[cobirds] 8th Karval Mountain Plover Festival

I'm happy to report that the Karval Community Alliance hosted a successful 8th Annual Mountain Plover Festival April 25-27th. Participation was the highest ever with close to 40 participants many from the Front Range of Colorado, but also guests from as far away as Minnesota and Florida. Thanks to the Community Alliance and the for the participants who make this festival possible. Aside from seeing great birds participants learn about conservation efforts occurring in this working landscape and get to see first hand how our neighbors in rural eastern Colorado not only produce food for the rest of us but provide critical habitat for our grassland species.

 

We had 68 species detected, down from previous years but not bad for some pretty challenging conditions including a serious drought and high winds and rain (yay!) on Sunday. All trips occurred on private lands in Lincoln County with the exception a quick look at Karval State Wildlife Area.

 

Highlights:

Canada Goose

Gadwall (a lot)

American Wigeon

Mallard

Blue-winged Teal

Northern Shoveler

Northern Pintail

Green-winged Teal

Redhead

Lesser Scaup

Bufflehead

Ruddy Duck

Scaled Quail

Great Blue Heron

Northern Harrier

Swainson's Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk  

Ferruginous Hawk

American Kestral

American Coot

Black-bellied Plover (a festival first!! on a private playa 3/4 full from the September rain)

Killdeer

Mountain Plover (multiple locations on both native shortgrass and agricultural fields)

American Avocet

Spotted Sandpiper

Greater Yellowlegs

Willett

Marbled Godwit (2, same scope as the Black bellied Plover)

Wilson's Phalarope (one lone female at Karval SWA)

Great Horned Owl (nesting with young)

Burrowing Owl

Chimney Swift

Northern Flicker (our only woodpecker ;( )

Eastern Phoebe

Say's Phoebe

Western Kingbird

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Bank Swallow

Barn Swallow

House Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Hermit Thrush

American Robin

Green-tailed Towhee 

Chipping Sparrow

Brewer's Sparrow

Vesper Sparrow

Lark Sparrow

Lark Bunting (mostly males)

White-crowned Sparrow

Red-winged Blackbird

Yellow-headed Blackbird

Western Meadowlark

Brewer's Blackbird

Common Grackle

Brown-headed Cowbird

 

Seth Gallagher

Fort Collins

 

 

 

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