La Junta area, 3/27-3/28

[Nathan Pieplow]

Hi all,

Went down to Picketwire Canyon in the Comanche National Grassland for an overnight camping trip. Spring arrivals in the canyon include Eastern and Say's Phoebes, Rock Wren, Turkey Vulture, Killdeer, and White-throated Swift. It was also nice to spend some time with Bewick's and Canyon Wrens, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, and Ladder-backed Woodpecker. I was hoping for an early poorwill or Black-throated Sparrow, but no luck. Winter birds still in evidence included Dark-eyed Junco and Townsend's Solitaire.

All the ravens I could identify with confidence were Commons, though I did hear some suspiciously upslurred croaks at Vogel Canyon.

Probably the rarest sighting was an early male Lark Bunting that flew across Highway 71 in Crowley County north of Box Springs yesterday.

Nathan Pieplow

Boulder