Wednesday June 4 we got up early and started out on the auto tour of the Pawnee National Grasslands. We started at the corner in the lower right of this map. In front of us was a red jeep from Chicago with 3 birders on board, they had high hopes of seeing Mountain Plover, I hope they did; I lost track of them somewhere they may have turned back I never saw them again...
This is an outline of the birding auto loop, it is about 20 miles or so of gravel road through the grasslands. There are numbered stops along the way but if you visit, keep track of this map so you don't get turned around as roads not seen on this map are present and it become confusing. The flyers pocket was empty so I took this photo of the drive good thing too...as there are few landmarks to orient you to anything except the road.
The Grasslands are expansive...oil and gas leases mean you can encounter some fast moving trucks who have no or little regard for birders, so beware of this I have a brand new chip in my windshield.
I am happy for the fences (said to keep Cows OUT of the grasslands) because it gives the birds a place to perch.
Lark Buntings
At one point the gravel was so deep I nearly got stuck...and with no cell phone bars I had to wonder how the heck I was gonna deal with that but fortunate for me suddenly the DLEX spurted forward and out of the rocky road mix!
Female Lark Bunting
Saw lots of the Lark Bunting, the CO state bird, both males, females, and some young. The Grassland was vibrant with yellow everywhere.
and awesome waving grasses mixed with mariposa lily.
some of the taller stuff made great perches for the multitude of Western Meadowlark with their beautiful songs...
And also Horned Larks, who also have a beautiful song...
And just as I had figured another Burrowing Owl would show after I had broken the ceiling...I was able to put the Red Jeep people onto this owl much to their delight! The had a scope and a big A$$ camera so they got some good shots!
my fuzzy not so good shot
Found a Common Nighthawk napping on this post...probably another late night out!
And not too far away from that posty found a lifer in the Cassin's Sparrow! I am happy I found this one although the Longspurs remained too far away for sighting, I got this Cassin's up close.
Note the barring on the upper back, rounded tail, finely streaked head and overall a drab looking bird...but that was #444.
And that's no bull but this is! He was looking lonely out there by himself...
I made many stops along the way to get out listen for the Longspurs, and once again heard but just not seen. Literally had tons of Grasshopper Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows, Lark Sparrows, and many of these gorgeous Lark Buntings
And I was almost certain I had a Mountain Plover, the size, shape, overall color is right, but since I've never seen one and this is the awful photo I got so I didn't even try to include it in my list for the day...and the upright posture reminded me of a pipit, I just decided to put it down as IDNK=I do not know! If the throat had been all white, the line by the eye heavier, the beak thicker...
...so here is another for the IDNK list!
Well you just can't peg hole them all....meanwhile the thistle and milkweed were starting to open I imagine a week later butterflies were everywhere.
By noon the heat became unbearable, glad we got on the tour at 7:30 am had to take it slow to see or hear anything and no AC running at slow speeds unless you want to kill your battery so I was glad when we reached Hwy 14, and we made our way down to Hwy 34 east and our camp for the night
At Johnson Lake State Park near Orchard, CO
Yes you can get a decent shower and shampoo your hair in 3 mins for 50 cents.
PEACE
Every day is a new Adventure.
