[cobirds] Prewitt Reservoir, Washington Co, yesterday

Greetings All,

Yesterday, Nick Moore and I spent 8 hours wandering around Prewitt Reservoir, racking up 88 species in the process. Shorebird habitat is excellent, extensive and easily accessed if you don't mind walking a mile or so to cover it all. 

We had 19 species of shorebirds, nothing truly rare, with the most interesting birds being 2 Mountain Plovers, 2 Sanderlings, a Pectoral Sandpiper, and 3 LB Curlews. The Baird's Sandpiper numbers are approaching 2000.

Landbirding along the Inlet Canal (such as it is, no longer flowing, and containing just a couple puddles) was superb and bizarre. The most interesting birds are listed below:

1 female (immature? 1st year bird?) Northern Parula -- will need to study photos to try to age.

2 YR Warblers, on very worn adult and one juv!!!

4 Red-breasted Nuthatches -- is a major irruption on its way?

1 Cordilleran Flycatcher (PS Flycatcher could not be eliminated, however unlikely it may -- or may not -- be)

2 Least Flycatchers (do these things migrate as early as mid-July through the eastern plains?)

3 singing Laz Buntings and one other calling bird

1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo (I know, expected here, but always fun)

Given how tasty all that was, despite approaching mid-day, we headed for the woods below the dam. 

Bird numbers (excepting Common Yellowthroats and Song Sparrows) were low there, but we did have another RB Nuthatch, a BH Grosbeak, 2 more YB Cuckoos, and a Juv GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE to round out the day of bizarre passerines.

I think I have had fewer migrants at Prewitt on a slow day in May.

What is the cause of all these out-of-season landbirds out on the Plains? Is this a "normal" phenomenon, something driven by drought and fire, or ???

Finally, a stop at Jackson Reservoir was generally uneventful, with reasonable numbers of expected shorebirds, though 8 or so LB Curlews and a Sanderling are of some interest. Most interesting, were 99 MOUNTAIN PLOVERS in the fields just n. of the nw. corner of the reservoir.

Good Birding

Steven Mlodinow

Longmont, CO

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