Hello, Birders.
As John Breitsch has noted, this Tuesday morning, Jan. 14, was "perfectly lousy...overcast, snowing, and dark." Perfectly lousy, yes, but also a perfect day for birding along Apple Valley Road, Lyons, Boulder County with Joel Such and Marcel Such. We found at least 200 juncos, representing 7 different kinds: White-winged, Slate-colored, Gray-headed, Oregon, Pink-sided, Cassiar, and Ridgway's.
The latter two names may not be familiar, I realize, to all birders. Here is everything you ever wanted to know about the Cassiar Junco:
As to Ridgway's Junco, I didn't know it had a name until earlier this afternoon! Rick Wright told me about it. Learn more here:
Other stuff along Apple Valley Road: a noisy flock of ground-foraging Bushtits, about 10 Western Scrub-Jays, and a Northern Shrike.
On the drive back into Boulder proper, I saw two more Rough-legged Hawks. I've now seen in the past 14 days almost as many Rough-legged Hawks in Boulder County (n=7) as I had during the entire seven-year period 2007-2013 (n=9). What's up with that?
Here is audio of some of the birds Joel and Marcel and I found this morning along Apple Valley Road:
roiling mass of Bushtits: http://xeno-canto.org/164650
dueling Townsend's Solitaires: http://xeno-canto.org/164648
petulant Pygmy Nuthatch: http://xeno-canto.org/164649
Ted Floyd
Lafayette, Boulder County, Colorado
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