Bent County birds, Sept. 7, 2016
Duane Nelson
Birders,
An immature male Ruby-throated Hummingbird has put in very sporadic appearances at my feeders. I saw it twice this morning after a four-day absence. If it becomes more regular, I will post again.
Van's Grove was good today. My best sighting was a Chestnut-sided
Warbler. I got lucky and spotted a motionless Yellow-billed
Cuckoo. Also present: lots of Wilson's Warblers, Black-headed
Grosbeak and Western Tanager.
While working, I observed a migrant Piping Plover with a handful
of Snowy Plovers on "Clayton Point". You can reach this point by
driving in from the Road 20 access Point on Road JJ, and working
south and east to the point. I've done some habitat work here but,
since it's not the nesting season, and campers claim this point on
weekends, I figure "what the heck" on reporting a bird here. We
are working on a master plan to protect sensitive habitat from
campers, but the plan is not yet implemented.
Hasty Campground was full of birds, but no great rarities. My best were a Great-crested Flycatcher and Cassin's Vireo, but I only checked hundreds of Wilson's and Yellow Warblers, and didn't get every single bird present.
With all the birds near John Martin, I went to Tempel Grove. Curiously, there was no wave of migrants here. However, west of County Road 35, and south of the Ft. Lyon Canal, I had a Magnolia Warbler, very cooperative in the under story along the small ditch 100 feet south of the big cottonwoods with the huge fallen trunks of their dead comrades. If you find a small patch of gourds within the under story, with small locust trees nearby, you are in the right spot.
Oh, and I want to mention, we will be doing a habitat reclamation project as part of National Public Lands Day on the morning of Saturday, September 24th. We will be cutting emergent cottonwood and tamarisk stumps in order to provide nesting habitat for Piping Plovers and Least Terns. Last years efforts resulted directly in two successful Piping Plover nests and three Least Tern nests, so it is a worthy way to spend a day giving back to the birds we all care about.
Sincerely,
Duane Nelson, Las Animas CO