Canon City Riverwalk

I walked parts of both the eastern and western sections of the Canon City Riverwalk sevral times this past week. I have seen the Carolina Wren on one occasion, and only heard it on the other occasion, when I birded the bluff trail on the western section and got the bottom photo. This is indicative of how this bird often hides in clear view by signing from a perch that is behind a lot of branches, etc that can make it difficult to find. Double-click the photo for a better look.
The Black-capped Chickadees seem to be paired-up, appearing to forage together. White-breasted Nuthatches are heard making their "beedie, beedie, beedie" calls. American Goldfinch chatter away in the canopy. There are more ducks, mostly Mallards and American Wigeon in the Arkansas River along the riverwalk. And the male Red-winged Blackbirds like the one in the top photo are taking on their alternate (breeding)plumage as they sing.
SeEtta

Some lower Arkansas Valley lakes

Yesterday I had a meeting in Rocky Ford so took the opportunity to check out some of the lakes down that way. Though Lake Cheraw was just about 2/3 full, the rest were full to very full. This is due to being filled for irrigation storage as the water use rights belong mostly due farmers and ranchers in the area. The water levels are higher than in the past few years when most of Colorado was in the grip of a drought and water storage was reduced a lot. Following are the highlights:

Lake Holbrook (just nw of La Junta)--Horned Grebes in gorgeous alternate (breeding) plumage like those in the photos posted below at Brush Hollow. I saw several W. Grebes in addition to hundreds of common waterfowl.

Lake Cheraw (just ne of La Junta-there were waterfowl but all distant.

Blue Lake--(north of Las Animas) about 20 Am White Pelicans, some white-headed gulls, several hundred white geese (mostly Snow but usually would have some Ross'Geese)that haven't migrated north yet, some W. Grebes and Clark's Grebes in addition to common waterfowl. I also found a few N. Shovelers including the two in this photo at a drainage pond just south of the lake.

Lake Meredith--(north of Rocky Ford-I spotted 3 female Greater Scaup, a few Pintails, a number of Aechmorphorus grebes (including at least 2 Clark's Grebes), many N. Shovelers, many Ruddy Ducks, many distant gulls and hundreds of other common waterfowl.

Ponds across from the Ordway feedlot (which is right near Lake Meredith)-4 male Cinnamon Teal in beatiful alternate (breeding) plumage.

There were the usual Horned Larks and lots of singing Western Meadowlarks in the fields. I also saw several Red-tailed Hawks and one Harlan's Hawk. It was overcast all afternoon so difficult to get photos.

SeEtta

Update on Great Horned Owl on nest in Pueblo area

Just a brief update on the Great Horned Owl (and her partner) that is on the nest in the Pueblo area that I have been following. I stopped to check on them yesterday. When I first arrived I saw her perched in a pretty upright fashion but there were people close by and I did not want to give away her location. Owls on the nest are sitting targets for harassment as females will often stay on the nest when in danger, and if they do leave this can expose eggs or nestlings to weather that can be fatal to them. And owls are large enough that many people, once they are told how to spot them, can see them without binoculars, and they are large enough for target practice.


The only time I would give away the location of a nesting owl would be if the nest was in a sufficiently protected location that mischievous persons could not harass or shoot them. Indeed that situation presented itself to me several years ago when there was a nest across the river and on private property across from the Canon City Riverwalk. It was delightful to be able to show others the nest and the owls through my spotting scope.

Anyway, the photo I got isn't great as the light was fading and the female was laying down across the nest with her head just above the nest material, but by double-clicking on it the owl is easier to see. The male (in the top pic), as before, was perched nearby--maybe 150 feet away when I was there yesterday. He is such a handsome fellow-be sure to double-click on his pic to fully appreciate him (though I took the photo from about 40 feet below I did not flush him off his perch, an outcome I would consider disruptive and not appropriate; in fact, most of time I was there he was looking elsewhere) While I was in the area, the male and female hooted back and forth several times, presumably making "contact calls."
SeEtta

Osprey building nest on artificial nest platform

I stopped at the Pueblo Res after an appointment in that area today. I was delighted to spot one of the Ospreys carrying nest material. I positioned myself to watch and hopefully get some photos. Then I spotted the nest the Osprey was building. It was being built on one of the artificial nest platforms erected by our local electric utility (Aquila) that I posted about last month. It certainly didn't take these birds anytime since these nest platforms were just erected a month or so ago, and the Ospreys just started arriving in Pueblo last week.

