SE Colorado Birding

Transition to a new blog-Bird and Nature blog

2008-08-09T23:37:00.000-06:00

I haven't been keeping this blog up very well lately and that is because I have been establishing a new blog-http://BirdsAndNature.blogspot.com. I have had more success with this, the SE Colorado Birding blog, than I would have imagined when I began. The stat counter I have used shows that it has had more than 16,000 unique visitors since I established it in October, 2005. I have been surprised that visitors have been from more than 40 countries as well as the U.S. So I feel it has been successful.

However, it is time for me to widen the scope of my blog. Though I will still post mostly from SE Colorado since that is where I live, I will feel more free to post outside of this area and outside of the state as well as on butterflies, damselflies, frogs and other aspects of nature. I will keep my strong conservation focus.

I invite the many regular viewers to transition with me. Thanks for visiting and hope you will enjoy my new blog. SeEtta:

GO TO: HTTP://BirdsAndNature.blogspot.com

Close encounter of the "bear" kind

2008-08-07T16:05:00.000-06:00

The weather was very hot today so I headed for a little higher elevation in the San Isabel National Forest that stretches from just south of where I live in Canon City, CO to the New Mexico border. Though the temps were in the lower 90's (instead of around 100 as forecast for Canon City), birding was quite slow likely due as much because of the very dry conditions as the high temps. There were few insects for birds to eat and few flowers for hummingbirds and butterflies due to the lack of rain. Since it was less hot and I enjoy the forest, I stayed for several hours checking out a few birds, a few butterflies and moths, and a few wildflowers with my two dogs. My smaller dogs, Chase, let out some alarm barking several times but I couldn't find anything that should have caused it. I did use my binoculars to check for critters and considered the possibility that a bear could be around especially since there is a lot of scrub (Gambel's) oak in the area. However I had checked the plants and found that the acorns were very small and would not ripen for a few weeks plus there was no other obvious plants with fruit there, so I decided that the bears would not be interested--not an accurate conclusion. Since Chase can be a easily spooked, I thought was what caused his barking.Close to dusk I was pursuing two birds that were flitting from tree to tree when I heard a noise like something scraping a tree--something large. My pulse rate immediately shot up as I realized it could be a bear and I was about 150 feet from my car--and one of my dogs was outside by the car. As I walked sideways (so I could look in the direction I thought the sound was coming from) quickly (and telling myself not to go too quickly as I knew the prohibition about not simulating a prey--easier said than done when you want think a bear may be near). To make matters worse, the scraping noise not only continued but got louder (now I realize it was because I came closer to the bears as I walked to the car). I first pointed to my dog to stay then put my arms in the air to make myself appear larger (another thing that experts recommend). When I got to my car I got my dogs secured inside and stood by my door, then (and only then) did I put my binoculars up to look for what had made the noise--and I spotted this mother black bear with her two cubs now about 400-500 feet away and took these pics. She clearly did not want anything to do with me anymore than I did with her so was moving away. I think that she may have sent her cubs up a tree, and she may have been up there also, but got them down when I came too close.

In retrospect I suspect she and her cubs, which I believe are over a year old, had been in the area most of the time I was there and was the reason that Chase gave his alarm barking. I also suspect that due to the dry conditions even immature acorns are worth eating. I have seen black bears on several occasions over the past 10 years when I have been out birding but I have never seen one with cubs or been so close without something between me and the bears. Though I enjoy seeing bears, this was too close for comfort and even scarier since it was a mother bear with cubs. As bears are now engaged in eating marathons to fatten up for winter, I will take precautions when I'm out birding or hiking. SeEtta

Great conservation news for Boreal Forest!

2008-07-23T23:10:00.000-06:00

I am delighted to send out some good news for a change and especially since this is a major conservation victory: Ontario, Canada government has comitted to "protect over 55 million acreas of Canada's Boreal Forest. Per Dr. Jeff Well's "Boreal Bird Blog" this number of acres of the Boreal Forest is vital breeding habitat for the following species of birds seen in Colorado:

3 million Swainson's Thrushes (many of those that migrate across Colorado's eastern plains are thought to be migrating to/from the Boreal Forest)
4.5 million White-throated Sparrows (I believe most if not all of this species that we see in Colorado breed in or near the Boreal Forest)
5 million Dark-eyed Juncos (most, maybe all, Oregon and Slate race that we see in winter in Colorado breed in the Boreal Forest)
4 million Magnolia Warblers (rare, but seen in Colorado)
3 million Palm Warblers (also rare, but seen in Colorado)
2 million Tennessee Warblers (not quite as rare as last two)

Additionally it is "the world's single-largest terrestrial carbon storehouse"
"Contains the majority of North America's fresh, unfrozen water"
"Hosts some of the planet's largest populations of wolves, grizzly bear and woodland caribou." (from news article at first link below)

Read more about this at
news article
Boreal Bird Blog
Montreal Gazette news story

SeEtta

Possible juvenile Black-chinned Hummingbird

2008-07-20T17:35:00.001-06:00

Warning-the following is a very esoteric discussion of hummingbird feathers.
I believe the Black-chinned Hummingbird in these pics may be a male in juvenal plumage. When the top pic is double-clicked to enlarge it, the feathers on the head show buffy edges. Though not as clear, so do the nape feathers and some of the back feathers. Birds of North America (BNA) online states that this is characteristic of both male and female birds in juvenal plumage.
BNA (as well as other references) indicate that the outer 3 tail feathers (r3,r4 & r5) of female Black-chinned Hummingbirds are "broadly tipped with white." However this hummingbird appears to show diminishing white from the most outer to the next 2 tail feathers at least on one side (difficult to discern if true on both sides as tail feathers overlap in pic). A website entitled "Idaho Hummingbirds" shows photos of Black-chinned Hummingbirds being banded, stating that those with "greatly reduced white on r3" (this is the third rectrice,or tail feather, as counted from the center to the outer tail feathers)is typical for immature males. This is basically confired by BNA which states that there is more white in the tip of the third rectrice in females than in male birds in juvenal plumage.

To call this a male is likely a stretch but I think the pics show that this hummingbird is in juvenal plumage (not sure what age). I am hoping that someone with more expertise in hummingbird identification will confirm or disconfirm if this bird is an immature male Black-chinned. SeEtta

Black-chinned Hummingbirds

2008-07-20T17:34:00.000-06:00

Before I saw the nighthawk in my previous post, I spent some time in a friend's backyard in La Junta enjoying the Black-chinned Hummingbirds coming to his feeder (and the 30 Chimney Swifts flying over plus the up to 12 Mississippi Kites doing their graceful acrobatics).
This bright male Black-chinned Hummingbird appeared to be the top hummingbird in a few conflicts at the feeder. Black-chinned Hummingbirds are not common on the eastern plains although they have been documented nesting south of La Junta where there is a lot of pinyon-juniper habitat, their most common nesting location per surveys in the 1990's that are documented in the Colorado Breeding Bird Atlas
The velvet black of the male's chin, upper and side portions of it's throat provides nice contrast to metallic violet-purple on the lower part of it's throat. SeEtta

Young goatsucker

2008-07-20T17:33:00.001-06:00

For those who are not birders, the term "goatsucker" will likely conjure up thoughts of possibly bats that suck the blood of goats. However, goatsucker is the name of a family of birds that includes Common Nighthawk like the one in this pic as well as the better known poorwills (like Whip-poor-wills and Common Poorwills).

Common Nighthawks are active mostly at night though they are sometimes active during the day. Like all members of the goatsucker family, they are cryptically colored. This one is a juvenile of the southwestern subspecies (per The Sibley Guide to Birds as indicated by it's cinnamon feathering. It was perched on this fence after a nice prairie thunderstorm was almost over (a few raindrops are visible in the pic). Though the pic gets a little blurry, it is interesting to double-click on it to see it up-close. SeEtta

"Manufactured homes for the birds "

2008-07-19T14:00:00.001-06:00

High Country News had a short article of a creative and somewhat desperate attempt to provide artificial cactus needed for the Coastal Cactus Wren:

"With a catastrophic rise in wildfires over the past two decades -- most of them sparked by human activity in this rapidly developing corner of California -- thousands of acres of hard-won coastal sage reserves have gone up in smoke. The wren’s population has consequently plummeted. The bird nests only in mature cacti at least 3 feet tall, and such stands take decades to recover from burning."

Read the full article (available free) hereSeEtta

2008-07-17T23:23:00.000-06:00

A few days I did some birding in the pinyon-juniper habitat around the Royal Gorge (a deep canyon through which the Arkansas River runs just before it gets to Canon City). I saw birds expected in this habitat including 2 Gray Flycatchers. As I drove slowly along a gravel county road looking for birds I spotted the Northern Pygmy-Owl in these pics.
This is the first pygmy-owl I have spotted without benefit of some auditory cues. I have previously spotted Northern Pygmy-Owls that were calling and about 10 years ago I spotted a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl in Mexico after hearing some land birds fussing near it. The bottom pic is what I saw when I put my binoculars on this owl after spotting it with just with my eyes. It was just under 100 feet from the road in snag branch of a juniper tree.After I shot these pics, the owl opened it's beak and emitted insect-like calls. (Birds of North America (BNA) online states, "Nestlings and fledglings give Begging Call that sounds insect-like, similar to katydid’s “song”" I also heard the same insect-like call coming from below this owl and then a second Northern Pygmy-Owl flew out from the foliage in the live juniper branches beneath the first owl. Then the first owl flew off. I continued to hear the insect-like calls and was able to follow the owls as they flew from tree to tree. I believe there were at least 3 of these little (they are only about 7 inches tall) owls there.I believe this owl is in juvenal plumage as it does not have the distinctive spotting on the crown and nape as adults do. Also, the bill is grayish instead of the yellow that BNA and some field guides describe for adults (but some field guides describe other colors so this is not consistent or definitive). I also believe this is probably a fledgling owl because it emitted a call that is given by nestlings and fledglngs (it is not a nestling as it is clearly out of the nest).Johnsgard, in North American Owls (2002, p.141) says that, "Northern Pygmy-Owls are "seemingly nonsocial, tending to remain solitary or in highly dispersed pairs (or family groups) through-out the year." So it seems most likely that the 2-3 owls I saw were a family group.BNA states, "Once fledged, young seem to stay close together and one or both parents feed them." So this probable fledgling may have been with one or more siblings and likely a parent. It is possible that their nest site is not far away. Though this species is known to nest in pinyon-juniper habitat as they were found in, there was a nearby ravine with deciduous trees that was likely a riparian area associated with an intermittent stream.

