Fieldnotes 3/24/2013 Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge

A Good Day for Ducks

We started across County Road 8S. Near the Refuge we saw marsh hawk, red-tailed and rough-legged hawks. At the 8S pullout, the field was filled with sandhill cranes (but fewer than this time last year). Among the Canada geese were about 30 snow geese - an unusual sighting and that many snow geese makes it that much more unusual.

Also recorded:

--Western bluebirds

Ducks and duck-like birds:

--Cinnamon teal

--Northern shoveler

--Lesser scaup

--Green-winged teal

--Bufflehead

--American coot

--Mallard

--Common goldeneye

--Pintail

--Canvasback

--American widgeon

At the first pond east of the Refuge visitor center, we saw an unusual-looking goose. It had a white patch on its side and orange legs. We debated whether it might be a Canada goose hybrid because it was near a regular-looking Canada goose that might have been its mate.

Along the auto tour we saw the thrilling yet ominous sight of two peregrine falcons feeding on what was once a flying creature. Their golden eyes and sharp claws were clearly visible to the naked eye, not 10 feet  away from the road and our car.

Our evening trip ended with the lovely spring symbol of American red-breasted robins, singing and courting.

Fieldnotes 2/10/13 South River Road, Pikes Stockad and the LaSauses WRP

We deployed the NRCS Earth Team down to the Valdez WRP, traveling on the South River Road from Alamosa. We saw bald eagles, American kestrels, juvenile rough-legged hawk, magpies, ravens and newborn calves in the winter-brown fields.

--Sandhill cranes northwest of Pikes Stockade

At the Valdez WRP in LaSauses, the frozen hard ground allowed us to explore the full extent of the entire property. We discovered a northern entrance along an irrigation ditch that will allow us to get to some prime birding habitat. On this trip we saw a bald eagle and an American kestrel, along with a black-capped chickadee, a marsh hawk hovering over the fields, sandhill cranes flying high in the sky and we heard red-winged blackbirds.

Fieldnotes 2/23/13 Riverwood Pond in Alamosa

During our daily walks we’d seen more ducks and geese coming to the open water on Riverwood Pond. We understand that parts of the pond stay melted through the winter because of warm thermal springs that flow into the pond. After our walk and prior to a trip to the Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge, we saw:

--Common merganser

--Common goldeneye (male and female)

--Red-headed duck

--Canada geese

--Muskrat

We then drove to the Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge for a hike along the Rio Grande River trail where we saw:

--Marsh hawk (yes, we know the accepted nomenclature is northern harrier, but we prefer the older version of marsh hawk)

--Northern shrike

--Bald eagle

--Red-tailed hawk

--Common ravens

--Two coyotes looking forlorn because they were tied to the ground by four spindly legs

Fieldnotes 2/7/2013 4:30-6:15 Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge

The cold winter had kept us inside for at least a month but a break in the weather and a warming trend sent us west to the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge.

 We saw:

 --2 rough-legged hawks

--First sighting of the season - numerous sandhill cranes crossing the blue skies. HOORAY!!

--2-3 cranes in field (intersection Rio Grande County 3E and 7S)

--Huge flock of ducks in flight (possible lesser scaup)

--10-20 red-winged blackbirds

--8-10 song sparrows

--20 pronghorns - territorial chasing

--Elk bedding down for the night

And the sun dropping below the San Juan Mountains.

 

The Last Bird Count

Total Birds Identified – 169

During our one-year Birding Odyssey we criss-crossed back and forth across the beautiful San Luis Valley – from the arid Valley floor to pinon-juniper habitats to higher mountainous areas. We drove across highways, county roads and U.S. Forest Service trails. We hiked countless trails in all kinds of weather. We even mucked through a flooded cow pasture wearing knee-high irrigation boots. We tromped through the snow, we swatted mosquitoes during the summer and we caught our breath as we crested mountainsides covered with golden aspen. We got up at the crack of dawn and we stayed out on the trail until the sun dropped behind the San Juan Mountains. We returned to favorite birding areas many times during the year and we explored areas we had never before visited. By the time our one-year Odyssey was completed on December 31, 2012 we had recorded 169 species of birds. Some we had seen before, others were new birds on our life list and a few are considered rare sightings in the Valley.

