Kit Carson county --- Flagler area

[Mark Peterson]

COBirders,

I had until about noon to bird today so I decided to bird Flagler SWA.  I knew there were supposed to be 20 MPH winds but from the south, southeast so thought there might be some birds get put down and usually you can find some areas that are not too windy.

I actually started at the golf course around 7 AM.  It was 38 with 20+ MPH winds and not very pleasant.  Even with the wind it was quite birdy.  Here is the quick list:

35 Blue-winged Teal

1 Cinnamon Teal

1 Green-winged Teal

2 Redhead

8 Northern Shovelers

12 Ruddy Ducks

40 American Coots

1 SEDGE WREN (heard and seen in the marsh on the south side of the pond at the east end.)

20 Yellow-rumped Warblers (most came out of the weedy areas)

3 Orange-crowned Warblers

1 Swamp Sparrow

20+ White-crowned Sparrows

6 Song Sparrows

4 Lincoln's Sparrows

At the SWA (just the birds of note, given the conditions it was extremely birdy):

1 American Golden-Plover

30 Killdeer

20 Long-billed Dowitchers

1 Pectoral Sandpiper

(I got there just in time to see the shorebirds as the shooting started soon after I arrived and they all left and even by noon there were still 0)

1 Eastern Phoebe

1 Warbling Vireo

1 American Crow (not something I see here often if ever, usually restricted to Burlington as far as Kit Carson county goes)

1 SEDGE WREN (heard only, below the dam)

4 Marsh Wrens

3 Eastern Bluebirds

8 Mountain Bluebirds

1 Hermit Thrush

1 Gray Catbird

20+ Orange-crowned Warblers

2 Common Yellowthroats

1 Blackburnian Warbler

100+ Yellow-rumped Warblers

3 Wilson's Warlbers

4 Spotted Towhees

1 Field Sparrow

8 Lincoln's Sparrows

1 White-throated Sparrow

100+ White-crowned Sparrows

1 PURPLE FINCH (male)

Other than a couple of minor breaks the wind only seemed to get worse.

 

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Mark Peterson
Colorado Springs