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.

 

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.