Pawnee Birding

[Steven Mlodinow]

Greetings All

Sorry again for a delayed post

On 11 December, I birded from the I-25 exit for Carr (n of Wellington) to where Weld County Road 125 hits the Nebraska border, over 60 miles of criss-crossing the Pawnee. I saw only 24 species, in no small part due to a handful of waterbirds at Adams and Bunker Reservoirs, which were still partly open. 

The highlight, beyond the stark and beautiful scenery, was two flocks of rosy-finches just e. of Carr on WCR 126. This area has nice rock outcroppings adjacent to tundra-like grasslands, probably resembling what this species winters in up in montane valleys. The habitat was very similar to that which hosted rosy-finches last winter (Nick Moore and I found a flock just east of Grover). The flock on 11 December was nearly 50/50 "normal" Gray-crowned and Hepburn's Rosy-finches + at least one Black Rosy-Finch, an adult male. 

I did not have much time to look for Sharp-tailed Grouse at day's end, and thus missed that species

I did have Common Ravens at two locations, a scarce species in Weld away from the county's western edge. 

Lapland Longspurs were not scarce, with some sizable flocks near patches of still-open water. One flock had a CC Longspur in it.

I've not made a Flickr album based on just one day, but there was enough of scenery and birds and mammals to do so...

If interested, go to https://www.flickr.com/photos/36088296@N08/albums/72157662382918745

And think of seeking rosy-finches in the more rocky areas of Weld this winter (mostly near Pawnee Buttes), and if lucky, think about going a tad north and finding some in Nebraska, where a nice rarity, indeed.

Good Birding

Steve Mlodinow