[cobirds] Spring birding and nature field trips with Boulder County Audubon Society

Dear Co-Birders,

Boulder County Audubon Society is excited to announce our Spring 2026 field trip lineup! These free, local outings fill up fast, so be sure to check the links below for RSVP details. 

 

Ron Stewart Preserve at Rabbit Mountain with Carl Starace

Saturday, April 25, 2026

8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Join local bird watcher Carl Starace to observe birds at the easternmost point of the foothills in Boulder County, Rabbit Mountain. Possible species include Say's Phoebe, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Tree Swallow, Rock Wren, and Vesper Sparrow.

Details: https://www.boulderaudubon.org/all-events/rabbit-mountain-carl-starace-april-2026

 

Old St. Vrain Road with Carl Starace

Saturday, May 30, 2026

7:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Join local bird watcher Carl Starace for birdwatching along the historic Old St Vrain Road. Possible species include Violet-green Swallow, Yellow-breasted Chat, Black-headed Grosbeak, Western Wood-Pewee, and Western Warbling Vireo.

Details: https://www.boulderaudubon.org/all-events/old-st-vrain-road-carl-starace-may-2026

 

Jewels of the Night Sky: Solstice Telescope Party

Thursday, June 11, 12, or 13, 2026 depending on weather

9:30 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

Join Naturalist Dave Sutherland and a large telescope for a trip through the universe! The program will be offered once, on the night with the best weather forecast.

Details: https://www.boulderaudubon.org/all-events/solstice-telescope-party-june-2026

 

Destination: Ice Age

Wednesday, June 17, 2026

5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Travel back with naturalist Dave Sutherland to a botanical time capsule, one of the last remnants of the Ice Age forest in Colorado, where natural marvels await. Registration required. Limit 15 participants due to sensitivity of the habitat.

Details: https://www.boulderaudubon.org/all-events/destination-ice-age-june-2026

 

Sonata for Moon, Stars & Fireflies

Monday, June 29, 2026

8:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Naturalist Dave Sutherland will guide a gentle journey from sunset into the light of the rising full moon with a varied selection of classical music inspired by our silvery celestial neighbor, interspersed with modern-day science. This field trip is jointly sponsored by Boulder County Audubon Society and the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra as part of the Musical Hikes program.

Details: https://www.boulderaudubon.org/all-events/sonata-for-moon-stars-fireflies-june-2026

 

And be sure to check out monthly field trips hosted by our friends at the City of Lafayette:

Lafayette Birds! First Sunday Bird Watching

May 3 and June 7, 2026

1:00 p.m. –  3:00  p.m.

Greenlee Wildlife Preserve 1600 Caria Drive Lafayette, CO

All, including beginning birders, are invited to experience the fun and discovery of bird watching on the first Sunday of each month year-round. Knowledgeable bird watchers will be on hand with binoculars, spotting scopes, and learning tools to assist in the fun activity of identifying birds in their natural habitats. Families are encouraged to attend.

Details: https://www.boulderaudubon.org/all-events/lafayette-birds-may-2026

 

Happy birding!

Kit

 --

Kit Seeborg

Communication and Outreach Volunteer

Boulder County Audubon Society

Boulder, Colorado

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[cobirds] Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists (10 Apr 2026) 111 Raptors

Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Golden, Colorado, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 10, 2026
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	0	0	0
Turkey Vulture	24	89	116
Osprey	2	14	20
Bald Eagle	0	5	18
Northern Harrier	2	11	23
Sharp-shinned Hawk	11	53	74
Cooper's Hawk	16	84	136
American Goshawk	0	0	1
Red-shouldered Hawk	0	0	0
Broad-winged Hawk	0	0	0
Red-tailed Hawk	18	111	359
Rough-legged Hawk	0	0	0
Swainson's Hawk	0	1	1
Ferruginous Hawk	1	1	10
Golden Eagle	0	1	8
American Kestrel	33	179	318
Merlin	0	1	4
Peregrine Falcon	0	1	3
Prairie Falcon	1	2	4
Mississippi Kite	0	0	0
Unknown Accipitrine	2	5	11
Unknown Buteo	0	0	3
Unknown Falcon	1	2	3
Unknown Eagle	0	0	0
Unknown Raptor	0	2	3
Total:	111	562	1115

