redpolls, ferruginous hawks, and crytozoic animals

[JohnT]

Cobirds:

            A jaunt through Boulder, Larimer, and Weld county today for mostly raptors and redpolls.  This is a bit verbose, but interesting.  Counties noted where interesting sightings occur;   W = Weld,  L = Larimer, and B = Boulder.

 

Numbers 1st:

Red tailed hawk - 21 - B, W, L

American kestrel - 14 - B, W, L

Ferruginous hawk - 4 - W

Rough-legged hawk - 1 - W

Bald eagle - 1 - L

Golden eagle - W

Northern harrier - 2 - W

Common redpoll - 2 - W - in prairie habitat in Central Plains Station area

Common redpoll - 16 - L - in Fort Collins at the Discovery Center (already reported by many birders)

Western meadow lark - 54 - L, W -  some were singing

Red winged blackbird - 12 - W,  one was singing

Eurasian collared dove - hundreds, especially at farm houses on the Larimer, Weld County line.

 

I observed a northern harrier (male) on the ground with a prey item that looked like a prairie dog.  Two ferruginous hawks were battling to steal the prey, but surprisingly the harrier fought them both off.  Then proceeded to gorge itself on fresh prairie dog.

 

Another observation:  108 pronghorn herd on private land adjoining the rail line and the main road, north of Nunn.  They're not dumb - rifle hunters were out today.

 

Lots of duck and goose hunters out in force in Loveland and Fort Collins area - some blasting away really close to bike paths (perfectly legal) and along river paths.  Be careful out there.   (last weekend we saw geese get blasted close to Valmont Reservoir - hunters can shoot from private land and then walk over to Open Space and pick up the carcasses. 

 

And then the strangest one for today:  a very creepy looking morph or mixed-breed coyote about 5 miles due east of Nunn.  I was stopped on the road looking for birds, when I saw a strange animal running at full speed across the road in front of me, along with a "normal" looking coyote, also running at full speed.  This is one of those instances where my brain circuits blow a fuse.  I will try to describe.  Said animal looked dog-like, with dappling black-and-brown that some domestic dog breeds have.  The head was that of a coyote, but nearly hairless.  The body was covered with short hair (like a short haired boxer), powerful, sleek, and muscular.  The tail was nealy hairless except for a thick tuft of hair on the end - african lion like tail tip.  When I saw this - my mind was racing at milli-second speed to catigorise it as some species - North America, African, Amazonian - my mouth dropped.  It's one of those mind bending moments that you can't get your thought process around.  Finally, minutes later, I figured it was some weird integrade species, domestic dog - coyote cross thingamagigee.  The fact that it was traveling with another coyote, meant that it must have been part coyote.  And  further - this was a really healthy looking animal - not mange or scabies looking.  Fully healthy, running, powerful looking, happily running across the prairie.  I've seen a lot of North American wildlife in my day, from Alaska to the Tropics, but I ain't never seen anything as weird as this.  You'd had to have been there. 

 

Now I can see how tales about the "chupacara" are propigated. 

 

Happy birding.  Sleep tight, and don't let the chupacaras bite.  (hee hee).   -  John T (Tumasonis), currently of Louisville CO and a member of Boulder Audubon. 

           

   

[The "Nunn Guy"]

Hi John

About your strange mammal--we've been seeing a mange Red Fox of late perhaps this is your alien mammal?  I snapped photo a month ago--she drinks at our bird water feeder out front on occasion--and DOW reported it was a mange Red Fox. At first I thought it was a "dingo" ... :-)

Thanks Gary Lefko, Nunn
http://coloradobirder.ning.com/
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