Prarie Chickens

Prairie Chickens on mating ground

Nature Conservancy's Fox Ranch

We had a good trip last weekend. The drive out went quickly - 3 hours to cover 170 miles including the Denver suburbs. It was Sunday and the road and towns were deserted. I saw one couple in the yard of a farmhouse near the road with a wheelbarrow and some cut logs, but that was all the human activity we saw. At a few churches there were lots of cars parked but we never passed one as the church was ending and people were moving about. It was a rather eeire feeling.

The Nature Conservancy's Fox Ranch is very attractive and preserves a 14,000 acre section of the Middle Republican river that encompasses a bio diverse environment. It is situated among low rolling hills. There are short grass prairies, sage areas, several rather rare and native fish, porcupines and beavers, lots of Turkeys, and the occasional mountain lion. After a picnic lunch on the terrace of the ranch house, we strolled along the river, through Cottonwoods and grasses. Some people saw birds which I could hear and see but not identify. It was warm and overcast - perfect for what we were doing. The ranch is leased to a young man who raises cattle - about 600. We spoke to him briefly and he looked and sounded like my picture of a cowboy. A real twang, very polite, in boots and a broadbrimmed hat. There is a small house on the ranch for him.. He works closely with the Conservancy to make the best use of the land while preserving it for the future. It sounded like a complex and well thought out program.

We then all drove to Weld - about 20 miles from the Nebraska border and a fairly large small town - many of the ones we went through were one or two street affairs with no evident stores except a liquor store and a gas station. We checked in to a very adequate motel - $53 double room with bath - had dinner in an attractive old building with bar and restaurant on the second floor - tin ceilings, pool table, a few locals having drinks, and another birding group of 22 - we were 18. I can't imagine what action they get when the chickens aren't mating. As we left about 8:30 a young college age guy with a date wearing a Colorado State sweat shirt came in. I really wonder what life in Weld is like for such a couple. There is a railroad line, lots of cattle in the area, but no sign of manufacturing except for a feed manufacturer. The railraod station area is full of grain storage silos and it forms one side of town. There was a small hospital, a medium size high school, some attractive houses with daffodils in the yards, and four stoplights in town.

Monday morning we got up at 4:15. The leaders had orange slices and Cliff bars for us and we left as a caravan before 5 for the lek where the chickens gather for their mating. It was dark and cold and we drove along a dirt road for about 5 miles with few lights in sight. There was a blind for us, a storage van that had been set up some years ago by the owners of the land whose guests, at a price, we were. We entered and found seats on two rows of wooded benches. thankfully there were cushions or I'd never have made the two hours of sitting still. We got comfortable and were all staring at an aluminum covered opening. There was to be no talking, no zippering, no Velcro opening, no cell phones ringing once the windows were opened. You unlatch them and they open automatically and quietly. Once open you were able to see the prairie in the very faint first light of day. As your eyes adjusted, you could see small objects moving about. The most impressive thing at that moment was the sound. A loud drone that undulated slightly, almost a vibration, that formed a continuo throughout the time we were there. Reminded me of chanting I have heard in Buddhist temples. Soon you could identify other sounds that often sounded like giggles and hee-haws of humans. There were many variations on cackling. As it grew lighter you could distinguish between the females, trim and little coloring and the males, fan tail, showing white when facing away. Their faces had yellow circles and other colors. They appeared larger than they were. The males often paired off and jumped three feet in the air trying to scare the other one. One would turn and run away at an amazing speed. Their feet moved so fast you couldn't see them and it seemed they were being pulled by a string. I counted 25 birds at one time - 9 females and 16 males. The females were quite indifferent and were often surrounded by four males so the female was in the center of a box. The dominant males were protective. We saw several matings, one through the binoculars. The mounting male was attacked by three others as soon as he was in position. Quite a squawk ensued. We saw several other matings and you could tell if it had been successful if the hen walked away wiggling her tail. Apparently the females lay 8 to 12 eggs and each one needs to be fertilized in this way. They lay one a day. However, all the eggs need to hatch at the same time as the hen stops incubating the eggs once the first eggs are hatched. Therefore, after each mating the hen goes back to the nest and lays an egg but does't sit on it. The eggs don't develop until she does. Therefore, after a couple of weeks of mating and laying eggs the hen decides to settle down and incubate the eggs and then they all hatch at once. I never knew this could happen.

It was foggy and so very damp and cold. In fact I was colder than I have been all winter including skiing in wind at Eldora. The sun didn't break through the fog - it had rained during the night - so we never got good shots. The birds weren't that close but binoculars worked very well. We all had breakfast at a road side cafe and then checked out of the hotel and headed home getting back in time for me to take a nap before dinner and the last of the chamber music concerts of the 2010-11 season. An excellent concert with music illustrating the development of the form.

Unfortunately, the ride home was in overcast weather so we didn't get any pictures of the prairies. We stopped in Fort Morgan, a sizable town on the South Platte that is surrounded by irrigated fields and cattle pens. We stopped at the museum - some interesting exhibits on the trail west, stage coaches, and trains. Also, one on Glen Miller who was born and raised in Fort Morgan.

We're ready to take another Nature Conservancy trip. It was very interesting, well organized, and educational.

PS - Attended Boden's First Grade Class's Rain Forest Cafe Earth Day morning. It was well done. Vines covered the ceiling with monkeys, buterflies, etc. hanging from them. The photo is of Boden and Yia Yia taking down Boden's monkey.