Field Notes 9.30.12

Alamosa is famous for its clear sunny days and this morning was the best of the best. We hiked through Alamosa Ranch west of the golf course and were delighted to see a large variety of birds, all quite active on this colorful autumn morning. Here’s our list: white-crowned sparrows, black-billed magpies, barn swallow, American robins, mountain chickadees, Wilson’s warbler, two great blue herons, mountain bluebirds, yellow-rumped warblers, Canada geese, western grebe and ducks too far out on the ponds to identify. After our hike, we hit some golf balls at the driving range and heard sandhill cranes calling to each other as they flew so high in the blue sky that we couldn’t even see them.

Field Notes 7.1.12

 Sparrows Galore 

Our field trip today took us into the beautiful Conejos River Canyon southwest of Antonito and up over La Manga Pass at over 10,000 feet. We turned off at Forest Service Road 114 to La Manga Creek Trail. Our first two sightings were sparrows – a white-crowned sparrow and a Savannah sparrow. A bit further down the trail we spotted a new bird for us – a warbling vireo. We continued along the trail for about 1 ½ miles, enjoying the scenery and numerous bird sightings including red-winged blackbirds, American robins, northern flickers, a hairy woodpecker, male and female western tanager, Clark’s nutcrackers and some high-flying swallows. We also caught a glimpse of a duck family, mother and fuzzy babies, on a beaver pond. Overhead we spotted turkey vultures and common ravens. 

We returned to Hwy. 17 and continued west to Trujillo Meadows Reservoir State Wildlife Area. After a picnic at the lake we hiked along the shore trail. While examining a Lincoln’s sparrow we startled a baby spotted sandpiper. It squawked and squawked and ran up and down the bank. Finally its mother returned and calmed down the poor frightened baby.   

Pretty white-crowned sparrows were abundant during this mountain terrain field trip.