It was fairly birdy yesterday at Last Chance. On the waterhole side was a Lincoln's Sparrow, Common Yellowthroat, Marsh Wren, House Wren, Loggerhead Shrike, and a few Yellow-rumped Warblers. On the bombed out motel side across the intersection to the northeast were a Virginia's Warbler, a Cassin's Vireo that caught at least 4 leaf-footed bugs, Barn Swallows, and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Total of 26 species.
Many of the plants installed during the restoration efforts are leafing out (especially currant), along with other vegetation that survived the fire. In short, the area appears to be healing. The tree component will take a while, but as long as the water level stays decent, things should progress.
As for another interesting sidelight that involves recovery: just south of Fort Morgan on SR71, I found a stunned Loggerhead Shrike with its tail in diarray sitting in the middle of the highway. I put it in my car. It sat on my camera bag in the passenger footwell, eyes closed, breathing heavily, mouth open at times. It didn't look good. We talked all the way down to Last Chance. I birded Last Chance. When I got back to the car after about an hour, I went to move it off the bag so I could put my camera back, and it flew across my lap and into the driver's side window. I opened the door, and off it went, missing a few tail feathers, but otherwise flying well. Maybe it will join the other one I saw off to the west of the water hole. If it can talk, it has a story to tell similar to mine but from a distinctly different point of view. Maybe it will call the place "Another Chance"?
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins (in Lamar for the next week or so)
Many of the plants installed during the restoration efforts are leafing out (especially currant), along with other vegetation that survived the fire. In short, the area appears to be healing. The tree component will take a while, but as long as the water level stays decent, things should progress.
As for another interesting sidelight that involves recovery: just south of Fort Morgan on SR71, I found a stunned Loggerhead Shrike with its tail in diarray sitting in the middle of the highway. I put it in my car. It sat on my camera bag in the passenger footwell, eyes closed, breathing heavily, mouth open at times. It didn't look good. We talked all the way down to Last Chance. I birded Last Chance. When I got back to the car after about an hour, I went to move it off the bag so I could put my camera back, and it flew across my lap and into the driver's side window. I opened the door, and off it went, missing a few tail feathers, but otherwise flying well. Maybe it will join the other one I saw off to the west of the water hole. If it can talk, it has a story to tell similar to mine but from a distinctly different point of view. Maybe it will call the place "Another Chance"?
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins (in Lamar for the next week or so)
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