[cobirds] Let's hear it for the state bird(s)

I zipped out from work under some lame excuse at mid-day today and headed toward the SE part of the state.   I’m now in La Junta where it is really hot (103 forecast for tomorrow) and the winds are simply howling, but there were some good birds along the way.

 

First off, this is a bumper year for our state bird.  In proper habitat, I was clocking Lark Buntings at more than 100 per mile!  Interestingly north and east of US 287 in Lincoln and Cheyenne Counties, the birds were strung out along the fence lines and roadsides.  South and west of 287 in Lincoln and Crowley Counties the buntings were more often clumped in big flocks of 100+ birds.  Either way, if I was driving through weedy or fallow fields or grasslands they were present at a rate of at least 100 per mile, if not more.  There were also Western Meadowlarks and Northern Mockingbirds (and at least one American Robin) to add to the State Bird list.  But after an hour of searching I finally found a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (state bird of Oklahoma) at Larry Modesitt’s  previously described spot about 12 miles south of CO 94 along Lincoln County Roads 2 and 3.  Interestingly, the bird I found was a fledged first year bird with not much of a tail and a very white head.

 

Also worth reporting were a couple of things at one of my favorite spots in Lincoln County, Schafer Reservoir (private, bird from the road).  As soon as I got out of my vehicle I observed a pair of Mississippi Kites flying away.  Water is down and vegetation up, but I still spotted a couple of ibis (sp.) and a Wood Duck plus the odd gull.   I do mean odd—a single, year old Laughing Gull.

 

Bill Kaempfer

Boulder