Chico Basin Ranch Yesterday

[Dan Stringer]

Highlights at Chico Basin Ranch yesterday Oct 5th:

El Paso County:

At the banding station was a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Cassin's Vireo, Broad-winged Hawk, pair of Brown Creepers. Two Cassin's Kingbirds on the road going east from banding area.

On the dirt roads I saw two Curve-billed Thrashers, heard another two, and saw one Sage Thrasher.

Pueblo County:

Chico doesn't get multiple shorebirds very often, so I wanted to mention at Rose Pond there were Pectoral Sandpipers, a Spotted Sandpiper, about 25 Lesser Yellowlegs, one White-faced Ibis, and 32 Long-billed Dowitchers. At headquarters Pond, Virginia Rail and flyover Wilson's Snipe. At Upper Twin Pond I saw and photographed an Eastern Phoebe, took me a bit to nail down the ID because I wasn't expecting it.

Most remarkably, while standing at headquarters willows between about 1 and 2 o'clock there was a raptor migration show in the afternoon that I can only call a procession. Not big groups or bunched tightly, but a seemingly non-stop fly-by of multiple Coopers Hawks, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Swainson's Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, multiple Osprey, and Turkey Vultures. I've never seen anything quite like it.

All day long were the awesome sound of flyover Sandhill Cranes, I saw probably just over a thousand. On my way home about 125 landed south of Peyton Highway in a large shallow pond, making me think that perhaps some cranes spent the night around some water in Chico Basin.

Dan Stringer

Larkspur, CO