Interesting day at the cemetery on 21July. Felt hot and muggy but maybe only got up into the upper 80s. First of the year pelecinid wasp (large, black, very long-bodied parasites of wood-boring beetles in trees and soil-dwelling scarabs like June beetles).
While I hunted for real natural treasures, Pokémon Tournament participants scattered all about the cemetery searching for virtual ones that make no sense to me (them or the fascination with searching for them). The competitors probably wondered what I was doing, likewise. I can hear Ted now, calling me a dinosaur.
Have been seeing a hummingbird that I can't figure out. Strongly suspect Black-chinned Hummingbird female but I suppose it could be a strange fledgling Broad-tail. If confirmed as black-chin, this would be a first for me for the cemetery (species #201). Think I found a nest the other day that is in a location unlike the typical broad-tail nest. Broad-tails are usually low in conifers, especially spruce. This nest is 40 feet up in a Douglas-fir and I keep seeing a bird which I think is associated with this nest perched in deciduous trees, always high (the way black-chins do that I've seen in Pueblo and Lamar). Bird seems long-beaked, very white underneath (no appreciable rufous on flanks or in tail, makes chittering noise that seems to match what I hear in Lamar, very gray-green above including the forehead. Any comments from the hummer gurus?
A family of Cedar Waxwings, which are rather uncommon breeders at Grandview, was experiencing the mini-miracle of fledging yesterday. One young bird was making a big "Wright Brothers" arc about a foot above the grass. When it came back my way, I put my arms out like a scarecrow and it actually landed on my forearm! It just looked at me all confused and grumpy-faced. After 30 seconds of bonding, I gently set it down on a headstone. You have all seen the famous picture titled "The Mad Bluebird". I call this "The Entitled Waxwing", as in, "Something..... my parents, you Mr. Scarecrow, feed me, NOW!"
One Broad-tailed Hummingbird appears to be incubating second-brood eggs. Heard at least 3 different males. Saw two other birds that could have been female or fledglings.
Great Horned Owl youngster of the year elicits great upset from robins, as if it has sinned against them.
Mountain form Hairy Woodpecker constitutes a change. Suspect it to be a post-breeding disperser from the foothills.
Two different urban Red-tailed Hawk nests in and near Grandview have produced fledged young.
House Wren still singing near the entry bridge.
Chipping Sparrow adults busy gathering food for fledged, still somewhat dependent, youngsters. Mostly the parents seem to go into peony bushes near headstones (for ants that flock to these plants for extra-floral nectaries?).
All in all, a very enjoyable 4+ hour session in the "patch".
Unrelated to Grandview Cemetery, CONGRATULATIONS to Andy Bankert for FINALLY confirming that Baird's Sparrows actually nest north of Fort Collins. This has to be one of the most amazing Colorado prairie bird species breeding events ever. Kudos to the Bird Conservancy for putting funding into this effort that involved a lot of hot, buggy hours of searching, rope dragging, etc. by Andy, Erin, Erin, Walter and many others.
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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