[cobirds] Scarlet Tanager at Home Lake Tonite

A rare male Scarlet Tanager was feeding in the willow trees on the west side of Home Lake just south of the handicap fishing ramp (Rio Grande County). This represents only the 6th record, so far as I know, of this species in the San Luis Valley. It was only the second time I have seen it in 37

[cobirds] Black Phoebe Plus in San Luis Valley

Things are really heating up in this high elevation valley. Today I found a Black Phoebe at Home Lake SWA. This species is unusual to rare in our area. It was last seen on the north side of Home Lake near the canal. Yesterday my wife Lisa spotted an Ash-throated Flycatcher (unusual) in the

[cobirds] San Luis Valley Fallout of Sorts

We got heavy rains last night and it stopped about 8:00 am. Figured the birds might have been tight in cover so spent a few hours out and about around Alamosa and Monte Vista. Once it warmed up, the birds started to move and things picked up. Here's what was out and about today. Alamosa: Many

[cobirds] Lathrop Birds

Had a 1 hour stop at Lathrop yesterday after a trip to Springs. It was mid afternoon and not much action. The waves of warblers have not hit here yet so tough to find much. So I did see YR Warbler, Osprey, Wilson's Phalarope, RC Kinglets, and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Highlight would have to be a

[cobirds] Horned Grebe at Smith Reservoir

I spent a much needed day afield yesterday making a 160 mile loop through the south San Luis valley. There are still a few thousand Sandhill Cranes around. They leave the MV Refuge at first light and then head north to various grainfields. Up Conejos Canyon (Conejos Cty), the familiar

[cobirds] Crane Festival Results Plus More

Well the Crane Festival has passed and thought I would bring you up to date on things in case you are still considering a visit. First of all, it was amazing that Saturday and Sunday were ideal for being outdoors, but that was sandwiched by horrendous winds on Friday and 3 days of snow since

[cobirds] Re: Latest issue of COLORADO BIRDS

Agree...nice issue. On Thursday, March 7, 2019 at 4:00:53 PM UTC-7, León wrote: > > COBirders-- Today I received the combined Fall and Winter issues of CFO’s > quarterly Colorado Birds. Kudos to editor Christy Payne and dedicated staff > for publishing a most attractive and informative volumes

[cobirds] Crane Festival Weekend Ahead

Birds are still changing by the day. It seems their usual spot on the 8S road has been left behind as birds are finding new grainfields in which to feed. There are numerous off-refuge fields that have recently thawed off the snows, and the birds are feeding in those locations. So try the 7S

[cobirds] Re: Birds Pouring In at Monte Vista NWR

Water is now running and birds are congregating at the usual turnouts. Cinnamon Teal made a showing today as well as Common Goldeneye. On Tuesday, February 12, 2019 at 2:54:24 PM UTC-7, mvjo...@gmail.com wrote: > > The action is picking up at the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge and >

[cobirds] Birds Pouring In at Monte Vista NWR

The action is picking up at the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge and other Valley places. There are currently 2-3,000 assorted Cackling, Canada and Sandhill Cranes at the refuge (Rio Grande County). To see them, they are on the 7S and 3E roads. There is still plenty of snow cover so birds

[cobirds] Conejos County Rosy-finches

Just chatted with Susan Hochstetler and she told me she now has 4-500 Rosy finches coming to her feeders, south of the Monte Vista Refuge. (Conejos County). They are primarily Brown-capped with 8-10 Black and a few Gray-crowned as well. She is located 7 miles south of the Monte Vista Refuge

[cobirds] Re: Cobirds vs Facebook

Tools in the tool box can never be a bad thing. I am not much of a chaser these days although there are some I would pursue. Last years Red-naped Sapsucker was one of those I did chase, and in that case, checking the latest and best info on FB would have been helpful. We did see the bird the

[cobirds] Re: The Colorado RBA will continue into 2019.

