The Mountain Plovers and Long-billed Curlews are clearly a “hit or miss” thing out in Weld County, including in the Pawnee National Grasslands. It appears that both species are still very much in migratory mode and are not staying in any one place very long. The fabulous numbers seen yesterday by Lefko were not repeated today (Sunday). Nancy and I spent more than an hour from around 9 am to 10 am scoping the heart of the recent burn bordered by WCR51 X WCR86 X WCR49 X WCR 90 and did not see a single plover or curlew. We did talk to one birder who had seen a single plover there a little later. All of the other places reported to hold these species turned up nothing. We finally found 7 Mountain Plover on WCR 96 about a quarter mile west of the junction with WCR 69 (in the burn area on the north side of the road a few hundred yards beyond the first cattle guard after the intersection with WCR69). We then went on to WCR 63 where we found several McCown’s Longspurs about a quarter mile south of WCR96. When returning on 96 to head over to Crow Valley CG we looked quickly where we had seen the plovers but could not refind them, possibly because the wind had come up and was blowing at least 30 mph. As we went through Murphy’s Pasture we came upon several carloads of birders who were getting out to see a single plover spotted by one of their group. As for curlews, we had a distant view of two flying north as we headed into the Pawnee on WCR90. Charles Bell 612 Manhead Mountain Drive Livermore, CO 80536 970-484-8791
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