Wellington Cemetery photo by Tim Avery

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Description:
The tiny Wellington Cemetery serves the community of Wellington to the south and east.  The small cemetery sits on a bluff int he northwest of town primarily surrounded by arid desert.  Some shrubsteppe can be found on the rolling dirt hills as well.  The cemetery is comprised of three small lawns.  The entire cemetery perimeter is just 1,500' and can be walked in a few minutes.  Small deciduous trees in the north edge, while a small row of trees going north-south are found on the east side of the parking lot.  The west edge of the lot is bordered by private property. In the southwest corner a large grove of trees is very promising migrant habitat and the most notable birding feature.  On the cemetery grounds two large rows of deciduous and coniferous trees are found on the eastern 1/3 of the area.  Two smaller rows of trees on the western 1/3 are mostly just on the north half.  There is also a small line of trees bordering the east edge. Given the barren surroundings this is inadvertently a bit of a migrant trap.

Birding:
I was surprised that I had never hear reports form this great little piece of habitat before we checked it out in mid-April.  It really is one of the most dense habitats in the area--and the number of trees and their size makes it a target.  I can imagine it sees a fair number of migrants given the prominent position on the bluff above town.  When we visited even in bad weather and early in the season, YELLOW-RUMPED and ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER were present.  A late TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was seen in the trees on the west side of the property, while LARK SPARROWS were using the grounds on the east.  The conifers are potentially going to attract finches, titmice, and other birds typically associated with them in the winter months or during migration.  Birding here I would spend most of my time along the southwest corner where the wild patch of trees grows downhill off the property.  You can easily bird here, and walk the loop quickly back through the bigger trees in the cemetery.  I would surmise that in mid-May or September you could find a decent number of migrants here.

Directions:
From Exit 243 on US-191/6 in Price head south on US-191 for 3 miles. Turn left onto Cemetery Road and continue .3 miles--stay right at the fork and go another .4 miles till you reach the cemetery on your right. Turn in and drive along the north side of the cemetery parking on the west end in the dirt parking lot. Alternatively from the intersection of US-191 and Center Street in Wellington, head north on Center Street for .4 miles.  The road will turn into Old Wellington Road and after another .2 miles, turn left onto Cemetery Road and go .1 miles till you reach the cemetery on your left.