A Snow Goose now in Canon City

Canon City is away from the flyway that brings Snow Geese through Colorado, that area is along the eastern plains including the Lamar area where the Snow Goose Festival was held. So it is remarkable event when a Snow, or a Ross', Goose turns up here. I was surprised to find a Snow Goose at the Centennial Park pond this morning. This is a city park with a lot of human activity but it draws semi-resident flocks of Mallards, American Wigeon and Canada Geese.

When I saw the goose I thought that it was as if one of the geese near Lamar had heard that the Canon City area was quite balmy so it followed me back. Of course, this doesn't really make any sense as these geese are accustomed to very cold weather and will soon be flying north as far as the Arctic, an area not exactly balmy even in the summer, to breed.

This is the goose in this photo. This goose is in Basic I plumage (an immature plumage in between juvenal and Definitive Basic plumage) with grayish on its head, neck and wings. The dark "grinning patch", which is one of the field marks that distinguish this species from the similar Ross' Goose, is evident in the photo.

Before I found the goose I had been to our Tunnel Drive area to see the Golden-crowned Sparrow. Indeed, I saw it and it only took a few minutes this time. And I saw it with the light in a good angle that showed the bright yellow on its crown.
SeEtta

More pics from Snow Goose Festival

The top photo shows our keynote speaker, Pete Dunne, giving a program on "pishing". In this photo he is demonstrating hwo to use your fingers to make scolding calls. Both of the programs he gave, "The Art of Pishing" and "25 Things that Changed Birding", were excellent. He is a great speaker, very knoledgeable and entertaining, and an amazing birder.


The bottom photo is of one of the MULE (not white-tailed as I had originally noted) deer that hang out in the Lamar Woods area. They seem to wonder what we birders are doing especially when we make pishing noises and mimic bird calls when they are around. The motel I stay in, the Blue Spruce, is located adjacent to the Lamar Woods area and these deer spent the night in the yard of the motel and I found them bedded down there when I took my dogs out before we went to bed.
SeEtta

Town of Lamar gone to the birds

This photo is on the front of an monogram store in Lamar. The painting is more than 10 feet tall and is well done.
SeEtta

Snow Geese

I took this photo of a flock of several hundred Snow Geese (actually the more generic "white geese" is more accurate since though in all likelihood most are Snow Geese there may well be some Ross' Geese in there too) as I returned from the Snow Goose Festival today. I must admit that though there are Snow (white)Geese near Lamar as I noted in earlier posts, there are not large flocks. I found this larger flock in Otero County. In a more usual winter with less snow cover on the ground there would be thousands, probably tens of thousands of white geese in the Lamar area and other locations in SE Colorado.
SeEtta

More birds in Lamar area-Sunday

This morning several of us birded the Lamar Woods this morning. The Carolina Wren was refound by Barb while Pearl found a 1st winter Harris' Sparrow and a male Red-bellied Woodpecker (the bird yesterday was a female). Also found were at least 2 Downey Woodpeckers, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, and some Cedar Waxwings.

This afternoon I found 2 Golden Eagles, probably in Basic III plumage, about a mile apart just south of Eads (a small town north of Lamar). They are proof that even with a continuing snow cover in this area there are still birds to be seen and carrion to feed these raptors.

(I'm posting from my room at the Blue Spruce Motel in Lamar so not able to post any photos)
SeEtta

Snow Goose Festival birds

Though the weathercasts said that snow with strong winds would begin late Friday night continuing into Saturday morning, here was not snow on the ground and it was just spitting early Saturday am. So 12 brave birders joined the leaders of the 7-8 am Beginning Birder trip leaders at the "Lamar Woods", a major birding hotspot behind Lamar Community College. Pete Dunne also joined the field trip and he spotted or identified a singing Carolina Wren, a Red-bellied Woodpecker, a Sharp-shinned Hawk and a small flock of Cedar Waxwings flying over.

