This is just a general report on my assessment of autumn migration in the Lamar area. I was down there August 15-26. None of the birds listed are probably chaseable, with most of the best ones being on private land. This is mostly an FYI for folks wondering about going down there at present. The little birds are coming, probably imminent, but hunting for them further north would be more productive.
First off, no I didn't chase the M ducks or Neotropic Cormorants, as I consider positive ID of these species beyond my skill set under the conditions one is usually presented with in terms of distance to the birds, heatwaves, threat of chiggers, access to the specific water bodies, time of day I am out birding (not normally midnight to 8am), etc. I am not questioning the IDs as presented by Steve, Tony, David Ely and others, just being honest.
Things with landbirds are picking up but seem behind schedule somewhat. I had zero Great Crested Flycatchers during my 12-day stay. Admittedly, I did not really bird more than half the days of the visit but would expect to have seen half a dozen Myiarchus (which also includes Ash-throated) at the places checked at this time of year.
Other flycatchers (pewees, Olive-sided, empids) are present in the wooded traps like Tempel's Grove, LCC, Van's Grove, Hasty CG, Lamar cemeteries, some of the private woodlots. Had three very bright (much yellower than Sibley shows,) Willow Flycatchers at Van's Grove (Road JJ w of Hasty). BTW, Bent CR JJ is open all the way now from Hasty to its western terminus near Ft. Lyon, after having been overrun with water in two places most of the summer. The formerly overrun areas look great for shorebirds, ducks, waders, rails, etc.
Willow Flycatcher (one of three) in the middle of Van's Grove, viewable from the rusty nail-infested road that goes around the east side of the grove (walk this, driving your vehicle not recommended).
Ditto for certain vireos (Warbling and Cassin's). I also had what I am calling a Blue-headed Vireo at a private woodlot north of Lamar. "Bright" Cassin's can be very difficult to separate from Blue-headed and every year a few of these individuals pop up. I waffled about this individual in the field and again when looking at the photographs. At some point, one has to pull the trigger and I am calling it an early Blue-headed (Cassin's is much more likely in August in my experience). Input welcome.
Three views of the same "Solitary" Vireo in a private tree grove 5 miles north of Lamar on 23 August 2018.
The only warblers I saw besides Yellows were Common Yellowthroats, one American Redstart, one MacGillivray's, one Townsend's, and a couple Wilson's. The time-frame is certainly not primetime for warblers in SECO but I would have expected at least a few orange-crowns and an eastern species or two.
Didn't do a lot of shorebird checking, as I concentrate on the imaginary Lamar "CBC" circle where there is little shoreline. Did get to see a Short-billed Dowitcher found on 18 August on a private pond w of town by Norma Verhoeff (thank you). Thurston Res is full and choked with cattails all around the edge. I did not see a Tricolored Heron there but one (and bitterns) could certainly be lurking in the reeds. North Gateway Park in Lamar has a small bit of shorebird habitat but very few birds.
The Tundra Swan found by Claudia in spring at North Gateway Park and nearby private gravel ponds apparently persisted all summer and is still present! It does not appear to be a cripple and flies readily between the water bodies and hayfields.
"Wertz Pond" just north of Highway 50 on US287 nw of Lamar is worth checking. Jane and Janeal found a few Black Terns there which I was able to see. It also hosted a Snowy Egret (eBird shows a recent report of Great Egret from here, which I question, but I suppose one white wader could have been replaced by another).
Hummingbirds seen in Lamar in a Willow Creek Subdivision private yard include Calliope (apparently an immature male), Broad-tailed (female) and Ruby-throated (adult male) along with the normal Black-chinned pair.
Chimney Swifts migrating thru. No big movements of Common Nighthawks yet. Swallows are mostly Barns, although a fair number of Banks are mixed in. Saw a good group of Cliffs in mid-August.
Mississippi Kites are still in town, with lots of juveniles learning the ropes of flying and catching cicadas/dragonflies. The photo below shows one hiding its password while making a card purchase.
Total of 76 species in the Lamar "CBC" circle.
Best butterfly: Hayhurst's Scallopwing on the wood chips on the trail going down into the north end of the LCC Woods. I was also shown larvae of Gulf Fritillaries at a private yard e of Lamar, a rare event (first ever?) in CO where this southern visitor to CO is attempting to complete a life cycle up here. This same yard witnessed a cycle of the eastern Pipevine Swallowtail and hosted 1-4 giant Black Witch moths (AZ-TX residents, larvae feed on citrus) for a full 5 weeks starting in late June. What is the prevailing wind direction in southeastern CO? Southerly.
A local Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife employee told me he has personal knowledge of around 10 occurrences of Nine-banded Armadillo in southeastern CO in the last few years. How can anyone deny the existence of climate change?
In closing, it is a bad year for chiggers in southeastern CO and they definitely impact my enthusiasm for wading into the understory of woods that might harbor an unusual migrant bird. Between them, mosquitoes, stable flies, and "pinyon gnats" (tiny "no-see-um" type biting midges in the family Ceratopogonidae) going afield in SECO during the hot months can be a test of will and sanity. The gnats at Higbee during the Zone-tailed Hawk-Vermilion Flycatcher-Painted Bunting frenzy were quite annoying. I visited on August 16 (a dollar and day late for the hawk and we apparently didn't glance at the right branch/bush/wire for the other two mega-targets) and just this morning dug a gnat entombed in wax from my right ear). I am constantly amazed at how few birders know about chiggers, which may be a factor of most Front Range folks only going down there during spring and autumn "primetime". These mites can be problematic everywhere on the eastern plains (Julesburg, Stalker Ponds, Bonny/Hale Ponds, LCC, Nee Noshe locust grove, LCC, Two Buttes, etc.) and I have even had them on the west side of Fort Collins in years past. The only solutions seem to be natural genetics that grant immunity or loading up on pesticides. At a minimum, my advice would be to avoid tall grass, especially such areas that are wet.
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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