Please note that the middle pic enlarges for a pretty good super close-just double-click on that pic. SeEtta

Black-crowned Night-Heron

2008-07-09T18:14:00.002-06:00

In addition to checking Lake Henry yesterday, I checked nearby Lake Meredith and found 5 Snowy Egrets, the adult Black-crowned Night-Heron in this pic (please note that the bulging red eyes are real and not an artifact of photography) and a juvenile Black-crowned Night-Heron. There were some Western and Clark's Grebes swimming around the lake but none with young. There were also distant white headed gulls.

Not far from Lake Meredith I found a mixed flock of early migrating sandpipers in a small section of an agricultural field that was flooded from a few recent downpours. There were 3-5 Pectoral Sandpipers (they moved in and out of the vegetation so couldn't get an accurate count), 2 Baird's Sandpipers and 1 Least Sandpiper. Though I got some pics, they weren't high quality so will wait until shorebird migration is in full swing and I can get some better pics to post. SeEtta

Update--breeding grebes at Lake Henry

2008-07-09T18:10:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I stopped by Lake Henry to check on the Clark's and Western Grebes that have been breeding there. I found several parent's with dependent juveniles like this Clark's Grebe swimming behind it's parent. There were also some grebes still nesting in the floating vegetation that formed a mat on the lake (visible in this pic). If anyone can identify the floating vegetation, shown in this pic (click on the pic to enlarge it for a close-up of the vegetation), I would appreciate your noting what it is--just click on the "comment" link at the bottom of the post. SeEtta

Black Phoebe family update

2008-07-07T13:51:00.005-06:00

I have been able to continue monitoring the Black Phoebe family that I posted on in May and June. I usually see 1 or 2 of the juveniles every day. They have only moved about a half mile from their nest site, and still on or accessible from my friend's property. I was thrilled this week to see all 3 juveniles and a parent.These are pics of one of the juveniles. I waa actually laying on my back trying to get better pics of the Lewis's Woodpeckers I recently posted on when this young bird flew onto a tree branch only about 25 feet away. Unfortunately, it was in the shade of the tree and telephoto lens do best with good light (the same problem I have had with the Lewis's Woodpeckers) so these pics are best displayed in a smaller size than I usually use. SeEtta

Red Racer/coachwhip snake

2008-07-06T23:52:00.001-06:00

So here I am, spotting the snake which was about 20-25 feet up in this tree, watching the snake slither over branches as it moved around adeptly. I had been aware previously that snakes climb trees but had never seen one until now.And this snake appeared more concerned about me than about the Bullock's Orioles that were screeching at it. In fact, this snake appeared to stop it's movement to look directly at me, as shown in the bottom pic. This was more than a little disconcerting to me--yes, I knew it was not going to jump on me, but I am frightened of snakes and to have one in tree branches above me stop to look directly at me was just kind of creepy.

So why would I stay there taking pics of this snake? Just because I am afraid of something doesn't mean that I am not interested in it (I'm also afraid of heights but will stand, albeit holding onto a sturdy railing, at the edge of the Grand Canyon to take pics of it).I haven't mentioned that this snake was about 6 feet long. The top pic shows most, though not the entire length of the snake (it's head is on the left but it's tail is further right outside the photo). SeEtta

Snake-fighting orioles

2008-07-06T23:40:00.000-06:00

Birders learn to pay attention when birds are agitated as this may be an indication that a predator is nearby. Usually that predator is a raptor, and sometimes we can find owls this way. So today when I saw 2 male Bullock's Orioles behaving in an agitated manner, I was drawn closer to see why. I thought it possible that one of males might be upset that the 2nd male was near it's nest, but it seemed more than that. I watched closer and soon saw the object of their anger--a Red Racer snake (referred to as a coachwhip snake in Amphibians and Reptiles in Colorado by Hammerson). And it was in the tree that they were in!!!
The two male orioles were soon joined by a female Bullock's Oriole as they scolded the snake. Likely there is an oriole's nest(s) nearby and they were trying to get the snake away from the nest. Red Racer/Coachwhip snakes eat birds eggs so there was good reason for the orioles to be concerned. These snakes also eat birds and I thought the orioles came awfully close to this predator. More on this snake species in the next post, SeEtta

A birder's last flight

2008-07-05T22:52:00.005-06:00

Today I said good-bye to a local nature lover and conservationist, Joan Williams. Joan was also a birder who enjoyed attending Audubon field trips to view birds around SE Colorado. Joan was a fellow board member in our local Audubon chapter. Though her health had been declining, she attended meetings regularly and served as our refreshments chairperson. She was also very active in volunteering to work at our booths at various events.I looked in my photo files yesterday so I could get a few pics for her family. Though many showed her working our booths, several were of Joan looking at birds brought by the Raptor Center or at those being banded--visual reminders of her enjoyment of birds and of her passion to help promote conservation (sadly, many birders lack this vital link between the birds they enjoy and the activism necessary to ensure their continued existence). I share one of each of those here.As final good-byes were said at the cemetery, two birds sang from nearby trees. How fitting--but was this a musical bon voyage or an invitation to join her avian friends.

Juvenile Clark's Grebes practice independence

2008-07-04T23:36:00.006-06:00

The juvenile Clark's Grebe in the top pic doesn't appear ready to be far from it's parent though it appears too large to ride on the parent's back. I have seen some this side at least try to climb onto the parent's back but the parents seemed to discourage it by swimming away. As can be seen, the juvenile has it's bill wide open--it may be calling to the parent to feed it.
The young Clark's Grebe in the bottom pic was swimming about 20 feet away from than the parent grebe that sleeping (they sleep on the water with their heads tucked in). It does appear to be an older chick (though not as old as the one in the top pic) and apparently both it and the parent considered it old enough to practice a little independence while the parent got some shut-eye. Fortunately this juvenile and it's parent were near the large vegetative mat on the lake which motor boaters and ski-doos stay away from as the vegetation clogs their blades.

Note: these pics came out better than the ones I posted previously due to having a sunny day rather than the cloudy days when I was there before. Good light is really important when taking distant pics like these with a zoom lens(the grebes were about a hundred or more feet away. SeEtta

Grebes still with babies on their backs

2008-07-04T22:41:00.007-06:00

I made a quick trip to Lake Henry yesterday and was rewarded by the sight of a number of Clark's and Western Grebes still with chicks on their backs and some juvenile grebes learning to be independent. These pics are of a Clark's Grebes that was still "back-brooding" (brooding their young on their backs) its chick.
The downside of the trip was the many ski-doos and motorboats that were on the shore near the 40 recreational vehicles that were already camped there and there would likely be a number more arriving later yesterday and today with their motorboats and ski-doos. While I was there, I watched 2 ski-doos driving very fast across the lake causing grebes to dive for their lives.

The really sad thing is that parent grebes will avoid diving with young chicks on their backs until a real emergency as their offspring can drown. It's really unfortunate that recreationists consider their recreational participation more important than survival of birds and other wildlife--tis is true of other motorized recreationists (like those with ATV's) and even non-motorized recreationists (eg, climbers who disturb nesting raptors).

This includes birders who consider their observation and photographing of birds more important than the birds' welfare, especially when it comes to pursuing rare species or those that are listed as Threatened or Endangered. Indeed it's not just selfish ski-dooers that are a threat to birds but birders who should know better. SeEtta

More Lewis's Woodpecker pics

2008-07-02T09:05:00.001-06:00

Here are two more pics of the nesting Lewis's Woodpeckers that I took yesterday. In the top pic, the woodpecker is entering the nest cavity. In the bottom pic, the woodpecker is getting ready to fly out of the nest cavity. The top pic appears almost artificial but the colors are natural and have not been modified though I did have to lighten the pic as the nest cavity is in the shade. Also the eyes are large and dark just as shown in the bottom pic. SeEtta

Nesting Lewis's Woodpeckers

2008-07-01T23:47:00.002-06:00

I found a pair of Lewis's Woodpeckers bringing food to nestlings in the tree cavity that is just in front of the bird in these pics. The nestlings must be older as the woodpeckers (both the male and female feed the nestlings) were making frequent trips to the nest cavity to bring food. I also saw them coming out of the nest hole with fecal sacks in their bills. SeEtta

Bright orange oriole

2008-07-01T23:22:00.000-06:00

Male Bullock's Orioles, they species found here in the west, have such brilliant orange plumage, but it only shows up when you can get a pic in good light. That can be a trick since this species spends a lot of time under the canopy of large trees where their mates are nesting.

These male orioles are good dads in my experience. I see them bring food first to the female when she is in the nest then to the nestlings and finally to fledglings. They seem to do their share of parenting including protecting nest sites with their loud calls, removing fecal sacks from the nest (according to Birds of North America online and accompanying some fledglings after they leave the nest (presumably to show them how to find their own food, etc). SeEtta

W.Wood-pewee on nest

2008-06-30T23:56:00.002-06:00

This pic shows a Western Wood-pewee on it's nest that I found next to the Arkansas River near Canon City. I am beginning to think that this bird is young as I have walked by this nest daily, usually twice a day, and only seen a bird on it one time in 2 weeks (certainly she may be on the nest for many hours when I'm not there).

As can be seen, the nest is compact and well woven. Per Birds of North America online the nests are "neatly woven of grasses, plant fibers, bark, plant down, feathers, and hair bound together with spiders’ webs; lined with fine grasses, hair; decorated with moss, insect puparia, exuvia, or bud scales." SeEtta

Communal feeding-40+ hawks

2008-06-30T23:31:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I found a field south of La Junta with more than 40 hawks. They were mostly Swainson's Hawks, a species known for it's communal feeding, but there were several Ferruginous Hawks there also. There was a mixture of ages with adults and birds in juvenal plumage. And I was really surprised to see 3 quite young hawks, about half the size of the adult Swainson's Hawk that was attending them. These young hawks seemed too small to have fledged from their nest and there were no trees nearby that might support a nest that they could return to.

The field in which these hawks were feeding was a hay field that had been cut. There were cattle grazing on the hay stubble and the hawks followed the cattle as they moved further away. I saw grasshoppers on the road where I was standing and think it is likely that the hawks were feasting on these insects which make up a good part of the diet of Swainson's Hawks (Ferruginous are known to eat insects also but usually feed on small mammals). The cattle may have been stirring up the grasshoppers as they walked around and grazed on the grass.