Then Pete Dunne led an afternoon Raptor Tour that was quite productive though limited to around or near Lamar as all highways around town were closed due to blowing snow/sand. Fortunately the winds died down to a more bearable level that made it more comfortable. At Fairmont Cemetery a Harlan's Red-tailed Hawk, a Great Horned Owl and several other Red-tailed Hawks were observed. As the bus drove to other areas Pete spotted a soaring Cooper's Hawk in addition to the many American Kestrals and several more Red-tailed Hawks that were seen. Other birds seen on this trip were several flocks of Sandhill Cranes and a number of white geese (mostly Snow Geese but at least 1 Ross' Goose). Additionally hundreds and hundreds of American Crows fed and flew around the agricultural fields.

SeEtta

Lamar Snow Goose Festival successful despite weather

I have been too busy to post due to getting some newspaper ads out for the Snow Goose Festival and then traveling to, participating in and attending events at the Snow Goose Festival. The weather presented a challenge--many had heard about the awful snows and unusually cold weather with a continuing snow cover in the area, and some of them were deterred from attending. Then for the past week the TV stations around Colorado have been forecasting potential blizzard conditions in SE Colorado.

Though there were blizzard conditions Saturday in some sections of eastern Colorado, the Lamar area was sheltered from much of it--there were awful high winds (though we still birded and had some great finds as I will put in a separate post) but only scattered and very light snow showers with no accumulation. But all the warnings kept a lot of folks from traveling to Lamar for the festival.

However we had a very successful Snow Goose Festival considering he above, with over 100 participants (not counting the many volunteers giving programs, leading trips and helping at the Festival) including more than 25 from the Denver metro area (around 200 miles away). Almost all the scheduled events in Lamar were held including 2 field trips Saturday and a sunrise tour this am. And the keynote speaker, Pete Dunne, was not only a fantastic speaker but a great birder.

SeEtta

Better photo of American Dipper

That photo of the American Dipper I took yesterday that I uploaded last night was pretty grainy. Partially that is due to low light as the bird was in the shadows but also because I just got Adobe Photoshop Elements yesterday and I am still learning how to edit with it.

I was back at my friend's place today and the dippers were quite active. I took this photo of an American Dipper, though actually a little further away than yesterday's, today's had better light. But be sure to double-click the photo to enlarge the bird for better viewing.

I watched a female (smaller than male) engage in courtship behavior--crouching down and fluttering her wings like a fledgling. Though I watched carefully for several minutes, I never saw the male feed her as I have read occurs with this behavior. Then I saw a third dipper, presumably an interloper trying to steal the female away. The first male then engaged in chasing the second male down the river. The female remained where she had been for about 5 minutes until a male came back to her.

SeEtta

American Dippers-harbingers of spring

The American Dippers are singing more and now throughout the day--spring can only be on the way. At my friend's place, I watched a pair chase each other up and down the Arkansas River. I was able to get this photo which shows it's white eyelids that are apparent when it blinks. It is amazing how they are able to fly within inches of each other without colliding. My friend said he heard them singing throughout the day today. I wonder if today's temp's that got to 65 F influenced them.

In addition to their frequent singing and their unique rattle-like call, they made a "beep"-like call several times as they engaged in chasing. These behaviors reinforce the pair bond and define their territory.

Nest building could begin at any time as the earliest record for this in the Colorado Breeding Bird Atlas is Feb 21.
SeEtta

Better pronghorn photo

Pronghorn are quite handsome animals in my estimation. And their heads are quite distinctive so I wanted to show a better pic of these neat animals that clearly shows the details of their features (be sure to enlarge this pic by double clicking on it). I tool these photos in Aug, 2006 in Las Animas County which is the next county over from where I took the other photos in Rocky Ford. Though the pronghorn was not close, I had a sunny day to provide great lighting which allowed me to enlarge the photo more.
SeEtta

Prognhorn (antelope) makes itself at home in yard

The Colorado Division of Wildlife has reported that this winter's severity has presented significant problems for big game that can't get to the grass to eat and have had to stand or walk in snow up and over their bellies. This created serious safety problems for the big game as they were grouping up next to RR tracks (where a number of elk were killed) and next to highways putting them at risk of being hit by vehicles and also a risk to those in the vehicles. So the Division of Wildlife went out to clear places for the big game in the snow.

Most recently the Division of Wildlife (DOW)began putting special feed for them. Special feed is necessary as they must have the correct bacteria in their intestinal system to digest the food. In fact the DOW said that such food as hay for cows is undigestible and they could starve to death even with a belly full of it.