Below is our San Luis Valley Birding Odyssey list.  When we saw a particular species only once or twice we noted the location.  That doesn’t mean it is an unusual bird for the Valley, just that we had only one opportunity during the year to observe and record it. The highlight of our Birding Odyssey was on July 19, 2012 when we identified and photographed a black phoebe perched on a willow along the Rio Grande . Each and every bird we saw, however, brought us joy and excitement and even a little regret that we are unable to join these exquisite creatures in flight.

Greater White-fronted Goose – Home Lake

Snow Goose

Ross’ Goose – Alamosa Riverwood Pond

Cackling Goose

Canada Goose

Gadwall

American Widgeon

Mallard

Blue-winged Teal

Cinnamon Teal

Northern Shoveler

Northern Pintail

Green-winged Teal

Canvasback

Redhead

Ring-necked Duck

Lesser Scaup

Bufflehead

Common Goldeneye

Common Merganser

Ruddy Duck

Dusky Grouse – Rock Creek

Pied-billed Grebe

Eared Grebe – Smith Reservoir, Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge

Western Grebe

Clark’s Grebe

American White Pelican

Double-crested Cormorant – Home Lake

American Bittern

Great Blue Heron

Snowy Egret

Black-crowned Night Heron

White-faced Ibis

Turkey Vulture

Osprey – Big Meadow Reservoir, Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge

Bald Eagle

Northern Harrier

Cooper’s Hawk – John James Canyon

Swainson’s Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Ferruginous Hawk – Alamosa County Road 104