Unfortunately the nearest hawks were about 200 feet away, too distant for my DSLR camera. This pic is of one of the almost full-sized Swainson's in juvenal plumage that I took by digiscoping, a new modality I am still trying to learn. I couldn't get a pic of the feeding group as they were spread out up to hundreds of feet from each other. SeEtta

Flickr

2008-06-24T01:01:00.001-06:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Please take my short poll on right

2008-06-21T18:46:00.001-06:00

I just added a short poll found on the right side of this page. I would like to get some feedback from those of you who read my blog to see if you are happy with what I am doing or have other preferences. SeEtta

Grebe chick swallowing fish

2008-06-20T23:39:00.006-06:00

I returned to Lake Henry yesterday to watch the grebes some more and try to get some better pics of the chicks (they are so small, the pics of them do not enlarge well). I might add here that Clark's Grebes look quite similar to Western Grebes but the white on their faces goes just above the eye and onto the lores, while the white goes below the eye in Western Grebes. Also, Clark's Grebes have brighter yellow bills, with paler backs, less extensive black on flanks, and some more subtle characteristics. There is a caveat regarding characteristics since during winter some Clark's Grebes have an intermediate plumage including the white not extending above the eye.I was delighted to watch as a parent grebe fed a fish, which looked awfully big for the size of this chick, to a chick. In the top pic, the Clark's Grebe parent has come to the surface with a fish in it's beak. In the middle pic, the chick has the fish in it's beak and with it's head pointed up it is trying to swallow the fish while the parent watches nearby. During the process of swallowing the fish, the parent intervened a few times either taking the fish back or maybe helping reposition it for it's chick (they were over a hundred feet away and there were big waves and so I couldn't always see exactly what was happening).The last pic shows the chick working on swallowing the fish from a more close-up perspective--actually the chick successfully swallowed the fish shortly after I took this pic. SeEtta

Grebe eye color

2008-06-20T23:16:00.000-06:00

I should have noted that Western and Clark's Grebes have red eyes (described as scarlet in Bird of North America online)as shown in this pic. One of the regular blog readers mistook this for the artificial "red eye" sometimes caused by photography.

Additionally, both Eared and Horned Grebes also have red/scarlet irises. Many birds have eyes of various colors including yellow, white and black as well as red.

I have run into the problem of photographically induced "red eye" when taking pictures of owls with a flash. It is also a common problem when photographing dogs. But the red eyes on all the Western and Clark's Grebes pics here come naturally. You can get a real close-up view of the eyes by double-clicking on this pic. SeEtta

Black Phoebe family update

2008-06-20T22:19:00.000-06:00

Day 11--Observed an adult Black Phoebe feeding two fledglings in protected area. A third independent bird (now called a juvenile as it is independent) foraged along the river where I have seen it for past several days.

Day 12--Observed 5 Black Phoebes today. An adult was feeding two fledglings in the protected area. At one point the adult had been taking a break from the work of feeding these fledglings and when a fledgling approached it the adult flew away, followed by the fledgling. Maybe the adult will stop feeding the fledglings soon. And a juvenile plus one more Black Phoebe of unknown age were flycatching along the river.

Day 13--Independence at last! The last two Black Phoebes in juvenal plumage were sallying after insects today in the the protected area. There was no sign of any adult bird. This is two days longer than what is noted in Birds of North America (BNA) online. BNA notes that Black Phoebes attain independence from 7-11 days after fledging, but note the information is based on limited observations.

Day 14--I made this observation today. I didn't get out until late afternoon (up to today I made at least 2 visits/day) and found only 2 juveniles foraging along the river. SeEtta

W.Grebes with babies on their backs

2008-06-18T23:24:00.001-06:00

Both Western and Clark's Grebes engage in "back-brooding" of their young--after the young hatch, they climb onto their parent's back "within minutes of hatching" according to Birds of North America (BNA) online. They remain sheltered within the feathering on the back of either the mother or father, who take turns brooding the young.
As these pics show, the baby grebes will sometimes stick their heads up to look around. The hatchling grebes can be seen better by double-clicking on the pics to enlarge. I took these pics yesterday at Lake Henry, which is located north of La Junta. This year a vegetative mat formed on part of the lake and hundreds of Western and Clark's Grebes began nesting there.

Interestingly, when a parent is done with their turn at brooding, "the parent rises in water and flaps wings, young fall off and move to other parent. Adults may assist young in climbing back by holding one foot stiffly out on surface to rear, this used as foothold." (also from BNA)The non-brooding parent grebe catches fish and brings it to the brooding parent, a behavior I saw one time yesterday. SeEtta

Kansas City searcher

2008-06-17T00:34:00.000-06:00

I saw that someone from KC, Mo had used Yahoo to search my name. I can only believe this is someone who knows me. If that person reads this, please leave a note by hitting the comment button on the most recent post. SeEtta

Sunbathing Black Phoebes

2008-06-16T23:52:00.001-06:00

In between visits to the Black Phoebe family I have been following at my friend's property, I visited a second pair of Black Phoebes that appear to be nesting under a RR bridge over the Arkansas River east of Florence. While watching the pair, I was surprised to see one Black Phoebe, then the other, engage in sunbathing. Since these birds stay about 75 feet across the river, I wasn't able to get a good enough pic of this behavior to post.

Over the hundreds of days I have spent observing Black Phoebes in Fremont Co, I have never seen them engage in sunbathing. Though some other species of birds are known for sunbathing, Birds of North America online states that there is no information on sunbathing by Black Phoebes. I suspect there is a paucity of knowledge about this species. SeEtta

Day 10--5 Black Phoebes still together

2008-06-16T23:32:00.001-06:00

Earlier in the afternoon I spotted an adult and two fledglings back in the protected area with the adult working hard to feed one or more fledglings. I did find an apparently older sibling (eggs are usually laid one per day so one fledgling is several days older than the bird whose egg was laid last) flycatching independently on the river (the independence marks the move from fledgling to juvenile). That is the bird in this pic that just caught a good sized dragonfly (looks like a Twelve-spotted Skimmer).

When I returned late in the afternoon they had moved to the river. Since our temp had gone to 95, I appreciated the relative coolness near the river. However it is more of a challenge to observe them as they tend to stay under trees and other vegetation and I cannot go to the opposite bank to view them. I could hear them quite well and carefully walked closer. I was surprised to see all 5 Black Phoebes still together. SeEtta

Day 9--Black Phoebe family-action later that day

2008-06-15T23:36:00.000-06:00

I returned in the late afternoon on Day 9 and found the family had returned to their shady shelter in the trees overhanging the water. I could see an adult catching insects and bringing them into the foliage, which always caused a small uproar of "baby bird chirping" (sounds like many other baby birds when parents bring them food). Frustrated that I still could not see the fledglings inside the cover of the limbs and leaves, I carefully came up from the other side where I continued being frustrated as they just weren't visible from any location (at least any location where I would not disturb them).

As I sat watching for a glimpse of a bird sallying out after an insect, 2 Common Grackles flew into the area where the Black Phoebes were located. The grackles were making loud grackles calls and there was a hub-bub, then the I saw 3 Black Phoebes fly out and away from the disruption. The grackles kept up with their squawking and after a few minutes I found (when it flew out, followed again by the grackles) that they had followed/chased a Cooper's Hawk into the tree. It was getting late and I didn't want to stress the Black Phoebes by trying to refind them so left for the day.
SeEtta

Day 9--A day in the life of the Black Phoebe family

2008-06-15T22:49:00.002-06:00

Day 9-(actually yesterday--it wasn't bad enough I was still behind from writing comments but I got a virus in my computer and have had big problems editing pics). I dropped by in the morning to check on the Black Phoebe family and after a short time I heard their distinctive calling ("tsip" but often sounds like "seep" or "sip" to me). The fledglings were for the first time away from water--they were perched on a limb on top of a pile of old tree limbs. Was I surprised to see 4 Black Phoebes sitting next to each other on this limb and they all looked like fledglings, how could that be? I wasn't sure as they were more than 150 feet away in the shade and before I could get my scope on them a 5th Black Phoebe flew in and fed one of the fledglings then 2 birds flew off!

This not-so-great pic shows 3 Black Phoebes, all fledglings, that were left perched on that limb. I sat in my car watching for either of the other two Black Phoebes to return in hopes I could see if the 5th bird was a fourth sibling or the other parent. After 20 minutes with no action, I gave up with plans to return in the later afternoon. SeEtta

Black Phoebe Family saga--fledgling growing up

2008-06-14T23:29:00.000-06:00

Day 8--Wow, one of the fledglings is really growing up--it flew around the sheltered area and then out more than a hundred feet away from the sheltered area. This is the first time I have seen one of the fledglings being this independent. This is the fledgling in this pic. The brown tips on flight feathers are apparent. There is still some residual orange gape that is visible when pic is double-clicked to enlarge it.

I could still hear other fledglings in their tree thicket and a parent still is bring ing food. SeEtta

Much more on Black Phoebe family

2008-06-14T23:27:00.000-06:00

Sorry to leave people hanging but I had to focus on writing comments from my Audubon chapter and the state Audubon on an Environmental Impact Statement for a major water project affecting natural resources in SE Colorado (it took me about 20 hours to write the 8 pages and 1 page of bibliography, now my mind is numb). I did, however, run over to my friend's to look for and keep track of the Black Phoebe family which fortunately settled in at the protected area where I refound them on Day 4. Unfortunately they demonstrated a lot of sensitivity to my photographing them (darn digital cameras make a lot of noise relative to the old 35mm cameras) so I didn't get any usable pics for Days 5-7 since I didn't want to disturb the family.

By the way, I am numbering days with Day 1 being the day the youngsters fledged

Day 5--I saw a fledgling sally out after an insect and it caught it successfully. Later I was near the nesting location and found 1 adult and 1 fledgling very near the nest--what a surprise. In past years I have observed the adults splitting up the fledglings with each taking one or two and taking care of them separately--hopefully that is the case, which would indicate that the 3rd fledgling actually survives. Maybe it was the youngest and not as strong a flier so a parent kept it near nest instead of moving with the other 2 fledglings to the protected area that is almost a quarter mile away.

Day 6--At least one parent bringing food to fledglings that are mostly staying hidden in a Russian Olive in a small thicket of tree limbs and snags overhanging the water. This provides a nice shady area for the fledglings to get out of the warmish sun.

Day 7--Occasionally a fledgling would emerge from the trees to sally after an insect. At least one parent still feeding them.

Much more to come. SeEtta

Black Phoebe family refound

2008-06-09T23:36:00.000-06:00

I pleasantly surprised to refind the Black Phoebe family today. As this is day 4 since the young fledged, I didn't think I would see them as they move further from the nest. And they did move almost a quarter mile away to the location I saw one of the adults yesterday. And a great place it is--still water, overhanging trees, protected from the wind by a hay barn and a number of dragonflies and other flying insects (in fact a mayfly perched on the inside upholstery on my car door--they are really small).

