Today, Sean Walters and I spent nearly 7 hours birding the semi-flooded and muddied location known as Tamarack Ranch. It was still impressively birdy, with most of the birds being in the semi-flooded riparian areas, with few birds in the shelterbelts. Note that there was virtually no option to pursue birds calling/singing from riparian due to flooding
General "Rarities"
WOOD THRUSH- singing <1/4 mile west of the road from I-76 to Crook (CR 81, CO 55 per Google Maps and eBird). Not seen, but distinctive song heard repeatedly.
Eastern Yellow-breasted Chat- singing near road about 1/8 mile west of road to Crook
Carolina Wren - at Tamarack Pond near headquarters/manager's quarters
American Redstart - near Wood Thrush, over road; female type
Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting - Near river (RBGR) or in fields (INBU) in portion east of road to Crook near parking areas 5-8
Seasonal Rarities
4 Western Tanagers!!!
Swainson's Thrush
Rare for NE Plains as potential breeders
Willow Flycatcher - heard singing, not seen
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher (western)
"Rufous-sided" Towhee Mish-Mash
13 not seen
7 Spotted x Eastern; most looked like Easterns with a few stray spots on scaps. One looked like a Spotted with that white check box at the base of the primaries. Most called like Spotted, though one called like an Eastern, if heard.
7 Spotted Towhees; 4 of the usual "Interior Montane" type, 2 of the "Great Plains" or "arcticus"variety, 1 tweener.
No solid Easterns found on this trip. Only one female!!! All the others were either singing, or if visualized, were males. The female was a hybrid apparently paired with a hybrid male.
Local Specialties
4 YB Cuckoos (3 east of road to Crook, 1 west)
4 RB Woodpeckers (all east of road; lower number than usual)
1 GC Flycatcher (east of road; likely near parking areas 6 or 7)
6 Bell's Vireos (singing. Easily found west of road)
7 Field Sparrows. Best found near Tamarack Pond, or just w. thereof, on south side of fields
Numbers:
Busting per usual with 129 House Wrens, 48 Yellow Warblers, 29 Orchard Orioles, 26 Warbling Vireos (all singing birds were Eastern, as expected), 17 Western Wood-Pewees, 10 RH Woodpeckers, 9 YB Chats.
After Tamarack, we visited Red Lion SWA, where we had
1 GLOSSY IBIS
1 Snow Goose
1 Willet
Several Black Terns, in winter-type, or partial breeding plumage
There was also a Bell's Vireo in the best plum-hedgerow along the road
At Jumbo Res
2 Common Loons, one in breeding plumage, the other not
1 Willow Flycatcher (in willows, just after you turn R towards Jumbo after having traversed Red Lion.) Not Eastern Willow, but not quite right for typical Western Willow
Glenmere Park, Greeley, Weld
Sean and I visited the colony yesterday mid-day (twice) and today before sunset. The colony appears abandoned. One BC Night Heron yesterday, no herons today except a lone Snowy Egret that flew in at dusk and nestled among roots to roost. We did have a family group of 4 Bushtits in juniper sw. of pond, itself.
Good Birding
Steve Mlodinow
Longmont CO
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