[Birdnet] scaled quail, white-throated sparrows, merlin, and greater roadrunner

[L. D. Giddings]

Three brave souls made the Friday night drive to Bluff. They awoke 
Saturday morning to the leavings of a once-in-a-decade storm that had 
dropped 4-6" of snow on a town that seldom sees more than a dusting. 
This did not stop brave soul #1, Steve Sommerfeld, from spotting a 
white-throated sparrow in the snow beneath the feeders at the Recapture 
Lodge in Bluff early Saturday morning.

The roads were a bit sloppy but nothing we brave northern souls are not 
used to. We soon made our way to the scaled quail following Dennis 
Shirley's perfect directions. Brave soul #2, Cindy Sommerfeld, found the 
three birds on the north slope at the end of the small dirt road, about 
150 yards east of the seep at which they had previously been reported.

While sorting through the wee birds beneath the feeders at the Recapture 
Lodge this morning, Steve once again  spotted his white-throated sparrow 
and then espied a second, different white-throated sparrow as we watched 
the first.

The sewage lagoons at Blanding were nearly completely frozen and last 
month's white-tailed kite was nowhere to be seen. But a merlin sat atop 
a power pole and watched us struggle to identify ducks on the little bit 
of open water in bad light.

Lastly. While we did search for it, we were unable to find a greater 
roadrunner reported by a reliable source in Bluff on Thursday. Keep your 
eyes peeled. This is a reportable bird in San Juan county.

Lu Giddings, Steve Sommerfeld, Cindy Sommerfeld
trip list: 47 species seen in San Juan county