Both Black Phoebe parents were actively sallying after insects which they would quickly take to the fledglings that were well protected (and non visible due to all the branches and tree leaves) in some trees with branches that were overhanging the water. A few times one of the fledglings flew out into the open onto one of the branches but it returned quickly to the shady area within the tree branches. When one of the fledglings perched near an adult, the shortness of it's tail relative to the adult's tail was most evident.

The parent bird in this photo has a good sized dragonfly in it's beak. I was impressed by the size of the dragonflies that the parents were catching to feed the fledglings--one appeared to almost 4 inches in wing span, which would make a large meal for a Black Phoebe. SeEtta

Another day in the life of Black Phoebes

2008-06-08T23:48:00.000-06:00

Today is the third day that the Black Phoebe fledglings have been out of the nest. I found them, and an adult, several hundred feet from the nest site. This is consistent with my prior experience with this species--they stay near the nest the first day or so then move the fledglings further out on day 3. It is also my experience that the Black Phoebes move away so I have been unable to refind them after day 3 so this is likely the last time I will see (or at least know that they are the birds born here) these fledglings.

Unfortunately I only saw 2 fledglings so it is likely that one has already perished. This is consistent with information in Birds of North America (BNA) online which states, "1 to several young often disappear during first 3 d after fledging." BNA also notes that the family moves away after day 3. The fledglings were demonstrating strong flight skills today and had flown across to the other side of the river, which is about 100 feet. The parent and fledglings were all calling fairly frequently (presumably the fledglings were calling to communicate their hunger and the parent may return calls to keep contact or give instructions to avoid the human with the big eye, as I imagine my camera lens appears to them). The fledglings were keeping to the overhanging vegetation and flew away after I took 2 photos.

Interestingly I saw an adult Black Phoebe a quarter mile away. I don't think it was the parent that was attending the fledglings since that bird was very busy feeding them, and they were all still in the same area when I walked back. Maybe one of the parents was taking a break from parental duties. SeEtta

The Black Phoebes have fledged

2008-06-07T23:55:00.000-06:00

Here are the fledgling Black Phoebes from the nest in the previous post. They fledged day before yesterday. The parent(s) brought them to the tree closest to the nest as I have observed during prior nestings. This tree is only about 100 feet from the nest but is a great tree for hiding new fledglings as it has many branches overhanging the river below. I saw all three fledglings but was unable to get a pic with all of them together. Actually they were again a challenge to photograph as they were perched on the overhanging branches with lots of other branches in between. At least one parent was attending them and I watched as one was fed. The brown edging indicative of immature Black Phoebes is quite evident in these pics as is the orangish gape. Their tarsi (legs) are in between the orange of hatchlings and the brownish-black of adult birds. The same is true of the toes which are turning from the yellow found on hatchlings towards the brownish black found on adults. Juvenile Black Phoebes are a darker black than adults, which is reflected in both pics. Otherwise they look like adult birds with blackish upperparts and white underparts. The fledglings were making calls similar to adult, presumably the "tsip" calls identified in Birds of North Americaonline. SeEtta

Nesting Black Phoebes

2008-06-07T23:43:00.001-06:00

Typically found along streams in the southwest, this species is found in only a few locations in Colorado. They are found in southwest Colorado, southeast Colo near the New Mexico border, in Pueblo County and since 1995 in Fremont County where I live. Since I found the first Black Phoebe in Fremont Co, they have returned and increased in numbers and nesting locations and recently have been found in Salida (just a short distance from the western edge of Fremont Co where they have nested for several years).I found the first nesting Black Phoebes on private property near Canon City. They nested under a foot bridge over a canal. After nesting in an open area where Barn Swallows also nested and frequently flew by, they moved their nest to under the center section of the bridge (as shown in the second pic) that is difficult for the the swallows to access. It is also difficult to photograph since there is usually water in the canal. Earlier this week the canal was shut down and I took the opportunity to obtain these pics of the Black Phoebe nestlings in their nest.The top pic is a close up of one of the Black Phoebe nestlings while the 3rd pic shows this same nestling with the wings and tail of a second nestling that is lying in the opposite direction (with head not visible). Getting photos with the nest only a few inches from the bottom of the concrete (and setting back about 18 inches from the opening) was challenging (there is a reflection from the concrete at the top of the pics). I was several feet back from the nest and I stayed only a few minutes so as to minimize disrupting the birds. As I've noted before, I am happy with reasonable pics like these since getting really good pics would involve a high level of intrusion. Do double-click on the top pic to get a super close-up view.

I could see there were 3 nestlings in the nest, but the 3rd bird was on the other side of the nest so didn't show up in any pics. I figured these nestlings were getting close to fledging and as noted in the next post, they did fledge only 3 days after I took these pics. SeEtta

Bright but hard-to-see Yellow-breasted Chat

2008-05-23T23:36:00.000-06:00

The Canon City Riverwalk has been filled with songs from both neotropical migrants and resident songsters-and louder than them all is the cacophonous vocalizations of Yellow-breasted Chats. This chat got my attention by mimicing the "mewing" calls made by the Gray Catbirds that had been singing in the area--I really thought I would see a catbird so was surprised to find this chat making the calls.

Though the males have bright yellow throats and breasts like this bird, they are most effective in concealing themselves behind branches and leaves. I stood most still to let this bird think it was concealed from me as I took these pics and listened to it calling. SeEtta

Gray Catbird "hidden" inside my blue spruce tree

2008-05-22T23:39:00.005-06:00

Gray Catbirds are skulkers, staying in the dark recesses of thickets they can be difficult to photograph. They are beautiful singers that have one of the most complex songs. They also have am repertoire of vocalizations, including a number of what I can only categorize as "sweet nothings" that is used between family members. I know this because a pair nested under my dining room window several years ago and I was able to watch them as close as 8 inches away (through blinds) and listen to their vocalizing for hours each day.This catbird was singing softly from an internal branch about 8 feet off the ground inside my 40 foot tall blue spruce (fortunately these trees often have a big open space inside with bare limbs as shown in these pics). I approached very carefully--slowly and quietly so as not to intrude (yup, that's the key--DO NOT INTRUDE, not only is it considerate but it pays off with good views and good pics). Apparently this bird thought it was well hidden by the spruce branches through which I was viewing it so it continued singing while I went into the house for my camera, returning to take several pics including some when my flash went off (I can't seem to figure out how to turn my flash off) from only about 8 feet away (peaking through the outside branches). The flash is captured in a reflection in this bird's eye in both pics. SeEtta

Cooper's Hawk

2008-05-20T23:14:00.003-06:00

This morning as I birded the Canon City Riverwalk, I looked up and found this Cooper's Hawk perched about 35 feet directly above the trail. I believe this is the female that has a nearby nest. This bird is often perched either directly above or near the trail, but few general trail walkers spot her. She was seen frequently over the week-end as the Colo Field Ornithologists convention was being held in town and many birded the riverwalk.In the top pic, the hawk has it's wings spread a little, showing the underwing feathers well. The bird was getting ready to fly off and had moved it's wings out in preparation. The tail is well visualized also. The lower pic shows the head and face including the red eye ,a most distinctive feature on this species. The lower pic is an enlargement from the upper pic. The whole upper pic is enlargeable so double-click on it to see other parts of the hawk up close. SeEtta

SE Colorado specialty-Canyon Towhee

2008-05-20T00:43:00.002-06:00

SE Colorado has a number of specialty birds not found in other parts of Colorado, or not found reliably outside of SE Colorado. One of those is the Canyon Towhee, normally found in the southwest. Though mostly brown, they have a nice reddish crown and rufous undertail coverts which are both visible in this pic. SeEtta

Sandhill Crane off course

2008-05-14T23:27:00.000-06:00

A lone Sandhill Crane seen in this pic has been in agricultural fields in Florence for several days. It is unusual for them to be here this late as they stop here on migration to and from their breeding areas. I hadn't seen any cranes for almost a month until this one showed up. It is also unusual to see one by themselves as they are flocking birds.

Today I saw this crane in a flooded field where a flock of about 200 dark ibis were feeding. I guess the ibis were the best substitute for a flock of Sandhill Cranes that this crane could find here. SeEtta

Cooper's Hawk on nest

2008-05-13T23:53:00.001-06:00

Though I have a lot of pics of neotropical migrants I need to post, I wanted to get this nesting photo on the blog. For the several recent years a Cooper's Hawk has nested on the Canon City Riverwalk right above the trail. I could not find her nest last year but saw a Cooper's Hawk flying in the area so figured she had found another location for her nest. A few days ago I found her nesting as shown in this pic. SeEtta

Bright Western Tanagers moving through

2008-05-10T15:41:00.005-06:00

Like many other neotropical migrants being seen now in the lower elevations of SE Colorado, Western Tanagers are just stopping over on their way to their higher elevation breeding grounds. The first Western Tanager I saw was 5 days ago and it was female. This is one of the two males I saw this morning on the Canon City Riverwalk, the first males I have seen this year--what colorful birds they are.

I have several more pics of recent birds to post, but have been busy birding due to lots of migration activity. I will try to get a few more pics posted tonight and tomorrow so stay tuned. SeEtta

Baby owls now in juvenal plumage

2008-05-05T23:50:00.001-06:00

The last set of baby Great Horned Owls I have been following on private land have matured to juvenal plumage. As can be seen in this pic I took yesterday, this nestling has brown feathers though it still has some white down. Though this nestling and it's sibling are now just over 2 weeks old, I kept my photography to 10 minutes. As usual, this photo has been enlarged--I was standing about 40 feet from the nest. An adult, likely the female, was across the road about a quarter mile from the nest.

After leaving the area and birding down the road, I stopped back by but viewed the nest from about 150 feet. The mother was in the nest, likely feeding the nestlings. Though this could be a great photo, and easy for me as they are in a private area to which I have access, I chose to leave them alone so as not to disturb vital feeding activity. Though I have enlarged this about as much as I can, double-clicking on it to enlarge it more will provide a great close-up of the owl's eyes (the eyes are still pretty sharp though the feathers are not) SeEtta

Ethical bird photography

2008-05-05T23:19:00.004-06:00

Here is an article about how a professional photographer named Alan Murphy practices ethical bird photography and gets great bird photos--not by interfering with birds but by setting up his photos according to the "bird's desires and needs, not his own." Because he took the bird's needs into account, he got a natural photo that was exceptional because the bird felt safe. Read the article, from Birder's World magazine blog,

This provides support to my belief that both bird photography and bird observation are most effectively accomplished when people actively avoid disturbing birds and minimize intrusion into their lives. Certainly those of us who are amateur bird photographers are not likely to use photo blinds or spend several days setting up a bird photo shoot. However, there are a number of things we can do to reduce disturbance and minimize intrusiveness. One example is using your car as a photo or observation blind--I do this a lot and find it a very successful technique when feasible. Both birders and photographers can use trees and other vegetation to reduce our profile to the birds--I did that this week-end at Lake Cheraw while viewing and photographing shorebirds and all I had was tall weeds to stand behind, but it helped.