Observation start time:	09:00:00
Observation end time:	17:00:00
Total observation time:	8 hours
Official Counter	Soren Zappia
Observers:

Visitors:
7 Visitors. A few hikers stopped by throughout the day and asked about our research. We also enjoyed getting to meet their dogs! Thank you to Leslie Dixon, Janet Peters, and Chris and Cayce Gulbransen for volunteering today! It was so helpful to have a great team of spotters during the morning rush.

Weather:
The morning was cool with thin but complete cloud cover and light SE winds. Cloud cover became denser as the morning went on, as winds shifted slowly to the NE. In the afternoon, the visibility dropped as precipitation became visible to the south and west. Cloud cover became dense, and the wind switched back to SE. Rain was a light drizzle, present intermittently for periods of around 20-30 minutes at a time. The sun returned in the final few hours of the count, visible behind thinning clouds. The misty sunshine lessened visibility a bit to the west and south, but the rain did not return.

Raptor Observations:
It was a great day with over 100 migrating raptors. American Kestrels, Turkey Vultures, and Red-tailed Hawks all made a strong showing, but we also had a good flight of both Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks. Most flight was distant on the west ridgeline, but we had a few close birds as well, including a stunning adult Prairie Falcon directly overhead. The peak of activity was in the late hours of the morning, when bird after bird was streaming past on the west after gaining height over Mt. Morrison. As the rainclouds closed in from the south, kestrels were jetting past soon before the drizzle arrived. Drizzle remained on and off, with kestrels and a few accipitrines often flying ahead of incoming rain. Once the intermittent rain started, few buteos or TVs were seen until after the sun returned. In the final hour of the count, during a lull in activity, suddenly an adult Ferruginous Hawk flew past on the east at eye level - Our last was over two weeks ago on March 22nd, so it was an unexpected surprise!

Non-raptor Observations:
White-throated Swift 48, Broad-tailed Hummingbird 1, Double-crested Cormorant 14, American White Pelican 3, Northern Flicker 1, Black-billed Magpie 1, Common Raven 2, Black-capped Chickadee 1, Tree Swallow 3, Barn Swallow 1, American Bushtit 1, thrush sp. 4, Pine Siskin 3, Spotted Towhee 1, Western Meadowlark 1

Predictions:
Tomorrow, expect much higher temperatures in the mid 60s to low 70s F, and variable cloud cover. Winds are forecasted as light to moderate from the S and SW, with wind speed increasing in the afternoon. Gusts may reach 20 MPH. There is a chance of showers after noon, with possible thunderstorms in the late afternoon. It's always best to be prepared with both sunscreen and rain gear!

---

Report submitted by Official Counter of the day shown above (dinoridgehw@gmail.com)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at: www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Count data submitted via Trektellen.org - [Project Details]

---

Site Description
Dinosaur Ridge is the only regularly staffed hawk watch in Colorado and is the
best place in the world to see migrating Ferruginous Hawks. Hawk watchers may
see 17 species of migrating raptors; and it is an excellent site to see rare
dark morph buteos including Broad-winged hawk, Swainson's hawk, Ferruginous
hawk, Rough-legged hawk and Red-tailed Hawk. Other raptors we see include Golden
and Bald Eagles, Northern harrier, Osprey, Peregrine Falcons, Prairie Falcons,
Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks, American Kestrels, Merlin, and Turkey
Vultures. American Goshawk is uncommon but also counted each season. Non-raptor
species include Rock Wren, Bushtit, Western Bluebird, Sandhill Crane,
White-throated Swift, and American White Pelican. Birders of any skill level are
always welcome. The hawk watch at Dinosaur Ridge is staffed by Hawk Counter(s)
and volunteers from March through early May.