So while I was in La Junta I saw the pronghorn (they really are just proghorn and not antelope; in fact, they are in family all their own) feeding on the turf grass in someone's yard. I watched it for a few minutes as it ate, then lay down on the soft grass to rest. I have seen lots of deer in residential areas and yards as well as a number of elk, but this is the first time I have seen a pronghorn in a yard. In fact, I don't recall seeing a pronghorn that wasn't terribly shy (they can run as fast as 60 mph and I have certainly seen them sprint away quickly when I have stopped my car too close). I guess this proghorn found this snow-free luscious lawn too good to pass up even if it meant being around humans. (note: I took these pics about 150 feet away from the pronghorn so as not to disturb it so I have had to edit the photos to lighten them)
SeEtta

Brown Creepers & warm-up in lower Arkansas Valley

The weather was great today in much of SE Colorado. When I left home in Canon City at 9 am it was climbing to the upper 40's already. When I drove through Pueblo it was almost 50. And by the time my meeting in Rocky Ford was over it was around 50 degrees F there. Though there was still snow on the ground in and around Rocky Ford, the sun and temp and a little wind were causing a lot of melting.

And the temps are predicted to be into at least the 40's most of this coming week and even climbing toward 60 when the Snow Goose Festival starts on Friday, Feb 23 (honest, I'm not making this up, check it out).

I took these photos of 2 of the Brown Creepers I watched today. Look close (double-click on pic)at right side of top photo--the bird's eye, part of its head and its bill are visible though this bird really blends into the bark of the tree. In the bottom pic the bird's beak is pointed straight up. (Note-as it was dark inside the large conifer where these birds were foraging I did edit these photos to lighten and make the birds more visible).

I will post more about the birds I saw today and the unusual place I saw a pronghorn plus more pics, but not til tomorrow as I'm bushed.
SeEtta

Red-naped Sapsucker is still in Canon City

Well, as I have said, just because you don't find a sapsucker doesn't mean it's not around. Because of that, and the fact that I had found another location nearby that showed fresh sapwells, I went back to the Abbey this morning to see look again for the female Red-naped sapsucker. And when I was about 150 feet from the trees where it had been seen I spotted it in the lower section of one of the pine trees there.

This top photo I took this morning shows well the throat pattern of female Red-naped Sapsuckers--whitish chin (lower part of throat) with some red on throat and in this case a full red throat. By double-clicking on the pic to enlarge it, it is easy to see that that the red feathers on its crown are raised. I think it raised these feathers because it heard the click of my digital camera (darn, I wish it was possible to turn off the clicking sound like the bell-like sound can be turned-off). The sapsucker appeared to react to the sound of the clicking, first by stopping feeding then moving around towards the far side of the tree and then emitting some calls. Though I had to stop taking photos, I got some good ones as the sun came out a little.

The bottom photo, though very similar to the first, clearly shows a tuft of black feathers at the base of the bill (just under the bill). And it shows some yellowish feathers on its upper breast area.

I will put up some additional photos I took either later tonight or tomorrow (I need to get ready to go to a public meeting on the Pike-San Isabel National Forest plan revision-birds can't speak for themselves so we conservationists need to go speak for them to protect their habitat, especially for Red-naped Sapsuckers as they breed in old growth aspen forests on Forest Service land) that show more interesting features.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker-one more pic

I did get one more pic of the Centennial Park Yellow-bellied Sapsucker that was reasonably good and that shows the birds back pattern quite well. The only editing I did to this pic was to crop it to enlarge the bird.

By double-clicking on this photo to enlarge it the sap wells that this bird has made a visible. Also the brownish feathers can be seen (but only when the pic is double-clicked) invading the white supercilium (eyebrown) and white that extends back to the nape. As I noted in an earlier post on Yellow-bellied Sapsucker plumage, Birds of North America online states that such juvenal feathers can be retained even in third year (adult) birds in Definitive Basic plumage.
SeEtta

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker still at Centennial Park

After searching unsuccessfully 2 days, I considered that the Centennial Park Yellow-bellied Sapsucker may have left the area. However, I know that they can be missed for several reasons: if they are loafing in a large cottonwood, it is virtually impossible to see them as they tend to perch on a horizontal branch; they are hiding from disruption in the top section of a pine tree where pine needles are thicker; or they may be foraging at another location in the area. Since it was tennis lesson day with a lot of players at the court across from where this sapsucker is usually found, though I was there early there had already been a lot of activity as they park their cars adjacent to the pine trees.

