Since the 26th of July I have been birding the Lamar area.
Dispersing/migrating/moving passerine species:
Orange-crowned Warbler (Lamar Community College)
Willow Flycatchers (2, possibly 3, maybe even more (as in a family produced
locally?) (Lamar Community College)
(I erroneously reported the first of these as an Eastern Wood-Pewee based
on a rather poor look and photos. If these birds are local breeders that would
be of interest, particularly if they are of the eastern subspecies.)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Fairmount Cemetery, possible this bird could have bred
locally)
Cassin's Kingbird (Fairmount Cemetery)
Bullock's Orioles (several seen, most of them families that bred locally, but
some seen in "odd" habitats that probably represent birds moving long distance)
Chipping Sparrow (seen various places starting about 7/29, presumably shortly
after Ted let them out the box at his house in Boulder and then reported a good
night flight.)
Common Nighthawk (15+ seen over Willow Valley neighborhood the late afternoon
of 7/27)
Rock Wren (1 in junkyard amid sand sage southwest of LCC w of US287)
Local breeders of interest:
Northern Cardinal (at least 2m and 1f, LCC)
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Willow Creek Park and Willow Valley neighborhood east
of the park)
White-winged Dove (several in Willow Valley neighborhood e of Willow Creek Park)
Mississippi Kite (about an average number, many in neighborhoods w of downtown
Lamar, and hunting ditch creatures (dragonflies?) e of Walmart)
Lesser Goldfinch (various places)
Black-chinned Hummingbird (various places, including the Willow Valley
neighborhood and LCC)
Blue Grosbeak (LCC and Ark River north of Cow Palace Best Western north of
downtown Lamar)
Warbling Vireo (1 seen at LCC, 1 heard at Tempel's Grove)
Hairy Woodpecker (Willow Valley neighborhood and Tempel's Grove)
Traditional wet spots are pretty much dried up. Arkansas River is very low
(carp traveling certain sections risk a sunburned back!). Thurston has good
water, limited shoreline.
No Dickcissels. No cuckoos. No buntings. No Cassin's or Grasshopper Sparrows
(prairie too fried?). No White-breasted Nuthatch.
Other miscellaneous sightings:
Green Heron (Thurston Reservoir (Prowers), east side outlet canal)
Franklin's Gull (1 juv., Thurston Res, east side outlet canal)
Upland Sandpiper (8 at Thurston Res, south side boat ramp area, reported in my
other post from down here)
Black Tern (three places: Thurston Res, Nee Gronda Res, Holbrook Res)
Red-necked Phalarope (1 juv, Holbrook Reservoir (Otero)
Pectoral Sandpiper (1 or 2) Holbrook Res
American Avocet (350+) Holbrook Res
no Laughing Gulls (Holbrook Res)
no Neotropic Cormorant (despite our best efforts to turn at least 3 different
young birds into one, 8/1, Holbrook Res)
CORRECTION: In my first post from Lamar this visit I commented on hearing a
"wren" at LCC that was in Marsh Wren habitat but that sounded more like
Carolina. I now believe this bird was actually a Western Kingbird giving a
single "pip" note over and over at about 3-second intervals, as I have heard a
kingbird doing this in the same general location on subsequent days. Every
once in a while it forgets how hot it is and gets a little more vocally
energetic, transforming from "wren" into its true self.
Total species in the Lamar area (within about a 5-mile radius of downtown
Lamar): 75 species (biggest misses are American Goldfinch and Chihuahuan Raven,
along with Rufous Hummingbird, Red-tailed Hawk, Ring-necked Pheasant, probably
others).
The Common Loon present on a very small pond at Higbee SWA e of town a few
weeks ago either figured out how to take off on a short runway or perished.
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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