Canon City Riverwalk

I got out after a thunderstorm this afternoon to check out the east section of the Canon City Riverwalk. Right off I found a first of the year Western Tanager. This brightly colored male was delivering it's rather weak "few weet" call. Much louder were the Yellow-breasted Chats calling from the thickets.

It was a very melodius evening with many Yellow Warblers and Black-headed Grosbeak, a few Common Yellowthroats joining the Chats. Male Broad-tailed Hummingbirds darted around, making their "wing trill" as they chased about. I heard several Western Wood-Pewees but didn't see any nest building yet. A pair of Eastern Kingbirds as they chased each other. And of course the calls of Bullock's Orioles cannot be ignored.

Even less ignorable were the hoards of mosquitos that seem to have been put in overdrive by the earlier thunderstorm. It was difficult to stop and look for birds in a number of areas near a lot of vegetation as the mosquitos swarmed my face even though I had put Deet on. Another surprise was a second set of early evening thunderstorms that rolled through just before dark, finally bringing some very needed moisture to the area.
SeEtta