Sorry for not posting through the weekend. Life has been kinda grueling recently, and I wasn't getting much sleep as was.
Let's start with today.
PREWITT RESERVOIOR
I happily met with Glenn Walbek and Steve Larson along the inlet canal grove at Prewitt, Reservoir, Washington. The main flock was about halfway to the reservoir along the grove. Most birds were feeding where willows met a variety of weeds, low down, though the Blackburnian was higher up. Highlights included:
1 CONNECTICUT WARBLER, seen intermittently by all three of us at very close range over a fair bit of time. Given gray on hood, probably a fall adult female per Dunn and Garrett's Warbler book.
1 BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER. Maybe one of the two seen by Glenn and Steve 2 days earlier, but given heavy turnover.... Immature bird. Can't make up my mind on sex of bird.
1 CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER. Immature.
4 OVENBIRDS
12 AMERICAN REDSTARTS
Also, 4 Dusky Flys, 1 Least Flycatcher, 2 RE VIREOS, 3 Cassin's Vireos, 1 YB Chat, 1 Laz Bunting, 53 Wilson's Warblers. 2 Baltimore Orioles were below the dam on the Washington side
At Prewitt, Logan Side:
1 BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER, 1 GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER
JACKSON RESERVOIR: MORGAN
While Glenn and Steve L (Colorado is blessed with an abundance of Steves in the birding community... or is that cursed...) I went to Jackson. Arriving there about 1 pm, I decided the best attack on the NW corner was from the boat launch, then walking north. This gave me excellent light the entire way out.
At the NE Corner, along the flats, there was 1000+ Baird's, 80 Lesser Yellowlegs, 7 Semi Plovers, 1 Solitary Sand, and many other common suspects. There was also a spanking adult AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER which COULD NOT be turned into a Pacific GP by any metamorphosis spell I could cast. I walked back up into the wet grass, found a large (100+) flock of Killdeer, with 4 sweet BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS. This was taking place while poor David Cameron was stumped by the cattle of long horns.
I noted as I walked out several tasty looking clumps of willows, the best being the farthest north, not that far back from the Buff-breast spot. Thinking that landbirds might be just the thing today, given yonder Prewittish experience, I walked up to the first one and pished. I was greeted by an immediate course of chipping Yellow Warblers. After many minutes of pishing, a MOURNING WARBLER and a BH VIREO had come in (photos hopefully to be posted relatively soon). Later, I found a CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER, and yet another AMERICAN REDSTART. A walk around the visitor center at Jackson on my way out revealed 2 RE VIREOS and a MAGNOLIA WARBLER.
This may have been my best day of birding in CO. In any case, pretty epic. I wonder what else was at Jackson....
Yesterday (Sunday):
Started at Wray (Yuma), finished at Holyoke/Haxtun (Phillips).
Stalker Lake SWA had but one group of dove hunters, providing relative peace.
Unfortunately, Stalker was pretty slow. A Taiga MERLIN was the best bird. There was also yet another Am Redstart
Now, the Wray Fish Hatchery... that was a birdy place. Highlights include
BROAD-WINGED HAWK
Least Flycatcher
RE VIREO
singing BELL's VIREO (migrant here)
18 AMERICAN REDSTARTS
4 BALTIMORE ORIOLES (and 2 hybrids but only one Bullock's)
15+ RH Woodpeckers
The town of Wray near the city park had OVENBIRD, PLUMBEOUS VIREO, and both RB and RH Woodpeckers
Shelterbelts of US 385 at YCR 51 and 54 yielded a host of goodies
Least, Dusky, and Cordilleran (assumed not PacSlope Fly) Flycatchers,, another migrant Bell's Vireo, BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER, TENNESSEE WARBLER, a couple more AMERICAN REDSTARTS, and 3 more Baltimore Orioles (and a spanking view of a Dickcissel)
There were about 7 or 8 AMERICAN REDSTARTS at the Holyoke Cemetery, but little else. It was so hot, I could barely find House Sparrows in Holyoke, itself.... but in the neighborhoods of Haxtun, about 3 or 4 blocks south of the city park, there was a female SUMMER TANAGER
Saturday, I started at Flagler city park, and was greeted by a Cordilleran Fly, an American Redstart (if I only knew how many more...), and a Baltimore Oriole
Birding was tough at Flagler SWA, even without hunters, but in the end, I had a nice grouping of birds including both GC and AT FLYCATCHERS, CAROLINA WREN, an OVENBIRD, a Peregrine Falcon, 7 Laz Buntings, Dusky and Least Flys. Also, note, that there were OS Flycatchers seemingly everywhere this weekend, with my weekend total nearing 20.
Good Birding,
And I hope this hasn't put anyone asleep
Steve Mlodinow
Longmont, CO
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