SE Colorado Birding: Lots and lots of hawks

Monday, August 21, 2006

Lots and lots of hawks

Yesterday and today I have seen large numbers of hawks north of John Martin Reservoir. Though predominately Swainson's Hawks, there were also Red-tailed and Ferruginous Hawks. It is likely that these hawks, often in flocks, are fattening up for migration.

Yesterday I saw a "kettle" of 30-35 Swainson Hawks soaring with the help of thermal air mass plus dozens more hawks. Today I saw a total of 67 Swainson's Hawks.

"Birds of North America" states, "Flocks of several hundred immatures and postbreeding adults gather by late Aug and early Sep, fattening on grasshoppers." Swainson's Hawks are the second longest raptor migrators and many will migrate thousands of miles to southeast Argentina.

SeEtta

Why bird southeast Colorado?

From our high montane areas to the riparian areas along the Arkansas River as it exits Colorado, southeast Colorado offers birding opportunities for beginners to those serious birders who seek out the less common species. We have great shortgrass and sandsage prairie birding including public areas on the Comanche National Grasslands. We have wetlands including playa lakes (playas are important shallow, depressional wetlands that provide essential habitat for waterfowl and many other bird species). We have small lakes (such as Lake Cheraw north of La Junta)and large lakes (such as John Martin Reservoir that encompasses 35 square miles) that host an impressive diversity of bird species. And we have large expanses of pinyon-juniper woodlands with their special birding opportunities.

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SE Colorado Birding

Monday, August 21, 2006

Lots and lots of hawks

Why bird southeast Colorado?

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