All this to say I thought it was worth another trip to look for the sapsucker--and it paid off as I did find the bird. Since it had been so sensitive that I had avoided looking for it for a month to avoid being an intrusive birder, I stopped my car before I got to the tree the bird was in so I would be about 50 feet away. I stayed in my car and I was careful not to make noise. Indeed, these precautions were necessary as this sapsucker would stop feeding and freeze when a car would drive by or on one occasion when a person walked by on the other side of the street. In fact, I had to be careful taking photos as this sapsucker would stop feeding and look in my direction when it heard the clicking noise that my digital camera makes when I take a photo (not a lot of noise as I have turned off the bell-like noise many of these digital cameras make). So in order not to disturb it's feeding, I didn't try to move my car to get better photos (though I did get a view of it's gorgeous red crown). As these pics may not be as good as I could have gotten, it would not have been worth it to disturb this super-sensitive bird. I did brighten and add some contrast to this photo as it was rather dark (I usually only crop my pics).

I also saw a Ruby-crowned Kinglet in the trees where this sapsucker was feeding plus a second kinglet at Rouse Park.
SeEtta

Colo Birding Trail Launches at Snow Goose Fest Feb 23-25

Looking for something fun to do next week-end (not this upcoming week-end but the one after)? The Colorado Birding Trail will officially be launched at the High Plains Snow Goose Festival in Lamar February 23-25. And the keynote speaker is none other than Pete Dunne, Director of Cape May Bird Observatory and Vice-President for Natural History Information for the New Jersey Audubon Society. Pete, who has been awaded the American Birding Society Roger Tory Peterson Award for promoting the cause of birding, has written 9 books and numerous articles about birding and natural history.

And what a bargan--registration is $10 with charges of $5-15 for some of the tours (though the Raptor Tour with Pete Dunne carries a fee of $30, also a bargain compared to what other birding festivals and conventions charge for birding with such a big name leader). And the banquet is only $15 for adults!

There are lots of programs and tours, not just birding but some to/about local historical areas and also rock art. A great opportunity for couples or families with non-birders who would enjoy these other diversions. And the motel prices are quite reasonable. Check it out here and print a registration form too. Read articles about it here and here.

SeEtta

Redhead Ducks

This morning I searched, in vain, for the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker that I and others have seen at Centennial Park. This is the first time I have looked for this sapsucker in weeks, as I noted in an earlier post, because this particular sapsucker appeared exceptionally disturbed by birders (even when I drove up about 50 feet from its tree the last time I looked for him). There did not seem to be many fresh-appearing sap wells in the trees so this sapsucker may have moved away.

I was pleasantly surprised to find 3 Hooded Mergansers and several Redheaded Ducks in the pond at this very-city, lots of activity park. The Mallards, American Wigeon and dark-headed geese are fairly common here. Since this pond is pretty small and without fencing I was able to get some good close-ups (as I have noted before, I am unable to digiscope with my equipment)of one of the Redheads by using my 12X setting on my digital camera then cropping to enlarge the photos including these two. They show the field marks quite well: roundish, rufous (reddish-brown)head, yellowish eye, bluish bill with black nail (at end of bill), black breast and lower neck, and grayish body. Be sure to double-click on the photos to see these features, especially the eyes, best. The black hindquarters are not as apparent in these pics.
SeEtta

Lamar, Colorado

These interesting photos of a very cold Yellow-shafted Flicker, were taken by Randall Bridge of Lamar, Colorado. We have both Red-shafted and Yellow-shafted Flickers here in Southeast Colorado, and I was quite taken with Randy's two photos of this great creature. Since both species of this bird live here, there are a lot of intergrades and calling these birds one or the other can take a lot of observation. Thanks to Randy for sharing these two great photos with me.

