Ted Floyd, editor of American Birding
Association’s Birding, led a Colorado Field Ornithologists' trip to
the 48,000-acre Bohart Ranch located southeast of Colorado Springs. In an
innovative partnership with the Colorado State Land Board, The Nature
Conservancy of Colorado named an experienced and conservation-minded
rancher, Dick Tanner, to sublease the Bohart Ranch. The high-quality,
sand-sage prairie supports numerous grassland bird species, reptiles, a
healthy prairie dog town, and a diverse array of other wildlife and it is a
working cattle ranch. With the Spanish Peaks to the south and Pike's Peak to
the west, the vast, open prairie is reminiscent of the state before it was
settled. Below are some scenes from the ranch. Click on photos to enlarge.
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Bohart Ranch vista to the west with Pike's Peak in the background, 28 May |
Bohart Ranch sand-sage prairie, 28 May |
Members of the group admiring the prairie diversity, 28 May |
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Leader, Ted Floyd, in center spotting a target bird species, 28 May |
All the birders are "on the bird," 28 May |
Prairie Evening Primrose (Oenothera albicaulis), 28 May |
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Horned Lark, 28 May |
Horned Lark, 28 May |
Spiderwort (Tradescantia occidentalis), 28 May |
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Wild or Sand Onion (Allium textile), 28 May |
Sand Verbena (Abronia fragrans) and Blue Gramma Grass (Chondrosum
gracile), 28 May |
Needle and Thread Grass (Stipa spp.) and Sand Sage (Oligosporus
filifolius), 28 May |
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Narrow-leaved Penstemon (Penstemon angustifolius), 28 May |
Scaled Quail from a far, 28 May |
Western Kingbird, 28 May |
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Great Horned Owl fledglings, 28 May |
Wood Pewee, 28 May |
Scarlet Gaura (Gaura coccinea), 28 May |
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Lizard impaled on cedar branch by Loggerhead Shrike, 28 May |
Another lizard impaled on tree branch by Loggerhead Shrike, 28 May |
A large grasshopper impaled on tree branch by Loggerhead Shrike, 28 May |
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The probable culprit! Loggerhead Shrike on wire watching us inspect
his/her food stash, 28 May |
Live lizard nearby, 28 May |
Scaled Quail from a far, 28 May |
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Dung Beetles at work, 28 May |
Prairie Thistle (Cirsium canescens), 28 May |
Prairie Thistle blossom (Cirsium canescens), 28 May |
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Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia macrorhiza), 28 May |
Plains Cactus (Opuntia polyacantha), 28 May |
Lark Bunting, state bird of Colorado, 28 May |