SeEtta

Canada Goose goslings

2008-05-02T23:01:00.000-06:00

I saw these hatchlings at a local pond in the Canon City area a few days ago. Goose hatchlings are called goslings and these appear to be only a few weeks old. These are the first I have seen this year. SeEtta

"Baby owls ready to fledge"--have fledged

2008-04-29T23:20:00.002-06:00

As noted in comments under original post "Baby owls ready to fledge?", Brandon notes that he was there and they had fledged. I am glad to hear he saw one in a tree. I stopped by this afternoon after a meeting and found them gone but could not locate any fledglings or parents. This is most unusual.

Generally fledglings move to tree branches nearby where they practice short flights. Per Birds of North America online, "capable of 3–4 short flights of diminishing distance; tire easily." And this is my experience. Fledglings need time to strengthen their muscles so they can fly further distances.

So I am happy that at one fledgling that Brandon saw is ok. I hope the other 2 are also ok. Baby owls are very vulnerable. When they were in the nest, they were proverbial sitting-ducks for anyone who wanted to throw things at them or shoot them. Once they fledged they are vulnerable to attack by off-leash dogs, coyotes or other raptors (including unrelated Great Horned Owls). They may also be hit by cars. And they could be easily worn out by people chasing after them to view them up close or take close photos. SeEtta

Hatchling Great Horned Owl

2008-04-27T23:30:00.004-06:00

This baby owl was less than a week old when I took this pic last week in the Eastern Fremont Co area. Because it was so young, I took a few pics and left the area in less than 5 minutes so the pic is not as good as it would have been if I would have been more concerned with getting good photos than in reducing disturbance. Today, with the babies (now 2-3) a little older and not as terribly vulnerable as when I took this photo, I stayed for 10 minutes and found places to take photos without branches in the way (I will post those tomorrow). This was a good-enough pic--a better pic would not be worth the risk to the hatchling. Though this is a close-up view, I shot the pic from about 50 feet away then enlarged it.

A baby owl this young is vulnerable to overheating, or getting too cold. The mother owl, that would provided protection from heat or cold with her insulating feathers, had flushed. Though it was not a hot day I didn't want to take a chance with this very young hatchling. Fortunately, this nest is located on private land with very limited access by people.

Why is this a hatchling--it is covered in all white down. This will start being replaced on it's back with grayish down from ages 7-21 days. Do double-click on the pic for an even close-up view. SeEtta

Baby owls ready to fledge?

2008-04-26T23:35:00.004-06:00

The Great Horned Owl nestlings that were born in the tree stump have been stretching their wings and getting ready to fledge. As can be seen in the top pic, they have molted most of their fuzzy baby feathers (see some on top of head) but they are still very appealing.The mother owl, shown in the bottom pic, was perched nearby. Previously she had perched at a distance from the nest. I suspect she might be concerned for the safety of her offspring as there was a local photographer there and 2 fishermen came over to check out what he was photographing. I stayed only about 10 minutes in order to reduce disturbance. Do double-click on both of these pics to see these owls up close, especially the top pic. SeEtta

Great Egrets fishing in wetlands

2008-04-20T23:59:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I checked some wetlands in E. Fremont Co and found 2 Great Egrets, an uncommon migrant in this area. I think they are quite elegant with their long graceful necks. I enjoyed watching one of them fishing--they often stalk their prey, standing very still then rapidly jabbing into the water. Though they primarily eat fish, they also consume invertebrates--per Birds of North Americaonline, "particularly crustaceans, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and small mammals."Great Egrets are easily flushed so I had to be quite careful in order to get these pics. As soon as I tried to put up my tripod so I could get better pics, the bird flushed.I was happy I was able to get the top pic that shows the head with the beautiful green lores and eye-ring that show up quite well. That really sets off their yellow iris'. Their long wings show well in the middle pic and the extreme neck-curve during flight is shown in the bottom pic. SeEtta

Long-billed Curlews stop-over to feed

2008-04-18T23:50:00.000-06:00

A large area around, and some in, the small and economically-depressed town of Ordway (north of Rocky Ford)experienced a catastrophic wild fire this week. A very sad situation for this area, especially the loss of 2 firefighters, several homes and a number of animals, the fire will likely have beneficial effects on the grasslands it burned. Grasslands evolved over many centuries with fire or other disturbances, which are essential to the health of these prairies. And some species have evolved to benefit from the burns including Mountain Plovers.

While birding in that area this week, I did not find any Mountain Plovers in the burned grasslands but did find a flock of at least 10 Long-billed Curlews including the one in this pic seen foraging in the burned area. Unfortunately this pic is not as high quality as I prefer, but the curlews were several hundred feet away and this pushed my zoom lens (about 420 mm equivalent with lens extender) to it's limits.

These curlews likely made this stop-over from their migration to feed on the roasted insects. Long-billed Curlews are a species of significant concern so I am always pleased to find them. SeEtta

Horned Grebes+ in La Junta/Ordway area

2008-04-18T23:48:00.001-06:00

I birded in the La Junta to Orway area in the lower Arkansas Valley this week. Lake Henry and Lake Meredith both had a few Horned Grebes in their gorgeous Alternate (breeding) plumage, several hundred American White Pelicans, several hundred Aechmophorus grebes, waterfowl dominated by Northern Shovelers, hundreds of Barn Swallows, white-headed gulls and hundreds of Yellow-headed Blackbirds. Holbrook Res had similar species.

Obvious in the American White Pelican pic at the bottom is an "epidermal plate" (that extension that rises up from the far end of it's bill--it kind of looks like a horn but is not, just fibrous tissue). According to Birds of North America online, it's purpose "plate not clearly defined, but it is probably involved in courtship or agonistic behavior during pairing and territory establishment." The other two pics are of a Horned Grebe that has a fish in it's beak. In the middle pic, the fish extends horizontally from it's beak as though it was a cigar. This middle pic shows the interesting way that it's plumage is arranged, reminding me of an improperly-fitting toupee. Their deep red eyes are almost as distinctive as the yellowish plumage "horns". SeEtta

Broad-winged Hawk in Canon City

2008-04-15T17:36:00.003-06:00

Though no longer terribly rare, Broad-winged Hawk sightings are pretty unusual Colorado. Yesterday I saw the one in these pics along the Canon City Riverwalk. I haven't seen a lot of Broad-winged Hawks but I believe this is a first year bird. However, I cannot tell if it has attained Basic I plumage or if it's still in the transition from juvenal plumage. So I am posting both pics hoping that someone more familiar with the plumage phases for this species will clarify as I would like to learn more. SeEtta

Baby owls

2008-04-12T23:45:00.004-06:00

This pic is of the nestlings from the Great Horned Owl I have followed for the last 2 years. Though only 2 neslings are visible in the top pic, there actually are 3 nestlings but the youngest (and smallest) is hidden by the other two. Owl nestlings are cute very fuzzy, especially right after they hatch.

The nestling on the right side in the pic shows this fuzziness well while it's older sibling shows a progression to juvenal plumage. It won't be long before the oldest nestling fledges. Do double-click this pic to enlarge it for a super close-up and crisp view. SeEtta

Sandhill Cranes in the San Luis Valley

2008-04-06T23:08:00.006-06:00

Anyone who has ever birded Colorado's San Luis Valley knows how special it can be when you get to watch raptors or Sandhill Cranes flying with the Sangre de Christo Mountains as a backdrop as the middle pic shows. I enjoyed a few hours of birding there yesterday including a flock of about a hundred Sandhill Cranes including those in these pics, first of the year Great Egret, Snowy Egret, American Avocet, several male Yellow-headed Blackbirds and 2 probable White-faced Ibis.

Rough-leggedHawks in Wet Mtn Valley

2008-04-06T00:30:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I had a conservation related meeting in Westcliffe so I got in some birding in the Wet Mountain Valley (where Westcliffe is located) afterward. It was a gorgeous spring day with temps almost reaching 60 F there which is quite good for the 7,000+ foot elevation of the area.

I was delighted to watch this Rough-legged Hawk hop off a fence to grab a small mammal in a field. After it consumed the little critter, it flew off and landed onto the pole in top pic. After posing for some pictures it flew off again and flushed another Rough-legged Hawk off the next transmission pole. (See this beautiful hawk up close and personal by double-clicking on the top pic--it has such good quality that it will enlarge again nicely)

As I watched it fly, a third Rough-legged Hawk flew nearby. As I drove around the valley I saw several more Rough-legged Hawks but there is no way to know if they were all additional hawks or some I had already seen. Whether there were only the three I saw together or as many as a possible 6 hawks, those numbers are all good for the relatively small area in the Wet Mountain Valley.

The last pic shows the Wet Mountain Valley with the Sangre de Christo Mountains in the background. This is a handsome agricultural valley, with a wealth of water that comes from run-off of nearby mountain snows. SeEtta

Owl photo comparison

2008-04-05T00:04:00.002-06:00

I have been asked to give some info on how I took the photos and with what equipment. I shoot in jpeg format. I used a Canon xti 10 megapixel digital SLR camera with a 70-300mm zoom lens and a 1.4 lens extender for a 420 mm equivalent. I hand-held the camera for all shots. I took the photos at dusk, with light fading but did not use a spot light (on a few pics, the flash on my camera automatically engaged but was not very effective due to distance from owl). I did have a spot light with me but I haven't used one on any owls for over 3 years as I try to view and photograph with as little disturbance as possible especially during breeding season (when I hear and see most owls). I certainly could have improved my photos had I used my spot light but I am satisfied with the photos I got. The owls were about 100 feet away. I enlarged all the photos and I also lightened them with Adobe Photoshop Elements software as the originals were dark due to it being dusk.

