Prairie shorebird pics, Logan and Weld counties

[Tom Wilberding]

Hello birders, 

I had to run an errand to Sterling Wednesday afternoon, stayed the night, then drove east Thursday morning to Red Lion SWA. In the small ponds either side of CR 95 saw a few interesting shorebirds, and right next to the road on a post a confiding Red-headed Woodpecker keeping the shorebirds company. (A car is always a good bird blind.) Then headed to Crow Valley Recreation Area, finally north to Adams and Bunker Reservoir No. 1 on CR 124 for more shorebirds on the way home. 

The prairie has never looked more verdant thanks to all the rain this year. I suspect this has increased insects. For example, there were about 20 zooming Common Nighthawks inhaling insects in the sky over Crow Valley, but thankfully not many mosquitoes at ground level. No hip waders needed to cross Crow Creek, dry now except for some mushrooms and smartweed. All the foot paths on the south side of the creek bed are overgrown, almost invisible for lack of use. The “magic juniper” yielded a Least Flycatcher, but it could have been something else, you know how magic is. Blue jays raucous throughout the area, which made me think there must be some owls around—saw one briefly as it flew away. 

A good year for Lark Buntings--flocks of juveniles escorted my car down all the back roads. At Murphy’s Pasture a Sage Thrasher insisted on leading me along. It was walking, running, always looking back, refusing to let me pass. As my second-grade school teacher used to scold, “Bold as brass.” 
Seeing all the green grass on the Pawnee I felt like saying, “Come back, Dust Bowl farmers, all is forgiven. Plant some corn out here, plant anything you like! Hard times gone this year.”  

17 photos from my day out east, an appetizer for the upcoming CFO convention: http://bit.ly/1ncCc3Y

Buon appetito! 
Tom Wilberding
CFO Treasurer