[cobirds] Glorious prairie

Just got back from doing my three BBS Routes in southeastern CO.  The prairie is GREEN and will be a riot of flowers very soon.  The last few years of moisture have been a long time coming but the prairie is tough and has responded. 

I posted about the Lamar BBS route highlights the other day.  Regarding the 168 Swainson's Hawks recorded over a handful of stops, the group explanation seems to be non-breeding immatures that come north later than breeders for a summer of grasshoppering before their return to breed for the first time a year or so hence.  I buy that, just have never seen it to the extent I did the other day, and I've been doing prairie surveys for decades.

As she did with the Lamar survey, Janeal Thompson was nice enough to help with the other two surveys, as well.  As anyone who has done a BBS Survey can attest, it is no picnic, and having assistance is greatly appreciated.

Highlights of the June 5th Villegreen BBS, which starts about 10 miles west of Kim and runs north for 25 miles along the Villegreen Road (all in Las Animas County), were Dickcissels at a few stops, normal numbers of Long-billed Curlews (about 4 stops), Lesser Goldfinch, Juniper Titmouse, Bushtit, a few roadrunners, 2 Curve-billed Thrashers, Cassin's Sparrows on about half the stops, Pinyon Jay, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Great Blue Heron, Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Mountain Bluebirds (one pair on one stop), and a young male Scott's Oriole.  Only had Brewer's Sparrow on one stop.  Misses this year were Hepatic Tanager, Burrowing Owl, Virginia's Warbler, Gray Vireo, White-throated Swift, and Canyon Wren.  Before anyone asks, the Scott's Oriole was on private land, looked for the next day, and not found.  Total of 52 species, which is a very good total.

Highlights of the June 6th Ninaview BBS, which runs from mp15 on SR109 north of Kim both north along the highway and on Las Animas CR66 east into a maze of lesser roads impossible to navigate in the dark, were Long-billed Curlew on a few stops, 2 Lewis's Woodpeckers, Swift Fox, Canyon Towhee, Wild Turkey, roadrunners, and Dickcissels (on a few stops).   Misses were Burrowing Owl, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Lark Bunting, Curve-billed Thrasher, and Chipping Sparrow.  Total of 38 species.

Other birds seen apart from the BBS routes:

Semipalmated Sandpiper (going which direction?) at a private gravel pond in Lamar.

Gray Vireo on Las Animas 76.8 about a mile east of SR109.

Hybrid Indigo X Lazuli Bunting on the Purgatoire River south of Higbee.

Yellow-breasted Chat on the Purgatoire River south of Higbee

Warbling Vireo (eastern) singing in Lamar e of Willow Creek Park.

Dave Leatherman

Fort Collins