This photo is the same photo as the top photo in the post below but before I enlarged and lightened it. Double-click to enlarge and see how details become clearer. Fortunately the 10 megapixel camera, and a steady hand, allows significant enlargement while maintaining quality. I would rather do this type of editing than risk disturbing breeding owls by putting a spotlight on them to get better original photos. SeEtta

Courting by Northern Pygmy-Owl pair

2008-04-03T23:21:00.000-06:00

On my way home from a conservation meeting on the west slope in Glenwood Springs, I stayed over to do some owling in Chaffee County. I drove up into some good habitat at dusk last night. Though I had not been in this area before, it had not only a diversity of conifers but nice stands of aspen trees and a small stream so I considered it worth a try. As I didn't hear any owls calling, I whistled my N. Saw-whet-like tooting.

Soon I heard a melodic singing nearby. Though I didn't recognize the singing, I walked in that direction looking for small owls and I spotted the Northern Pygmy-Owl sitting on a branch of a large aspen shown in the first pic. She emitted some soft one-syllable calls and soon a second owl joined her as shown in the second pic.

The two little owls gave soft calls (anthropomorphically, they sounded like "sweet nothings" or songs of endearment) occasionally. Soon the second owl hopped a little closer and wiggled it's body around.

Then the second owl hopped right next to the first owl and commenced to engage in allopreening (mutual preening) with the first owl. Of course I had no idea that they were allopreening--actually it looked like they were kissing (as all I could see is one would lean over and put it's face on the other owl and moved it's head around) so I was back in my confused state. They both preened the other though the second owl, the one that started it, did more preening of the first owl. After 2-3 minutes of allopreening the second owl flew off to a nearby conifer and disappeared into the branches. The first owl remained on the same branch for another 5+ minutes, preening itself for a minute or so, then it flew off. I looked around but could refind either owl.
When I got to my motel room I checked Birds of North America (BNA) online where I read that they had a report of a male and female N. Pygmy-Owl pair allopreening after copulation and that allopreening is reported for Eurasian Pygmy-Owl.. Just to be sure this is what I had seen, I googled N. Pygmy-Owl and allopreening--to my surprise I found a video on AOL of a pair of N. Pygmy Owls engaged in allopreening. Though the video is distant, I confirmed that this is what I saw my two owls doing. You can see this at http://video.aol.com/video-detail/northern-pygmy-owls/1976669378.

More about these owl later. SeEtta

Mountain Plover pair engaged in breeding behavior

2008-03-26T15:23:00.013-06:00

Yesterday was a gorgeous spring day with temps up to the 70's in SE Colorado and I had to be in a meeting in Pueblo until 2 pm. As my meeting was on the east side of Pueblo I decided to make a quick trip to the area north of Rocky Ford & La Junta to check the lakes and look for Mountain Plover. The winds increased so many birds were hard to find. There were white-headed gulls, waterfowl and American White Pelicans at Lakes Meredith, Henry, Holbrook, and Cheraw. Of note were 2 Horned Grebe still in Basic (non-breeding) plumage at Henry and a single Greater Yellowlegs at Holbrook.But finding a pair of Mountain Plovers that engaged in breeding behavior that I was able to photographically document made my day and this trip well worthwhile. I spotted the Mountain Plovers in a field adjacent to Lake Henry. By the time I turned my car around and parked, the male had mounted the female. I was amazed that they remained in this position (the only behavior was the female shifting around with the male shifted around to balance on top) for 8-10 minutes before they copulated! I have to admit I was perplexed by this and used to my spotting scope just to make sure that I was not somehow missing the fact they were copulating but they clearly were not. I have since read in Birds of North America(BNA)online that "Male remains mounted from 46 s to >13 min before coition." The second photo shows the male mounted on the female prior to copulationThe third photo (just above this paragraph)shows them as they engaged in copulation which took 30 seconds or less. This photo shows how they position their tails to facilitate copulation. And the forth photo (just below this paragraph) shows the male as he is dismounting.
After they completed copulation the male walked away from the female and, as noted on the last pic, he assumes the "horizontal threat position" which BNA says occurs after copulation (or when the female doesn't crouch) while the female calls (may have to double click on the pic to enlarge it to see her beak open and throat/throat feathers inflated). SeEtta

Western Screech-Owls

2008-03-25T23:36:00.001-06:00

I located a pair of Western Screech-Owls in a small grove of cottonwoods and was privileged to listen to them sing to each other for about a half hour. The male called first with the "bouncing ball" call, then the female responded with a higher-pitched, short and sweet sounding "kew" call (this did not sound like an alarm call as described in Birds of North Americaonline, but a soft sound).

The female called from a tree several hundred feet from the one in which the male perched. After exchanging calls for 5-10 minutes, the female flew into the male's tree and they continued calling. Later the male flew out and the female followed, then calling ceased.

I was able to get this pic at dusk without risking disturbing the owl with a spotting light or a flash. Remember that I have a long zoom lens on my camera so I was not as close as this pic would indicate. However, there was some disturbance as they stopped singing while I took several pics (maybe the sound of the digital SLR or my presence). When I realized they stopped singing, I moved away quickly and they resumed singing. I once followed a mother and her recently fledged offspring for over a month. Indeed, this species can tolerate humans but we still need to exercise caution as we can disturb them. SeEtta

Correction-Satyr not Eastern Comma Butterfly

2008-03-21T23:38:00.004-06:00

3-23-08 CORRECTION--This is a Satyr Comma not an Eastern Comma butterfly (my butterfly identification skills are pretty basic).

In each of these pics the butterfly seems to hold it's head up at an angle--I don't know why it would. However, this position reveals it's striped jaw-area (not called a jaw on butterflies). The middle pic shows well a "comma" for which this species is named. It also shows how this butterfly blends into the leaf litter when it's wings are closed. SeEtta

Another Great Horned Owl on the nest

2008-03-20T23:36:00.008-06:00

Yesterday I re-checked two locations where Great Horned Owls had successfully nested last year. I had checked these previously without success. At the first nest, one that is inside a tall stump, I found the Great Horned Owl in these pics. I want to admit that I took these pics closer than I would usually do and that is because this stump is only about 50 feet from a well-used trail (though I took these pics from about 80-90 feet away and with my telephoto lens). So this owl has accomodated to humans fairly nearby.

Nevertheless, I left my dogs in the car and was very quiet so as not to disturb her. As these pics show, she continued to rest with her eyes almost closed (I don't think it's possible to ascertain if she was sleeping) and she did not move about (these pics were from different angles). As can be seen, this owl blends in to the stump quite well, thus avoiding detection. I also want to note that I was very careful to not let others see me watching the owl or taking pictures. Why? If many people know she is there, there is a good chance that a nest failure could occur when people unknowingly approached too close disturbing her. And there is also the chance that some less nice people might intentionally harass or try to harm her (people still shoot owls). So I believe that the first rule of birding (and of bird photography) is to do no harm; and with nesting raptors that includes not revealing their location.

The other nest site was vacant but I found an occupied nest about a quarter mile away. I listened to this female and her partner sing to each other, and duet (sing overlapping songs) a little. SeEtta

Killdeer, common but striking

2008-03-20T23:25:00.004-06:00

Killdeer can be found throughout North America and are quite common in many locations. They are so common that they are dismissed by many birders who focus on rarities. I think they are uncommonly striking in their appearance as these two pics demonstrate. SeEtta

Picture-perfect covey of Scaled Quail

2008-03-15T23:15:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I did some birding in the Rockvale, a very small town just a few miles southeast of Canon City. There I found an immature Harris Sparrow, but it was not cooperative about it getting it's picture taken.

However, a covey of Scaled Quail were not only cooperative, but they sat atop a large rock as though intentionally posing for the top pic. They are so cute anyway, but this was a fun shot to take. Their preferred habitat for this area is in the background--tree cholla, which provides great cover from predators. I enlarged the bottom pic to give more detail of this neat-looking birds. SeEtta

Increases in Cassin's Finch

2008-03-14T23:43:00.005-06:00

Cassin's Finch is a another mountain species that comes down to Canon City in the winter, and this year they seem to be here in increased numbers. In the past few weeks I have seen small groups of them in Rouse Park, along Temple Canyon Rd, and along the Canon City Riverwalk. Most I have seen have been females, though I don't know why that might be.

I have also had one Cassin's Finch, though only one, a few times in my yard coming to my feeders. This female fed mostly on thistle seed though she also tried some safflower seed. These pics show the pale eye-ring, weak (but clear)face pattern, crisp streaking and very long primary projection (where the primary tips project beyond the tips of the tertial feathers). In the top pic a safflower seed is visible inside the bird's mouth. Both pics enlarge nicely to give very close-up views so double-click on each pic. SeEtta

Breeding Owls

2008-03-09T23:06:00.000-06:00

In the last month I have been checking a number of areas for breeding owls and have found Great Horned Owl on the nest plus I have heard several other Great Horned Owls, Western Screech Owls and Northern Pygmy Owls calling. This owl is this photo is using a nest that was occupied last year by a Red-tailed Hawk. Owls usually use nests built by other species like this.

An owl like this sitting on a nest, especially since I saw her on it a week ago, meets the criteria for "confirmed" breeding for updating Colorado's Breeding Bird Atlas which is underway. Please note that I took this pic from 300-400 feet away with my 70-300 mm Canon zoom lens with a 1.4 extender (making it about the equivalent of a 420 mm lens). Never get close to an owl or other raptor on their nest as this can cause a breeding failure. SeEtta

DFO trip & Brown Creeper

2008-03-08T23:35:00.011-07:00

The Denver Field Ornithologists brought a group of birders to Canon City two days ago to try for the rare Golden-crowned Sparrow and bird at some of Canon City's great birding areas. I accompanied the group for the first half of their trip including birding at the Tunnel Drive area where the Golden-crowned Sparrow was seen by all participants. Then I brought them to the Canon City Riverwalk which was very birdy with a number of Cassin's Finches, a species fairly uncommon here.

We also had great views of this Brown Creeper that was first intent on probing the tree bark for nuggets of invertabrates, then stopped to groom. The cinnamon feathers on the bird's rump are visible in both pics. Though the top pic loses quality when enlarged, the bottom pic really shows feather details well enlarged so do double-click on it. SeEtta

Wintering Yellow-rumped Warblers

2008-03-05T22:22:00.005-07:00

Each winter several Yellow-rumped Warblers winter in several areas of southeast Colo including Canon City. Today I found 3 Yellow-rumped Warblers in a local park in Canon City that is just about a half mile from where I live. We received about 3 inches of snow today, and it was snowing when I was taking pics (which creates problems with lighting). All three birds were foraging actively, flitting around a group of evergreen trees, chipping loudly.