Rough-legged Hawk

Golden Eagle

American Kestrel

Merlin - Alamosa

Peregrine Falcon

Prairie Falcon

Sora - LaSauses

American Coot

Sandhill Crane

Snowy Plover – Blanca Wetlands

Killdeer

Black-necked Stilt – Johnson Lake at Russell Lakes State Wildlife Area

American Avocet

Spotted Sandpiper

Greater Yellowlegs

Willet – Home Lake

Lesser Yellowlegs

Western Sandpiper

Baird’s Sandpiper – Alamosa Ranch

Long-billed Dowitcher – flooded farm field east of Splashland, Home Lake

Wilson’s Snipe

Wilson’s Phalarope

Franklin’s Gull

Bonaparte’s Gull

Ring-billed Gull

California Gull

Black Tern – Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge

Forster’s Tern – Russell Lakes State Wildlife Area

Rock Pigeon

Eurasian Collared Dove

White-winged Dove – Medano-Zapata Ranch

Mourning Dove

Great Horned Owl

Burrowing Owl – Colorado Highway 15 south of Monte Vista

Common Nighthawk

Black Swift – Zapata Falls

White-throated Swift – South River Road

Black-chinned Hummingbird – Underwood feeder

Calliope Hummingbird – Underwood feeder

Broad-tailed Hummingbird

Rufous Hummingbird

Belted Kingfisher

Lewis’ Woodpecker – Keen’s Grove in Rio Grande County

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

American Three-Toed Woodpecker – Big Meadow Reservoir

Northern Flicker

Western Wood Pewee

Willow Flycatcher – Conejos River near LaSauses

Cordilleran Flycatcher – trail to Zapata Lake

Black Phoebe – Rio Grande State Wildlife Area

Say’s Phoebe – San Luis Lakes, Fort Garland

Western Kingbird

Eastern Kingbird – Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge

Loggerhead Shrike

Plumbeous Vireo

Warbling Vireo

Steller’s Jay

Western Scrub Jay

Pinyon Jay

Clark’s Nutcracker

Black-billed Magpie

American Crow

Common Raven

Horned Lark

Tree Swallow

Violet-green Swallow

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Bank Swallow

Cliff Swallow

Barn Swallow

Black-capped Chickadee

Mountain Chickadee

Bushtit – Zapata Lake Trail

Red-breasted Nuthatch – Great Sand Dunes National Park

White-breasted Nuthatch

Rock Wren – John James Canyon

House Wren

Marsh Wren

Ruby-crowned Kinglet – Big Meadow Reservoir

Western Bluebird

Mountain Bluebird

Townsend’s Solitaire

Hermit Thrush

American Robin

Northern Mockingbird

Sage Thrasher – San Luis Lakes

European Starling

American Pipit

Cedar Waxwing – Rio Grande River near Adams State University

Orange-crowned Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Common Yellowthroat – LaSauses

Wilson’s Warbler

Western Tanager

Green-tailed Towhee – Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge

Spotted Towhee

American Tree Sparrow

Chipping Sparrow

Brewer’s Sparrow

Vesper Sparrow – Costilla County

Lark Sparrow – Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge

Black-throated Sparrow – John James Canyon

Sage Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow – Cumbres Pass area

Song Sparrow

Lincoln Sparrow – Cumbres Pass area

White-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Black-headed Grosbeak

Blue Grosbreak – Pike’s Stockade

Lazuli Bunting – Pike’s Stockade

Red-winged Blackbird

Western Meadowlark

Yellow-headed Blackbird

Brewer’s Blackbird

Common Grackle

Great-tailed Grackle

Bullock’s Oriole – Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge

Brown-headed Cowbird - Alamosa

Pine Grosbeak – Summitville Road

Cassin’s Finch

House Finch

Pine Siskin

Lesser Goldfinch – Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge

American Goldfinch

House Sparrow

12.27.12 Odyssey End

Our last field trip in our San Luis Valley Birdwatching Odyssey was along the dry Chicago Ditch at the Alamosa NWR. 

At the Refuge we saw song sparrows in the brown grasses and a raptor in a distant tree. A waddling porcupine amused us by sliding backwards down a steep, snowy slope in its haste to return to its grassy den along the irrigation ditch. In the distance we heard the yipping and howling of a family of coyotes.

The Refuge is a fitting place to end our Odyssey. It is at the Refuge where Diane and I started first started birdwatching thirty years ago and it was at the Refuge where we hatched a plan to return to the Valley and once again make it our home.  

Like Ulysses we heard the siren’s songs-- the crane’s call, geese’s glee.  And we once ran across a one-eyed farm dog that was as mean as heck.

Like the Hero we returned home at Odyssey’s end. Our Odyssey was not as harrowing as the Hero’s. To us it was a grand experience and we loved every minute of it.

Christmas Bird Count 12/15/12

Christmas Bird Count Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge.  We started out at 8 a.m. from the refuge office. We were teamed with Mike and Peggy on their 14th MVNWR Christmas Count.  We were on our first Monte Vista count. Our count area was the northwest quadrant with the Refuge office being the center of a circle. With the aid of Peggy and Mike’s sharp eyes we saw western meadowlarks, rock pigeon and an American goldfinch at a feeder.  We drove down county roads where there were plenty of horned larks.  We drove to the Monte Vista lagoon to see many, many mallards, green-winged teals and Canada geese.  At a small irrigation ditch with open water we saw a killdeer and two Wilson’s snipes. Song sparrows, ravens, crows and magpies were frequently sighted along with a number of American tree sparrows.  The surprise of our country tour were two emus in a farm yard. 

Within Monte Vista city limits we saw a multitude of house sparrows. A red-tailed hawk eyed us from the top of a high spruce tree.

Our total species count was 28.

