Elbert County 5/13

[David Suddjian]

A belated report from another full day in Elbert County, May 13. This time I focused on areas south of Simla along the western portion of the county's southern thumb, and them spots here and there along Highway 86 from Elizabeth to CR 125. Migrants were not especially plentiful in any area I visited, but many stops over all whole day's effort built up a nice variety.

Common Nighthawks were greeting the rising light at Kiowa and east of there. Red-headed Woodpeckers were more numerous than in my experience in mid May last year, with 23 noted at 14 spots this day. 13 Mountain Plovers were noted at 9 spots (CRs 66, 141, 137, 133, 12, 34, 113, and 70). A small number of McCown's Longspurs were noted at a few spots, mostly near CR 66 and CR 169 except for one further south along CR 38 near CR 149.

Some other highlights in order of encounter:

Simla and nearby Big Sandy Creek had Dusky Flycatcher, Black-throated Gray Warbler, and Solitary Sandpiper. 

A grove at CR 137 south of CR 50 had Cassin's Vireo, Olive-sided Flycatcher and Hammond's Flycatcher.

The Horse Creek area near CR 133 had Yellow-shafted, Red-shafted and intergrade Nor. Flickers all interacting (one pair appeared to be pure YSFL), 2 Dusky Flycatchers, Least Flycatcher, Indigo Bunting, Red-eyed Vireo, Summer Tanager, Northern Parula, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. 

Some stops in the extreme south west corner of the county had Cassin's Vireo and Ring-necked Pheasant

Horse Creek near CR 149 had Ovenbird

A male Eastern Bluebird along CR 169 south of CR 58 was my first for Elbert Co.

Playas along CR 66 and CR 153 had a moderate selection of ducks and shorebirds, but included a Black-Bellied Plover fly over, 1 Red-necked Phalarope (lots of Wilson's), 1 Marbled Godwit, and a male Bobolink playing hide and seek in the grasses near a playa at CR 153. 

Other migrants included Cordilleran Flycatcher, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Grasshopper Sparrow, Western Wood-Pewees, Warbling Vireo, Blue Grosbeak, Wilson's Warbler, Gray Catbird, Lazuli Bunting, Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, Green-tailed Towhee, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Swainson's and Hermit Thrushes, and more.

David Suddjian

Littleton, CO