San Luis Valley Specialties

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Lots of colorful and exciting birds showing up in the last week.  Three Rose-breasted Grosbeaks at Zapata Ranch is outstanding for a species we see a few times each spring. THREE!

 

Warblers have been great this year and even tho we don’t get the variety of the SE part of the State, we have had two Nashville warblers, Black-and-white Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, and American Redstart.

A Baltimore Oriole has been seen and photographed south of Monte Vista by Mary Thompson.

 

Willow flycatchers, Blue Grosbeaks and Yellow-breasted Chats represent the last guild to arrive in the Valley and are being seen in different locations.

In the mountains, I have received reports of Flammulated Owls calling for extended periods.

 

The White-winged Dove I reported earlier has not been re-found at the Veterans Center, but could still be there given the thick trees.

 

A rare “Mexican Duck” was seen at Smith reservoir last week and I got some poor photos of it. It was  seen courting a female mallard and was trying to win the favor of the female over another typical male mallard.

 

John Rawinski

Monte Vista, CO