thanks Joe. Joyce did an awesome job. Glad to know you and group will carry forward. Much appreciated. John Rawinski On Thursday, December 6, 2018 at 10:31:09 AM UTC-7, Joe Roller wrote: > A team of six Rare Bird Alert compilers has been recruited to continue > what Joyce Takamine has done so

[cobirds] Immature Harris's Sparrow at Monte Vista Refuge

Well the snow and cold seem to have slowed down the birds a bit. Very few cranes around the Valley and only saw 2 this morning on the 1S road east of the 3E. Home Lake is nearly all frozen, except for a small pool where Canada Geese, American Wigeon and other ducks are keeping it open. A

[cobirds] CBRC Help

Can anyone tell me how to delete photos from my rare bird report before I submit my report. Have not found the way to get this done. Thanks. John Rawinski Monte Vista, CO -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from

[cobirds] Sometimes Birding Better Than Fishing

Spent some time fishing/birding at Williams Fork Reservoir. So maybe it was more BIRDING than fishing as the bite was slow. Really enjoyed watching 2 Common Loons swimming nearby (Grand Cty). Not much else in way of birds or fish! John Rawinski Monte Vista, CO -- You received this message

[cobirds] Re: BIG SIT! results from Chatfield

Nice list and sounded like fun in spite of weather! On Sunday, October 14, 2018 at 8:28:29 PM UTC-6, Joey Kellner wrote: > Thirteen hardy souls participated through the course of the day. 17-25F, > snowy on and off, steam on the water on and off, windy and calm. Wow! > Was the weather

[cobirds] Re: San Luis Valley Bird Report, Sept. 14 to 16

Nice list Joe. Thanks for sending. John Rawinski Monte Vista, CO On Friday, October 5, 2018 at 12:54:49 PM UTC-6, joe...@betterbirdwatching.com wrote: > San Luis Valley area, September 14 to 16, 2018 > > Turkey Vulture- Montville Nature Trail area at Great Sand Dunes on 9-15 > Red-tailed

[cobirds] Cranes in Monte Vista NWR

The cranes are returning to the San Luis valley and there were a few hundred at the Monte Refuge yesterday. Right now, they are feeding in the grain fields to the south of the 8S Turnout. If you watch from that location, you will get some good in flight looks. There are a few on the Hwy 15

[cobirds] Re: Recommendation for Spotlight?

I have been using a Fenix flashlight which uses Lithium batteries that are not rechargeable. It has 4 light levels which are useful. Small but very powerful. Considered a tactical flashlight. I use this for night prowls. On Thursday, October 4, 2018 at 5:18:56 PM UTC-6, Norman Erthal wrote: >

[cobirds] Sabines Today

John Stump and I birded Smith Reservoir today (Costilla County) and re-found the juvenile Sabine's Gull. It was way across the lake on the NE lake shore. Baird's and Semi-palmated Sandpipers were still on the west side shoreline. At San Luis Lake( Alamosa County), we did not re-find the

[cobirds] Gulls Galore in San Luis valley

Exciting day today on this calm sunny day in the San Luis valley. Spent some serious time with camera and scope working on gulls at Smith Reservoir and San Luis lake. It was worth the effort as I saw some species we don't see very often. A juvenile *Sabine's Gull* was easily seen walking on

[cobirds] Re: Pueblo jaeger update 9/24

Was there Saturday afternoon and struck out on both! On Monday, September 24, 2018 at 6:06:15 PM UTC-6, Brandon wrote: > > > It seems like there were no jaegers or Sabine's Gulls today unfortunately > at Pueblo Reservoir, I believe a Parasitic was seen on Saturday by quite a > few people, and

[cobirds] Adult Sabine Gull at Smith Reservoir

Today in both the afternoon and evening, I observed and attempted to photograph an adult Sabine Gull at Smith reservoir, Costilla County. It has the striking wing pattern of white, black and gray, and dark head with dark bill tipped in yellow. I first saw it in flight and then saw it on water.

