[cobirds] Yard List, Bent County CO

Birders, I was going to pass on this until someone involved in the yard bird discussion implored to me post highlights of my 1+ acre yard in Las Animas, Bent County CO, where I've lived since 2000. My yard list currently stands at 195 species. Many of you have been to my yard, since I love posting reproducible birds to the public, and welcome visitors when I have rare birds around. Many Colorado birders have added life or state birds here, including White-winged Crossbill, Costa's Hummingbird, Ruby-throated Hummingbird and Canada Warbler. I'm going to post a list of what I consider unusual birds I've had that might not have been reported by other landowners:

Cattle Egret, Green Heron, White-faced Ibis, Northern Goshawk, Ring-necked Pheasant, Wild Turkey, Scaled Quail, Northern Bobwhite, Sora (nocturnal flight call), White-winged Dove, Inca Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Common Poorwill (flushed from the ground during migration several times).

Six species of Hummingbirds including Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (most years, especially in September) and Costa's Hummingbird (seen by close to 100 observers), 

Nine species of Woodpeckers, including Lewis', Red-headed, Red-bellied (I had a male winter at my suet feeders), Yellow-bellied and Red-naped Sapsuckers, and Ladder-backed Woodpecker.

Olive-sided, Yellow-bellied and Gray Flycatchers. Eastern and Say's Phoebes, Ash-throated and Great-crested Flycatchers, as well as Cassin's Kingbird. 

Flocks of Pinon Jays in two separate years, as well as single Steller's Jays two years. These are both exceedingly rare east of the mountains.

Four uncommon species of Vireo, including Blue-headed, Cassin's, Yellow-throated and Red-eyed. 

Eastern and Mountain Bluebirds, and one Veery. 

Gray Catbird, Sage Thrasher, Curve-billed Thrasher (practically every winter).

Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Bushtit, Mountain Chickadee, Black-capped Chickadee (absent in SE Colorado for over 20 years now as a result of West Nile Disease). American Pipit (showed up in my driveway after I shoveled deep snow).

Purple Finch and Cassin's Finch (photographed together) Red Crossbill, White-winged Crossbill (a life bird for many, this bird stayed for a week), Evening Grosbeak.

Sixteen species of Warbler, including Tennessee, Nashville, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, American Redstart, Ovenbird (bird bath), Hooded Warbler (bird bath), and Canada Warbler (which I put on the RBA and was seen by many).

If I shovel snow at night, I often hear Lapland Longspurs passing over on their way to find habitat with less snow. Earlier this winter, I heard a Chestnut-collared Longspur passing south with the Lapland Longspurs as I shoveled snow in the dark).

Sparrows, including Fox (eastern), Harris' White-throated, Vesper, and Cassin's. Four species of towhees, including a male Eastern Towhee. Summer Tanager, Dickcissel, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Northern Cardinal (singing males, twice), Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting (Colorado's first documented winter record, on the John Martin Reservoir CBC). Baltimore and Bullock's Orioles. 

I hope you enjoy this sampling of birds found in the far southeast part of Colorado, 100 miles east of the mountains.

Duane Nelson

Las Animas, Bent County, CO