Janeal W. Thompson

Lamar, Colorado

There is a real dearth of birds at the feeder, or at least they are only visiting once or twice a day, usually between 4:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. The American Goldfinches (AMGO) are increasing in numbers and the White-crowned Sparrows (WCSP) are decreasing in numbers at my feeders. I did notice the median crown stripe on some immature WCSPs is starting to molt to white making for an interesting looking head. (Since they arrive late in the day, the above photo is the best I could do to show the molt with the poor light.) This week I had a Merlin (MERL) in my backyard, which is a yard bird for me. The immature Harris Sparrow (HASP) is still here and shows in the evening with the House Finches (HOFI), WCSP and AMGO. Hear or see American Robins (AMRO), American Crow (AMCR), Blue Jay (BLJA), Northern Flicker (NOFL), an occasional American Kestrel (AMKE) and Eurasian-collared Dove (EUCO). The mature and immature Sharp-shinned Hawks (SSHA), are regular visitors keeping all the birds on their toes or on the wing I guess I should say. Best from Southeast Colorado--a wonderful place to be.

Janeal W. Thompson

Artificial Osprey Platforms upclose

In my post below I showed a photo of one of the artificial Osprey platforms at Pueblo Res. That photo was quite distant. These close-up pics come from platforms put up also by Aquila, our electric utility, at Brush Hollow State Wildlife Area which is adjacent to the Brush Hollow Reservior.


In the left pic shows the platform itself. I understand that the Colo Div of Wildlife will close-off this area should Ospreys attempt to nest there.
SeEtta

Around Fremont County

Yesterday I watched what appeared to be a pair of Bald Eagles flying together over the Arkansas River near Canon City. For awhile they perched together, not more than 15 feet or so apart which is quite close for raptors. Though Bald Eagles are known to roost communily in winter, it is thought that this species may pair-up or stay together during the winter so this flying together might indicate that these are a pair.

Today I drove out to Brush Hollow Reservoir. As there have been some days with pretty nice temps over 45 degrees F this week (including the 70 degree day)I thought there would be more open water. There was, but only a little more. However I did find a small mixed group of Redheads, Mallards and a Ring-necked Duck near the shore where the water was not frozen around some vegetation. I took this photo there.

I also heard a small flock of Pinyon Jays, but they were distant. Brush Hollow is one of the places where this illusive species is seen though not regularly.
SeEtta

See the ring around the Ring-necked Duck's neck

The Ring-necked Duck actually has a ring, albeit a partial ring, around its neck that is rarely seen. It is visible in several of my photos, probably best in this pic. Birds of North America online describe it as "> . .dark chestnut collar around lower neck. . . ." The Smithsonian Handbooks Birds of North America-Western Region describes it as a cinnamon ring. It almost looks reddish or purplish (maybe cranberry would describe it) to me.

Though the duck's head gets a little blurry when it is enlarged, it still helps see the neck ring by double-clicking on the photo.

SeEtta

SeEtta

More Ring-necked Duck pics

The top photo of the Ring-neck Duck I photographed at Pueblo Res yesterday shows the details of the bill-a white edging around the base of the bill, white around the nostrils (called nares), the white band then the black tip. The eye is a bright yellowish orange.


In the lower pic the duck had just lifted its bill out of the water. I caught a few drops of water dripping from its bill.
SeEtta

Ring-necked Duck close-up and personal

I took these photos of a Ring-necked Duck at the Pueblo Reservoir yesterday. I wish I would take credit for effective stealth in getting such close-up pics. Sadly, that is not the case. This duck was hanging out at the North Marina and clearly was accustomed to being fed by the folks on the dock. Not only did this little fellow (yes, it's a male) swim right up to me but it followed me as I walked around the dock.

These photos clearly show the distinguishing feathers of Ring-necked Ducks including a peaked head (as very evident in lower pic). It's blackish upperparts show a greenish sheen (sometimes bluish) when the light reflects off the feathers of the wing in the top pic but purplish on the side of its neck. The sides/flanks and belly are whitish/pale grayish (depends on which field guide or description). The white bar that appears to invade the wing (actually it's just in front of the folded wings) is clearly visible in both pics. The bill has white markings with a black tip.