[cobirds] Black Swifts Return to Home Lake

Yesterday I photographed about 20 Black Swifts over Home Lake (Rio Grande County). Not nearly as many as previous report, but still a sight to see. Home lake remains a hotspot for warblers and shorebirds. Insects are still very plentiful and are drawing birds like a magnet. John Rawinski

[cobirds] Re: Jaegers Chatfield SP

Great shots of the Jaegers. Those are nicely detailed and will help with our determination of the road killed Jaeger we found last week in the San Luis valley. On Monday, September 10, 2018 at 11:34:30 PM UTC-6, Mark wrote: > Today, I went to Chatfield to hopefully see the jaegers found by

[cobirds] Birding Trip With Bizarre Ending

I led a San Luis valley birding trip on Friday, Sept 7, and 11 of us had a great day afield. We stayed on the west side of the Valley as this seems to be where most of the birds are congregating during this outstanding fall migration. We tallied 94 species and the best birds were 7 species of

[cobirds] San Luis Valley Birding Trip Invitation

Hi all: Well it is looking like peak migration is upon us and there are a LOT of birds passing through the San Luis Valley. So next Friday, Sept 7th, I will be leading a birding trip to the Valley hotspots. We will meet at the Monte Vista refuge Headquarters 6 miles south of Monte Vista on Hwy

[cobirds] Re: Black Swifts - Rio Grande County

Thanks David for forwarding that message. I have seen this fall gathering of Black Swifts a few times in my 35 years of record keeping here. Most of the time, I was camped in the South San Juan mountains and would see large numbers overhead. But I have only seen these large gatherings once or

[cobirds] Cassin's Vireo and Finally Warblers

Today, I planned a 15 minute "look see" at the 8S Turnout Grove at the Monte Vista Refuge (Rio Grande County). Well, 2 and a half hours later, I still don't think I saw all the birds there! It was an extraordinary day for our area. But it required diligence to see them in the thick foliage and

[cobirds] Re: Summary of recent visit to Lamar (mostly Prowers)

Great report Dave. Thanks for the updates. Not many warblers here either! John Rawinski Monte Vista, CO On Monday, August 27, 2018 at 12:45:24 PM UTC-6, Dave Leatherman wrote: > This is just a general report on my assessment of autumn migration in the > Lamar area. I was down there August

[cobirds] Re: Question about nesting bald eagles in Colorado

Not sure Jean. Some breed in the San Juan Mountains in SW Colorado regularly. But then with fall migration, the San Luis valley gets a whole passel of birds from presumably the north that spend November to March here. Those birds could easily overlap local birds. One radio tracked Bald Eagle

[cobirds] Sego Springs SWA Report

This SWA is east of Manassa (Conejos County), and it was a nice cool day for some birding down that way. At this location, the San Antonio River joins the Conejos river and there is a least a few miles of cottonwood galleries to explore. This area is normally closed during the nesting season

[cobirds] Re: Birds on Quandary Peak

Thanks for the help Sandra. On Wednesday, August 8, 2018 at 5:44:08 PM UTC-6, mvjo...@gmail.com wrote: > > Did Quandary Peak today and noted a few birds along the way. Two Rock > Wrens at 13,000 ft were a surprise. Heard the WT Ptarmigan but could not > locate them in a rock and tundra

[cobirds] Re: Crow Valley Campground on Wednesday 8Aug2018 (Weld)

cool snake! Thanks for the update Dave. On Wednesday, August 8, 2018 at 9:56:40 PM UTC-6, Dave Leatherman wrote: > > This is mostly a note about the condition of Crow Valley Campground. I > was told this area has had two hail storms in the last 10 days, the most > recent being day before

[cobirds] Black Rail Search

Today John Stump and I ventured out to search for the Black Rail this morning at the Bluff Overlook on the Alamosa Refuge. We arrived at 7 am as the fog was lifting, giving us expansive views of the wetlands and the flocks of birds below. We scoped the area for the next hour and a half.

[cobirds] Birds on Quandary Peak

Did Quandary Peak today and noted a few birds along the way. Two Rock Wrens at 13,000 ft were a surprise. Heard the WT Ptarmigan but could not locate them in a rock and tundra hillslope. There were a few BC Rosy-finches in the area. Nice day up there under blue skies and no storms threatening.

