Wednesday 5 August 2015

Re: [cobirds] Dickcissels in fields along Squirrel Creek Rd in El Paso County

All,
Although I never got around to writing up a post on a lot of birding I did around eastern CO from July 23-26, I figured I would share some info on Dickcissels that I came across during my journeys.  I had a total of 10 Dickcissels along Old Pueblo Rd and the western end of Hanover Rd in El Paso Co on 26 July.  I entered these birds into eBird at 4 different personal locations along that 2-3 miles of road. On the same day, I had one singing at Cheraw Lake in Otero Co. (they had been prev reported here this year as well in eBird).  

I also totaled 18 Dickcissels on Tamarack Ranch SWA in Logan Co on 25 July.  All the birds were on the part of the SWA on the east side of CR55 (not the side where the Eastern Wood-pewee is/was). I covered most of the roads passable in a Camry.  I also found a bunch of Dickcissels along CR138 just west of Crook near Tamarack Ranch (where I also refound previously reported Upland Sandpipers in a recently mowed field). I guess Dickcissels are more regular/expected in the NE corner of the state?  

I felt like I was back in the southeast at Tamarack Ranch with N Cardinals, Red-bellied (a few) and Red-headed Woodpeckers (abundant), Bell's Vireo, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Field Sparrows, Eastern Bluebird, Northern Bobwhite, Baltimore Oriole, among other eastern birds, incl the continuing Eastern Wood-pewee. Neat place with tons of habitat to explore.  I'll definitely have to get back there again. I also birded around Red Lion SWA, Jumbo Res, and other water bodies. Plenty of nice birds, but nothing earth shattering.  I really enjoy seeing Baird's Sandpipers on nearly every wetland/lake shore that I scan!

Good birding,
Scott Somershoe 
Littleton, CO

On Wed, Aug 5, 2015 at 12:42 AM, SeEttaM . <seettam@gmail.com> wrote:
Yesterday I decided to do some birding east of Colorado Springs after an appointment in town and as I drove on Squirrel Creek Rd I heard a Dickcissel.  When I turned around and drove back I found at least 4 and likely 6 Dickcissels were singing actively in sunflower fields on both sides of the road (would seem to indicate they are guarding territory and that females are likely nesting in there). Though I didn't remember reading about Dickcissels along Squirrel Creek Rd in posts here this year, I subsequently found a post recently by Stephen Getty of a singing Dickcissel on Milne Rd about 1 km south of Squirrel Creek Rd in an overgrown lot.  The location I saw the Dickcissels yesterday was several miles from Milne Rd.  On ebird there was a sighting of 3 Dickcissels much further west at Squirrel Creek Res.  The location I had them was east of Williams Creek (there aren't many crossroads out there).   I will look thru more online maps to see if I can pin the location down better.  I got a couple of pics of one of the Dickcissels that I have uploaded onto my Birds and Nature blog along with discussion about the use of sunflower habitat.

SeEtta Moss
Canon City
http://BirdsAndNature.blogspot.com

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAAUvckp2iW%2BbjD%3D%3DYZjyJ6sb3Q57Sit-Dp2_XTjh9%3DRtKVokvA%40mail.gmail.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAJmtx%2BWi9Ut3HKVMOy_gJ1-nz8DYBCygZOoe5NPb3WTm%2ByZrow%40mail.gmail.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

No comments:

Post a Comment