Hi all
Super group of birders Saturday for the trip. Great weather as well. We had a spectacular showing by a unexpected Short-eared Owl. We were slowly crawling Weld CR 41 btw 100/102 when it flushed from Rabbitbrush alongside the road. It perched low in Rabbitbrush about 50 feet from my car on other side of road for a few minutes for all to see then flew a little further north to same side of road. It then flew into the west field of Rabbitbrush and circled back to us a few times before settling down in the middle of field behind a small ridge. Super bird to start day with. I think I saw this guy a week earlier, too, over by Nunn Gravel Pit at Weld 37/96.
Total of 70 species over weekend (61 on the trip, rest on Sunday's outing). Highlights (new for spring):
- Short-eared Owl [Weld CR 41 btw 100/102]
- Brown-headed Cowbird
- Rock Wren - 4 [Pawnee NG roadsides]
- Baird's and Least Sandpiper [Nunn Gravel Pit at Weld CR 37/94]
- Tree Swallow
- Barn Swallow
- Cliff Swallow
- Horned Grebe - 4 [Crom Lake]
- Loggerhead Shrike - 6-8+
- Say's Phoebe - 4+
- Vesper Sparrow
- Chestnut-collared Longpsur 15-20 [Weld CR 45, 59, 53, 108, 100]
- Burrowing Owl
- McCown's Longspur - 8-10+ [Weld CR 53, 108, 59]
- Mountain Plover - 2 [Weld CR 100/390]
- Lark Sparrow
- Wild Turkey - 3
- Swainson's Hawk
- Brewer's Sparrow
- Chipping Sparrow
- Eared Grebe [Crom Lake]
- Black-crowned Night Heron [Glenmere Park]
- Marsh Wren [Weld CR 48]
Thanks Gary Lefko, Nunn