I also found several Cassin's Finches, including one male, in the same park. Though Cassin's are usually uncommon here, I had one female Cassin's Finch at my feeders and found several more females on Temple Canyon Rd on the far west side of town. Other birds on Temple Canyon Road were both Mountain and Western Bluebirds and one Northern Shrike. SeEtta

Post note--I forgot to note that both of these pics will enlarge for more detailed views by double-clicking on each one.

Pretty prairie Merlin

2008-03-04T23:04:00.000-07:00

This little beauty has been frequenting a black walnut tree at my friend's farm just east of Canon City. I think that Merlin's have sweet-looking faces. A member of the falcon family, they are accomplished in making abrupt turns when pursuing prey. SeEtta

Waterfowl beginning to move

2008-03-02T23:41:00.004-07:00

It's March and buds are forming on trees, owls are sitting on nests and waterfowl are beginning to move. Cinnamon Teal have showed up in several areas including the Canon City are in the past week. I wasn't able to get a cooperative male Cinnamon Teal to let me get a good pic, but this American Wigeon in it's colorful splendor did. All the male waterfowl are vividly colorful in the plumage their acquired since last fall's eclipse plumage. SeEtta

Toot, toot, tooting a two-owl night

2008-02-24T23:29:00.000-07:00

Feeling better yet, I decided to try a little owling starting at dusk. I don't use recorded calls--I have seen them too easily abused as it is easy to keep playing the calls over and over ad infinitum. This can distract an owl from feeding or from engaging in breeding behavior successfully. I prefer to mimic owl calls, though I am limited in my repertoire.

My preferred mimic is the tooting call of the Northern Pygmy Owl--just a long, repetitive string of whistled "toots." It is more difficult to abuse mimicked calls--first, it is hard to keep whistling "toots" for too many minutes and real owls can more quickly realize that what they are hearing is not another owl (clearly, recordings of owl calls can fool an owl for a longer time).

So, I began my series of "toots" in a location where 2 N. Pygmy Owls returned my calls earlier this winter. Within an unusually short time I could hear I was getting a response, but the response was from a Western Screech-Owl like the none in this pic (not tonight's owl which did not come into sight, this is an owl I found in my backyard 5 years ago). I quickly switched to my best W. Screech Owl call, though it is more difficult and doesn't sound nearly as good as my tooting. Though this area is predominately pinyon-juniper habitat, there are some deciduous trees including cottonwoods in the area. I have a W. Screech Owl in the area several years ago. This owl continued to call for a few minutes then drifted off, likely having realized I was neither a suitor or competitor. So I moved on, trying my tooting calls at several locations.

A few miles away I tooted briefly out my car window, with the engine running as I could not pull off the road, and heard my tooting calls returned. I drove to a nearby safe location off the road but the calls had stopped. I called again, soliciting a lengthy (several minutes) response of repetitive toots from a Northern Pygmy Owl. I was again in predominately pinyon-juniper habitat though with not only some deciduous trees but also some ponderosa pines. After a while this owl moved off without making itself visible. This was a very enjoyable way to get back into my birding after being sick. SeEtta

Inquisitive Red-tailed Hawk

2008-02-23T23:27:00.002-07:00

One of the events that occurred while I have been off-line was the annual Pueblo Reservoir Eagle Day. Every year the Air Force Academy bring their captive falcons down and fly one for the crowd. This year that attracted two local Red-tailed Hawks including the one in these pics that I caught flying close to check out the new competition (for food resources). I got the bottom pic with my zoom lens engaged fully while the hawk was flying close by. The sun shining through it's tail enlivened the view. Though the top pic doesn't enlarge crisply, double-click on the bottom click for a super close-up of feathers and even feet while in flight. SeEtta

I'm back with a White-crowned Sparrow

2008-02-22T22:06:00.006-07:00

Wow, it's been 3 weeks--first I had computer problems, then I got sick with bronchitis which put a quick stop to my birding and most everything else. Finally I'm getting better.

I actually took this pic of this handsome White-crowned Sparrow just before I got sick--be sure to double-click on the pic to enlarge to really see it's beautiful brown eye. White-crowned Sparrows are common birds in the lower elevations in SE Colo during the winter. They tend to hang out in flocks feeding on small seeds from grasses as well as from shrubs such as rabbitbrush. Rabbitbrush, a common and prolific native plant here, has truly evolved with the native species that utilize it. When it is in bloom in late summer/early fall, butterflies feast on the blossums; then as the blooms are gone, so are the butterflies. The blooms are replaced by seeds just in time for the White-crowned Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos to move down from the their mountain summer homes. What a beautiful system. SeEtta

Horned Lark--common but declining

2008-02-01T00:51:00.000-07:00

The Horned Lark is found year-round across most of the United States and has been considered abundant. However it has experienced a decline of more than 50% in the last 40 years according to
the National Audubon Society Common Birds in Decline report.

I found the Horned Lark in this pic perched today atop a fence post in eastern Fremont County. SeEtta

Correction on Golden-crowned Sparrow

2008-01-26T00:10:00.000-07:00

I was incorrect in stating that the Golden-crowned Sparrow was found this year by a local birder, Rich. He found it last year (likely the same bird) and a birder from north of Colorado Springs, David, found the bird this year. SeEtta

More Golden-crowned Sparrow pics

2008-01-24T23:57:00.000-07:00

These pics show upper parts and nape of the Golden-crowned Sparrow that is spending the winter near the parking area below the Tunnel Drive trail in the far west part of Canon City. The dark stripes and lack of white on it's nape are distinctive and make this bird appear darker (at least to me)when seen from the rear or side. Clearly these views are less distinctive than a view showing the head with the yellow medial fore-crown. I think it's a rather attractive bird, even with it's more muted winter plumage.

Golden-crowned Sparrows normally winter along the west coast, from northern Baja, Mexico to Canada with a sliver going up the lower Colorado River along western border of Arizona to Nevada. So one on the eastern slope of Colorado is far out of range. SeEtta

Golden-crowned Sparrow in Canon City

2008-01-22T23:53:00.000-07:00

As I noted below a Golden-crowned Sparrow, found by another local birder Rich, has been seen around the parking area for the Tunnel Driver trail. I saw it the other day, but of all the dumb things, did not have my camera with me (and I had a great opportunity for good shot, darn). I returned today with a friend to help them find the bird and was able to get this pic. It's golden crown is quite prominent as seen in the pic. It's bi-colored bill can be seen, though not as well (wouldn't you know, my best shot was with the bird behind some weeds.

No sign of the Ladder-back Woodpecker I saw there earlier this week. Before we left a Sharp-shinned Hawk flew in after the juncos and sparrows, scattering the birds everywhere. I will post some pics of it tomorrow. SeEtta

Lesser Prairie-Chicken public viewing site closed this year

2008-01-16T23:09:00.000-07:00

I just got word that due to a serious decline in the population of Lesser Prairie-Chickens on the Comanche National Grassland. I strongly support appropriate restrictions to protect this very small population of a species listed as Threatened by the State of Colorado. SeEtta Here is the official notice:

COLORADO NATIONAL GRASSLAND LESSER PRAIRIE-CHICKEN
VIEWING AREA TEMPORARILY CLOSING THIS SPRING

Springfield, Colo., January 9, 2008 – The U.S. Forest Service, Comanche National Grassland will be closing the Lesser Prairie-Chicken Viewing Area during March through May, 2008. This is a temporary closure because the bird’s population has declined significantly in Baca County. The 2007 Baca County lek count showed 22 individual birds, down from 48 the year before.
The U.S. Forest Service will not allow the public, including bird tour groups, to utilize the site during March through May, 2008. The area of closure is along FS Road 545, between County Road C through G, approximately 12 miles east of Campo, Colorado.
The viewing area is typically open for the public to watch the mating dances of the male prairie chicken on the lek (displaying, courtship area) each spring. Because the number of Lesser prairie-chickens was down significantly during the 2007 mating season, U.S. Forest Service biologists made the recommendation to temporarily close the site. The hotter, drier spring and winter storms of 2006-2007 likely caused the estimated 46% drop in prairie-chicken numbers in Baca County.
According to Comanche Ranger Jeff Stoney, “While we have no evidence that the viewing area is contributing to the bird’s decline, this move will decrease the amount of disturbance on a population that is already at a critically low level.” The effort to increase bird numbers is supported by the Division of Wildlife and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Cimarron National Grassland near Elkhart, Kansas plans to have two Lesser Prairie-Chicken Viewing Areas open to the public where more birds survived the winter storm. For more information on the Kansas sites visit: http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/psicc/cim/cim_lpc.shtml

Tunnel Drive area of Canon City

2008-01-16T22:39:00.000-07:00

There have been reports of a Golden-crowned Sparrow, a rare species here, being seen the Tunnel Drive area on the far west end of Canon City. There was a Golden-crowned Sparrow in the same location last year and I saw it then by the parking area. I didn't have much opportunity to look for it or for the Rufous-crowned Sparrows that are resident there as a city employee who knows who I am stopped me to complain about birders accessing the trail which is closed for repairs. I did however find the Ladder-backed Woodpecker in this poor quality pic (the bird was almost a 100 feet away and had an overcast sky behind it). The black & white barring over its upperparts, plus the black facial stripes that are field marks can be seen in the pic when it's enlarged and I believe there is red on it's forehead designating it as a male. Ladder-backed Woodpeckers are rarely seen here, usually not every year and usually only one in a year's time. This species has been found in two other areas of this county, Fremont County, are at best uncommon. They can be found in other parts of southeast Colorado more often (such as Cottonwood Canyon in far SE Colorado).

At the Tunnel Drive area I heard a Rock Wren, a species not found in many parts of Colorado in winter but there is at least one bird most winters at this location. I saw 2 American Dippers in the nearby Arkansas River and Canon Towhees, a species common in this location. I was surprised to see a Northern Harrier working up and down the area (it was working up the mountain which is fairly rugged and no real fields west of here for some miles). This seemed strange to me as there aren't really any large expanses of fields anywhere in this area. It did scatter a few birds when it dipped down toward a rocky slope where they were. SeEtta

Tunnel Drive Canon Towhee

2008-01-15T23:18:00.000-07:00

Today I really got out to do some birding before another big cold front comes through and drops the temps again. I stopped at Tunnel Drive on the west end of Canon City. Though it is closed for repairs, I found this Canon Towhee by the parking area. Canon Towhees are fairly common in this rocky, pinyon-juniper and chollo cactus habitat. The specialty of the area is Rufous-crowned Sparrows, a species I almost always see in association with Canon Towhees; however, I didn't see any of these sparrows today and could only locate two Canon Towhees.

