"Lamar Woods"

Today I birded in and around Lamar, Colorado in the lower Arkansas Valley. This is the hot time for birding in this area as many migrating landbird and sometimes very rare birds are arriving. Other birders are here to see the migrants as I am. I ran into Jerry and John from the San Luis Valley who were making a big circlular trip and headed back home.

After I got here I was told that a rare Magnolia Warbler had been seen on the two prior days at the location referred to as the "Lamar Woods", the wooded area behind the Lamar Jr College that is a migrant trap (due to being one of the first forested areas that birds migrating over the grasslands find). Several competitive birders drove down to try to find the Magnolia Warbler to add to their lists.

I did not find this rarity but did see these interesting migrants:
-Blue-gray gnatcatcher (I was told that both a male & female had been banded here)
-Wilson's Warblers-2
-Yellow-rumped Warblers--several
-an "empid" flycatcher--possible Dusky
-Cassin's Kingbird-1
-Chimney Swifts-2
-Indigo Bunting-1 male, may stay to breed
-Red-headed Woodpecker-1 (this species does breed here)
-Mississippi Kite-1, also a local breeder

SeEtta