Annual Fountain Creek Nature Center Spring Bird Count

   It's windy, cold, with a chance of snow so it must be Spring on the Front Range and time for the Fountain Creek Nature Center Spring Bird Count.  Located at 320 Pepper Grass Lane, Fountain, CO 80817, the nature center is just a short drive from all over town and a great place to bird year round.  You can find a local birder somewhere in the park almost every day of the year.

   We all me at the nature center at 07:00 and got our assigned areas and formed up our teams.  After some coffee and doughnuts it was time to hit the trails and find those birds.

 

   We had areas 3 and 4 to count so we moved out smartly and headed down the trail to see what we could see.  In no time at all we had a large amount of Red-winged Black birds and it was clear that some warblers were passing through.  Most of the warblers were busy finding food and gobbling up as much as they could. There seemed to be a lack of ducks and water foul but it was still a beautiful day and there were other birds to look at.  One treat was the Great-horned Owls and owlet just across the run off from the damn.  Here are some of the birds we saw in areas 3 and 4.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2016 Colorado Field Ornithologist Convention

CFO 2016:  Attending the 2016 Colorado Field Ornithologist convention in Lamar, Colorado.

   This year's convention was in Lamar, Colorado May 5-9.  The weather cooperated mostly, and attendance seemed to be better than ever.  There was over 225 birders attending this year's field trips, lectures and banquet.  As always, it was great to connect with friends from across the state that we don't often get the chance to bird with.  But before we could get to the convention, we had to make our way through some obstacles that got in our way.

   After finally getting through the local cattle drive, we were off to Karval Reservoir State Wildlife Area (SW), where we ran into another group heading south to the convention.  Having never been to Lamar, or any of the great birding spots in Prowers, Bent or Baca Counties, it was all new and enjoyable to me. We went on field trips to Two Buttes SWA, Van's Grove, Adobe Creek, Cheraw, Holbrook, Lake Hasty, Fort Lyon SWA, Bent's Old Fort and several locations highway 50 on the way home. 

   We arrived in Lamar on Thursday afternoon and after settling in the hotel room we wondered over to the welcome picnic to meet the other birders, trip leaders, eat dinner and see some local birds in the park.  While we were hanging out with some friends we saw several Mississippi Kites, Chimney Swifts, House Finches, Mourning Doves, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Robins, Turkey Vultures and more.

   My personal list for the weekend was 124 confirmed species and a few more possibles.  That list included several Colorado firsts and a couple birds to add to my life list which include the Golden-winged Warbler and Snowy Plover. 

   Here are a few of the birds and locations I saw on the drive down and during the three days of field trips.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Happy Birding

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Birds of El Paso County, Colorado

   
     Whenever I get the chance I get out and do some birding.  There are so many places to get out in the wide open spaces or in the woods to see the birds and wildlife.  All one has to do is get up, get going and do it.  We often head out to the county nature centers, or Clear Spring Ranch, Drake Lake, Kettle ponds, The Paint Mines, Chico Basin Ranch or several other locations.  Now that Spring is upon us, the migrants are starting to pass through and the local birds are getting more active.  We have been out and about several times in the past month and were able to see some of the following birds.  Next month we will be out in southeastern Colorado for the Colorado Field Ornithologist's (CFO) Convention and later back home for the Pikes Peak Birding and Nature Festival so I hope to see some wonderful birds which I will post here.  Happy birding!