I have been down here since last Monday. The area has been "interesting", as always, but rarities have been hard to come by. Perhaps the most unusual birds were two Steller's Jay seen at midweek at Fairmount Cemetery, and later in the day at Lamar Community College. They are probably still present in town. Last night I found a bird lying in the curb near Main Street and a store window: Wood Thrush! It will go to the Denver Museum.
Other species seen in the greater Lamar circle thru the period unless a date is given, 71 to date, include:
Red-bellied Woodpecker: LCC, Fairmount, and Willow Valley neighborhood
Northern Cardinal: at least 3 at LCC but very difficult to catch glimpses of
White-winged Dove: at least 2 in Willow Valley subdivision, including one melanistic one
White-throated Sparrow: 2 at LCC at the south end near the big wood pile where the road curves up the hill
Gray Catbird: LCC, cat got its tongue, VERY difficult to see
Townsend's Solitaire: several at various locations
Sandhill Crane: flocks seen just about daily
White-breasted Nuthatch: 1 eastern race at LCC
Red-breasted Nuthatch: many at various locations
Brown Creeper (1)
American Crow (flock of a few thousand in fields west of town, mostly s of US50/287)
Yellow-rumped Warbler: 10-15 total over the various locations
Orange-crowned Warbler: 1 at LCC
[Am almost positive I heard Cassin's Finch on 10/21 but bird was on the move and I couldn't catch up with it]
Seen at Thurston Res (Prowers north of Lamar), which has about an acre of water in the middle of the stinking former reservoir bed (requires a muddy walk from the northeast corner to get within reasonable scope distance):
American Pipit (an estimated 400! on 10/24 when flushed by a flyover Merlin)
Shorebirds (6 common species)
Marsh Wren (2)
Yellow-headed Blackbird (few)
Lincoln's Sparrow (1)
Northern Shrike (2)
[Would bet there are Swamp Sparrows and a Sedge Wren out there somewhere]
Tempel's Grove (Bent, CR35) (which has been VERY quiet during two visits):
Golden-crowned Kinglet (1)
Hermit Thrush (1)
Merlin (1)
White-throated Sparrow (5 on 10/23, probably still present in wood pile north of ditch w of CR35)
Nee Gronda Res (Kiowa) checked rather hastily at dusk on 10/25:
Black-bellied Plover (2 juv)
lots of common ducks
lots of cranes
lots of hunters starting today?
I will probably be down here for a while and intend to check out Two Buttes, as best as can be done with no access in many areas.
In summary, it has been fun birding but the weather too nice to bring big movements of birds or rarities. Maybe the changes ahead will shake it up a bit. Misses this visit: Red Fox Sparrow, sapsucker, live Wood Thrush, Swamp Sparrow (usually need water for that), good warbler, Harris's Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, Carolina Wren, Winter Wren, crossbill, Evening Grosbeak, something crazy.
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
Other species seen in the greater Lamar circle thru the period unless a date is given, 71 to date, include:
Red-bellied Woodpecker: LCC, Fairmount, and Willow Valley neighborhood
Northern Cardinal: at least 3 at LCC but very difficult to catch glimpses of
White-winged Dove: at least 2 in Willow Valley subdivision, including one melanistic one
White-throated Sparrow: 2 at LCC at the south end near the big wood pile where the road curves up the hill
Gray Catbird: LCC, cat got its tongue, VERY difficult to see
Townsend's Solitaire: several at various locations
Sandhill Crane: flocks seen just about daily
White-breasted Nuthatch: 1 eastern race at LCC
Red-breasted Nuthatch: many at various locations
Brown Creeper (1)
American Crow (flock of a few thousand in fields west of town, mostly s of US50/287)
Yellow-rumped Warbler: 10-15 total over the various locations
Orange-crowned Warbler: 1 at LCC
[Am almost positive I heard Cassin's Finch on 10/21 but bird was on the move and I couldn't catch up with it]
Seen at Thurston Res (Prowers north of Lamar), which has about an acre of water in the middle of the stinking former reservoir bed (requires a muddy walk from the northeast corner to get within reasonable scope distance):
American Pipit (an estimated 400! on 10/24 when flushed by a flyover Merlin)
Shorebirds (6 common species)
Marsh Wren (2)
Yellow-headed Blackbird (few)
Lincoln's Sparrow (1)
Northern Shrike (2)
[Would bet there are Swamp Sparrows and a Sedge Wren out there somewhere]
Tempel's Grove (Bent, CR35) (which has been VERY quiet during two visits):
Golden-crowned Kinglet (1)
Hermit Thrush (1)
Merlin (1)
White-throated Sparrow (5 on 10/23, probably still present in wood pile north of ditch w of CR35)
Nee Gronda Res (Kiowa) checked rather hastily at dusk on 10/25:
Black-bellied Plover (2 juv)
lots of common ducks
lots of cranes
lots of hunters starting today?
I will probably be down here for a while and intend to check out Two Buttes, as best as can be done with no access in many areas.
In summary, it has been fun birding but the weather too nice to bring big movements of birds or rarities. Maybe the changes ahead will shake it up a bit. Misses this visit: Red Fox Sparrow, sapsucker, live Wood Thrush, Swamp Sparrow (usually need water for that), good warbler, Harris's Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, Carolina Wren, Winter Wren, crossbill, Evening Grosbeak, something crazy.
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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