Who: Art Elser

When: May 6, 2008

Start time: 8:30 AM

End time: 11:30 AM

Weather: Clear with calm winds.

Temperature: About 50 degrees F at the start

Walked: North from the nature center and did the loop on the main trail past the riparian area and back to the nature center. Took side excursions at the northwest and northeast corners Total of about 5 miles.

Animal or Bird

Number

Comments

Cottontail Rabbit

1

A youngster hopping around the nature center.

Jackrabbit

0

I've not seen any jacks this spring. I think we lost most of the population to the previous winter and the coyotes. I'm hoping some new ones will migrate into the emptiness.

Prairie Dog

449

The prairie dog kits, or pups if you'd rather, have made their exit from their birthing dens and are sunning themselves on their burrows. Look for clusters of them, 2, 3, 4, or as many as 6 to 8. They sit quietly absorbing the warmth of the sun or frisk with their siblings. They stay close to their burrow so they can dive into it should a hawk, falcon, or coyote appear.

Pronghorn

21

I first sighted a herd of 10 does and a single buck. They drifted north as I walked north, staying a quarter mile ahead of me. I saw a solitary buck ahead of them, and the does joined him. But the buck who had been with them lingered behind, perhaps because the other was the herd alpha male.

Later I saw a herd of 9 bucks with no does. I've seen SPUD markings on the trails meaning the bucks are already marking their territory. I suspect the two bucks I saw with the does have marked their territory and are guarding it. (SPUD = Sniff, Paw, Urinate, Defecate) A SPUD marking looks like recently disturbed ground with scat in the middle of it.

I think that the does stay away from the bucks as they get ready to drop their fawns. We should be seeing fawns within the month now. Each doe will normally have twins.

Coyote

0

I think the coyotes are denning now, birthing their pups. They probably hunt nocturnally to avoid leading any predators, including humans, to their dens. Coyote pups stay in the den for about six weeks after they are born, so we'll probably see some pups soon.

American Coot

1

Swimming in the large pond.

American Kestrel

2

One in the riparian area and the other near the next box on the Grange Museum.

American Robin

1

In the riparian area.

Black-billed Magpie

1

This one emerged from a new, large nest near the pond. The nest is in one of the most northern trees at the edge of the pond. It is the traditional stick nest with a roof and a hole for the adults, and later the fledglings, to enter and exit.

Blackbird, Red-winged

8

In the riparian area. I think I saw only males, and they have their epaulettes are bright red now.

Dove, Mourning

36

While not back in the numbers we had last year, they are back in force. Looks like they will be nesting again in the grasses of the prairie.

European Starling

5

Scattered in the area.

Grackle, Common

2

Flying past the nature center to the houses to the west.

Grebe, Pied-billed

1

Swimming and diving near a coot in the large pond. I often find these grebes with coots.

Hawk, Red-tailed

1

It was trying to land in one of the two northern trees in the riparian area, but a very dedicated red-winged blackbird kept diving on it and pecking it, finally driving it off. I swear I saw the blackbird land in the hawk's back to give several pecks. The hawk is either molting or has lots several primary feathers on both wings, near the wrist joint.

Horned Lark

19

These joyous birds were singing and flying all over PCC this morning. Some even sat out on the trails so I could get a good look at their beautiful yellow faces, black neck band, and black horns.

Killdeer

16

Scattered through the area. The largest population is along the trail at the north of the area, near Jewell Ave.

Kingbird, Western

2

One near the nature center and the other in the riparian area.

Mallard

3

Swimming in the pond.

Oriole, Bullocks

1

I caught a flash of color flying from a tree in the riparian area. Was able to get my binoculars on the bird before he disappeared into the branches of another tree. What a beautiful bird. Too bad it chatters like a magpie when nesting.

Owl, Burrowing

6

Scattered in prairie dog colonies in the area. We first spotted them on the first Saturday of April, on the bird survey.

Phoebe, Says

1

Sitting on a fence in the riparian area.

Pigeon, Rock

4

Scattered along the housing area to the west.

Sparrow, Chipping

5

Near the north end of the riparian area. I think they have just migrated back to us.

Sparrow, Vesper

18

Scattered along the trails in the entire area.

Swallow, Barn

2

Over the prairie near where Front Range and Tollgate Forks meet.

Swallow, Northern Rough-winged

1

Over the pond in the riparian area.

Western Meadowlark

87

These beautiful singers are back in force, having migrated back for nesting. They are scattered all over PCC.

