Western Sampler - May 20–29, 2006
The CBC Great Western Sampler concluded on Memorial Day after a
four-state, 2,100-mile adventure that included birding in seven life
zones in grasslands, badlands, and the Rocky Mountains. Sites visited
in Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming included: Pawnee
National Grassland, Crescent Lake NWR, Sowbelly Canyon in the Nebraska
Pine Ridge, Badlands NP, Wind Cave NP, Black Hills NF, Mt Rushmore,
Devil’s Tower NM, Thunder Basin National Grassland, Rocky Mountain NP,
Golden Gate Canyon SP, and the Mt. Evans Wilderness Area.
Species observed totaled 174 plus many mammals and a prairie
rattlesnake. There were many special moments such as the two
Short-eared Owls foraging near the highway at Thunder Basin and the six
coyote pups feeding at Rocky Mountain NP.
Participants scored lifers with birds such as Mountain Plover,
Chestnut-collared and McCown’s Longspurs, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Greater
Prairie-Chicken, and White-tailed Ptarmigan. Also, it was a four
Prairie Falcon and three Golden Eagle trip.
Participants were:
Ed Toone,
Richard & Dot Hedrick,
Janet & Harry Rolison,
Joanna Wright,
Lucy Quintilliano,
Harriett Whitsett,
Edith Tatum, Prunella Williams,
Gail Maginnis,
Billie Gene Adams,
Stephen Harris
and John Ennis.
Photo gallerys of the trip:
Bird list:
Greater White-fronted Goose
Canada Goose
Trumpeter Swan
Wood Duck
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Common Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Ring-necked Pheasant
Ruffed Grouse
White-tailed Ptarmigan
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Greater Prairie Chicken
Wild Turkey
Pied-billed Grebe
Eared Grebe
Western Grebe
American White Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Black-crowned Night Heron
White-faced Ibis
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Northern Harrier
Northern Goshawk
Swainson's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Ferruginous Hawk
Golden Eagle
American Kestrel
Merlin
Prairie Falcon
Virginia Rail
American Coot
Killdeer
Mountain Plover
American Avocet
Willet
Spotted Sandpiper
Upland Sandpiper
Long-billed Curlew
Pectoral Sandpiper
Dunlin
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Phalarope
Franklin's Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Common Tern
Black Tern
|
Rock Pigeon
Band-tailed Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Burrowing Owl
Short-eared Owl
Common Poorwill
White-throated Swift
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-naped Sapsucker
Williamson's Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Three-toed Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Western Wood Peewee
Eastern Phoebe
Hammond's Flycatcher
Dusky Flycatcher
Say's Phoebe
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Western Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird
Loggerhead Shrike
Plumbeous Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Gray Jay
Steller's Jay
Blue Jay
Western Scrub-Jay
Clark's Nutcracker
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Bank Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch
Rock Wren
House Wren
Marsh Wren
American Dipper
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
Townsend's Solitaire
Wood Thrush
American Robin
|
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Sage Thrasher
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
American Pipit
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's subspecies)
Blackpoll Warbler
Black and White Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
MacGillivray’s Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson's Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Western Tanager
Green-tailed Towhee
Spotted Towhee
Cassin's Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
Brewer's Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Lark Bunting
Baird's Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Pink-sided
Grey-headed
White-winged
McCown's Longspur
Chestnut-collared Longspur
Northern Cardinal
Black-headed Grosbeak
Lazuli Bunting
Bobolink
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Western Meadowlark
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole
Bullock's Oriole
Cassin's Finch
House Finch
Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin
Lesser Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
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|
Mammals
American Pika
Easten Cottontail
Mountain Cottontail
White-tailed Jackrabbit
Least Chipmunk
Colorado Chipmunk
Yellow-bellied Marmot
Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel
Richardson's Ground Squirrel
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Common Muskrat
Coyote
Striped Skunk
Bobcat
American Elk
Mule Deer
White-tailed Deer
Bighorn
Bison
Proghorn Antelope
Beefalo
Reptiles
Bull Snake
Prairie Rattlesnake