I think the clear views of the feet and the fanned-out tail are interesting to see. And be sure to double-click on the photos for even better detail. I'll post more pics in another post.
SeEtta

Osprey nest platforms at Pueblo Reservoir

The local electric company, Aquila, at the request of the Colo Division of Wildlife brought equipment to the Pueblo Reservoir recently to install some new Osprey nest platforms and repair a few old ones. The old ones had been placed there in the 90's in a cooperative effort between Arkansas Valley Audubon Society and Aquila. This photo is of one of the platforms placed in the State Wildlife Area on the south side of the reservoir (the water is totally frozen so appears white and has some tree branches sticking up out of the ice in near the short).


Ospreys need very strong nest locations as the nest they build become very large and heavy over the years as have good site fidelity for nest sites. Aquila is involved in providing these artificial nest sites in hopes that the Osprey will use them instead of the utility poles. When Osprey build nests on utility poles, their nests can interfere with the equipment and servicing of the equipment. And the birds can be electocuted which can cause a disruption in electric service and is costly to the utility company to repair.

Osprey are currently on their winter territories along the gulf coast, and further south into Mexico and Central America. They will return in April (tho some return in March). They will nest from May to the end of July.
SeEtta

Pueblo Reservoir again

As I had a dental appointment in Pueblo West, the areas adjacent to the Pueblo Reservoir, I did some birding there afterward. It was a fairly foggy and chilly day, but the sun kept breaking through.

I ran across a flock of about 40 or so American Tree Sparrows in a weedy area near the shore. I could see 2 Bald Eagles out on the ice and lots of distant waterfowl. I did not see the Northern Mockingbird I saw last week-end that was in the photos in posts earlier this week.


I took this photo of a Pied-billed Grebe swimming near the North Marina. Though quite plain in plumage, this grebe has a distinctive ring around its short bill.
SeEtta

N. Flickers roosting in Tunnel Drive tunnels

I tried unsuccessfully to post this last night but the blogspot system wouldn't take it. Yesterday the high temp in Canon City rose to a balmy 70 degrees F!! This is back to normal as in past winters we would get awful cold days but would rebound to the 60's or 70's to give us a break.

I took a hike, literally, up Tunnel Drive trail which is a great birding and scenic location on the west end of Canon City. Rufous-crowned Sparrows, a rarity in Colorado, are resident here. Ladder-backed Woodpeckers and Greater Roadrunners have been seen there in the past and just recently a Golden-crowned Sparrow was reported below the trail. I enjoy hiking up the trail in winter as I have seen more than 10 American Dippers in the Arkansas River that lies from 200-500 feet below this 2 mile trail. Unfortunately because it is a the mouth of the Royal Gorge, this steep canyon acts as a wind tunnel sending strong winds down the trail and upping the windchill.

So yesterday afternoon the chinook winds that warmed the area had died down I hiked up the trail. It was so nice I did so without my coat (and I'm a real whimp for being cold). Since it was late in the day I only made the first mile of the trail so only saw 3 American Dippers. However, what was really interesting was that I flushed 3 Northern Flickers in the tunnels that the trail goes through. Two of the flickers were on the ceiling and one was on a wall. As I have flushed a few flickers in these tunnels in the past, I feel pretty sure they are using them for sheltered roosting areas.

Also of interest were 15 Common Goldeneye that went at least a half mile into the Royal Gorge canyon. Due to the recent big snows that have melted on top of the west slope water being moved down the river to the reservoirs (this is standard procedure to fill the reservoirs in winter), there was deep enough water for them to dive--something that hasn't been possible in this stretch of the river for some time due to the drought.

I also saw one Rufous-crowned Sparrow at 5:15 pm, which is fairly late for this species (tho I have seen them late in the day on a few occasions in the past).

SeEtta

Pete Dunne's "Secret to Becoming a Great Birder"

Though this was published in the American Birding Association's "Winging It" online publication last spring, I just ran across it. I think Pete makes some excellent points that bear emphasizing: ". . .Don’t just look at them. Don’t just identify them. Watch them, study them, learn what they look like at different angles and different postures."

And Pete Dunne goes on to describe how important it is to do more than just check the birds off your list. Read the full article.

The only thing I would add to Pete's article is that a great birder must be an active conservationist.

SeEtta

Courtship behavior by American Dipper today

Today I heard an American Dipper singing in the late afternoon (instead of dusk) and saw it briefly on a structure near the river. After I finished walking with my dogs, I stopped by that location again. This time, now dusk, I heard a dipper singing off and on for at least 5 minutes though I couldn't locate it.