[cobirds] Natural Arch and August Lull

John Stump and I ventured out to the Natural Arch, north of Del Norte under smoky, hazy skies. Even in the early hours, birds were not calling and not moving around very much. No Bendire's Thrashers were seen and in fact nary a Sage Thrasher. But we did dig out some of these silent

[cobirds] Blanca Wetlands Shorebirds Numbers Down

Lisa and I birded the Blanca Wetlands complex today and gave the area a good look. When all was said and done, Lisa, who has done shorebird surveys there for many years, noted that shorebird numbers are way down for this time of year. Usually this count and the next have the highest total

[cobirds] Dickcissels Still There Swede Lane

Today, there were at least 10 singing Dickcissels on Swede Lane, Rio Grande County. This is the road about 1-2 miles north of Monte Vista on Hwy 285. Watch for Swede lane going to the west. Birds were in the first mile on north side of road. Had a report the Common Shelducks have again been

[cobirds] Bird of the Tundra

My friend Dr Gary and I bushwhacked to the summit of 13,100 Montezuma Peak (Conejos County) yesterday. There were blue skies, lots of wildflowers and still a few drifts of snow. Birding was excellent for those species you just don't see regularly. Brown-capped Rosy-finches, Olive-sided

[cobirds] Surf Scoter at San Luis Lake

My wife Lisa reports a Surf Scoter at San Luis Lake (Alamosa Cty). This is a first ever summer record for the species in the San Luis valley! No one has since reported the Common Shelducks at Blanca Wetlands which are now open. Dickcissels are still present on Swede lane, 2 miles north of Monte

[cobirds] Re: Common Shelducks

On Wednesday, July 11, 2018 at 3:28:36 PM UTC-6, mvjo...@gmail.com wrote: > > I was helping my wife Lisa with some shorebird surveys at Blanca Wetlands, >

[cobirds] Re: Common Shelduck

Thanks Peter. These 4 acted very much like wild birds and really captured my interest. I wonder what their story is? John R On Wednesday, July 11, 2018 at 5:51:01 PM UTC-6, Peter Gent wrote: > All, > > Common Shelduck is an Eurasian species with the nearest breeding locations > to CO being

[cobirds] Common Shelducks

I was helping my wife Lisa with some shorebird surveys at Blanca Wetlands, when 4 strange ducks flew overhead. Snapped photos that were poor as the birds disappeared into the horizon. Half hour later, rounded a bend and there they were. This time the photos were better and we later keyed them

[cobirds] Re: Shocking Saga at Sand Dunes

I thought long about this and decided to post a few pics of the event on my webpage. Be forewarned they are graphic but give you an idea of what transpired. You can view 5 pics under "Recent Additions" on my photography webpage: http://johnrawinski.zenfolio.com/ John Rawinski Monte Vista, CO

[cobirds] Shocking Saga at Sand Dunes

Yesterday some friends and I saw a shocking sight that I will not soon forget. I was hiking and birding at the Great Sand Dunes with some friends when we spotted bird activity at eye level in an aspen tree on the side of the trail 15 feet ahead. Flitting around the tree was a pair of alarmed

[cobirds] Dickcissels A Plenty

Got a report this week that a couple of Dickcissels were seen on Rd CC and Rd 22 south of Alamosa. There were less numbers than last year however. Today I took a bike ride and encountered no less than 12 Dickcissels on Swede Lane, which is 2 miles north of Monte Vista on Hwy 285 (Rio Grande

[cobirds] Pikes Stockade Closed

One of my favorite birding places is closed for the summer. In April, on one of my ventures there, I saw where the intense winds had knocked over a massive narrowleaf Cottonwood tree, which crushed the west wall of the Pikes Stockade structure. I reported it to the State Historical group. They

[cobirds] Re: Proliferation of Dickcissels in Canon City area

Hi SeEtta….will be headed out to local San Luis valley areas for Dickcissels. Wonder if they will be there in a dry year, with poor vegetation growth? Will let all know. John Rawinski Monte Vista, CO On Tuesday, June 12, 2018 at 12:37:21 AM UTC-6, SeEtta wrote: > Canon City has historically

