[wisb] To SE Colorado and back-26 life birds

From: "Rhonda Schrab" <rdzs@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2011 20:08:32 -0500
Just got back from a 10 day trip to SE CO Comanche National 
Grasslands(CNG). First night stayed in Clay Center, NE and checked out 
Kissinger Basin. Had lifers 20+ w.f. ibis, 1 great tailed grackle and 
several e.c. doves in town. Also FOY 1 cattle egret and 4 snowy egrets. 
Next morning stopped at Harlan Co Lake in S central NE. Many birds there 
and had lifer several franklins gulls and spotted towhee. North of La 
Junta, CO near Adobe Creek Res. had 6 am. avocet. The actual purpose of the 
trip was antelope hunting so spend 5 days in a blind at a waterhole. There 
was a windmill, a large round watertank, a dug overflow pond and an old 
corral type fence so there was good structure for birds to relate to. Had 
extended, as close as 5' looks at many different species. The most notable 
species (for me at least) were curve-billed thrasher, sage thrasher and 
brewers sparrows. Had 2 y.h. blackbirds spend most of the day one day. 
There were many horned larks and lark buntings every day. A prairie falcon 
buzzed through one day but it happened so fast don't even know if he got 
one of the h. larks or not. Was thrilled to see a male and female lesser 
goldfinch at a spring creek bottom in southern unit of CNG. While scouting 
a spot one day we came across a prairie dog town and saw 3 burrowing owls, 
this was one of the birds I had really hoped to see. But for me the best 
bird of the trip was found at a small spring pond in Vogel Canyon in 
northern unit of CNG. From a distance saw flycatching and tailwagging so 
knew it was a phoebe, but when got closer was thrilled to see it was a 
black phoebe, no mistaking that combination of black and white. Walking out 
from last afternoon of hunt saw a 4" tarantula, that was very cool. Also on 
way home in central NE saw 2 gr. prairie chickens on shoulder of road. 
Turned around and went back slowly and drove practically right up to them. 
Following is a list of the 26 life birds I saw. 
white-faced ibis
great trailed grackle
Eurasian collared dove
franklins gull
american avocet
lark sparrow
lark bunting
loggerhead shrike
brewers sparrow
sage thrasher
curve-billed thrasher
prairie falcon
swainsons hawk (also had dark morph swainsons)
western kingbird
says phoebe
black phoebe
chihuahua raven
lesser goldfinch
spotted towhee
canyon towhee
western meadowlark
scaled quail
burrowing owl
mississippi kite
greater prairie chicken
vesper sparrow

Dave Schrab
Hustisford WI 
Dodge Co


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[wisb] To SE Colorado and back-26 life birds

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