Field Notes 11.18.12

Based on a report of a greater roadrunner sighting, we drove to Great Sands Dunes National Park. After checking in at the visitor center, we hiked a trail that wound from the visitor center to the dunes. While scanning the chico, we saw a coyote lazing in the sun. We looked up to make certain no Acme Safes would drop on us. Beep, Beep. 

We didn’t see the roadrunner but it was a beautiful day and a nice hike.

 

Field Notes 9.15.12

It was not long after we left home that we realized we had both forgotten our cell phones. Oh well.

We continued on undaunted to Zapata Falls.  We had heard rumors of an American dipper on the stream, but we did not see the dipper. We think this is one bird that will go on our--Wanted To See, Tried To See, Should Have Seen (along with the yellow-billed cuckoo)--bird count list.  Up above the falls on the South Zapata Lake Trail we did see a Townsend’s solitaire, Clark’s nutcracker, northern flicker, black-capped chickadee and a possible Townsend’s warbler.

Returning to Zapata Falls, we still did not see the dipper but we did meet a sweet three-legged dog.

Following a theme, we headed next to Zapata Ranch. We saw an American kestrel on a signpost beside the road. At the ranch we walked the birding trail and saw black-billed magpies, white-breasted nuthatches and black-capped chickadees.  Several common nighthawks flew overhead. We saw one nighthawk sitting on a branch - the first time we had ever seen a nighthawk perching. We noted that the nighthawks were in flight during mid-day. Previously we have only seen nighthawks flying in the morning or early evening.  We also saw a handsome Abert’s squirrel, the first one we have seen in the San Luis Valley.

From the ranch we headed to the Great Sand Dunes National Park.  We stopped at the picnic area and ate lunch with a chipmunk. We drove up to the campground and only saw a few American robins flying through the pinon pines.  We hiked up the Medano Pass Trail and heard a Clark’s nutcracker, a jay and caught a glimpse of a few unidentified streaky sparrows.  Maybe it’s just us but we are not yet seeing many of the fall migration birds coming into the Valley. But there is nothing to feel down about.  Today was a beautiful fall day in the San Luis Valley.  We had the opportunity to walk in the forest with the aspen turning to gold, set off against the blue sky and the 14,000-foot Mount Blanca. My god, but sometimes we feel so happy.  Inexpressibly happy!!

We headed home with smiles on our faces. When we walked in the door we could not believe that it was after 5:00 p.m.  We had left the house at 8 a.m. It had been a long day for us but without the cell phones it had gone by as just a day of splendor and satisfaction.

Field Notes 6.9.12 Zapata Falls

 We left home about 4 pm and started up the Zapata Falls Road after a straight run across the Mosca road.  The parking area was full but we found a spot at a day site.  We ate our trout and tortilla dinner at a secluded picnic table under a pinon pine.  There was still plenty of sunlight. What we had come for was the sunset’s evening glow when Diane said we would see black swifts flashing across the orange sky.

We walked up the new campground road. There were grand vistas of the sun as it crossed the Valley floor-- to the ending of its day.

 We started up the trail to Zapata Falls, going in the opposite direction of many people coming downhill. Like the sun, their day was ending. Our evening was yet to start. We could see that the fall area’s serene setting was still being enjoyed by many visitors.  Moving away from the crowd we headed up the trail to Zapata Lake. We stopped at a little opening in the forest--sitting quietly we heard way more birds than we saw but we did spot a western tanager and a yellow-rumped warbler.  We followed one bird by its song and by its flickering shape as it flitted through the forest canopy.  We called it the little bird with a big voice. After much peering and peeping and pishing, Diane finally got a good view and I followed with a good look--Diane identified it as a plumbeous vireo. We also saw a turkey vulture, common ravens and a possible Cooper’s hawk flying overhead.  

The sun began to touch the tops of the western San Juan Mountains as we made it to the falls and were serenaded by the beautiful cascading voice of a hermit thrush. All the day visitors had left -- no one was there. The place was empty, clean and looked as if the last visitors had been Mr. Pease Blossom and Mr.  Mustardseed. We climbed up to the slippery sloping sides of the canyon.  I told Diane it was dangerous but she said to “continue on undaunted.” I now call her Diane Danger, femme fatale birdwatcher.  We had gone up the stream to see a dipper but at the point where we were looking at wet feet if we continued we turned back-- Diane Danger dancing across the wet weathered rock.

Back on the lower stream on drier and more even ground the sun was setting and just as Diane predicted the fast-flying black swifts swooped overhead.  Their wings flashed gold in the fading rays of the late spring sun.

Now the sky was a dark blue and ribbon of orange gave the mountains a final relief against the night. A common nighthawk flew across the darkening north sky.

What a special day for us. After all the people who visited Zapata Falls today—I bet over a hundred-- we  were so lucky to have it alone, all to ourselves,  for such a beautiful sunset.

Field Notes 4.22.12

Our intended destination today was the Great Sand Dunes National Monument, but we were quickly sidetracked by a flooded farm field just east of Splashland off Hwy. 17. On one side of the county road we saw white-faced ibises, ring-billed gulls and water fowl. Hordes of yellow-headed blackbirds and red-winged blackbirds filled the nearby trees. The north field, also foot deep in water, was host to lesser yellowlegs, Wilson’s phalaropes, killdeer, ducks and geese.

We then headed up to the Sand Dunes, ate our picnic lunch while being serenaded by a chickadee and then hiked near the dunes/pinon boundary. The mid-day hike was not a good time to spot birds there, so we headed to the Mountville Nature Trail where we heard a northern flicker and saw a white-breasted nuthatch. Our next destination was Denton Spring, where we did our Christmas bird count. The area was alive with pinyon jays, scrub jays, Townsend’s solitaires, nuthatches, chickadees and robins.  We got back in the car and drove south to Medano-Zapata Ranch nature trail. We immediately spotted a yellow-rumped warbler, our first warbler of the season. Our next sighting was a pair of western bluebirds. As we rounded the nature trail, we spotted a peregrine falcon which stayed stationary long enough for us to identify its dark hood. Nuthatches, a northern flicker and mountain bluebirds enlivened our hike. We saw two Clark’s nutcrackers in trees as we left the Nature Conservancy property.

Returning to our fair town of Alamosa we decided to make one more stop at the flooded farm fields. We were glad we did because we identified a long-billed dowitcher, a first sighting for us.

Field Notes 1/16/2012

Great Sand Dunes National Park-- a windy and cloudy day.  On the Mosca road by the San Luis Lakes we saw the golden eagle that we have seen before--flying low and being mobbed by two ravens.  At the dunes we walked through the picnic grounds and saw nary a thing.  We headed up to the campground and saw several dark-eyed juncos, a spotted towhee under pinon pines and a flock  of American robins flying overhead.

Looking to get out of the wind we hiked up Mosca Pass and heard a woodpecker but Diane saw only a flash of wings.  On the drive home we spotted a red-tailed hawk and a northern harrier. 

Back in Alamosa we checked out Riverwood Pond on which were swimming several Canada geese and two common golden-eyes.