Red-necked Phalarope, Black Phoebe, Franklin's Gulls and Yellow-rumped Warbler at Canon City Valco Ponds (still private property) today

[SeEttaM .]

I birded the front section of the eastern pond at Canon City Valco Ponds this afternoon where I spotted a rare for southern Colorado Red-necked Phalarope fishing in the pond on the east side of the road due north from where I was looking with my binoculars in my car in the parking lot.   It was surrounded by a flock of noisy, and first of the season here, Franklin's Gulls and common ducks.  While watching the action in the pond I heard a Black Phoebe calling from the thick vegetation around a bar ditch that runs between the road and the pond-didn't see it as I was trying to get a pic of the phalarope.  Black Phoebes are starting to move through Canon City as they form mating relationships and find nesting locations later this spring.  I also spotted a Yellow-rumped Warbler working a Russian Olive near between the pond and the parking area. 

Be aware that the owner of Valco Ponds (yup, it is still private) was there when I pulled into the parking area surveying some mess less from workers that had put in sewer pipe through his property.  As I have known him for a number of years I said hello-wrong move as he was angry about trespassers of whom he identified birders as a source of trespass stating he doesn't want to have to spend a lot of money putting up fences to keep trespassers out like he did at the Pueblo Valco Ponds (on the east side) to protect his liability. I couldn't say that doesn't happen as I know birders who tell me they go in so I just kept quiet til he left.  He wasn't gone long and some birders in a car with Colo plates I did not recognize drove in.  When they got their spotting scopes out they headed right back onto the area behind where there is gate still up.  I called to warn them they were entering private property as the owner might be returning and they said they didn't know that.  I think birders should expect that if there are no signs indicating an area is open to the public it is private. If they had stayed in the parking area they could have seen all the birds noted above but they drove off. 

Fyi, the boisterous Franklin's Gulls must have been too much for the Red-necked Grebe as it flew out then up the river out of sight before I left.  I have a couple of photos of the phalarope I uploaded to my Birds and Nature blog.

SeEtta Moss

Canon City

http://BirdsAndNature.blogspot.com