Hey, all.
Hannah Floyd and I were down in south-central Colorado for much of the past
week—whilst so many of the rest of you were dealing with the big winter
storm in the Front Range foothills and along the I-25 corridor. But we got
to experience some weather ourselves, including an intense sandstorm,
several prolonged bouts of graupel, and even an impressive "snow devil."
Some quick highlights:
1. Lathrop State Park, Huerfano Co., Tues., Mar. 12. Breezy and warm and
kinda slow birdwise, with 4 *Woodhouse scrub-jays,* 2 *juniper titmouses,*
2 *American bushtits,* 2 *Bewick wrens,* 1 *curve-billed thrasher,* and the
first of the many hundreds, perhaps 1,000+, *mountain bluebirds* that we
would see during our expedition. Also a nice showing by green claybank
tiger beetles, *Cicindela denverensis*; we succeeded in audio-recording
their sonations!—a first for us, for sure, and perhaps for anyone.
2. Great Sand Dunes National Park, Alamosa Co., Tues., Mar. 12. Arriving
there at sundown and climbing the dunes during a sandstorm was
memorable—but also unconducive to birding. We saw and heard nothing!
3. Medano Ranch [PRIVATE], Alamosa Co. On Wed., Mar. 13, as snow squalls
were coming down off the Sangre de Cristo range, a singing
*loggerhead shrike,* 1 *sage thrasher,* and at least 7 *sagebrush sparrows.*
On Thurs., Mar. 14, in heavy snow, 3 northbound *killdeer,* a *golden
eagle,* the famous *ferruginous hawk x red-tailed hawk,* back now for the
7th year; and an enchanting North American porcupine, *Erethizon dorsatum*,
covered in snow and watching our group from just above eye level in an old
willow.
4. Smith Reservoir State Wildlife Area [FEE, PERMIT], Costilla Co., Wed.,
Mar. 13. In rain, sleet, graupel, and then snow flurries, large numbers and
a good diversity of ducks, including 100+ *northern pintails,* 150+ *common
mergansers,* and 1 *red-breasted merganser;* 3,500+ *sandhill cranes;*
1 *Wilson
snipe;* and 2 *merlins.*
5. Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge, Rio Grande Co. On Thurs., Mar. 14,
in on-and-off snow squalls and then a steadier snow, 4 *cinnamon teal, *40+*
ruddy ducks,* and 2 more merlins. On Sat., Mar. 16, in bright sunshine and
then heavy graupel, an amazing anserine showing, with 13 *snow geese,*
4 *greater
white-fronted geese, *4,500 *cackling geese* (their numbers at the refuge
have gone off the charts in recent years), a few *"lesser" Canada geese*
still hanging on, 2 *Anser x Branta hybrids,* and, just off the
refuge, 5 *domestic
swan ("Chinese") geese;* *bald eagles* at a nest; and 4 *marsh wrens.*
6. Home Lake, Rio Grande Co., Fri., Mar. 15. In bright sunshine, 125+
*gadwalls;* early shorebirds including 1 female *American avocet* and
6 *greater
yellowlegses;* 5 *American white pelicans;* and wonderful viewing of a pair
of muskrats, *Ondatra zibethicus*.
7. Lane 5, Alamosa Co., Fri., Mar. 15, & Sat., Mar. 16. Roadside stops
produced hundreds more (but not thousands) of sandhill cranes, a *ferruginous
hawk* and a *prairie falcon,* and large roadside flocks of mountain
bluebirds and especially *horned larks. *
8. Zapata Ranch [PRIVATE], Alamosa Co., Sat., Mar. 16. Under cloudy skies,
2 marvelous singing *long-eared owls,* including one in a nearby
juniper; 5 *great
horned owls;* 40+ *pinyon jays;* surprisingly, two pairs of
nest-excavating *pygmy
nuthatches* (the habitat here does not seem suitable for them); and our
only *western bluebird* of the trip amid several mountain bluebirds.
9. Center, Saguache Co., Sun. Mar. 17. After a promisingly mild and sunny
start to the morning, overcast with flurries, and our first and only *Say
phoebe* of the trip; thought we mighta had a few tree swallows there, too,
but not sure.
10. Russell Lakes State Wildlife Area, Saguache Co., Sun., Mar. 17. Under
cloudy and cool conditions with snow squalls nearby, a likely Mallard x
Mexican Duck intergrade, 1 notably pale *Streptopelia collared-dove,*
golden and bald eagles, 2 agonistic loggerhead shries, a marsh wren, a
screeching *great-tailed grackle,* and adult male winter midges, *Diamesa
mendotae*.
11. Saguache, Saguache Co., Sun., Mar. 17. In a snow squall, an
exuberant *Cassin
finch.*
12. Como, Park Co., Sun., Mar. 17. In off-and-on overcast and sunshine,
with bright glare in the deep snow, 3 *Hepburn rosy-finches,* 2 *nominate
(tephrocotis) gray-crowned rosy-finches,* 1 *brown-capped rosy-finch,* and
1 *pine siskin.*
Ted Floyd
Lafayette, Boulder Co.
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