Crane Festival Birds

[John Rawinski]

I lead a bird walk this morning to Home Lake. Then took some friends to the MV Refuge. Here is a brief update if you are headed out Saturday. 

Home Lake: At least 3 Greater Yellowlegs were apparent as well as numerous Killdeer. I had been away for 5 days so these birds migrated in recently. There are still good numbers of Cackling and Canada Geese there. A Townsend's Solitaire in the trees was unusual. Just as I started the walk, a BLAST of grapple sent us scurrying to the porch overhang of one of the Vet Ctr buildings so we weathered the storm there until it lessened. 

Monte Vista  Refuge:  Good numbers of Lesser and Greater Sandhill Cranes. Size difference is one way to tell them apart. Their journeys are different too. Greaters will breed in the Greater Yellowstone area, while Lessers head to the Arctic and even Siberia. 

Drive the auto tour loop for good looks at Cackling, Canada, and Snow Geese. There is an odd cackler that has a white body and the normal neck and head of a Cackler. We guessed it to be a leucistic bird. And, if it is not the same bird that has shown up in past years, it certainly is like a few I have photographed in the past. 

About 7 American Avocets flew in to the pond. A first for me this year. Lots of Mtn Bluebirds being seen. 

Finally, I received a report that Sagebrush Sparrows are in. Driving the county roads east of Antonito are a good place to find them. 

Get out and enjoy this magical time!!

John Rawinski

Monte Vista, CO

[David Suddjian]

And 8 Sagebrush Sparrows were along Medano Road just east of the San Luis Lakes SWA in Alamosa on 3/4. Most were singing. 

David Suddjian

Littleton, CO

--
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group.
To post to this group, send email to cob...@googlegroups.com
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds
* All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate.
* Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/membership/
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+u...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/4d7a8b90-6fc2-4292-a646-7fe1ecd42570n%40googlegroups.com.

[John Rawinski]

Very good David!