Summer Tanager, Tempel Grove, Bent County

[Duane Nelson]

Birders,

I observed this beautiful molting male Summer Tanager at Tempel Grove in NE Bent County today. There was no huge influx of migrant birds here, perhaps blocked by bad weather to the south. Birds present were mostly on the ground due to the cold and wind. I did see White-throated Sparrow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and an influx of Swainson's Thrushes. Apparently other birders got here first and encountered these birds before I did.

This afternoon after doing an outreach trip where I showed observers Piping Plovers, I stopped briefly at the Ft. Lyon Marsh complex. On this cold, cloudy day, I heard a spontaneously-calling Black Rail at 2:55 this afternoon, sparing me the need for disrupting my sleep another night or morning to tally this bird for the year.

Duane NelsonLas Animas, Bent County, CO

[Glenn Walbek]

Folks,

Loch Kilpatrick, Paul Differding, Lisa Edwards, Kara Carragher and I saw and photographed this first year male Summer Tanager yesterday at Tempel Grove.  It was one of very few eastern migrants observed in SE Colorado this weekend.  As Duane eluded to, Swainson's Thrush migration is in full force.  White-crowned Sparrows were observed in amazing numbers and Broad-winged Hawks were seen in many favorable woodlots.  Otherwise migration seemed relatively slow even for Colorado breeding species.  Maybe the best news, we were able to submit an ebird checklist with shorebirds for Upper Queens Reservoir.  The Indian reservoirs in Kiowa county are full of water!

Some photos of the spiffy tanager can be seen here..

https://gwalbek.smugmug.com/2016-Birds/     (I am moving to smugmug for my photo galleries)

Glenn Walbek

Castle Rock, CO