With the Corona Virus (Covid-19) Pandemic on the rise in various parts of the USA, many winter visitors were packing up and departing our community for their respective homes in Canada, Wisconsin, Minnesota, etc.
I need to admit here, that when I went to photograph my first bird from the parking lot, the camera didn't click on. I had forgotten to insert the charged battery! So, all photos in the blog are from my files, many taken at Coon Bluff or at other sites along the Salt River.
Immediately, I told Gloria, Hinde and Terri that we were bound to have a good day. It seems to happen when I'm sans camera!
There was also drama at the end of the trip to wrap up our Pueblo Birders' first season!
There was also drama at the end of the trip to wrap up our Pueblo Birders' first season!
The next highest number of birds in a single species were CINNAMON TEAL and LUCY'S WARBLER with 14 each.
Our first real special sighting was a SORA walking at the edge of the grasses along the island below the bluff.
And, soon after that, a Turkey Vulture (too early in the air, I thought) turned out to be a ZONE-TAILED HAWK. When it banked the light bands on its tail gave it away! This was a first sighting for a couple of the birders.
Another unusual sighting was a MEXICAN MALLARD or MEXICAN DUCK swimming with a pair of CINNAMON TEAL. Its larger size and big yellow unmarked bill gave it away!
We're always hoping for and excited when we see BALD EAGLE this time of year. The first flew overhead; the second was perched on the bluff when we wrapped up three hours later at the parking lot.
Among our other favorite sightings were:
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| VERMILION FLYCATCHER |
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| ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER |
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| GREEN HERON |
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| GREAT-BLUE HERON |
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| GREAT EGRET |
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| SNOWY EGRET |
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| ROCK WREN on the bluff |
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| LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKER |
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| RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET |
Deciding to walk back more inland, away from the river shoreline, we walked south for a while before following a horse trail to the west. As expected we did find some of the above birds on the way west with the sun behind us. When the trail turned toward Bush Highway, I indicated we would cut through the deep ground cover ahead of us to the open area which we could see not far in the distance. We didn't need to go to Bush Highway, but to the parking lot.
We had no idea whether there would be snakes or birds or anything else in the 4-5" green leafy ground cover but we went trekking on. I paused when I noted wide washed-out areas around tree trunks. I must have turned slightly back to say that and when I turned forward, I dropped -- waist deep into a sink hole hidden beneath the lush green ground cover!! My hips stopped my descent and I never touched bottom. My friends, of course, were immediately in front of me wanting to help. Putting my toes against the front of the hole I used upper-body strength at the top of the hole to hoist myself up onto my knees from where my friends then gently pulled me up to standing. Jogging my feet a bit, everything felt okay. I did comment that I thought I might be bleeding but one of the women assured me that my water bottle had been on my left side (and maybe helped stop me) and it was just mud.
So, we continued birding our way back to the parking lot, about another quarter mile or so (feeling no pain).
Only when I got home did I realize it was blood, not mud! Long story short, something in the hole pierced my high left thigh. I'm guessing it was something projecting from a wet root and it found its way into my thigh. I never felt THAT. I was just jarred by the whole experience. It must have been soft wood. It's at a spot I couldn't see well, so Hinde (former nurse and birder) cleaned it out. The Urgent Care doctor told me the puncture wound was a narrow 1.5" burrow! It can't be stitched since it needs to heal from the inside out. Care involves changing dressings every two days. Hopefully, my doctor's office will remain open to continue to do that for me for the next couple weeks.
We had all agreed that it was a good birding trip with which to end our first season -- I just had to add that exclamation point!
Looking forward to continuing with the Pueblo Birders next year.
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View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S66137200
THE SALT RIVER RECREATION SITES ARE NOW CLOSED DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
(With children out of school, families were gathering there)
Yikes! Glad you’re ok. That’s scary. That place scares me with all the mud and weird people. It’s beautiful but I also worried about sinking into mud:( Glad your friends were there to help you out. It’s happened once to me and never again:)
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