Birders,
The strategy of conducting the John Martin Reservoir on a weekday, as
early in the season as possible, worked this year, as water was open,
and late migrants continue to pass through. Fourteen observers found 112
species of birds, with another 5 species seen Count Week (CW) only.
Three new species were added to the Count.
The four expected geese species were counted, but a CW Greater
White-fronted Goose avoided detection. Due to open water, 16 duck
species were found. Many duck species prefer Lake Hasty to the reservoir
proper, and since it was open, most expected duck species were there.
Many duck species show up on Lake Hasty for a day, and are gone. This
year, Redheads, American Wigeons, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, Northern
Pintail and Lesser Scaup were present (all can be difficult to find in
winter here). Present CW but not Count Day were Canvasback and
Ring-necked Duck. The duck highlight was a cooperative Long-tailed Duck
on South Lake Hasty. The reservoir proper had lots of mergansers of all
three species, as well as 2500 Common Goldeneye.
Elusive Scaled Quail, Ring-necked Pheasant and Wild Turkey were found.
The three smaller grebe species were present, but the larger grebes were
not present this year. Double-digit Double-crested Cormorants lingered,
while American Pelican numbers appear to be increasing almost daily. We
counted nearly 200. One of the three new species added to the count was
a well-documented and observed Red-throated Loon.
Eight expected raptor species were found. Bald Eagle numbers were a tiny
fraction of usual. Both rails were encountered.
Four species of shorebirds were present, but not found without extra
effort. While Killdeer and Wilson's Snipe are expected, Greater
Yellowlegs are unpredictable. Stealing the show were five Least
Sandpipers, new to the Count. Only five Gull species were documented,
with nothing either Black-backed or pale found.
All four Dove species were found. It takes a little luck to find
White-winged and Mourning Doves here on Count Day.
Two parties conducted owling forays. Both encountered Western
Screech-Owl. The habitat at Karney Ranch SWA that formerly hosted
Eastern Screech-Owls produced none. Habitat "improvement" there by CPW
might play a role.
The only rare woodpecker was a single Ladder-backed.
There was no mountain bird invasion here this year, and many montane or
canyon country birds were absent. The only Jay species found was Blue
Jay. Both Raven species were found, with many sightings relegated to
"Raven sp.".
Hard-working parties found Bushtit, White-breasted Nuthatch, Rock Wren
and a single Marsh Wren (where are they this year?). Only one tiny group
of Eastern Bluebirds was found, but there were lots of American Robins
and Townsend's Solitaires. A single American Pipit and a handful of
Cedar Waxwings were found. Lapland Longspur numbers here this year are
really low, but they were found. Both Brown Creeper and Blue-gray
Gnatcatcher were CW only.
Yellow-rumped Warblers were found near Fort Lyon. The most exciting bird
of the count was a male Northern Parula, found along the Arkansas River
below the dam. It was found by Dave Leatherman CW, and would have been
missed on the Count without advance scouting, because it was very
elusive on Count Day.
Nine species of Sparrow were found, including rare Field, Harris',
Savannah, Lincoln's, and Swamp. Both expected Towhees were found, as
were Northern Cardinal, both Grackles, Brown-headed Cowbird and Brewer's
Blackbird. A few Pine Siskins were present, as was a Lesser Goldfinch.
Good luck to other CBC participants and compilers as the CBC season
progresses.
Duane Nelson
Las Animas, Bent County, CO
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