I'm happy to report that the Karval Community Alliance hosted a successful 8th Annual Mountain Plover Festival April 25-27th. Participation was the highest ever with close to 40 participants many from the Front Range of Colorado, but also guests from as far away as Minnesota and Florida. Thanks to the Community Alliance and the for the participants who make this festival possible. Aside from seeing great birds participants learn about conservation efforts occurring in this working landscape and get to see first hand how our neighbors in rural eastern Colorado not only produce food for the rest of us but provide critical habitat for our grassland species. We had 68 species detected, down from previous years but not bad for some pretty challenging conditions including a serious drought and high winds and rain (yay!) on Sunday. All trips occurred on private lands in Lincoln County with the exception a quick look at Karval State Wildlife Area. Highlights: Canada Goose Gadwall (a lot) American Wigeon Mallard Blue-winged Teal Northern Shoveler Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Redhead Lesser Scaup Bufflehead Ruddy Duck Scaled Quail Great Blue Heron Northern Harrier Swainson's Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Ferruginous Hawk American Kestral American Coot Black-bellied Plover (a festival first!! on a private playa 3/4 full from the September rain) Killdeer Mountain Plover (multiple locations on both native shortgrass and agricultural fields) American Avocet Spotted Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Willett Marbled Godwit (2, same scope as the Black bellied Plover) Wilson's Phalarope (one lone female at Karval SWA) Great Horned Owl (nesting with young) Burrowing Owl Chimney Swift Northern Flicker (our only woodpecker ;( ) Eastern Phoebe Say's Phoebe Western Kingbird Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Barn Swallow House Wren Ruby-crowned Kinglet Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Hermit Thrush American Robin Green-tailed Towhee Chipping Sparrow Brewer's Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Lark Sparrow Lark Bunting (mostly males) White-crowned Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird Yellow-headed Blackbird Western Meadowlark Brewer's Blackbird Common Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird Seth Gallagher Fort Collins
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