[cobirds] southeast Colorado lakes (Crowley, Bent, and Kiowa)

I checked some of the lakes / remnants of lakes north of La Junta - Las Animas - Lamar just before sunset yesterday and also this morning.  Lakes Henry and Meredith (Crowley County) are continuing to dry up, and the mud and dead fish are good for birds, bad for birders, and upsetting in general.  Early this morning, there was a white-morph REDDISH EGRET on Lake Meredith, very likely the same bird found by Duane Nelson on Adobe Creek Reservoir a week ago.  I was able to get some decent scope views (but only crummy photos) by walking out on the platforms of cracked mud until they became squishy and unstable (not necessarily a good idea).  Meredith had about 400 gulls (mostly ring-billed and California) and about 500 shorebirds, about half of which were identifiable owing to large size or being on the accessible north side of the lakebed.

With ongoing migration and birds otherwise moving around among the several lakes in the area, the turnover at each lake seems high.  Yesterday evening (July 12), the LAUGHING GULL reported two weeks ago at Lake Henry (Crowley County) was there again.  This morning (July 13), I was unable to find the Laughing Gull, and some of the shorebirds had left, too.  Still, there were several 100 shorebirds, including about 100 peeps, and over 300 gulls (Franklin's, ring-billed, and California).  Also, the roughly 1000 American White Pelicans that had been at Lake Meredith two weeks ago were now at aromatic Lake Henry.

Long-Billed Curlews are congregating in large numbers at some of the lakes.  Adobe Creek Reservoir (aka Blue Lake) had 366 curlews on the southeast shore (near the Bent-Kiowa County line, best guess is Bent).  Neegronda Reservoir (Kiowa County) had about 80 curlews.

On the way home, I checked Last Chance quickly, including Hwy 36 west of town, but didn't turn up anything noteworthy.

David Dowell

Longmont, Colorado

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