This pic of the towhee is interesting. The wind was blowing a little but only one section of the birds feathers were ruffled by the wind. I find the eyes very interesting as this view seems to indicate that the eyes are set in a concave manner on the sides of the face. This curvature can be seen best by double-clicking the pic to enlarge it (though this pushes the pic past the best resolution). I'm not sure if this is a visual allusion or an actuality.
More tomorrow. SeEtta

Busy Downy Woodpeckers

2008-01-12T23:41:00.000-07:00

Finally the weather has started warming after an unusually long cold and snowy spell for this area. I watched two male Downy Woodpeckers foraging, busily drilling into tree branches in search of tasty morsels.

The handsome fellow in this pic shows a little brownish cast on it's nasal bristles. I believe this is from the wood particles that have landed on it's face from it's drilling. Check out those toenails--really long so they can cling to a branch or bark of a tree. SeEtta

Dark Merlin near Canon City

2008-01-10T23:11:00.000-07:00

I saw this rather dark Merlin at my friend's farm near Canon City late this afternoon when the light was poor. It appeared to have dark brown back and light malar marking like a female or immature Taiga Merlin. However, most Merlin in Colorado are from the lighter race of Prairie Merlins. I will check more pics tomorrow. SeEtta

Lewis's Woodpecker on Final Christmas Bird Count

2008-01-06T23:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I participated in the last SE Colo Christmas Bird Count, this one in the Colorado City/Lake Beckwith area southwest of Pueblo. It was windy when we began but the winds increased to almost 70 mph in the area, making it not only difficult to find birds but sometimes to even stand up.

I spotted this Lewis's Woodpecker clinging to a snag, and on the downwind side of the snag. I didn't want to get closer than the 75 or so feet I was from the bird since I didn't want to flush it with the strong wind gusts beginning. So I can't enlarge it any further. SeEtta

Pueblo Christmas Bird & Ferruginous Hawk

2008-01-02T23:20:00.000-07:00

The Pueblo City Christmas Bird Count was held on Dec 31. We found somewhere around 80 or so species, not nearly as high as the species found on the Pueblo Reservoir Count which was around 125. Certainly that count has the advantageous of a very large body of water with many ducks and other waterfowl plus the surrounding open lands on the Colo State Park and State Wildlife areas. But the Pueblo City count is good for it's focus on counting all those common birds that are found in the developed residential and industrial areas found around cities--in terms of the purpose of the Christmas Bird Counts, it is the counting of these more common species that is as important as any of the rarer birds.

On the eastern and southern parts of the Pueblo City CBC count circle there is farm and some range land, places where a number of hawks are found. I saw this light Ferruginous Hawk near the Arkansas River. SeEtta

Uncommonly handsome Red-tailed Hawk

2007-12-29T23:53:00.000-07:00

While this Red-tailed Hawk is only a little more handsome than many others I have seen, I found it most engaging even though the species is common throughout most of the United States. And it has a belly-band which, though found on most Red-tailed Hawks, more very distinctive than on some I have seen. SeEtta

Canon City Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

2007-12-29T23:15:00.000-07:00

Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are found each winter in SE Colorado, and at least in some winters in the Ft Collins area in northern Colo. There are generally several Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers in the Canon City area, one or more in Pueblo and Lamar. I have found them on occasion in Colorado City and even in Salida, which is likely the furthest west they have been found.

This sapsucker is a female that I photographed today in Rouse Park in Canon City. Their red crowns, white wing stripe, and distinctive black and white facial stripes are distinctive of sapsuckers but the lack of red on the nape and with more white (and more diffuse) than the clear longitudinal bands found on the Red-naped Sapsucker species that is common in forested areas of Colorado in summer. Female Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are distinguished from males by white throats as shows well in this pic. Sapwells drilled in this pine tree by this and previous sapsuckers are visible in the pic.

Fluffed gold-American Goldfinch

2007-12-25T23:06:00.000-07:00

A nice Christmas day bird, this American Goldfinch was fluffed up for the snowy conditions today. This bird was in one of the pine trees in my backyard waiting to eat at my thistle feeder. Interestingly, not only are the several American Goldfinches competing with a number of Pine Siskins but also with Dark-eyed Juncos (a species I associate more with ground feeding on millet). SeEtta

White-breasted Nuthatch with a mouthful

2007-12-23T09:10:00.000-07:00

In addition to the birds mentioned in the previous posts that were foraging around the Canon City Riverwalk today, the White-breasted Nuthatche in these pics was among the 4-5 White-breasted Nuthatches I saw there today. It is holding a safflower seed in it's mouth. The pinkish tongue is visible in the top pic. Also interesting in the top pic is how the feathers on it's neck make almost a bib presumably as a result of it's raising it's head up. SeEtta

Bushtit pic showing her yellow eyes

2007-12-22T23:51:00.000-07:00

I took this pic of one of the Bushtits that I saw on the Canon City Riverwalk today (I also had a small flock in my yard but they were gone before I could get my camera). I've pushed the enlargement on the bottom pic so the quality is suffering but it is easy to see the yellow eye of this bird, a characteristic of adult female birds (males have brown eyes).

Note the small brownish "mask" on it's face. This is characteristic of the subspecies, P. m. plumbeus, that is found in the interior of the western U.S. including Colorado. SeEtta

Mountain Chickadees continue on plains

2007-12-22T22:07:00.000-07:00

Unusually high numbers of Mountain Chickadees that have moved to the plains this winter continue throughout eastern Colo including here in the Canon City area. While I was gone on my recent trip I paid a neighbor girl to put safflower seeds in the platform feeder that the Mountain Chickadees prefer--though research shows that birds not only do not depend on feeders for all their food but have a number of feeders they go to, I just think it is not responsible to start feeding in the winter then stop. I left enough peanut pieces in the nut feeder that there were still some left when I returned.

Today all 4 Mountain Chickadees came to my feeders and I got these pics of one when it perched in one of my pine trees. I also saw at least a dozen more in one hundred yard section of the Canon City Riverwalk this afternoon. I was also delighted to see at least 8 Black-capped Chickadees, a species that took a big hit from the West Nile Virus and is just making a comeback. SeEtta

Winter Bald Eagle

2007-12-18T23:52:00.000-07:00

Every winter Bald Eagles from more northerly locations move into SE Colorado where there is open water. Many make the Pueblo Reservoir their winter home and some of these fly upriver to fish along the Arkansas River. Today I had a meeting in western Fremont Co and took advantage of the beautiful day to do a little birding along the Arkansas River. I was delighted to find 5 American Dippers in a two-hundred foot section of the river by the Texas Creek bridge. This is a reliable breeding location so it may be that these are the parents and some offspring from last summer's nesting.

Further upriver I saw two Bald Eagles including the one in this pic. This eagle was perched several hundred feet across the highway and the river. Only a dslr camera could take a clear pic. Not only does my new Canon xti dslr camera provide good quality pics of more distant birds but it allows me to take photos of sensitive species like Bald Eagles from a sufficient distance that they are not disturbed, very important for bird photography. SeEtta

Avian Christmas ornament

2007-12-18T23:47:00.000-07:00

I just got back home in Canon City late this afternoon so I didn't have time to do any birding here. I thought this pic I took before I left of a Red-tailed Hawk sitting in the top of a large pinyon pine made a nice Christmas pic since it looked like an ornament on top a Christmas tree. SeEtta

Handsome coyote

2007-12-15T23:11:00.000-07:00

I watched this coyote walk into, and then around, the RV park at Rio Village in Big Bend National Park. Clearly it has lost some of it's fear of humans, clearly because it finds food them as it did while I watched it. I was surprised just how nice it's coat was-most coyotes I have seen have scraggly fur, but this one has a beautiful coat as can be seen by these pics. And it has bright yellow eyes.

FYI--I took these pics from my car and was about 40 feet at the closest (I have a 70-300 mm lens with a 1.4 extender on my Canon xti dslr camera). As with most the critters I have posted on this trip, coyotes can be found throughout SE Colo. SeEtta

Vermillion Flycatcher

2007-12-14T23:14:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, Vermillion Flycatchers have bred in SE Colorado. For several years they bred just south of La Junta but they have not been seen in that location for 2 years now. Though I suspect they are breeding elsewhere around the area, we don't have confirmation of any location right now.

I saw this male Vermillion Flycatcher in the Rio Grande Village area of Big Bend National Park. One of about a dozen I have seen the the park, this bird was chasing insects near a flooded area. These are such bright and colorful birds, they are stunning in sunlight. Both pics can be double-clicked to enlarge them for more detail (but you may have to put on sunglasses as they are so bright) SeEtta

Mountain lion prints

2007-12-13T23:30:00.000-07:00

I found these mountain lion tracks on the trail about 3/4ths of the way into a 4 mile round trip hike in the high desert today. There is a hiking boot print just next to the left paw print. Big Bend NP warns visitors about mountain lions as they are prevalent in the mountain areas.

I was out in the open so I wasn't concerned, plus I am used to hiking in mountain lion country. This is definitely a species that is found in SE Colorado and I have seen 2 mountain lions while out birding near Canon City. SeEtta

Cactus Wrens

2007-12-13T23:16:00.000-07:00

I have heard and seen a number of Cactus Wrens in the past several days here at Big Bend National Park but none I could get a reasonable pic of. As I started to leave my motel in Terlinqua, a small town just outside the NP boundary, I heard 2 Cactus Wrens calling nearby. One was on the top of the motel and the other in the desert vegetation only about 60 feet from my door--wouldn't you know. Certainly the advantage of staying in a small town is that the Chihuahuan desert is still interspersed between the businesses.

All of these pics are of one wren. I just love the call that these wrens make. Here is a good site to listen to it.

Again, this is a species that is not found in SE Colorado--at least not yet, but with warming from Global Climate Change their range may get extended from central New Mexico to SE Colorado. Double-click the pics for an eye-to-eye view. SeEtta

My first Crissal Thrashers

2007-12-12T22:16:00.000-07:00

Again, I am going to deviate from posting birds found in SE Colorado in order to show off my first Crissal Thrasher. I saw this and a second bird together in Big Bend National Park. They are suck wonderfully distinctive and really quite large birds.

I took these pics with my Panasonic Lumix point and shoot digital camera and they came out quite good; however, they cannot be enlarged like the pics I take with my Canon Rebel xti DSLR digital. SeEtta

Black Phoebes

2007-12-12T21:53:00.000-07:00

Back to species that are found in SE Colorado--actually Black Phoebes are found around Canon City, Pueblo and often in far SE Colorado. I saw this phoebe, and several more, yesterday in a lower elevation location near the Rio Grande River. This is a species that is always associated with water, especially some slow moving or still water that supports good numbers of flying insects. SeEtta