The top photo is when the Osprey was headed out to get nest material, the middle photo shows it with nest material in it's claws and the last photo is of the artificial nest platform with the beginnings of a nest.

After the Osprey would return to the nest platform with more nest material, it would go about arranging this material with it's claws and beak. The process often involved a lot of wing flapping as the bird lifted off a little to facilitate the positioning of the sticks.
SeEtta

Horned & Eared Grebes getting all dressed up (amended)

Boy, I had to amend this post as it was all goofed up. I had typed the description for the Horned Grebes then added photos and a title for a page I was going to do separately for Eared Grebes. I found some of the Eared Grebe photos weren't very good so was going to combine both species in one post and got it messed up so I have amended the post. (that's what happens when I finish my posting too late at night)

After today's rain let up, I headed for Brush Hollow Reservoir to see if the weather front had brought in any migrating birds as can happen. I was delighted to find 5 Eared Grebes in varying stages of molt from their drab basic (winter) plumage to the very colorful altenate (breeding) plumage. Also present were 2 Horned Grebes already in alternate (breeding) plumage Of course they moved further out from shore when I arrived and stayed too far out on the water for even my 12X digital lens to get in a reasonable manner. After I drove a ways off looking for other birds, I noticed several of these grebes were feeding near the shore. So I did my best stealth approach, keeping some juniper trees between me and the grebes as I approached to about 50 feet from where they were feeding.

Though these are not the finest pics of these beauties, I think they provide reasonable views of one of the Eared Grebes undergoing molt. The colorful appearance of the grebe in the top photo show the gold feathers-"horns"-for which they are named. The middle pic shows off the gold "horns" in a rear shot. And the bottom pic shows one of the Eared Grebes in the process of molting--though still mostly in basic plumage it has acquired some of the golden "ear" feathers of alternate plumage.

Spring confirmation--singing meadowlarks

Though meadowlarks will sing occasionally during the winter, their bouts of song are brief. A sure sign of spring are the meadowlarks singing on and on with short breaks and with great vigor. This bird sang for a long while, took a break, then sang again.

These photos are of one Western Meadowlark (Eastern's are quite rare in Colo)I saw today. I love the brilliant yellow on their breasts. I enjoyed these pics so much I had to share 3 of them, so reduced the size to save space. However they can still be double-clicked to enlarge the photos to see details better. As I have mentioned before, I enjoy getting a photo in which I can clearly see a bird's toenails as can be seen in these pics.
SeEtta

Cool butterfly (Milbert's Tortoiseshell) in town

Besides the Carolina Wren that I photographed yesterday on the Canon City Riverwalk, I enjoyed some other treats including another view of an adult Cooper's Hawk soaring across the trail. A Cooper's Hawks has nested actually right over one the trails in recent and I am hopeful it will do so again this year.

This photos are of the other big treat, a very cool butterfly that I believe is called a Milbert's Tortoiseshell. It is certainly beautifully decorated.

SeEtta

More Carolina Wren pics

Here are two more pics I got of the Carolina Wren this morning that show the bird from different views. All 3 of the pics on this and the previous post were taken within about 5 minutes, starting just as soon as I got to the tree where the wren was perched. Then the bird either realized I was watching it, or associated me with the small click my digital camera makes, as it moved away. It then either sang from locations where I could not see him or when I could see him, he was behind a lot of limbs or vines so only partially visible.

The bottom pic is one of those fun ones that show how well birds can blend into their surroundings, and how they can think they are invisible behind some small branches. This photo was before the bird became evasive. It had dropped down, was quiet several minutes, then was making its way back up the tree when I caught it checking things out before it came up.

After I got my pics and the bird moved away, I stayed for another 20 minutes listening to him singing and calling. He emitting some interesting calls, including a very soft "muttering"-like call.

