[cobirds] central Bldr Cnty: tanager swarm & other news

As Bill Kaempfer wrote to me wisely, when I chortled that Carter & Erica C's beehives were being raided by tanagers, but ours had not been noticed:

"Keep your eyes open, Linda.  SUTA, in particular, love bees.  Think of your hives as a specialized feeder."

It did not take long. The next day, the half dozen tanagers  at the other house had found our hives, and were prowling the area with gusto. All ages, all sexes of tanagers, but all Western--no Summers. Heaven forbid. (Well... That also would be a new yardbird; read on).

To my surprise there was also a very different predator back there, and it is not (yet) a bear, although that could happen since the weather has brought branches down and shorted out our bearfence. I had a new yardbird: Olive-sided Flycatcher. Who else do I need to look out for?? Maybe the flycatcher was just curious about the activity level, but it sure looked to me like it was pouncing in the tanager manner. Lucky for the bees, few are venturing outdoors on these gloomy cool days. But the siege continues.

We also have several voracious BT Hummers, both sexes, several singing (competently now) WC Sparrows, a singing Lincoln's Sparrow,  lots of Bullock's Orioles all over the neighborhood, and other flitting skulkers that I've had no luck setting bins on. Whoops: just now outside office window, FOS Lark Sparrow.

Linda

Linda Andes-Georges
Boulder County (W of Lagerman, N of Haystack, E of Table Mtn)
[Jean-Pierre says: W of Paris, S of Quebec, E of Tahiti]
8417 Stirrup Ln

Longmont CO 80503

Tel. 720 668 5214