[cobirds] Saguache Bonanza

I birded the Saguache area (all in Saguache County) and it was a bonanza of colorful birds. I have never seen so many hundreds of Evening Grosbeaks in town! Amazing. *Russell Lakes:* Great Egret and Canvasbacks were highlights. *Road 46.* Take Road Z west from Saguache to Rd 46 and go south

[cobirds] No Greater White fronted Goose in Rio Grande County

Just for your info, there is no Gr White-fronted Goose in Rio Grande County so far as I know. I did see the Canada X Greylag Hybrid last night, which may look like a GR WF Goose, but has been examined and determined to be a hybrid. So please remove it from the Rare Bird listing. Thanks. John

[cobirds] Whimbrel at Smith Reservoir

Today I got excellent looks at a Whimbrel on the south shore of Smith Reservoir, Costilla County. It was near the dam near the boat launch. There are only a handful of records for the species in the San Luis Valley, and not surprising, most of them occur around mid-May. John Rawinski Monte

[cobirds] Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Near Mosca

Did some birding this morning and worked San Luis Lake pretty hard with the scope. Best birds there were Marbled Godwits, Willet, and Snowy Egrets. But the best was on the drive home where I saw and photographed a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (juvenile) on a fence. There may actually have been a

[cobirds] Monte Vista Northern Waterthrush

Yesterday at the Wright-Schriver Wildlife Area (north of Home Lake in Monte Vista), I observed a single Northern Waterthrush in the bog to the south (Rio Grande County). There likely was a second bird there as well chipping some calls at me. I know some of you are seeing reports about birds

[cobirds] Zapata Ranch report

A group of us had the pleasure of birding the Zapata Ranch this morning. We were invited by John Sanderson of the Nature Conservancy and were tasked with coming up with a daylist of birds in celebration of global bird day and the year of the bird. The count was part of TNC trying to get all

[cobirds] Re: Birding South Africa

What a trip and at that reasonable cost...wow... On Wednesday, May 2, 2018 at 6:56:18 AM UTC-6, Norman Erthal wrote: > > Hi, > > Posting of these announcements have been previously approved by the CFO > Board > > I have a trip to South Africa on October 24 through November 11. It had > filled

[cobirds] Black Phoebe in San Luis Valley

Yesterday in Rio Grande Gorge, south of Lobatos Bridge, I saw a Black Phoebe (Conejos County). There are less than a dozen reports in my database, and we get this species every few years. Ironically, the first SLV record that I am aware of was one found by Hugh and Urling Kingery in 1996 in

[cobirds] Ute Mountain Mesa Verde Birding Festival

Just wanted to let folks know that the Ute Mountain Mesa Verde Birding Festival will be held May 9-13, 2018 in Cortez Colorado. This annual event includes a number of exciting birding and cultural events that explore some of the special places of the Cortez area. The purpose of this weekend

[cobirds] Re: Monte Vista Refuge Changes Overnight

Forgot to mention that about 40 Avocets were there as well as 4 Black-necked Stilts. On Sunday, April 1, 2018 at 7:19:57 PM UTC-6, mvjo...@gmail.com wrote: > > After observing birds in the San Luis valley for 35 years (gasp!), and > keeping records, I can say with certainty that April 1st is

[cobirds] Monte Vista Refuge Changes Overnight

After observing birds in the San Luis valley for 35 years (gasp!), and keeping records, I can say with certainty that April 1st is no foolish date for birds! Overnight it seems there is a new, and expected arrival of birdy characters that brighten the wetlands and meadows. Tonite, wife Lisa and

[cobirds] Winter and Spring Collide in San Luis valley

There still are 3-5,000 Sandhill Cranes in the San Luis valley, though some have been leaving under favorable conditions. Today, after our recent 8 inches

