Kiowa Yesterday: Purple Finch, Snow Bunting, Field Sparrow

[Steven Mlodinow]

Greetings All

After my original plans for yesterday were scotched, I decided to start my day at John Martin

Which was shrouded in dense, cold fog. I tried a bit of land birding, with no success, and the fog was still hanging around at 9:30. Hearing from Janeal Thompson that there was some open water in Upper Queens and Neenoshe, I decided to redirect.

There were thousands of geese at Upper Queens, and tens-of-thousands of geese and thousands of ducks (vast majority Mallard) at Neenoshe. Neegronde also had a couple spots of open water, filled with Mallards. Interestingly, the spots of open water were not the deepest, most southerly or westerly or ... The open water was the location farthest from human access. And I think that the thousands of birds was likely what kept the water open. At sunset, the birds started to fly off. To roost? No. Actually to feed in fields at a time safe from hunters. There are so many surprises. 

Anyway, the rarest birds were land birds.

Snow Bunting - on south shore of Upper Queens where there was a large expanse of bare sand along the shore

Purple Finch - Neenoshe Locust Grove

Field Sparrow - adjacent to Neenoshe Locust Grove

Chipping Sparrow - along northwest shore of Upper Queens in scrub with dozens of Am Tree Sparrows, WC Sparrows and juncos. 

Beyond having some nice finds, it was fun to visit a spot with almost no coverage -- to explore. We've been lucky to have a nice bunch of rarities to visit this winter, and a fair bit of open water. But if you feel bored, find some spot that no one has visited with interesting habitat, and check it out. After all, that is how the RB Sapsucker and Pueblo WW Crossbill were found

Good Birding

Steve Mlodinow 

Longmont CO