[cobirds] EPhoebe on nest and update on birds in Canon City area

Today I found a typical appearing Eastern Phoebe on a well concealed nest in the Canon City area.  This is early for one to be on the nest in my experience here.  I did get one good photo of her on the nest and a zoomed pic of the nest showing soft grasses lining the cup and moss around the outside of the nest.  I have uploaded those to my Birds and Nature blog.

I have observed good numbers of Black and Eastern Phoebes returning to traditional nesting areas around the Canon City area for the past 3-4 weeks. However as I have observed in the past, they will appear to pair up then change partners.  This is evident when there is a mixed pair of Black and Eastern or as in the past those probable hybrid BlackXEastern that had the brown fronts which make them distinctive.  So far I have seen a mixed pair, one Eastern and one Black at the oldest nesting site that now has two Eastern Phoebes.  The Black Phoebe that has presumably been there over the winter is still (as of this morning) at the Fremont County Sewer District next to Florence River Park but I have not yet seen a second bird.  There is a pair of Black Phoebes at Sell's Lake and they are vocalizing often--you can just sit in your car by Sell's Lake and listen for them as I did this morning.

Late report--over the week-end there were hundreds of White-throated Swifts that had stopped over to feed around the Canon City Valco Ponds on MacKenzie (yes, this is still not public) and along the Arkansas River for a mile or so .  I have reported finding good numbers of the them in the past two years near the Arkansas River by Florence so it would seem that the river is part of their migratory pathway/stopover for feeding. 

Sadly observed a Ruby-crowned Kinglet that I am afraid is injured-it was moving slow and then spent over 5 minutes resting on a branch with it's nictitating membrane over it's eye/s. 

SeEtta Moss

Canon City

http://BirdsAndNature.blogspot.com

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