South East Colorado and Ruddy Turnston at Las Animas Hatchery, Bent County
Brian Johnson
For my day off I went out to South East Colorado despite the heat, figuring the mountain roads would be parking lot. I found some great birds and some suprisses.
On my way down HWY 50/287 I found my favorite pit stop, Prairie Park in Kit Carson, to be torn up. There is a bathroom there and with so few around this is a nice stop. There was at least port a poties. I was just about to leave when the yank yank call of a Red Breasted Nuthatch caught my ear. I found it five minutes latter in some of the small trees along 5th street. I was surprised to find this guy out here on the plains. I counted on down to Lamara and visited the Willow Creek Nature trail but did not find much.
John Martin Reservoir had some good birds but nothing to surprising. On my way over to Lake Henry I stopped at Las Animas Fish Hatchery and in the pond across from the visitor parking I found a Ruddy Turnstone among three Killdeer, a nice exiting find. The hatchery did not have much else and I made my way over to Lake Henry. At first, I did not find much but as I was watching some Western Sandpipers I noticed a flock of what was likely Baird’s Sandpipers fling over the lake. As I was watching them trying to figure where they would land a Prairie Falcon bombed them, almost catching one and pursing it over the lake for a minute.
So despite the heat it was a good day of birding out in the hot southeast prairies.
Good Birding,
Brian Johnson, Englewood CO