[cobirds] Re: Mountain Plovers in Weld

Hi Dave: How does one embed pics into these messages. I'm not having any luckthanks. John Rawinski Monte Vista, CO On Wednesday, March 28, 2018 at 6:00:45 PM UTC-6, Dave Leatherman wrote: > I found 4 Mountain Plovers this afternoon in a strip of winter wheat where > I have found them in

[cobirds] Whitey Wing Returns to Monte Vista

Hi all: The Red-winged Blackbird with the unusual white primaries, showed up recently at our feeders. We first saw him as an adult in 2010, so he has endured at least 9 years in the wilds. He nests about a half mile from our home in a nearby wetland. Wonder where he goes for the winter? John

[cobirds] Re: Canada goose, Monte Vista, Alamosa county

On Sunday, March 11, 2018 at 1:29:56 PM UTC-6, fiddlenurs wrote: > > I would like some input on this goose at the Montevista wildlife refuge. I > thought he was partially leucystic but now have noticed the orange legs. > That makes me wonder if he is a white fronted goose cross Canada goose.

[cobirds] 10-15K Sandhill Cranes

Hi all: I have been visiting the Monte Vista Refuge Daily, and my current estimate is that 10 to 15 thousand Sandhill Cranes are in and around the Monte Vista Refuge. Because many fields are open for feeding, there are many birds scattered around the San Luis Valley, bumping those numbers

[cobirds] Sagebrush Sparrows Plus

Hi all: A group of us headed to Antonito to chase Sagebrush Sparrows (Conejos County) and were not disappointed on this blustery day. We counted no less than 11 east of Antonito. This established the earliest spring record for the species in the San Luis valley, beating the previous date of

[cobirds] Status Cranes at Monte Vista

Still waiting for the numbers of birds to arrive. Yes there are a few cranes here and there but big numbers are yet to arrive. Water is flowing onto the fields and wetlands now so more should be coming in daily when winds are favorable. Forecast is for cold front to hit Tuesday so that may

[cobirds] First Cranes in San Luis valley

The first sightings of 2018 occurred in the last few days as two different persons reported a group of 5 seen (Alamosa County). While they are the first for the year, they may actually be some of the few that wintered here and were counted on the Christmas Bird Count. With no snow cover, food

[cobirds] All Three Rosy-finches in Conejos County

I stopped by Susan Hochstetler's place this week (Conejos County) and observed the wonderful assortment of Rosy-finches at her feeders. I was able to see and photograph all three species including coastal and inland races of Gray-crowned. We were wondering if we ever get "Bering Sea" race of

[cobirds] Lathrop Birding

Today there was considerable open water on Martin Lake (Huerfano County) and it had some interesting birds. My favorites were male and female Hooded Mergansers. Mountain Bluebirds were plentiful. Other birds included Bewicks Wren, Townsend's Solitaire, RC Kinglet, and Common Goldeneye. John

[cobirds] Swing and Miss at Standley

On Jan 16th afternoon, I gave the Standley Lake Open Space a good walk and then neighborhood drive to find the Snowy Owl. No luck but wonderful park. This morning, Leon Bright, Bill DeMoss and myself saw the Snowy Owl at the South Marina which made for a fabulous way to start a day. John

[cobirds] Anyone See Standley Snowy Owl Today?

I know it was snowy and nasty up that way today, but wondering if anyone saw the Standley Snowy Owl today (Monday)? Gracias John Rawinski Monte Vista, CO -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group

[cobirds] Re: Snowy Owl at Standley Lake

Am thinking about making the 200 mile drive up tomorrow (Monday) to see this bird if it is still around. If anyone has details about where it is known to hang out, I would appreciate any information you could lend. Street addresses? Park? etc. Thank you. John Rawinski Monte Vista, CO On

[cobirds] Great to See Friends in Pueblo

John Stump and I traveled over from the San Luis Valley for a chance at the Snowy Owl and RB Sapsucker. RB Sapsucker might be a $3,000 value life bird for me as I have missed it in numerous attempts on the west coast and probably spent those kind of $$ in the journey for this nemesis species!!

