Re: [cobirds] Tamarack

All,

Loss of important non-game bird habitat on Colorado State Wildlife Areas
(SWAs) is not restricted to Northeast Colorado. There is an abundance of
property with public access in Bent County, and the great bird diversity
in Southeast Colorado is well known locally, nationally, and even
internationally. Three SWAs in Bent County have seen habitat changes
that have greatly diminished the diversity and numbers of some localized
non-game birds.

1. John Martin SWA - Wood Thrush Grove. This site was on the Southeast
corner of Bent County Roads 16 and JJ, and rivaled Van's Grove as a
migration hotspot. I always stopped at Wood Thrush Grove whenever I was
in the area during migration. As I understand it, a local power company
wanted to mitigate the possible destructive impact of large trees close
to power lines, and asked a local CPW worker if they could remove some
branches in around 2001. Although this property is owned by the Federal
Government as part of John Martin Reservoir property, USACE was not
informed of the plan to remove branches. The power company removed ALL
trees before USACE ordered work to stop. This site is no longer worth
stopping at, or even slowing down while passing by.

2.  Karney SWA. This was a private ranch along the Fort Lyon Canal about
3 miles north of US 50, between County Roads 17 and 19. I got
tantalizing glimpses of the birding potential of this area from the
ditch road while scouting for the John Martin CBC many years ago. I was
careful never to trespass. When stopping at the crossing of Gageby Creek
and the ditch road, I regularly saw Winter Wrens and Rusty Blackbirds in
season, drawn there by the permanent stream that never froze, the
stately cottonwoods, and diverse understory, a combination that always
leads to good birds. When the property became a SWA a few years ago, I
thought it was the best thing ever to happen to Bent County birding.
Given access, I found this to be the best wintering landbird site I'd
ever seen in SE Colorado. With effort, it was possible to find Hermit
Thrushes, Gray Catbirds, Northern Mockingbirds, Brown Thrashers,
Curve-billed Thrashers and more in the Russian Olive understory, and, on
one CBC, flocks of Field Sparrows and other uncommon birds. Invasion
years brought mountain birds like Steller's Jay and Mountain Chickadee.
However, this bird refuge changed when CPW started to remove the
understory of Russian Olive trees and salt cedar (tamarisk). Currently,
there are isolated cottonwoods remaining, with large piles of branches
and trees extending south from the headgate for close to 1/4 mile.
Readers of cobirds may have read about this site, because of the
presence of resident Eastern and Western Screech Owls together, one of
the few places in the U.S. where this occurs. Karney SWA is a mere
shadow of its former self.

3. Setchfield SWA. About 25 miles south of Las Animas, this is the only
public access to juniper and canyon habitat in Bent County. Almost every
canyon country bird species can be found here (I would refer the reader
to Edition 2 of the Colorado Breeding Bird Atlas, where there is a
summary of birds I found atlasing here). Setchfield is the least visited
SWA in the state, according to the guidebook to SWAs, and I thought its
remoteness and lack of amenities would keep it pristine forever. Below
the broken Muddy Creek Dam, there has been an effort to remove salt
cedar trees, a good thing in my opinion. For reasons unknown to me, all
of the native juniper trees below the dam have been cut and removed,
including old growth ones that formerly harbored wintering Long-eared
Owls. So far, the uplands have been spared of tree removal.

Duane Nelson
Las Animas, Bent County, CO

> Greetings
>
> Russian Olive removal, ironically to preserve riparian habitat, is on another part of ranch. There is electric fencing- which keeps the cattle corralled within the riparian. The trampling and eating of understory brush will severely damage habitat for Bell's Vireo, chats, etc. There's a reason this portion has nearly all of the Bells at Tamarack
>
> Best
> Steve Mlodinow
> Longmont
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>

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