Scaled Quail at John Martin State Park

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Thanks to the amazingly mild mid-summer temps (today the highs were in the low 70's down here) after a strange cold front I did some birding in the lower Arkansas Valley where temps are usually 100 or over. Thanks to pro-wildlife habitat changes in the John Martin State Park the habitat has improved substantially--first due to no longer allowing ATV's there as they were tearing up habitat by driving off road (that is why many people buy them so they can drive off road and tear up the ground) and then by closing a lot of duplicative and other user-created 2-tracks that have been used by street legal vehicles but that have fragmented the habitat. Kudos to the local Colo Parks & Wildlife for requesting these changes and to the State Parks & Wildlife Commission for approving them (I went to a Wildlife Commission, some years ago to support the restriction on ATV's).
I was delighted to find 2 flocks of Scaled Quail, a species that is likely doing much better with the improved and less fragmented habitat due to these good changes. Recent rains will help there too so hopefully Scaled Quail can flourish. SeEtta

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