[cobirds] Re: Snowy owl found, Pueblo co

What a day and nice to meet you two. John Rawinski Monte Vista, CO On Friday, January 12, 2018 at 10:24:58 AM UTC-7, Dale Adams wrote: > It's hunting in the area northwest of the dam, southeast of juniper rd. > Best seen by walking out on dam from parking lot at top of dam on Juniper > rd.

[cobirds] San Luis Valley Cranes and Oddities

Wow what birds on the east slope. Great opportunities for sure. In the San Luis Valley, we had a brown Christmas, warm with 50 degree temps. It is no wonder that yesterday, as I was ice skating with my daughter, that 8 Sandhill Cranes flew overhead. Not totally unexpected but unusual for sure.

[cobirds] Re: RFI: cranes in the San Luis Valley

On Wednesday, October 18, 2017 at 12:33:55 PM UTC-6, Sandra Laursen wrote: > > > hi folks, > I'm heading to the Arkansas River valley and San Luis Valley this weekend > and would be glad of info on where sandhill cranes are hanging out. And > any other birdy spots! The recent messages have

[cobirds] Ruddy Turnstone at San Luis Lake

My wife Lisa reports that a Ruddy Turnstone is still at San Luis Lake (Alamosa County), on the west side of the lake, middle peninsula. It has been there for the past week. This is only the 4th record for the San Luis Valley that I am aware of. An Ash-throated Flycatcher south of Monte Vista

[cobirds] Ovenbird in Alamosa (Alamosa County)

I birded the Alamosa hotspots this morning for a quick hour. Spent my time at "cougar woods" at the north end of the Cattails Golf Course (on the left side as you head to the disc golf area) and then at the "black tee" area just west of the clubhouse. Best birds were at black tee. Waves of

[cobirds] Towndsend's Warbler in Sangres

Took a nice hike up Rito Alto Creek, Saguache County, yesterday and watched birds along the trail. Went to Blind Lake (no fish) and it was a healthy climb. I saw my first Townsend's Warbler of the year. Another bird I don't see very often is Golden-crowned Kinglet and it was there with many

[cobirds] Blanca Wetlands

Just wanted to clarify the RBR, snowy plover is best seen at the Watchable Wildlife area, pond 46 (Alamosa Cty). Other shorebirds are best seen at North Mallard, pond 114. John Rawinski Monte Vista, CO. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado

[cobirds] Snowy Plover at Blanca Wetlands

There are still some Snowy Plover at Blanca Wetlands. The watchable wildlife area still has some. Lisa and I birded the area today and had a good variety of shorebirds with Baird's and Least Sandpipers, Lesser Yellowlegs, hundreds of Avocets and Semi-palmated Plover. North Mallard area is your

[cobirds] Fisher Mountain Ptarmigans

Yesterday, I climbed Fisher Mountain, 12,865, and had a terrific day up there viewing the rest of the Weminuche Wilderness. On the assent trail, I spotted 5 White-tailed Ptarmigan, which made the day very special. This is not a place to go and get this species necessarily as there are easier

[cobirds] Hummingbirds in Wild Display

Well it has been a very exhilarating time watching and photographing the fall migration of hummingbirds through the San Luis Valley. Based on numbers alone, this year seems to have surpassed most other years by far! I had numbers of 20 birds buzzing the feeders and vying for feeder domination.

[cobirds] Olive-sided Flycatcher near South Fork

Took a nice hike in the old Million Fire where I worked on restoration 16 years ago. Birding was good and the burn recovery very good too. Highlites of the birds were 2 Olive-sided Flycatchers, singing their "quick three beers" tune. Other nice birds for the morning included Brown Creeper,

[cobirds] Re: SLV Dickcissels

Thanks for the report Kathy. SLV is San Luis Valley in the south-central part of Colorado. It sure has been quite the year for this species down here! John Rawinski Monte Vista, CO On Monday, July 10, 2017 at 9:38:08 PM UTC-6, Dunnings wrote: > Greetings - > > > This evening while heading

