SE Colorado 5/6 & 5/7

[Brandon]

Mark Peterson, Kara Carragher, and I birded SE Colorado 6 and 7 May.
Our highlights follow (thanks to many people who kept us updated on
things they were seeing):

Snow Goose - 4 at Neenoshe Reservoir, Kiowa Co. (getting late) on 5/7
American Bittern - 2 calling at Thurston Reservoir, Prowers Co. on 5/6
Great Egret - 1 at Lake Holbrook, Otero Co. on 5/6
Cattle Egret - 4-5 on Road JJ, w. of Van's Grove, Bent Co. on 5/6-7
Mississippi Kite - 13 in Lamar, Prowers Co. on 5/6 (our first ones of the trip)
Broad-winged Hawk - 1 in Ordway, Crowley Co. on 5/6
Broad-winged Hawk - 1 at Lamar Community College, Prowers Co. on 5/7
Black Rail - 1 calling in Prowers County, on 5/6 (my first for this county)
22 species of shorebird during the two days
Whimbrel - 1 at Neenoshe Reservoir, Kiowa Co. on 5/6
White-rumped Sandpiper - seen at Neenoshe Reservoir, Kiowa Co., on
5/6-7 (23 counted today)
Bonaparte's Gull - 1 at Neenoshe Reservoir, Kiowa Co. on 5/6
Black-chinned Hummingbird - 1 at Olney Springs SWA, Crowley Co. on 5/6
(my first for Crowley Co.
Western Wood-Pewee - first of the season for us on 5/6. a single bird
at Hasty Campground, Bent Co., and another on 5/7 at Melody Tempel
Grove, Bent Co.
Least Flycatcher - 1 at Hasty Campground on 5/6 and one in Prowers Co. on 5/7
Plumbeous Vireo - 1 singing and seen well at Olney Springs SWA,
Crowley Co. on 5/6
PHILADELPHIA VIREO - 1 at Hasty Campground, Bent Co. on 5/6 (thanks to
other birders who found this bird, and helped us see it) -- certainly
the rarest bird of the trip for us
10 species of warblers was lower than expected for this time of year.
Northern Waterthrush - 1 at Ordway Reservoir, Crowley Co. on 5/6
American Redstart - 1 young male in Prowers Co. on 5/7
Townsend's Warbler - 1 at Melody Tempel Grove, Bent Co. on 5/7
Harris's Sparrow - 1 at Van's Grove, Bent Co., on 5/6
Northern Cardinal - 2 at Lamar Community College, Prowers Co. on 5/7
Dickcissel - 2 singing near Thurston Reservoir, Prowers Co. on 5/6
Lesser Goldfinch - 1 at Lamar Community College, Prowers Co. on 5/7

We had no rattlesnake encounters over the weekend. I hear a group did
find a couple of rattlesnakes, while looking for migrant land birds at
Flagler SWA today!

It was nice to see a lot of birding friends from around Colorado, this
past weekend in SE Colorado.

--
Brandon Percival
Pueblo West, CO