Who: Art Elser

When: January 26, 2008

Start time: 8:10 AM

End time: 11:40 AM

Weather: Mostly clear with a few snow clouds clinging to the mountain tops and a couple of high cirrus clouds to the north.

Temperature: About 30 degrees F at the start and 45 when I finished

Walked: North from the nature center and did the loop on the main trail past the riparian area and back to the nature center. Took side excursions at the northwest and northeast corners Total of about 5 miles.

Animal or Bird

Number

Comments

Cottontail Rabbit

2

Hopping around the nature center.

Jackrabbit

0

I've not seen many jacks this summer, fall, or winter. I think we lost most of the population to last winter and the coyotes.

Prairie Dog

558

This is a great number for the end of the first month of winter. I think I saw a lot more than I did at the end of December because the snow is mostly gone, and it was a warm sunny day. I saw lots of dogs sitting on their burrows or near them, sunning themselves, but when a warning bark went out, lots would scramble out of the grass back to their burrows. The dogs were nice and fat, almost a fat as they were at the end of the fall, and I think that's because they can feed this winter.

Pronghorn

27

As I walked north from the nature center on Welcome Road , I noticed the heads of six pronghorns over the nearest ridge to the north. A buck was chasing a doe, and their movement caused the others to look in my direction and get nervous. They disappeared, and I thought I'd see them again when I could look down the draw they were in. No such luck. I never saw the herd again until I was getting into my car three hours later. They were way up on the ridge to the east.

Coyote

1

I spooked this one up in the northeast corner. I didn't see it at all until it moved. It trotted across the prairie dog colony it was probably watching for breakfast and headed off to the southeast. It stopped every twenty yards of so and shot me a disdainful look. Sorry Wiley. Didn't mean to spoil your hunt.

American Goldfinch

10

Mixed flock of American goldfinches, house finches, and American tree sparrows in the willows in the riparian area. The real number is anybody's guess because they were moving so much.

American Kestrel

2

Two sitting within a couple of feet of each other on the wires in the parking lot. A male and a female. It's that time of year.

American Tree Sparrow

3

Mixed flock of American goldfinches, house finches, and American tree sparrows in the willows in the riparian area. The real number is anybody's guess because they were moving so much.

Bald Eagle

1

As I was following a ferruginous hawk with my binoculars, this eagle flew through my field of vision. It was low and headed southeast. I later found the bird sitting on a fence post along Badger Road , right by the cement footings for the scoring tower from the Lowery Range . I detoured so as not to disturb this magnificent bird, and it was still there an hour later.

Black-billed Magpie

6

They were squawking around the riparian area. Two were particularly agitated when a northern harrier was coursing above the grass in their vicinity, near the northernmost cottonwoods.

European Starling

8

Two in the trees behind the mews and the rest along fences and in the trees in the riparian area.

Ferruginous Hawk

2

One came up out of the large prairie dog colony at the northwest corner of the area. He flew all the way across the area and landed on the east side of a ridge near Badger Road . I followed it with my binoculars and saw the second one come up off a fence post along Badger Road .

Goose , Canada

117

A far cry from the 5570 I saw about a month ago in December. I don't know if the cold weather we've had the past couple of weeks has pushed them south or if they don't hang in such huge gaggles in better weather. Saw some Vs flying high to the north. Wonder if that means winter is over?

Hawk, Red-tailed

2

To be honest, I'm guessing here. I saw two hawks just south of the large cottonwoods in the riparian area circling in some lift. Their flight patterns and shapes make me think they were red-tails and not the two ferruginous hawks I'd seen earlier. Their wings, in relationship to their bodies were not as long as those of the ferruginous.

Horned Lark

44

These joyous birds were singing and flying all over PCC this morning. Some even sat out on the trails so I could get a good look at their beautiful yellow faces, black neck band, and black horns.

House Finch

3

Mixed flock of American goldfinches, house finches, and American tree sparrows in the willows in the riparian area. The real number is anybody's guess because they were moving so much.

House Sparrows

13

In the bushes at the nature center.

Northern Harrier

2

I spotted one bird as I was following a ferruginous hawk flying across the northern end of the area. The harrier, a male, was hunting the grasses west of the frozen creek. Later, I spotted a female hunting the grasses east of the creek. A couple of magpies were carrying on about it, as only magpies can.

Pigeon, Rock

2

Just over the fence on the west side of the property near the houses.

Western Meadowlark

15

All over the area, singing their joy at the great morning. It is a real joy to have one of these beautiful birds sing a welcome to you as you get out of the car at PCC. One did to me this morning.