[cobirds] More Dickcissels Costilla County

Yesterday, I heard the unmistakable buzzy song of the Dickcissel just north of Smith Reservoir (Costilla County). I was driving windows open when I heard it and braked to a stop, backed up and observed 2 birds on a wire singing at each other. This location is on Cty Rd 12 (the road to Smith

[cobirds] Re: Dickcissel plant associations

Dave: We have been carefully observing the plant cover types where we are seeing the dickcissels. Myself and a range conservationist discussed this very topic yesterday on our trip to see Dickcissels south of Alamosa. Here is the San Luis Valley perspectivelist: Tall Brome Grasses: Usually

[cobirds] Latest San Luis Valley Dickcissels

I led a group of 9 of us to the CC Road south of Alamosa this morning. Our goal was to see and possibly count the number of Dickcissels in this area. I can assure you there are more birds in that area than what we counted but we tallied 14 individuals...both male and female, in our morning

[cobirds] Directions to Dickcissels in SLV

Go south from Alamosa on Hwy 285 to Road 11s. Turn left (going east) on 11s for about a mile. Turn right on S109 and go for a few miles. Turn left on CC Road (aka 15S) and Dickcissels are all along that road up to Rd 22. Take 22 south as there are some there too. The 15S road is the boundary

[cobirds] Dickcissels in San Luis Valley (SLV)

I received a tip from local birder Lance Cheslock that Dickcissels were making an appearance for the 2nd straight year just south of Alamosa. This species is very interesting. According to my records, Kingery reported them south of Alamosa for the only block record in the SLV in Atlas I. Last

[cobirds] Costilla County Results

Costilla county is not a heavily birded place. First of all, there are few public lands and lots of private subdivisions. People who do live in these remote locations watch out for each other. Secondly, after a poaching ring sting back in the 1980's, locals are suspicious of people with

[cobirds] Things Slowing Down in San Luis Valley

Looks like we are well into the breeding season. Migration has passed and birds are building nests. I was excited to see Western Kingbirds, Northern Mockingbirds, Vesper Sparrows, and Sage Thrashers breeding on our property. We do take considerable efforts to protect bird habitat but also have

[cobirds] Re: Mineral County May 23

On Tuesday, May 23, 2017 at 8:26:13 PM UTC-6, Roger Linfield wrote: > > The Red-necked Phalarope invasion made it into the mountains in small > numbers. Today in Mineral County there were 12 on the FR 523 pond and 8 on > one of the two large ponds along state route 149 near the Hinsdale line.

[cobirds] Re: 11,000 Red-necked Phalaropes

Well Bill.its hard to do everything and with raising two very active teenaged daughters, running the San Luis Valley Bird Network, part time work as naturalist at the Zapata Ranch, keeping local bird records for the San Luis Valley, and recording all the information for seasonal reports, my

[cobirds] 100 species by noon

So our quest was to find as many species in a San Luis Valley Half Day! We expected winds in the afternoon that would generally shut the birding down so the half day seemed appropriate. John Stump, Jerry Poe and I gave it a go. I am happy to report that we finished at high noon with 108

[cobirds] 11,000 Red-necked Phalaropes

In the last 2 days, wife Lisa and I have completed bird surveys in the San Luis Valley. Yesterday I reported more than 3,000 Red-necked Phalaropes at San Luis Lake, which is open to birders. Today, Lisa reports 8,000 RN Phalaropes at Blanca Wetlands, which is still closed for the nesting

[cobirds] Three thousand Red-necked Phalaropes at SL Lake

We are experiencing a new surge in what has been a slow migration in the San Luis Valley. Today at San Luis Lake, I estimated in excess of 3,000 Red-necked Phalaropes in a huge flock (Alamosa Cty). This is likely an all time high for the San Luis Valley in one location. Other birders in the

[cobirds] Snowy Plover at San Luis Lake

Today, there was a single Snowy Plover at San Luis Lake. It was on the peninsula on the west side of the lake. (Alamosa County). Other birds in the area included Black Terns, Least Sandpiper, Peregrine Falcons, and Lark Bunting. Is this a great time of year or what! John Rawinski Monte Vista,

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