Monte Vista Birdwatching Field Notes

Monte Vista Birdwatching Field Notes

8 cranes

6 geese------- west field

Home Lake

Mostly frozen—some open water

Canada geese

Gull

Coots Bufflehead

Rio Grande SWA

Marsh Hawk

Light Gray------under sides

reddish

Chipping sparrow

Junco

Common merganser

Red Tail

Magpie

MV Refuge-mallard

8 S--Kestrels

Summitville Road

We headed south up Summitville Road to one of the hot spots listed in the “Rawinski” --along Pinos Creek south of Del Norte.  It was sunny and cold as we started up Schrader Creek Road. The hike was pleasing but not much was stirring.  After about two miles we walked back towards the truck and saw a Townsend’s solitaire and some mule deer in the distance. We heard a Clark’s nutcracker and a chic-a-dee-dee-dee.

Further up the road after the pavement ended we stopped and went into the forest.  A red-tailed hawk flew from a tall pine and we heard a nuthatch. Then, twenty yards ahead in a small pine tree, we observed a small flock of pine grosbeaks.

We hoped that if we could get farther up the road to 11,000 feet we might see a ptarmigan. The road began dry but was snow covered as we climbed in elevation.  We decided it would be best to turn around before we got stuck.  However, in turning around the truck did get stuck, but with cool calm Diane directing me we got out by backing up. It is true what they say about a four-wheel drive truck, “It will just get you struck in a more isolated place.”

We stopped at the”Chicken Foot” and ate lunch, hiked a little and enjoyed the fabulous mountain vistas.

Later we rolled down the Summitville Road. We stopped to see a loggerhead shrike and a Stellar’s jay.

Back in Del Norte we strolled along the river walk and saw juncos, a chickadee, a downy woodpecker and magpies.

Field Notes 12.2.12

 A trip down South River Road in Alamosa County started with a sighting of two foxes lounging in the morning sun on top of a haystack. They leaped off the haystack and ran away before we could take what would have been a fantastic photo.

Further on two great horned owls roosted in a bare deciduous tree while a northern harrier cruised low over the fields searching for rodents. We saw our first bald eagle of the winter season at the top of a tree near Conejos CR 26. Other sightings included a loggerhead shrike on a wire and a ground squirrel scurrying through the chico.

 

We stopped at LaSauses to count birds at our Earth Team wetland. We saw another loggerhead shrike and the usual assortment of winter birds including juncos, northern flickers, ravens and sparrows. We spent a little time observing a large flock of rock doves roosting on a nearby metal barn.

Driving east on Conejos CR Z we saw a porcupine in a tree and an American kestrel.

At the northeast end of Smith Reservoir, our final stop of the day, we saw a large number of ducks take flight in perfect synchronization as we approached in the truck. On the open water we saw mallards, common goldeneyes, and a common merganser. Horned larks lifted from the ground cover and then disappeared into the brush ahead of us. Several mule deer loped along the north shore.

 

Field Notes 11.25.12

Our last sighting of sandhill cranes in autumn 2011 was November 7. This year we were surprised to see eight cranes still in the Valley as we drove along Rio Grande CR 3E just south of Home Lake.

At the lake, which was mostly frozen, there were Canada geese, a gull, American coots and a bufflehead. We then went up the road to the south entrance of Rio Grande State Wildlife Area and ambled towards the river. During the hike we saw a northern harrier with reddish undersides, indicating that it was a juvenile. Flying nearby was light gray adult harrier. In the trees along the river chipping sparrows, Brewer’s sparrows and juncos flitted among the willow shrubs. A red-tailed hawk flew overhead and a common merganser swam peacefully in the river.  A stop at the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge auto loop yielded sightings of mallards and an American kestrel.

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 11.16.12

 The San Luis Valley is really a large place and we have ranged over a better part of it during our one-year odyssey to see as many birds as we can in the Valley.  So far we have seen over 180 birds.  On this field trip we went to the western alluvial plain below the Crestone Needles. Following the trail guide in the Rawinski we headed up Hwy.17 to the Black Canyon.