The top photo gets fuzzy when enlarged by double-clicking but it easy to see the bird in the bottom photo by doing this.
SeEtta

Photo of Carolina Wren on Canon City Riverwalk

This morning I stopped again on my way home from exercise class (walking ain't enough)to see if I could see the rare Carolina Wren that has been on the Canon City Riverwalk since last summer. Though I have heard it singing and calling, I had not seen the bird yet.

Ah, success. I parked in the Raynolds Street parking lot that is next to the Recreation Dept building. As soon as I got out of my car I could hear the Carolina Wren singing; however, it was not singing the "tea-kettle-tea-kettle-tea-kettle" song that it is best known for.

I found the bird only about a 100 feet west of this parking lot. He (only males sing) was singing from a perch and I was able to get this photo of him singing from about 15-20 feet away (I have a 12X digital camera then crop photos to enlarge them). Though it was on a high branch, it was still behind some small tree limbs so I had to photograph it through a "hole" in the tangle.

Though the photo isn't as crisp when double-clicked to enlarge it, it does show some interesting detail.
SeEtta

Black Phoebe in Canon City area

The last Black Phoebe I saw in the Canon City area, or anywhere in Fremont Co, was last fall. In some past years I have found them overwintering and this year 2 overwintered in Pueblo.

Yesterday I found the Black Phoebe in these photos on my friend's property near Canon City. This location has hosted the majority of Black Phoebes both breeding and non-breeding since I found the first bird of this species in Fremont County eleven years ago.

As can be seen on the bottom photo, a considerable amount of white can be seen in this phoebe's plumage though as clear in the top photo the white is not visible (though the grayish/whitish edging on the fligh feathers is visible). The bird was preening when I took the bottom photo which apparently caused the white feathers to be visible. Since the various molts (per life stages)occur during summer months to Sepember per Birds of North America online and that is also my experience with this species.

So these white feathers are not consistent with a molt status. I have seen white feathers in similar locations on Black Phoebes in the past but not as much as this. Birds of North America online doesn't mention any white underfeathers on the back or sides of Black Phoebes, so I am unable to explain this. Maybe I will hear from someone who can. (These plumage details can be best seen when you double-click on the photos to enlarge them)
SeEtta

Big horn sheep

Yeah, big horn sheep aren't birds; but most people I know enjoy other wildlife too. I saw this small herd of big horn sheep in Western Fremont Co yesterday on my way back from checking on the American Dippers.

Actually the canyon that H50 runs through between Canon City and Salida is called Bighorn Canyon because of the many big horn sheep that reside on the rugged, wild terrain that is mostly BLM public lands through much of this section. The young sheep are yearlings.
SeEtta

Nesting American Dippers

Yesterday I checked some areas in Western Fremont County where I have been monitoring breeding American Dippers. Though the Colorado Breeding Bird Atlas, which was published in 1998, didn't find occupied nests until May I believe they nest earlier than that--at least along the Arkansas River west of Canon City.

My first stop was the Texas Creek bridge. I found a pair of American Dippers that sang some and clearly (by the amount of droppings on the rocks by the bridge) had been spending a lot of time near that bridge. Though I couldn't locate a nest under it, it is quite possible there is one being built there as it is impossible to see under most of this bridge.

I drove further upstream and checked the Valle Bridge. That is where I found the nest and the American Dipper in these photos. It appears complete though I wouldn't venture to say if there was any further interior work remaining.

SeEtta

One last pic of Great Horned Owl mate

I just had to post this one last pic of the mate of the Great Horned Owl that was on the nest. I really enjoy taking photos of birds that think they are hidden as this owl apparently did. Be sure to double-click on the pic for the best view of the owl.

I think part of my fascination with these pics is the reality that most likely many more birds escape notice when they stay still behind tree limbs or foilage. In effect, the joke is truly on us humans who think we are so good at spotting birds.
SeEtta

Mate of Great Horned Owl on nest

Here are some photos of the probable mate of the Great Horned Owl on the nest that I posted on yesterday. Both photos are of the same owl but the plumage appears different with different light. This was also how the owl appeared in person, looking grayish then its' plumaging appearing brownish in the golden rays of the setting sun.

