On Saturday, somebody reported a Glossy Ibis and several Long-billed Curlews hanging out in a flooded field at Clear Spring Ranch, near the southern edge of El Paso County.
It’s week five of the Covid-19 quarantine, and as the major push of spring migration gets closer, I’m getting antsier about being locked up. Apparently a lot of other local birders feel the same way because it sure seemed like most of them headed to Clear Spring Ranch on Sunday morning. It’s about as far as I feel confident going during this bizarre suppression of my freedoms.
I arrived around 7:30, but there were at least three birders there ahead of me. There were four White-faced Ibises in the field, along with Franklin’s Gulls, both yellowlegs, five species of blackbirds (Red-winged, Brewer’s, Yellow-headed, Common and Great-tailed Grackles) and a smattering of other stuff.
White-faced Ibis. I lightened a few of these, but I assure you I didn’t add any color.
Franklin’s Gulls. Again, no color has been added. Their undersides really are tinged with pink in breeding plumage.
Here’s an answer to the age-old question: How much greater is a Greater Yellowlegs? You can see the size difference when they’re together like this. Also notice the longer bill on the greater, with something of a curve upwards. The greater also has more barring on its side.
I walked the trails for an hour or so but didn’t see much. I did hear a calling Virginia Rail. A ranch that borders the trail now has a bison in the pasture with the horses. I took a photo and messed around with it a bit.
I also took a photo of the railroad bridge over Monument Creek and applied some filters.
After leaving Clear Spring Ranch, I drove out into the flats in search of other birds. If I knew then what I know now, I would have stayed at Clear Spring and walked around some more to get in exercise and spare myself 50 miles of mostly-pointless driving.
I did finally get some halfway decent shots of Burrowing Owls, but my camera still has trouble focusing on brown against brown.
And that was just about it. I probably would have stayed out longer and found another place to walk, but some afternoon thunderstorms blew through, stirring up the wind and making birding unpleasant.