Hi, everybody.
With Bill Schmoker and participants in a "naturalists' workshop" with The Nature Conservancy, I had a nice visit to the San Luis Valley this past weekend. Photos and commentary here:
http://tinyurl.com/SLV-TNC-2016Brief highlights follow:
Lathrop State Park,
Huerfano Co. (not in the San Luis Valley), Thurs., Mar. 17. 31
cackling geese, 6
horned grebes, 6
western scrub-jays, 5
juniper titmice, 25+
bushtits, 2
Bewick wrens, 3
Townsend solitaires, 1
curve-billed thrasher, and 2
sage thrashers. eBird checklist:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S28415034
Smith Reservoir State Wildlife Area,
Costilla Co., Thurs., Mar. 17. 1
cackling goose, 1
greater scaup, 1
hooded merganser, huge, eBird-queried numbers of common duck species, 2
horned grebes, 600
sandhill cranes, 3
killdeer, 1
herring gull, and
1 merlin. eBird checklist:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S28415281Piñon Hills,
Conejos Co., Fri., Mar. 18. 1
loggerhead shrike, 1
rock wren, and 4
sagebrush sparrows. eBird checklists:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S28415768,
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S28415642,
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S28415718Sego Springs State Wildlife Area,
Conejos Co., Fri., Mar. 18. 2
sage thrashers and 3
sagebrush sparrows. eBird checklist:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S28420448
Zapata Ranch (private),
Alamosa Co., Sat.-Sun., Mar. 19-20. 2
western screech-owls, 5+
great horned owls, 1
northern pygmy-owl, 4
long-eared owls, 1
northern saw-whet owl, 80+
pinyon jays, 1
western scrub-jay, 5
bushtits, and 3
pine siskins. eBird checklists:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S28469133,
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S28476405,
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S28470408,
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S28464834Medano Ranch (private),
Alamosa Co., Sat.-Sun., Mar. 19-20. 175+
sandhill cranes, 2
prairie falcons, 2
Say phoebes, 3
loggerhead shrikes, 2 swallow sp., 1
American pipit, 5+
sage thrashers, and 8+
sagebrush sparrows. eBird checklists:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S28470653,
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S28463536,
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S28459691,
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S28459801
Widely noted in suitable habitat across the San Luis Valley were the following: cinnamon teal, green-winged teal, ruddy duck, golden eagle, black-billed magpie, common raven, horned lark, mountain bluebird, western meadowlark, and red-winged blackbird.
Thanks to Audrey Wolk, Mandy Timbers, Nancy Fishbein, Bill Schmoker, and The Nature Conservancy in Colorado for the excellent weekend.
Ted Floyd
Lafayette, Boulder County