[cobirds] Elbert County Sept 7

On Monday I ventured back to Elbert hoping especially to shoot south along the west side of the county's projection to the south of Simla. 

On the way I stopped at the two roadside ponds along Highway 86 to the east of Kiowa and west of West Bijou Creek. The first pond still has lots of water but also good mud margin and shallows. The second pond is receding steadily and was still about 25% flooded. Shorebirds were fairly diverse at these ponds, but only in small numbers except for Killdeer. A Semipalmated Plover was a highlight. Other species were Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs, Least, Western, Semipalmated, Baird's, Pectoral, Solitary and Spotted Sandpipers, Long-billed Dowitcher, Red-necked (1) and Wilson's Phalaropes. A Northern Waterthrush was along the shore of the easterly pond, Soras called from both, and late in the day when I revisited there was a Black Tern and some Am. White Pelicans at the first pond.

From Hwy 86 I took CR 125 south to Simla, and began was followed for the rest of the day as a continual flushing of grassland birds such as Vesper Sparrow (probably around 1000+ for the day), Chipping, Clay-colored, and Brewer's Sparrows, a scattering of Grasshopper Sparrows, many, many small flocks of Lark Buntings, and in places scads of Western Meadowlarks and Horned Larks.

Along CR 133, 137 and side roads I checked groves of planted trees and natural riparian areas were generally fairly birdy, with lots of birds at some spots. Species seen in multiple spots included Wilson's (most common warbled), Orange-crowned, Yellow and Yellow-rumped Warblers, Western Tanager, Lazuli Bunting, Swainson's and Hermit Thrush, presumed Western Wood-Pewees, Dusky, Willow and "Western" Flycatchers. A Cassin's Vireo was at a grove along CR 137 south of CR 50, and another was along CR 149 at Horse Creek. 

One of the most interesting areas was riparian along Horse Creek and nearby the North Fork of Horse Creek along CR 133 (Elbert / El Paso border) south of CR 34. Here I found Great Crested Flycatcher, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Least Flycatcher, Dickcissel (2), Blue Grosbeak, Nashville Warbler, MacGillivray's Warbler, and a Hairy Woodpecker of the eastern form. I mention the latter because it was the only one of the eastern form I've yet encountered in Elbert, where the Rocky Mtns form is prevalent mostly in or near pines and the species seems to be largely missing in the plains riparian of the county. A "Western" Flycatcher at Horse Creek sounded much more like Pacific-slope than Cordilleran, but I'm not sure.

Single Burrowing Owls were along CR 137 south of CR 66 and along CR 149 near CR 6

A pond along CR 105 south of Middle Bijou Creek had Pectoral, Baird's and Solitary Sandpipers.

Probably the best bird of the day was a female Williamson's Sapsucker in a large Ponderosa pine stand along Wedemeyer Road a short way northeast of Kiowa.  

David Suddjian

Littleton, CO

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