As we drove north we saw sandhill cranes loafing in a field east of the highway. We also saw a red-tailed hawk diving at unseen prey and pronghorns racing across the chico.  As we turned east across Saguache County Road G we saw a golden eagle flying on a thermal and a peregrine falcon sitting on a pole. We drove north on a rugged dirt track to the Black Canyon trailhead. Many horned larks darted across the road and disappeared in the brush. Ravens cawed across the sky and magpies dropped in and out of trees.  The trail continues to Orient Mine, where during summer evenings large numbers of Mexican free-tailed bats leave the mine in a spectacular scene that thrills spectators.

We drove over rugged tracks and dirt roads until we found ourselves heading back down Hwy. 17.

Field Notes 11.4.12

 At MVNWR  

Illness had kept me inside for a couple of weeks but I was feeling better and my good “doctor”--Diane-- needed sun and fresh air, those inoculants against cabin fever.  We headed west along Alamosa CR 8, with a Diane-inspired turnaround to see a young prairie falcon looking forlorn and motherless on a wooden fence post. We stopped at the CR 8 woodlot to eat our sandwiches. We viewed the fields and sky. Numerous sandhill cranes crisscrossed overhead, their distinctive calls magnified by the crisp autumn air.

On the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge auto loop we identified a bufflehead, American coots, mallards and northern shovelers.  We saw a hawk – probably a young red-tailed – on the wing. On the west side of Colo. 15 we watched a herd of pronghorns loping through the chico and several prairie falcons atop power poles.

At Home Lake

The lake was crowded with American coots, Canada geese and several buffleheads. Swimming among the Canada geese were four greater white-fronted geese.  These unusual geese, with their pink bills and white face patches, were distinctly different from the Canada geese. This is one of the interesting aspects of bird watching--the randomness.  Earlier while we were at the MVNWR we had talked about just heading home, but decided instead to continue on undaunted and stop at Home Lake. If we had continued home daunted we would have missed the rare sighting of the greater white-fronted geese.

Field Notes 10.11.12

We found ourselves in that nether time before the fall migration, before the big flocks had started moving around. We found ourselves at the Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge. The flat but varied terrain along the Rio Grande is a great place for this kind of birdwatching.  During the two-mile hike you pass stands of willows and wetlands. There are abundant spots for shorebirds on the banks of the low-running Rio Grande. You hike through large open areas where the big sky reveals several species of raptors.

In this nether time when birds moving around the Valley are few and far between it is still possible to see some good birds. At the Refuge today Diane and I saw an osprey scouting for fish in the river. Near a field in the dry grasses we saw a vesper sparrow, sitting so still we could see its chestnut wing patches and white eye rings.

We glimpsed some ducks, hard to identify in the late afternoon sun. They flew up and down the river, some taking to the Chicago Ditch.

A family of sandhill cranes flew overhead--Mother, Father and Child.

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.

Fields Notes 9.29.12

A lovely day in Costilla County. Our first sighting of the day was along County Road Z where a Swainson’s hawk perched on a fence post. That in itself wasn’t remarkable but as we drove closer to the raptor it was fascinating to watch it gulping down a snake for breakfast.

We stopped at our Earth Team wetland property in LaSauses. The pen and pasture were full of cows and calves so we counted birds from the road. We saw eight sandhill cranes poking around the wet meadow about 200 yards east of the road. We also saw Canada geese in flight and a yellow-rumped warbler in one of the trees. Far to the east we saw one of the wild horses that roam the BLM lands in the rugged San Luis Hills.

We drove south from LaSauses and stopped to check out a large wetland east of the LaSauses cemetery. About 10 white pelicans cruised overhead and came in for a landing. We also saw some ducks in the distance as well as two duck hunters, this being the first weekend of waterfowl hunting season.

We drove west on Costilla County Roads U and V through the San Luis Hills to the little town of Sanford. We found a tidy little park in town where we ate our lunch. From Sanford we drove east on County Road Y. In a field northwest of the entrance to Pike’s Stockade we saw a large congregation of about 200 sandhill cranes. We stopped for a while to observe the family units of parents and juvenile cranes.

