Crowley County

I made a likely last shorebirding trip to Otero and Crowley Counties (see next post) today as most have moved on to their breeding grounds. Shorebirding seemed like a good idea as it would involve little walking as I could do most of it from my car. True, but it became tiresome trying to keep my still somewhat swollen tree elevated while driving 2 hours to get there, several hours around the area and another 2 hours back home.

A check at the Ordway feedlot ponds produced a few Cinnamon Teal and Northern Shovelers. There were also 6-8 Black-necked Stilt in the area but it looked like they were not nesting there anymore. There were hard rains for 2 nights this week and the location where they had been nesting appeared to have been washed out.

I found a very shy Great Egret at Lake Meredith. There were still a number of Western and Clark's Grebeson the lake and a few American Avocets, many Killdeer and a lot of Great-tailed Grackles along the shoreline. And a few Yellow-headed Blackbirds flew around the area.

Nearby Lake Henry was a dud--high water with a number of fishermen, swimmers and some campers. There were a few Western and Clark's Grebes on the lake and at least one Burrowing Owl in the prairie dog town just south of the lake.

I checked on the nesting Swainson's Hawk I found last week in the area. She was sitting on her nest and peaking down at me. This area has a number of trees so there were several Western Kingbirds, a few Bullock's Orioles and at least one Northern Mockingbird creating a cacophany of calls.

SeEtta