San Luis Valley, Apr. 15 & 16

[Ted Floyd]

Hello, birders.

Hannah Floyd and Andrew Floyd and I visited the San Luis Valley this past Sunday & Monday, Apr. 15 & 16.

We started off Sunday afternoon at Smith Reservoir State Wildlife Area, Costilla County, where the birds were shoulder-to-shoulder straight across the rez. eBird queried pretty much all our counts. Amid 100+ Eared Grebes, we saw several Horned Grebes. Also Bonaparte's Gulls scattered across the lake.

Then we spent several birdless hours at Great Sand Dunes National Park, Alamosa & Saguache counties. Well, almost birdless--The Common Ravens were most excellent. And lots of cool arthropods, plants, and rocks. 

A bit after sundown on Sunday, we went owling at the Zapata Ranch, Alamosa County, where we heard Long-eared Owl, Western Screech-Owl, and Great Horned Owl.

Monday morning at the Zapata Ranch, we saw a Lewis's Woodpecker. Also one (1) each of Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay, Pinyon Jay, Bushtit, Audubon's Warbler, and Cassin's Finch. And a great throng of Spotted Towhees.

At the nearly Medano Ranch, Alamosa County, we found recently returned Barn Swallows, a lost Mountain Chickadee, Mountain Bluebirds at nest sites, a Sage Thrasher, 4 Sagebrush Sparrows, and likely migrant White-crowned and Vesper sparrows.

Up the road at the Colorado Reptile Park, Mosca, Saguache County, we overheard speculation that recently hatched Emus were roadrunners. This strange and wondrous place also hosted numerous Yellow-headed Blackbirds and Great-tailed Grackles, plus several singing Pied-billed Grebes.

We picnicked at Russell Lakes State Wildlife Area, Saguache County, which was loaded with birds. American Bitterns, Snowy Egret, Great Egret, 150+ White-faced Ibises, 75+ ibises with brown faces, Virginia Rails, Soras, Sandhill Cranes, Black-necked Stilts, Lesser Yellowlegs, flycatching Franklin's Gulls, plenitudinous Marsh Wrens, and a Savannah Sparrow.

Here are some pix:

   Bison at the Medano Ranch, Alamosa Co., Apr. 16.

   Hannah Floyd and Sagebrush Sparrow, Medano Ranch, Alamosa Co., Apr. 16.

   "Baby roadrunners." Actually, these are Emus. Mosca, Saguache Co., Apr. 16.

   Yellow-headed Blackbird, Mosca, Saguache County, Apr. 16.

   Brown ibis, Russell Lakes State Wildlife Area, Saguache Co., Apr. 16.
   We saw many such birds. Are they SY White-faced Ibises? How do you
   tell them from Glossy Ibises?

   This is one of the whites in the genus Pontia, probably checkered white
   (P. protodice). Mosca, Saguache Co., Apr. 16.

   It snowed! No, it didn't. These greasewoods flourish (sort of) in the alkaline
   flatlands of the San Luis Valley. Russell Lakes State Wildlife Area, Saguache

   Co., Apr. 16.

   COBirds' resident geologist informs me that this pistachio-green

   stone is likely epidote. We found seveal of these at Great Sand
   Dunes National Park, Alamosa & Saguache Cos., Apr. 15.

   We think think this is blowout grass, Redfieldia flexuosa. Anyhow, it was the

   dominant (the only?) vegetation up in the Dune Sea, Great Sand Dunes
   National Park, Alamosa & Saguache Cos., Apr. 15.

   Andrew Floyd and friend. We believe this is a western terrestrial
   garter snake. Found at the Medano Ranch, Alamosa County, Apr. 16.

Ted Floyd

Lafayette, eastern Boulder County