Such-n-Such Bird Blog: Summer Recollections

Prairie Wanderings

June 18, 2010 – Day 3 of Neil Gilbert's Visit

“Get out quick!” As soon as the car doors swung open, an intense cacophony assaulted our ears . . . the gut-wrenching screeches of Yellow-headed Blackbirds, the comparatively pleasant con-cer-ees! of Red-winged Blackbirds, the dull sub-woofer like booms of American Bitterns, the musically eclectic vocalizations of Great-tailed Grackles, busy and perky territorial songs of Marsh Wrens, and the diminutive witchity-witchity-witch calls of Common Yellowthroats. Oh yeah, and snap, snap – our camera shutters. Lower Latham Reservoir has always been one of my favorite stops for marsh birds in Colorado, and the breeding shorebirds aren’t that shabby either! It is one of the not-too-common Colorado breeding locations for both Black-necked Stilt and Wilson’s Phalarope. Virginia Rails and Sora are also pretty easy to find here, both visually and audibly, and we weren’t let down.

Black-necked Stilt - by Renee Haip

Juvenile Red-winged Blackbird - by Joel Such

White-faced Ibis in Flight - by Joel Such

Male Wilson's Phalarope - by Joel Such

Black-necked Stilt - by Joel Such

Throughout the rest of the day, we continued meandering east to Jackson Reservoir State Park in Morgan County, where we ate lunch and briefly birded before heading north to Pawnee Buttes for a late afternoon hike. En route, however, we stopped frequently to gawk at the hordes of breeding sparrows, among them Grasshopper Sparrows, Cassin’s Sparrows, Lark Buntings, and the prize, McCown’s Longspurs! After our hike, we spent the remaining daylight hours driving random county roads to see what we could find. We picked up the remaining common sparrows (except the much-desired Chestnut-collared Longspur), and we also discovered a Dickcissel and a couple families of Burrowing Owls!