Weld County on 4/8

[DAVID A LEATHERMAN]

First stop was the pasture/pdog town e of Weld CR57 just s of SR14 - NO Mountain Plover, the target of the day.

I got to Crow Valley Campground by mid-morning  and checked Briggsdale after that.  Highlights were:
Water in Crow Creek
Merlin (female,  which actually vocalized at one point while interacting with a kestrel)
Common Grackles (several)
Brown-headed Cowbird (1m)
Black-billed Magpie (2) - I have always taken issue with the sign erected by the Forest Service just west of the main picnic shelter which has 5 different kinds of birds on it, two of which either don't occur at CVCG or are very rare.  The two are red-phase Eastern Screech-Owl and Black-billed Magpie.  The other three are somewhat unexciting choices (Western Meadowlark, Mourning Dove and Bullock's Oriole) but at least they are characteristic of the site.  The person who chose the subject matter for the sign many years ago is obviously psychic because a couple magpies finally showed up.  Sitting in an office in Greeley made the job of guessing what birds might be out there even more impressive.
Say's Phoebe (1)
RING-NECKED DUCK (1m, 2f)  Does anyone have that on their Crow Valley list?  Blot out the red owl and put a female Ring-necked Duck in its place.
Mourning Dove (1)
Mountain Plover (1 - in a fallow field south of the high school football field in Briggsdale)
Chorus Frogs chorusing loudly
Variegated Meadowhawk (FOY odonate for me)
Painted Lady (FOY for me)
Sand Lilies in bloom
Ann and John Reichert (thanks for the PB&J sandwich on awesome bread!)
[no Canyon Wren]
Total of 24 bird species

Weld CR86 s of CR105
Chestnut-collared Longspur (dozens hidden in wheat stubble overtopped by blown Russian thistles (tumbleweed))
McCown's Longspur (several)
Dan Stringer
Ann and John Reichert

I went south on 105 to WeldCR74(=Morgan CR KK) w to 93 and back north to SR14
Mountain Plover (1 in a dry playa on 105 that often covers both sides of the road s of 86)
several Swainson's Hawks (FOY for me, obviously a huge influx of late)
Vesper Sparrow (FOY) along 93 w of 84 in a stand of Atriplex (fourwing saltbush)

Crom Lake (Weld CR31 s of 90 = west of Pierce)
American Avocet (4- FOY)
Greater Yellowlegs (1)
Yellow-headed Blackbird (heard in the cattails)
Ring-necked Pheasant (2i)

Populations of grasshopper species that overwinter as adults are impressive in many areas of the grasslands at present, especially the Redshanked Grasshopper (Xanthippus corallipes).  The Loggerhead Shrikes will work themselves into a tizzy trying to figure out which one to impale.  It will be like the time my youngest son Grant many moons ago as a toddler encountered his first escalator and kept waiting for the perfect, best step to jump on. 

Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins