SE CO: Tennessee Warbler -- Otero Co. 5/10

[Brandon Percival]

On the way home from the CFO Convention and SE Colorado birding fun, I stopped by Rocky Ford State Wildlife Area, Otero County, this morning.  There were a few warblers near the first parking lot, including a male Tennessee Warbler, my first for Otero County!  At Lake Holbrook, also in Otero County, the Great Egret that some reported yesterday, was still present. I didn't see the Laughing Gull.  

In Bent County, after visiting Hasty Campground, Jim Newell and I stopped by Van's Grove on Road JJ, between 17 and 18, on N side of road, and saw a Cassin's Vireo, male Indigo Bunting, and a singing male Nashville Warbler (I assume this wasn't the same one that I saw on 5/3).  At the Fort Lyon Wildlife Easement at Roads HH and 16, seemed birdy.  We saw a hybrid Indigo x Lazuli Bunting, also my first Virginia's Warbler for the spring.

I ended up with 19 species of warblers in SE Colorado for  4-10 May.  I saw nine species of warblers this morning, I think there seems to be more birds in Bent County today, then I've seen in Prowers/Baca/Kiowa Counties over the past few days.

Yesterday, Jim and I went over to the grove of trees at Upper Queens Reservoir in Kiowa County, looking for a Magnolia Warbler, that Joey Kellner found earlier in the day, and instead we found a Prairie Rattlesnake in the Grove, so be careful if birding there.

I ended up with 5 Northern Parulas, 5 Summer Tanagers, 3 American Redstarts, 2 Nashville Warblers, 2 Northern Waterthrush, 2 Broad-winged Hawks while I was in SE Colorado over the six days.  I saw one of each of quite a few warblers, this included: Golden-winged, Magnolia, Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Black-and-white, Tennessee, and Townsend's.  I never saw Ovenbird, Chestnut-sided, Blackpoll, Palm, among others that I usually see this time of year.

Great to see you all at the CFO Convention in Lamar, it was a lot of fun!

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Brandon Percival
Pueblo West, CO