[cobirds] Crow Valley Campground and Pawnee Grasslands, Weld County, 9/23

Hello all!

My wife and I took my parents out to Crow Valley this afternoon (12:45-2ish in the campground) for some mild birding and to enjoy the dry prairie along the birding trail route.  We weren't extremely serious about our birding (I was the only one with binoculars), but we were able to locate several interesting species.

Highlights:
Wilson's Warbler - there were many (10+ male and female) in the maple shrubs and willows just south of the main picnic shelter
Gray Catbird - 2 in these same shrubs (silent)
Spotted Towhee - 1 in these shrubs (calling)
Sharp-shinned Hawk - several chasing Blue Jays and each other throughout the trees
Warbling Vireo - one very actively feeding on both sides of the leaves of the Cottonwoods and Elms south of the main picnic shelter and also "flycatching" many of the aphids and other flying bugs that were so prevalent.

Out on the birding driving route:
Sage Thrasher - quite a few (8 or 9) throughout the drive, sitting on fence posts, or on low shrubs and sage
Rock Wren - several along fence lines or in rocky or dry low-lying areas
Vesper Sparrow - everywhere (many)
McCown's Longspur - I was only able to firmly ID one that was flushed up and flew into the field as we drove at 20+mph along CR57 back to the highway

On a non-birding note, we were able to get a young boy and girl excited about the antlions that lurked in the many holes underneath the picnic tables by finding an  unlucky ant and dropping it into a hole and watching the sand flick out as it was grabbed and pulled underneath!  They ran back to their mom and excitedly pulled her over to a table to show her as she grudgingly followed them, all the while casting us a glance that said "Thanks aLOT!"

As far as our day went, I felt it was quite a success with 24 species, especially as we were not there during traditional birding hours! 

Good Birding!
Matt Webb
Fort Collins, CO

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group.
To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to cobirds+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msg/cobirds/-/0M0WcR4Dv4gJ.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.