look very dry. Crow Valley looks patchy - trees in the dry creekbed OK, others struggling to leaf out, particularly Siberian Elms. Very few millers that I saw. Wildfire area in the southwest corner on the mend, slowly.
HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED: Controlled burn area e of CR51 about 1 mile north of SR14 Mountain Plover (2) Norma's Grove (CR100 w of CR51 Red-headed Woodpecker (FOY) Western Wood-Pewee (FOY) Least Flycatcher (1) [Did not see Palm Warbler reported by Glenn] Crow Valley/Briggsdale Blackpoll Warbler (on a tip from Ken Lane and others, we located an adult male south of the main shelter which was eating, with considerable difficulty, the abdomen of a dragonfly (Variegated Meadowhawk?) - awesome to see and photograph) American Redstart (1 male in the elms in the southwest corner near the single campsites) [We did not see the Tennessee Warblers reported by Glenn, nor the Wood Thrush reported recently] Least Flycatcher (1) only empid we saw Swainson's Thrush (at least 60 - they were everywhere) Veery (2, with both individuals not striking either of us as particularly red, which probably makes them "western" race) MacGillivray's Warbler (1 singing male) Orchard Oriole (1 FOY male hanging out with a couple Bullock's Orioles) Western Tanager (2) Brown Creeper (1 - a decent bird for the location and date) Mountain Plover (1 or 2 flyovers) all swallows seen were flying steadily south no Common Nighthawks yet big group of young birders (ABA camp?) Total of right at 50 species for CVCG/Briggsdale GR96 (Murphy's Pasture) between CRs 77 and 69 McCown's Longspur (very few) [no Chestnut-collared Longspurs] BYO Playa nothing (no water) Peregrine Falcon (1 on a fence post along CR73 north of CR100 (= just south of BYO Playa)) Reservoir (Porter Creek) on CR124 about 2 miles west of CR77 Sanderling (flock of about 30 IDed by Dave Ely) Common Goldeneye (2f) late date Lesser Scaup (3) Eared Grebe (4) Western Grebe (2) Northern Pintail (pair) Blue Grosbeak (FOY molting male) Weld CR31 between 88 and 86 Lark Buntings were EVERYWHERE in large numbers (at least 2000 seen in about 150 miles of PNG driving). At least 15 Loggerhead Shrikes seen in appropriate shrub/small tree habitats during the day. Chipping Sparrows evident but not abundant. Few Brewer's Sparrows. No Clay-coloreds. Oil and gas trucks fairly common to common. Dave Leatherman/David Ely DAL is Fort Collins/DCE is temporarily in Boulder -- 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.