I really enjoy the very detailed plumage patterning on Great Horned Owls. This plumage detail can be seen best on the bottom photo by double-clicking on it so it enlarges.
SeEtta

Great Horned Owl on nest-update

I posted about a Great Horned Owl on a nest in the Pueblo area on March 8. Since I was in Pueblo today for yet another water meeting (oh, boy, this was training on Colo water law), I stopped at the area where I had found the female Great Horned Owl on the nest. I found her still dutifully brooding on her nest, and again she was staying low on the nest and only visible from a small area.

Shortly after I got to the area where the nest is located, I heard a Great Horned Owl hoot (the usual territorial hoot or song) from a location only a few hundred feet from where the female was on the nest. Then the female hooted back. Birds of North America online reports that "Males usually roost and hoot from immediate nest vicinity; female responds with at least 1 to several hoots, or the pair duets for a while; . . ." This is likely to have been a "location communication call", a way for the pair to keep in contact.

Interestingly, the male called with a deep barotone "voice" while the female's response was at a higher pitch. Be sure to double-click on the photo to see here clearer.

SeEtta

Sheepish Snipe

What a week-3 full days of meetings and training on water issues. Today was my first day without a meeting but have some more training on water issues tomorrow. So much for being retired.

Anyway, I did finally get a chance to do some birding today and ran across this Wilson's Snipe behaving normally--shy/sheepish/timid, all good descriptors for this generally reticent species. Their cryptic plumage allows them to blend into their environment and be hard to see even when in clear view.

This bird was about 25-30 feet away when I took this photo. Be sure to double-click on the photo to see the bird's features.
SeEtta

Tittering Bushtits

Late this afternoon I drove up into some (actually Canon City is surrounding by foothills with pinyon-juniper habitat, this was to the sw of the town) pinyon-juniper hills. A storm with rain (hurray-rain, not snow for us) was trying to move in. Sadly the county road I took went through 35 acre ranchette/after ranchette--all sprawl reducing the value of the habitat and it showed by the virtual lack of birds I saw or heard.

However on my way back down I was driving slow with my window open and I thought I heard the tittering noise of Bushtits. I stopped and indeed there was a small flock of Bushtits apparently settling themselves into some pinyon pine trees for the night.
SeEtta

Eastern Bluebirds and interesting woodpeckers

During my walk today on the Canon City Riverwalk I found a nice mixed flock consisting of a male and a female Downy Woodpecker, a male Hairy Woodpecker, a White-breasted Nuthatch and 3 Eastern Bluebirds (an unusual species this far west in Colorado).

Interestingly, a male and a female Eastern Bluebird appeared to be checking out some holes a trees near the river. It would certainly be cool, and rare, to have them nest this far west(though there have been documented breeding in Boulder Co).

Also interesting were that both the female Downy Woodpecker and the male Hairy Woodpecker had distal brownish primaries. I have seen Downy Woodpeckers with these brownish feathers before and have been told that woodpeckers with these brown feathers are sometimes seen here.
SeEtta

Carolina Wren & Yellow-rumped Warblers along Canon City Riverwalk

I walked the west section of the Canon City Riverwalk this morning, the first time since early fall. And it was a great day to do this--the temps came close to 70 again for the second time this week, and boy were the birds out and about. I ran into the other Canon City birder, Rich, and we birded together for awhile. I told him I had seen a Cooper's Hawk fly close overhead and he said he had also seen an accipiter, likely the same one given timing and location, also. He trumped the single Yellow-rumped Warbler I had seen with his count of 9.

We talked about the Carolina Wren that he had found on the Riverwalk last year in this area. Though he had not heard it for awhile, other birders had reported having seen or heard it in the past month or so. After we walked several hundred yards away from the location where he had heard this wren before, I heard the distinctive call that is often described phonetically as "tea kettle, tea kettle, tea kettle." It doesn't really sound like that, or other phonetic descriptions, to me but it is nonetheless distinctive. This shy wren would not come out to be seen and stopped singing when walked nearby on the trail (as opposed to the Carolina Wren that several of us saw and got to watch for several minutes at the Lamar Woods area during the Snow Goose Festival).