Then an American Dipper flew up river with a second bird chasing behind it. As I watched them on the other shore, one bird engaged in courtship displays. This bird crouched down and fluttered its wings like a fledgling begging for food. I didn't see the other bird, presumably a male, feed her as is described about "courtship feeding" in Birds of North America (BNA)online but I may have missed it. And, of course, it was too dark to get any photos. This photo is one I took upriver in April, 2006.


Nest building could be begin soon. Spring is right around the corner for this early breeding species.
SeEtta

Greater Black-backed Gull at Pueblo Reservoir

Other birds I saw yesterday at the Pueblo Reservoir include one of the 2 wintering Black Phoebes and a fairly rare for winter Spotted Sandpiper. At one point the sandpiper apparently trespassed on the phoebes territory as the Black Phoebe aggressively chased it away. Both birds were foraging just downstream of the dam along with 2 Canyon Towhees and 2 Song Sparrows.

At the reservoir, in addition to a lot of waterfowl I saw 1 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 2 Greater Black-back. In the top photo one of the Great Black-backed Gulls stands out with its distinctly dark black mantle and large size relative to the other mostly Ring-billed Gulls. This is not one of my better photos but even with a 12X digital these gulls were too distant for a good enlargement (this is where digiscoping would be good, but my equipment doesn't fit together well for digiscoping and its cost prohibitive for me to purchase specialized equipment for it).

SeEtta

More Northern Mockingbird

Here is the photo that I cropped closer to enlarge. Just an interesting note is that this bird has light arcs above and below it's eye. I have not seen anything about this type of pattern in the field guides or other sources. Interestingly I see this characteristic, or sometimes a ring around the eyes, in photos of other Northern Mockingbirds in field guides and on the internet. Not sure what this means, maybe there are so many other distinctive field markings that it was considered unnecessary to list this?

Since lighting and angle (as well as the color accuracy of computer monitors) can influence the perception of color, I have looked at a number of photos I took of this bird and have posted 3 (2 yesterday) to this blog for others to check out. Also, it is standard to consider more than one field mark when making identifications due to individual variation and other sources of error. Unfortunately I was unable to find other field marks to differentiate an immature from an adult. I thought that the tail feathers (rectrices) might help but according to Birds of North America (BNA)online, "Differences in rectrices are of limited use in aging or sexing birds due to extensive variation among individuals."

Why is this bird not a juvenile? Birds of North America online states that this species undergoes it's first molt from juvenal to "pre-basic" (immature/1st winter) plumage in late summer. Northern Mockingbirds in juvenal plumage have breasts spotted with brownish to blackish spots and streaks. This bird has some brown streaking on its neck and flank. Adult birds have a buffy wash on the their flanks. I don't know about the brownish streak on its neck, it could some leftover juvenal feathers or it could be nothing more than individual variation.

Learn more about this species. And check out a close-up of the upper tail feathers and upper tail coverts (on top of the tail upper tailfeathers at the base) by double-clicking the bottom pic. Another interesting thing about this bird is that it appears in this, and a number of other pics I took, to not have the usual white outer tail feathers (rectrices)that is mentioned as a field mark for this species.
SeEtta

N. Mockingbird eyes (and tongue)

I have cropped this pic to zoom in on the head and body (less the long tail)of the Northern Mockingbird I photographed yesterday at the Pueblo Reservoir. Besides providing some great eye and feather detail for my rather esoteric exercise about deciding the age of this bird, I think it provides those not concerned with such exercises with the opportunity to see a Northern Mockingbird "upclose". This includes the opportunity to see the bird's tongue (and toenails) which is something most of us don't often see on smaller birds unless someone has the bird "in-hand" at a banding station. As I have noted before, detail is best seen by double-clicking on the photo to enlarge it.

But the main point for age identification is the eye which appears to me to be gray-green. The iris of adult birds per Birds of North America online is ". . .light green-yellow to dark yellow or occasionally orange . . ." Field guides either say the eye is yellowish/orangish or show illustrations with a yellow eye for adults and grayish eyes for juveniles.

For comparison, see photos of adult Northern Mockingbirds at Cornell Lab of Ornithology (have to click again on the photo to enlarge it) or at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (again double-click on all 3 photos to see eye color). Both of these are highly respected ornithology resources.

