It's also a timely reminder that birding is far more about appreciating the beautiful ecosystems that we still have in their raw and natural forms; when we go birding, we are nature's guests :).
Happy birding to all who go after em! ;)
Caleb Alons
On Saturday, July 15, 2023 at 6:31:19 PM UTC-6 James Bruening wrote:
All,I wanted to add a few safety notes if there are people that are going to try and re-find the sparrows we found today. Soapstone is a pretty epic place and I don't think I've ever gone there and not seen something amazing. Beyond the fact that we found the sparrows, we had a moment at Jack Springs where a Prairie Falcon was after some Lark Buntings for breakfast. After flying near Nick, a male bunting bee-lined for me turning left just before he hit me. The Prairie Falcon was forced to bank right to avoid me at the last second and missed me by an inch at best. Missed his breakfast, too. EPIC!!! I was a pawn in today's survival game. I got to run interference! Was I the Bunting's wing-man? Awful, I know. I couldn't resist it. We couldn't believe it. I have also never gone to Soapstone and not felt pretty beat up when I was done.A couple of notes about this place if you have not been: There is NO SHADE anywhere except at the bathrooms and a few picnic spots in the parking areas. The heat can get brutal. The temps are projected to rise in the coming days. Start early. The gate opens at sunrise. Please be prepared. Ample water/food/sunscreen. The Deer flies were ubiquitous and intolerable today. We had bug spray but it was only good enough to keep the mosquitos at bay. And there were not many of those. Find one that works on flies. Wearing pants is not a bad idea as the Cheat Grass has gone to seed and will get into your socks and drive you mad. I was happy I wore pants. The quickest way to get to these birds was from the north parking lot. They were 6.5 miles from there. Take the Sand Wash Trail to the Plover Trail. The birds were near the ranch buildings. The whole natural area is a stay on trail area. Please respect that. The birds were more than photogenic (I added photos to the checklist and I'm sure Nick will as well) but might require some patience. The ranch folks will be more than happy to remind you of this even though they shouldn't have to. These birds were never more that 20 yards off of the ranch road. Beware of slithering things as well. I am not trying to be a downer here and convince people not to go. I'm just trying to convey that this isn't your normal leisurely stroll in the woods. It was well worth the effort today but no bird is worth putting yourself in danger because you are unprepared. I hope I haven't dashed anyone's hopes and dreams and helped with some preparation. But this isn't an easy tick and go situation where they are.Bird is the word!Josh BrueningFort CollinsOn Sat, Jul 15, 2023 at 1:43 PM Nicholas Komar <quet...@comcast.net> wrote:Baird's Sparrow territorial pair observed and documented just now at Soapstone Prairie Natural Area along dirt road by managers house. This is along the Plover Trail which is now open for the season. Josh Bruening and I are riding the loop by bike and found the pair after riding the loop counterclockwise about 9 miles from south parking lot to this spot.Nick KomarFort Collins CO--
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