I have been in Lamar since last Sunday night. Since the weather has been
rather problematic and the birding rather slow, there have been no posts. But
a summary is probably in order, if for no other reason than to provide info for
planning purposes.
Monday was a cool day featuring a dust storm (aka "roller") of moderate
proportions in the afternoon. One of the most alarming weather situations I've
ever been involved with. Imagine birding at LCC, feeling the wind pick up, and
looking up to see a storm of dirt hundreds of feet high coming straight out of
the north. At a minimum, a nightmare for one's optical equipment and palate.
Buy stock in Q-Tips.
Tuesday featured a couple inches of wet snow that came in sideways.
Wednesday was OK, high in the 60s.
Thursday saw steady winds of 30+ mph out of the west to southwest.
Today (Friday) was mild with light rain where I was (Two Buttes Res).
In general the vegetation in Lamar looks like early April. Cottonwoods are
beginning to flower, as are the leafed-out golden currant shrubs at LCC.
Otherwise, things are bare, with the wheat mostly sparse to non-existent and
the grass just beginning to green up.
Thurston looks like great shorebird habitat but is a stinking, shrinking place
that barely qualifies as a "water body". Ditto for Two Buttes Res. The only
water is just west of the dam.
HIghlights birdwise:
"Black" Merlin at Tempel's Grove (Bent) on the way down (4/21). So-so photo.
Red-bellied Woodpecker (1) at Tempel's Grove
At Lamar Community College in Lamar
Broad-winged Hawk (1 light adult 4/23 and 4/26. Duane reported a dark morph
the other day.)
Carolina Wren (4/22 and 4/26)
Northern Cardinal (as many as three on 4/24 but I saw an imm. Cooper's Hawk
holding an all red bird the same day)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (1 on 4/26)
House Wren (1)
Marsh Wren (2 heard)
no warblers other than yellow-rumps, 1 Wilson's, a couple orange-crowns and a
couple yellowthroats
no vireos
no flycatchers
Hermit Thrush (1)
Barn Owl (1 on 4/25)
Nee Noshe "Res" (Kiowa) on 4/25
A whopping 30 individual birds:
10 Willets
1 Marbled Godwit
3 Sandhill Cranes
4 Northern Shovelers
4 Blue-winged Teal
1 Wilson's Phalarope
2 Say's Phoebes
2 White-crowned (Gambel's) Sparrows
no Snowy Plovers
Locust Grove on the southwest corner appears to be mostly dead
another stinking, shrinking place
Two Buttes Res (Baca):
Great Egret (1)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (1)
Eastern Phoebe (1)
Long-billed Dowitcher (6)
Western Sandpiper (1)
Wood Duck (1f)
Swamp Sparrow (1) "pond" (mostly soggy cattails) just below the dam (that is, w
of the Black Hole)
Sage Thrasher (1)
Lots of siskins still around Lamar. Suspect they will do their usual 1 brood
at the cemeteries before realizing it is too hot to try for a second. Still a
few solitaires around. Large numbers of white-crowns still in Lamar, mostly
Gambel's with a few dark-lored birds that sing like "mountain" (oriantha) forms
(not "eastern" forms). Lark Buntings, Swainson's Hawks, and Western Kingbirds
just getting here. High numbers of Say's Phoebes, Loggerhead Shrikes, and
Ruby-crowned Kinglets.
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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