April 10
We had an exciting day! Two Lifers - Greater Prairie Chicken - 36 males and 14 females and a Prairie Falcon.
Last night we set three alarms for 3:45 am, which we did again just now for tomorrow am. We were ready by 4:20 am and drove to the meet-up place. Then we got on a school bus. It was dark and we could see the lovely clear night sky with the stars and the big dipper. When we finally got to the ranch after the 1/2 hour drive, we all transferred to a trailer with a side that opened and this effectively was the hide. It looked like we were running a chip stand or something.
There were cushions on the benches and blankets to cover our legs. It was cold but not really cold but windy. We had put on our winter clothes for this, so we each had two or three layers on and gloves and hats etc. We listen for the night sounds and could hear the Burrowing Owl calling. It was magical. Slowly the light came and we listened to the strange calls of the Greater Prairie Chicken males. Like blowing on an empty pop bottle. They also Boom and cackle and cluck. We started to see shapes, the Burrowing Owls that had burrows in the lek area also came out. Once the light was good, the Greater Prairie Chicken males were spectacular in their showing of their pinion feathers, like Elizabethan collars raised, and their bright yellow neck sacs, full of air like balloons. Each male walked in an aggressive manner, ready to fight any male in its sight. Sometimes two males approached each other, other times they came up to each other and "talked". We had one lone male really close to us who was real showy but did not attract any females, but man, he was a showman. The females arrived and walked around ignoring the males. We saw one female sit down in the mating position, but there was no actual mating this day that we could see. This went on for about two hours and we were chilled by 7:15 am. Thankfully the females flew away and the work of the males was done for the day. We went to the ranch's cook kitchen to have a hearty breakfast, with farm raised local eggs and Canadian back bacon. It was delicious.
We birded around the property and saw a Great Horned Owl and a Northern Parula. Then we got back on the bus to get to the meet-up spot in the daylight this time. We returned to the hotel and packed up and checked out.
We all then drove west on highway 76 looking for Prairie Dog Towns and maybe catch sight of a Longspur but no luck. Then we headed to our destination Holly, Colorado about 4.5 hours away. This was a monotonous drive of prairie and ranches for the whole trip with the odd town along the way. It was here on this prairie that a Prairie Falcon was spotted high up in the sky and we saw the dark underwing "armpits" one of the diagnostics for the species. We were thrilled. Also along the highway at another spot Alexander spotted some wild Pronghorn Antelope, who moved really fast. Alexander had been hoping to see this and everyone enjoyed the sighting.
We checked in at the Miles Court Inn and then left for a trip to the Two Buttes State Park. These are two huge steppes or buttes in the middle of the prairie. They are spectacular. Then we went down into the valley here at the State Park and finally I recognized the Colorado that I visited the last time I was here; woods, hills and red canyons. This park had a mini canyon and one of us found a Great Horned Owl chicks on a canyon ledge. It was a beautiful spot for a nest. We also viewed a Canyon Wren here.
We also heard and saw the Chichuan Raven here which was another bird to add to the trip list. This was a beautiful spot and a migrant hotspot in a month that would be great to see but not for us on this trip. The sun had set, we had packed in a full day and we had over an hour's drive to get home and have supper along the way before getting home. We ate at a Thai restaurant in Lamar, a pretty big town, so we were lucky. The food was excellent here. A couple of us who stepped out of the restaurant early as the others were still paying their bill were really lucky to see some Barn Owls flying around over the town.
We are getting ready for bed now and tomorrow it is the Lesser Prairie Chicken lek that we are going to visit and this time they are picking us up at this hotel, so we save a few minutes. It was a wonderful day and we are tired as we are laughing a lot at silly things tonight. Connie has to lock us up yet.
Here are some photos of the sweet birds today. Greater Prairie Chicken, Burrowing Owl and the Great Horned Owl Chicks
We had an exciting day! Two Lifers - Greater Prairie Chicken - 36 males and 14 females and a Prairie Falcon.
Last night we set three alarms for 3:45 am, which we did again just now for tomorrow am. We were ready by 4:20 am and drove to the meet-up place. Then we got on a school bus. It was dark and we could see the lovely clear night sky with the stars and the big dipper. When we finally got to the ranch after the 1/2 hour drive, we all transferred to a trailer with a side that opened and this effectively was the hide. It looked like we were running a chip stand or something.
There were cushions on the benches and blankets to cover our legs. It was cold but not really cold but windy. We had put on our winter clothes for this, so we each had two or three layers on and gloves and hats etc. We listen for the night sounds and could hear the Burrowing Owl calling. It was magical. Slowly the light came and we listened to the strange calls of the Greater Prairie Chicken males. Like blowing on an empty pop bottle. They also Boom and cackle and cluck. We started to see shapes, the Burrowing Owls that had burrows in the lek area also came out. Once the light was good, the Greater Prairie Chicken males were spectacular in their showing of their pinion feathers, like Elizabethan collars raised, and their bright yellow neck sacs, full of air like balloons. Each male walked in an aggressive manner, ready to fight any male in its sight. Sometimes two males approached each other, other times they came up to each other and "talked". We had one lone male really close to us who was real showy but did not attract any females, but man, he was a showman. The females arrived and walked around ignoring the males. We saw one female sit down in the mating position, but there was no actual mating this day that we could see. This went on for about two hours and we were chilled by 7:15 am. Thankfully the females flew away and the work of the males was done for the day. We went to the ranch's cook kitchen to have a hearty breakfast, with farm raised local eggs and Canadian back bacon. It was delicious.
We birded around the property and saw a Great Horned Owl and a Northern Parula. Then we got back on the bus to get to the meet-up spot in the daylight this time. We returned to the hotel and packed up and checked out.
We all then drove west on highway 76 looking for Prairie Dog Towns and maybe catch sight of a Longspur but no luck. Then we headed to our destination Holly, Colorado about 4.5 hours away. This was a monotonous drive of prairie and ranches for the whole trip with the odd town along the way. It was here on this prairie that a Prairie Falcon was spotted high up in the sky and we saw the dark underwing "armpits" one of the diagnostics for the species. We were thrilled. Also along the highway at another spot Alexander spotted some wild Pronghorn Antelope, who moved really fast. Alexander had been hoping to see this and everyone enjoyed the sighting.
We checked in at the Miles Court Inn and then left for a trip to the Two Buttes State Park. These are two huge steppes or buttes in the middle of the prairie. They are spectacular. Then we went down into the valley here at the State Park and finally I recognized the Colorado that I visited the last time I was here; woods, hills and red canyons. This park had a mini canyon and one of us found a Great Horned Owl chicks on a canyon ledge. It was a beautiful spot for a nest. We also viewed a Canyon Wren here.
We also heard and saw the Chichuan Raven here which was another bird to add to the trip list. This was a beautiful spot and a migrant hotspot in a month that would be great to see but not for us on this trip. The sun had set, we had packed in a full day and we had over an hour's drive to get home and have supper along the way before getting home. We ate at a Thai restaurant in Lamar, a pretty big town, so we were lucky. The food was excellent here. A couple of us who stepped out of the restaurant early as the others were still paying their bill were really lucky to see some Barn Owls flying around over the town.
We are getting ready for bed now and tomorrow it is the Lesser Prairie Chicken lek that we are going to visit and this time they are picking us up at this hotel, so we save a few minutes. It was a wonderful day and we are tired as we are laughing a lot at silly things tonight. Connie has to lock us up yet.
Here are some photos of the sweet birds today. Greater Prairie Chicken, Burrowing Owl and the Great Horned Owl Chicks
Nice! A day that starts with Prairie Chickens and ends with Barn Owls. What more could you ask?
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