I will try to crop this photo for my next post just to the head to see if the eye will enlarge further.


SeEtta

Pueblo Reservoir Northern Mockingbird

In a December, 2006 I posted about a Northern Mockingbird I found at the Pueblo Reservoir. I added a not-so-hot photo of the bird which was rather camera shy. Today I saw a Northern Mockingbird in the same location where I found the December bird (so likely the same one as this species). However, today the mockingbird was a great photo subject as can be seen by these two pics (remember that I am using a 12X digital zoom). I stayed in my car so as not to disturb the bird (it makes more sense to not disturb birds as these photos demonstrate).

Though not real rare, this species is found very infrequently in winter here in Colorado. I believe that this is one of two Northern Mockingbirds reported at the Pueblo Reservoir this winter. Sometimes we have one winter in Canon City but I don't know of any this year here or that have been reported recently in other areas of Colorado. Birds of North America online notes that this species tends to stay year-round except at northern edges of its range. They further note that they believe these birds in winter do migrate out of the state but note that "some remain in urban areas." It further states, "Perceptions of status could be affected by reduced visibility of mockingbirds during winter." So I guess there may be more Northern Mockingbirds in Colorado than are seen and reported.

I recommend double-clicking on the photos to enlarge them so their feather to toenail detail can be seen. By doing so it is possible to see plumage and eye characteristics that indicate this is an immature bird (more on that tomorrow, it's getting late)

SeEtta

Eagle Day at Pueblo Reservoir

What a beautiful day today turned out to be. After all the snow and terribly cold temps it got to the 50's this afternoon (winds made it chilly, but nothing like the below freezing we have had). Mid-morning was great, with no wind to speak of and above freezing temps. Much snow was melted with both the warmer temps and the chinook (meaning snow eating)winds that drove the increase.

Though the recent bad weather reduced the numbers, there were still around 200 or so people who attened Eagle Day activities. Eagles, at least 7 were spotted today, were fairly cooperative so most were able to view them thru spotting scopes set up for the public. I saw several adult Bald Eagles though not the immature bird that was reported by others.



I was not able to get a photo of any of these eagles as they were too distant for even my 12X digital zoom and I don't have equipment to digiscope. But I did get this photo of a female Bufflehead and other photos I will add to separate posts.

SeEtta

All fluffed up against the cold

We lucked out last night-the arctic front blew through too fast to bring temps down as far as predicted or bring as much snow, only a few inches. And today it was sunny and temps bounced back to around 30. But the temps rose because the wind picked up and that brought a nasty wind chill. I caught this White-crowned Sparrow in a clump of rabbitbrush, all fluffed up to stay warm.


Because the temps didn't get too low last night (and maybe because there were so many waterfowl keeping the water stirred up?), there was still about the same amount of open water on Sell's Lake today. Only a few Canada Geese remained as the flock was likely feeding in some field. And I was relieved that there were no dead waterfowl as I have seen twice in the past several weeks on the ice.

Eagle Day at Pueblo Reservoir is tomorrow. Though it will be awfully cold in the early morning, it is supposed to get close to 40 in the afternoon.

SeEtta

Waterfowl gather at shrinking open water areas

After 3-4 inches of snow yesterday, the big arctic front that was predicted is descending on Colorado and bringing several more inches of snow. There are only 2 ponds with open water in the Canon City area and the waterfowl were gathering at them today.

One private pond had about 8 Common Mergansers, a bird that I have seen more on the Arkansas River this winter than at local ponds. Of course there will be more ice on the river with the temps down to 3 degrees F tonight. There were 3 scaup species, one of which I could id as a Greater Scaup but one slept and the third was diving repeatedly so I couldn't confirm the id.

The other open pond had a very large congregation of waterfowl with about 25 Common Goldeneye, several Redheads and Northern Shovelers, some Coots and at least 30 dark geese. However, as I drove away at least another 30 dark geese were flying in to spend the night. I hope that the density of waterfowl helps keep water open.

Then I was surprised to find a Wilson's Snipe, busily feeding in a ditch tailwater (the water being returned to the river by irrigators or a ditch company, often mistaken as a stream).

SeEtta