Hello everyone,
While out working in the grasslands south of Boulder this afternoon (1-2 pm), I found a flock of at least 6 MCCOWN'S LONGSPURS near the Coalton Trail. There were likely more. While driving on the Coalton Trail, I spotted a HORNED LARK that made me wonder about Longspurs. I got out of my truck and started walking through the grasslands (off limits in all areas except with a special HCA permit, but especially off limits in this area because of breeding Burrowing Owls) and within 45 seconds I kicked up a Longspur. Then two more, then three more, etc. I'm not especially good at Longspur flight calls, but these were certainly liquidy, finch-like notes, not buzzy rattles. One source describes McCown's as having a finch-like note. However, the description of a Chestnut-collards two-syllable "kiddle" seems, in reading, to be about what I heard. But, I had good looks at most of the birds in flight and they all sported the McCown's tail pattern, and the one little lady who I hunted down on the ground was clearly a fat-billed McCown's. Photos of that bird will be up on my Flickr site momentarily. There were also two LARK BUNTINGS in the area. And a whole lot of what I think were Leonard's (Pawnee) Skippers. To get to this area, turn east off of Hwy 93 onto Hwy 128. Drive for about two miles and then park at the gate on the left (north) side of the road a little ways past the entrance to the wind-turbine study area. This gate represents the beginning of the Coalton trail, which goes east from here, and the Greenbelt Plateau Trail which goes west. A hike along either of these trails would give one the best chance of finding a longspur. The prairie dogs in this area have all died this summer, probably from plague, so out of respect for the owls and your health, stay on the trails. Christian Nunes pajaro...@hotmail.com http://www.flickr.com/photos/christian_nunes/ _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail: Free, trusted and rich email service. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/171222984/direct/01/ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Colorado Field Ornithologists: http://www.cfo-link.org/ Colorado County Birding: http://www.coloradocountybirding.com/ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.as/group/cobirds?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