There were more nice birds there today but I will put them in my next posts or this would be too long.
SeEtta

Great Horned Owl on nest

I found this Great Horned Owl sitting on her nest in the Pueblo area today. I know it was a female as only the female incubates the eggs. Though her nest was in a large cottonwood directly above a paved trail, it was about 60 feet up. The nest was fairly visible, though I did miss it when I first walked by. However, the mother owl was only visible from one side and then only from a distance of 50-60 feet from the tree.
I took these photos from about 100-125 feet from the tree. These are both the same photo, I just cropped the lower one more than I did the upper photo. I included both because I think it gives an understanding of how well camouflaged this owl's nest was by seeing the upper photo. The best views can be had by double-clicking on the lower photo.

Red-winged Blackbird serenade

Today felt like spring with temps hitting 70 degrees F. And it sounded like spring at a Canon City area wetland with the Red-winged Blackbirds, replete with bright fresh plumage, let go with a clamorus serenade at sunset. There is nothing so vivacious as the colors in fresh plumages and the red and yellow epaulets of these birds can be brilliant in good light.
SeEtta

Lesser Prairie-Chicken dancing starts soon

It's time to make reservations for private viewing of Lesser Prairie-Chickens se of Lamar with the Dorenkamps, the couple who run Arena Dust Tours. As I have said when I promoted these tours before, I have no financial interest in this enterprise and am not related to the Dorenkamps. I just met them last year at a Colorado Birding Trail meeting. Like the few other businesses I provide links for (on the right side of the page), I like to help out those who provide exceptional service and, in this case, a great birding opportunity. Also, these folks are a part of the Colorado Birding Trail.

The Dorenkamps are ranch couple who fit the description "salt of the earth" (defined by Wikipedia as "decent, dependable and unpretentious"). They provide tours on private property to see displaying Lesser Prairie-Chickens, a species of special concern. They have access to several sites so if the birds are not displaying on one site, they will take visitors to one of the alternate sites. Fred Dorenkamp monitors the birds so knows how many birds have been showing up at each location. They now even have a bed and breakfast.

The alternative, the public lek provided on the Comanche National Grasslands(this is a very informative webs site), while free can be quite daunting. As it is required that visitors arrive at the lek site no later than 1 hour before sunrise/or remain until 1 hour after sunset, it is necessary to drive for sunrise viewing in the dark or drive back in the dark after sunset viewing. It is about a 45 minute drive to the public lek from Springfield, which is closest location for lodging, and a lot of driving on dark, sandy county roads with several turns not well marked (and the sand can be deep causing problems similar to hydro-planing plus there are drop-offs at the edge of the roads down there). It is advisable to do a dry run during daylight hours to find the route when signs can be seen as one doesn't want to make the wrong turn into some farmer's field where they can be stuck in the mud or sand, possibly miles from any human habitation.

The way Arena Dust tours work is that you drive to the Dorenkamps and park your vehicle safely on their property. Visitors are driven to the lek site so they don't have to worry about getting to the correct location or getting stuck. After the viewing the courtship dances of the Lesser Prairie-Chickens is over, visitors will be able to see other local birds on the way back and Fred will tell visitors about the area and it's history. Fred has a wealth of experience and is very knowledgeable about the land and it's history.

The Dorenkamps charged $50/person last year and I suspect the fee this year will be not too different. The third option for viewing Lesser Prairie-Chickens is to join one of the professional tour groups that have trips to view all Colorado grouse. They charged between $2,100 to $2,500 per person for these 9-10 day statewide tours or $1,500 for a 7 day specialized tour last year.

It's time to finalize plans as these "chickens" start diplaying in a week or so.
SeEtta

Juvenile N. Harrier on road kill

Today I saw a raptor, that was trying to feed on a rabbit that had been run over on a local county road, that appeared unusual. So I turned my car around to check it out. It turned out to be a Norther Harrier Hawk in juvenal plumage.

Though the it showed the white rump patch found with all Norther Harriers, there didn't seem to be much tail left at the end of these white feathers. However this birds' plumage was in rather poor shape--there appeared to be some feathers missing along the trail edge of its wings and the bird had apparently lost some of its tail feathers, giving the appearance of a very slim tail both in this photo and when I watched it. Visible in this photo are the tawny bars found on both juveniles and females.

