Black Phoebe in San Luis Valley

[cou...@gojade.org]

After a 3 inch snowfall overnight, I thought there might be some good opportunities for bird and landscape photography this morning. I also wanted to find a Black Phoebe, originally reported by Hettinger (Alamosa County).

It was a wonderful morning just for the wet snow and scenic opportunities, but I also was able to re-locate and photograph the Black Phoebe, which is only the 6th record for the Valley.

To see it, drive to the Frisbee (disk) Golf Course parking lot in Alamosa. Walk down the trail going SE along the levee. Immediately west of the levee, you will see an old meander channel that has water in it. The bird was last seen at the south end of this meander, just before the Rio Grande River.

 

Other birds are rolling in as well. Swainson’s Hawks have arrived in the last week. A single Vesper Sparrow was a nice sight. A Great Egret is at Russell Lakes SWA. Sage Thrashers are singing once again. Top that out with some Guatemalan coffee and it was a most wonderful morning....

 

John Rawinski

Monte Vista, CO