Dickcissels in Chaffee County

Having heard that an Eastern Meadowlark had been found just west of Poncha Springs in Chaffee County, I got to thinking that maybe Dickcissel made it this far west (and elevation as this is about 7,000 feet)especially given the numbers being found in Canon City which is about 50 miles to the east. So late this afternoon I drove up to see what I could find.

I heard the Eastern Meadowlark song right as I drove up to the alfalfa/mixed hay field identified. It is amazing to have this eastern species this far west. They have previously been heard in counties bordering Kansas like Prowers County which is around 200 miles east of this Poncha Springs location.

After the meadowlark flew off, I started listening intently to try to refind it. Instead I heard a distant Dickcissel singing. It took quite a while for me to locate the bird (made harded by the winds being whipped up by storms in the area). It was more than 100 meters away on a wooden fence. This may be the first record of this species in Chaffee County. However, this may not be indicative of new breeding sites since this county has not been very extensively birded so just may not have been found before.

I checked some more hay fields in the Poncha Springs and Salida area but located only 1 additional Dickcissel singing. However, it was late so I didn't do a very comprehensive search.

SeEtta