[cobirds] Lamar area (Prowers) of late

Just got back from a visit to the Lamar area.  Main mission was participation in the High Plains Snow Goose Festival.  

I led two field trips to the Lamar Community College Woods.  One was in late afternoon on 2/3, one was early morning on 2/4.  Target birds was Northern Cardinal, which we missed in the afternoon, most of us saw next morning.  As many as 5 seen on days before and after the scheduled trips.  Lesson: watched pots only sometimes boil.  Field trips formally scheduled for time slots after official sundown in February are set-ups for failure despite supplemental feeding (thank you Dotti Russell) and the best intentions of field trip leaders and participants.  Also, narrow social trails are not conducive to the success of all participants when the groups are of the size we had (20-30 people).

I keep a list for an artificial "Lamar CBC" area that extends 6-7 miles in all directions from downtown Lamar.  The list for the period January 30 thru February 8 was 71 species.

North Gateway Park in the northern part of town just s of the Arkansas River e of Main Street has gravel ponds that variable host birds, mostly depending on whether iced over or not.  When open they can have lots of Common Mergansers, white-cheeked geese, Common Goldeneyes, other ducks.  The road that goes all the way around the gravel ponds comes close to the Arkansas River along the north side.  The bank between the road and the river currently hosts a Greater Roadrunner.  On the river, viewable only from this road, have been Killdeer, Wilson's Snipe, American Pipit and a couple Rusty Blackbirds, plus a few duck species, Great Blue Heron and Belted Kingfisher.

West of town on CR HH (Oak Street extended west) just e of the turn to Lamar Airport have been Eastern Bluebirds.  

On private land have been Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Red-breasted Nuthatch, White-winged Doves and Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Besides cardinals, LCC Woods has had a few Spotted Towhees, Lesser Goldfinches, Cooper's Hawk, Hairy Woodpecker, and eastern race White-breasted Nuthatches.

Great-tailed Grackles abound in the area along Main Street n of downtown near the McDonald's/Sonic fast food restaurants.

Missing, at least for me, this winter have been Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, shrikes, siskins, waxwings, mimic thrushes, Carolina Wren, Curve-billed Thrasher, Hermit Thrush, Brown Creeper and White-throated Sparrow.

All the white geese this winter have been in the Holly area, specifically Midwest Farm/Granada State Wildlife Areas and nearby fields.  John Martin Reservoir is mostly frozen and does not have its normal large contingent of white geese.

County roads in the Lamar area have good numbers of both Red-tailed and Ferruginous Hawks.  Rough-legged Hawks are present in small numbers.  All the other common raptors are around but not abundant.

I had a White Pelican on the Ark River immediately below the John Martin Res Dam (sw of Lake Hasty) on 2/7.  Brown Creeper and White-breasted Nuthatches (eastern) in the Hasty Campground.  Couldn't detect a Swamp Sparrow in the nw corner of Lake Hasty.  Couldn't roust a Rock Wren on the JMRes dam.

Dave Leatherman

Fort Collins