[cobirds] SE Colorado --- Black Rail and Surf Scoter, 3/31/12

COBirders,

Yesterday, Brad Steger and I did some birding in southeast Colorado.  We decided to give BLACK RAIL a shot and eventually found one at the Bent Marshes.  It was giving the typical, "ki-ki-krr" call in rapid succession.  There were many Virginia Rails and Sora's and other than one other strange set of calls that went unidentified that was it from the marsh.

We also had an adult male SURF SCOTER near the dam at John Martin Reservoir.  There were many ducks way out on the lake but we could find nothing of real interest.  An EASTERN PHOEBE flew a good length of the reservoir to finally fly right over us while we stood on the dam.  It just happened to fly into my field of view while looking at distant ducks.

Just south of Holly, we had a single singing CASSIN'S SPARROW but little else.  We relocated seven SNOWY PLOVERs at Nee Noshe reservoir that Duane Nelson had reported.  There were also two BONAPARTE'S GULLs alonf with a single FRANKLIN'S and many RING-BILLED.  Other shorebirds included a single GREATER YELLOWLEGS and LEAST SANDPIPER and three BAIRD'S SANDPIPERs.  Also my first dragonfly of the year, it went unidentified as it just went zipping by, it appeared to be a Variegated Meadowhawk.  While heading back south on highway 287 just across from Nee Gronda we found a LONG-BILLED CURLEW flying around trying to figure out what to do, at least that is what I would call it.  It seemed confused as it gain about 100 yards in altitude and fly around a bit then drop to about 30-40 yards in altitude and repeat the process.  After watching it do that about 10 or 11 times we left it to figure out on its own.

We had six NORTHERN CARDINALs (5 males) at Lamar Community College.  Also at LCC, were a few YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERs, two BROWN THRASHERs and a HARRIS'S SPARROW.  At Lake Cheraw we added two more SNOWY PLOVERs and an AMERICAN AVOCET.  Oh, and maybe the best thing of the day, on the road around Lake Hasty we had a Texas Horned Lizard.  I think that is about it, good birding.

 

-----

Mark Peterson
Colorado Springs