This hawk was either very hungry or a big risk taker as it stayed on the ground in the roadway eating the rabbit while several vehicles approached, only lifting off at what appeared to me to be the last second. In fact I was fearful that this one big SUV was driving so fast the bird might not judge the speed correctly so I honked to flush it. The SUV never slowed down so I gave the driver a dirty look.

SeEtta

Swans in Pueblo

Boy, let the weather warm, the ice melt on lakes and interesting birds can be found. Today I was told that 2 swans had been found at Lake Minnequa in Pueblo and since I had an appointment there I stopped to look for them.
One of the swans is a Trumpeter, which is somewhat rare. The other is a Mute Swan--these are non-native birds that have been introduced into many ponds and lakes around the United States. The bird at Minnequa lake is an escapee from some other location.

The Trumpeter Swan was out too far to get a photo but I did get these pics of the Mute Swan. I think they are quite stunning even though they are non-native ( I don't believe they have created any problems for native species). Be sure to double-click on the photos to see the details of their feathers, especially on the lower photo--the swan had just fluffed its feathers and the wings and tail feathers are still fluffed out here. Note the bright orange bill with blackish tip and raised black "knob" above the bill--very distinctive features that make it easy to distinguish this swan from Tundra and Trumpeter Swans.

SeEtta

Red Canyon Road

I ventured north of Canon City on Red Canyon road looking for Wild Turkeys. There is a large flock (over a hundred) that lives on local ranches up that road almost to Red Canyon Park. I didn't find the turkeys. A local rancher who feeds them said that they stay down when its windy. He also said there had been a Mountain Lion in the area and the turkeys were pretty spooked.

It is a such a beautiful area that I just had to post this photo. The cliffs in the center and on the left are part of some escarpments that are famous for rock-climbing. I just checked my photo and it almost looks unreal so let me note that the only thing I did was to crop a small amount off the sides and no other editing was done. It's just a picture-perfect area.
SeEtta

Great new magazine-"Nature's Garden"

I have never given a commercial (or any other type for that matter) magazine a plug but I believe that "Nature's Garden" by Better Homes and Gardens is worth supporting. I purchased the premier issue dated "Spring 2007" at a local supermarket several weeks ago but it is likely to still be available as it shows "Display until April 17".

What's so good about "Nature's Garden"? It actually features native plants, which is really important for wildscaping for birds, butterflies and other wildlife (as native plants have evolved with birds and other wildlife, they best provide for their needs especially in a timely manner and often provide for more than one species). They have articles on ecologically friendly gardening methods such as using push lawnmowers and they have an article on a commercial but organic plant food that is produced by worms and packaged in an eco-friendly manner.

This first issue of "Nature's Garden" has articles on butterflies and also on dragonflies, including how to attract both. And there is an extensive article on bluebirds including details on how to build bluebird boxes and information on bluebird trails.

I think this is one of those times when we should encourage this more bird and ecology-friendly garden magazine than the usual ones (which often encourage use of non-native plants, herbicides and pesticides) by putting out a few bucks. Only when companies like Better Homes & Gardens see that people will buy these nature-friendly magazines will they produce them. So when you go to a grocery store or other store with popular magazines, look for "Nature's Garden" and buy one.

SeEtta

Nesting Bald Eagle

Today I did some birding in the Breeding Bird Atlas "latilong" (the area covered by one degree of longitude and latitude that is used for atlas surveys) that contains Fremont County and checked on a long-standing Bald Eagle nest. According to the Colorado Breeding Bird Atlas , the earliest date that Bald Eagles were found on the nest was Feb 27 so I thought it was worth a try. Indeed I found a Bald Eagle sitting on this nest.

Yes, this is an awful photo of that Bald Eagle on the nest, but it does show the humongous size of the nest and the eagles white head is visible (yes, that's what the arrow is pointing towards and all that dark area beneath it is the cup-shaped nest). But the photo ain't bad considering that this nest is located about a quarter mile off the road on private property. This nest, like many in Colorado, is in a large cottonwood tree and is more than 50 feet above the ground.

SeEtta