Logan County; and Glenmere Heron Colony News

[Steven Mlodinow]

Greetings All

Today, Sean Walters and I spent nearly 7 hours birding the semi-flooded and muddied location known as Tamarack Ranch. It was still impressively birdy, with most of the birds being in the semi-flooded riparian areas, with few birds in the shelterbelts. Note that there was virtually no option to pursue birds calling/singing from riparian due to flooding

General "Rarities"

WOOD THRUSH- singing <1/4 mile west of the road from I-76 to Crook (CR 81, CO 55 per Google Maps and eBird). Not seen, but distinctive song heard repeatedly. 

Eastern Yellow-breasted Chat- singing near road about 1/8 mile west of road to Crook

Carolina Wren - at Tamarack Pond near headquarters/manager's quarters

American Redstart - near Wood Thrush, over road; female type

Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting - Near river (RBGR) or in fields (INBU) in portion east of road to Crook near parking areas 5-8

Seasonal Rarities

4 Western Tanagers!!!

Swainson's Thrush

Rare for NE Plains as potential breeders

Willow Flycatcher - heard singing, not seen

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher (western)

"Rufous-sided" Towhee Mish-Mash

13 not seen

7 Spotted x Eastern; most looked like Easterns with a few stray spots on scaps. One looked like a Spotted with that white check box at the base of the primaries. Most called like Spotted, though one called like an Eastern, if heard.

7 Spotted Towhees; 4 of the usual "Interior Montane" type, 2 of the "Great Plains" or "arcticus"variety, 1 tweener.

No solid Easterns found on this trip. Only one female!!! All the others were either singing, or if visualized, were males. The female was a hybrid apparently paired with a hybrid male.

Local Specialties

4 YB Cuckoos (3 east of road to Crook, 1 west)

4 RB Woodpeckers (all east of road; lower number than usual)

1 GC Flycatcher (east of road; likely near parking areas 6 or 7)

6 Bell's Vireos (singing. Easily found west of road)

7 Field Sparrows. Best found near Tamarack Pond, or just w. thereof, on south side of fields

Numbers:

Busting per usual with 129 House Wrens, 48 Yellow Warblers, 29 Orchard Orioles, 26 Warbling Vireos (all singing birds were Eastern, as expected), 17 Western Wood-Pewees, 10 RH Woodpeckers, 9 YB Chats.

After Tamarack, we visited Red Lion SWA, where we had

1 GLOSSY IBIS

1 Snow Goose

1 Willet

Several Black Terns, in winter-type, or partial breeding plumage

There was also a Bell's Vireo in the best plum-hedgerow along the road

At Jumbo Res

2 Common Loons, one in breeding plumage, the other not

1 Willow Flycatcher (in willows, just after you turn R towards Jumbo after having traversed Red Lion.) Not Eastern Willow, but not quite right for typical Western Willow

Glenmere Park, Greeley, Weld

Sean and I visited the colony yesterday mid-day (twice) and today before sunset. The colony appears abandoned. One BC Night Heron yesterday, no herons today except a lone Snowy Egret that flew in at dusk and nestled among roots to roost. We did have a family group of 4 Bushtits in juniper sw. of pond, itself. 

Good Birding

Steve Mlodinow

Longmont CO