We were surprised the gate to Pike’s Stockade was open (it’s usually locked after Labor Day) so we drove in and walked the lovely trails. The huge trees didn’t hold many birds but the fall colors were absolutely gorgeous. The Conejos River has plenty of water at Pikes Stockade but is nearly dry near LaSauses. Along the trail we saw dark-eyed juncos and white-crowned sparrows. We heard ravens and chickadees.

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 9.9.12

Another fin and feather field trip.  We headed up to Big Meadow Reservoir near South Fork.  The fishing for me was terrible. I still think Diane is sending out vibes to keep me from catching fish because she doesn’t like to see them get hurt.

After about three hours of fishing I packed it up and we hiked around the reservoir for some bird watching -- which was not much better than the fishing.  We did see a red-tailed hawk overhead, its tail feathers glowed bright red as it soared under the afternoon sun. Near the inlet we found several Canada geese, mallards and two common mergansers.  A small pine tree next to a small aspen held dark-eyed juncos, mountain chickadees and a sparrow flitting too fast to identify.  A deer ran across the trail after getting a drink from the reservoir.

We drove west toward the Valley floor and saw the gray backs of several Swainson’s hawks on power poles. Although the sun was dropping in the western sky, we wanted to use every bit of the beautiful day to see birds so we stopped at the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge.  The waters along the auto loop were filled with American coots, ducks and geese although the low autumn sun made it hard to see what all was on the water.

We then moved on to the treed pull-out on CR 8.  This spot is always fun, filled with birds darting in and out of the willows, Russian olives and cottonwood trees. We thought we might have seen a female blue grosbeak. It had a thick bill and the metallic chink call of the blue grosbeak but it also had a dark crest which is not a field mark in the Sibley’s bird guide.  We also saw a green-tailed towhee, Wilson’s warblers, a western wood peewee, American robins, European starlings and a white-crowned sparrow.

Diane suggested that we head up CR 3 on the way home. This part of the drive was filled with red-winged and Brewer’s blackbirds flying across the road, so much so that I was afraid I was going to hit them or they me. Better to drive slowly and enjoy the trip.

As we neared U.S. Hwy. 160 Diane saw big birds in a crop circle.  She asked if they were geese or cranes. They turned out to be sandhill cranes -- about 200 of them from the irrigation ditch to the center pivot. Just spectacular!! Our first crane sighting last year was on September 18. We heard it calling as it flew above us while we were walking in Carroll Woods in north Alamosa.

We still weren’t ready to quit birdwatching for the day so we stopped at Home Lake east of Monte Vista.  It was Coot City there, along with a few western grebes, a lone double-crested cormorant and a white domestic duck with her white and brown offspring.

Reluctantly we decided to return home with a reminder that autumn had definitely arrived – the Denver Broncos would begin playing their first game of the season in less than 10 minutes.

We Love the Valley!!!

Go Denver Broncos!!

Field Notes 9.4.12

Sometimes birdwatching is a very busy affair with birds everywhere. Other times it seems towards the end of summer things slow down and there are fewer birds to see. But that’s not to say there aren’t unexpected and delightful sightings such as the group of cedar waxwings we saw in a Russian olive tree just west of the Adams State University campus near the Rio Grande River.

We’ve also been busy with family events and end-of-summer activities so here is a list of sightings that have brightened the doldrums of late summer birding:

American goldfinches and plumbeous vireo at Pike’s Stockade

A Wilson’s snipe and great blue herons near Lasauses

American avocets, white-faced ibises, black-crowned night herons, Wilson’s phalaropes and gulls at Blanca Wetlands

Common nighthawks and killdeer at Riverwood Pond in Alamosa

Around town we’ve noticed that the numerous swallows that have delighted us with their aerial acrobatics all summer have left the area. The rufous hummingbirds that so jealously guarded the feeders are gone but we still have broad-tailed hummingbirds enjoying the sweet nectar. Canada geese are getting restless and practicing their v-shaped flying formations.

We will soon look forward to hearing the haunting calls of the sandhill cranes that signal the beginning of the fall migration.