Directions to site:
From exit 259 on I-70 towards Morrison, drive south under freeway and take left
into first parking lot, the Stegosaurus lot. Follow hawk watch signs from the
southwest end of the parking lot to the hawk watch site. The hike starts heading
east on an old two-track and quickly turns south onto a trail on the west side
of the ridge. When the trail nears the top of the ridge, turn left, and walk to
the flat area at the crest of the ridge. (Distance: 0.56 miles, Elevation gain:
259 feet)

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[cobirds] Barn Swallows!

Greetings all

Now that the barn swallows are trickling in, we thought we would share another message: 

We are interested in collaborating with home owners who host barn swallows during their breeding season. We are especially looking for breeding sites in the foothills  (Gold and Lee Hill, Four Mile and Sunshine Canyons) and near Louisville, Erie, and Lafayette.

If you are amenable to the presence of our research team's presence at times that are convenient to you throughout late spring and summer, please reach out!

My team and I have been studying barn swallows around the world for nearly three decades. This summer, we are trying to learn more about why their populations are declining.  To read more about our group, go here: https://www.safran-lab.com/

If you have hosting barn swallows (and their nests) on your property and are interested in joining our study, please write to rebecca.safran@colorado.edu.

 Barn swallows are the swallow with a long, forked tail. Pictures here are helpful: ​ https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/barswa/cur/multimedia?media=photos

 Thanks so much!

 Becca and team

 

​

On Thursday, April 9, 2026 at 10:39:34 PM UTC-6 rep...@hawkcount.org wrote:

Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Golden, Colorado, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 09, 2026
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	0	0	0
Turkey Vulture	0	65	92
Osprey	4	12	18
Bald Eagle	0	5	18
Northern Harrier	0	9	21
Sharp-shinned Hawk	7	42	63
Cooper's Hawk	7	68	120
American Goshawk	0	0	1
Red-shouldered Hawk	0	0	0
Broad-winged Hawk	0	0	0
Red-tailed Hawk	9	93	341
Rough-legged Hawk	0	0	0
Swainson's Hawk	1	1	1
Ferruginous Hawk	0	0	9
Golden Eagle	0	1	8
American Kestrel	15	146	285
Merlin	0	1	4
Peregrine Falcon	0	1	3
Prairie Falcon	0	1	3
Mississippi Kite	0	0	0
Unknown Accipitrine	0	3	9
Unknown Buteo	0	0	3
Unknown Falcon	0	1	2
Unknown Eagle	0	0	0
Unknown Raptor	0	2	3
Total:	43	451	1004

Observation start time:	09:00:00
Observation end time:	13:45:00
Total observation time:	3.53 hours
Official Counter	Emma Riley, Soren Zappia
Observers:

Visitors:
5 visitors. We had a few visitors in the morning to see the birds, and all enjoyed all the kestrels zooming right past our heads! Thank you to Helen Berkman, Ric Olson, Ryan Gannon, and Chris and Cayce Gulbransen for volunteering! We especially appreciated your flexibility with weather today.

Weather:
It started as a cloudy and cool day in the morning with light SE winds and temps in the mid 60s F. Cloud cover started mostly cloudy but increased to overcast as the morning progressed. Around 11:45 MST, lightning was detected in the area, and the count was paused for safety per our protocols. At 1:00 MST the count resumed, and we had about 40 minutes before multiple lightning strikes were detected only a few miles away and it started to rain. As radar indicated storms would continue, the count was ended at 13:39 MST.

Raptor Observations:
Despite the shortened count day, we had a good flight in the morning, including accipitrines, Red-tailed Hawks, and American Kestrels. While most migrants were to the west, many of the AKs were low past the ridge. A highlight of the day was seeing four migrating Osprey in the morning, with two in the first hour. We also had our first migrant Swainson's Hawk, a light morph adult. After yesterday's local bird, we were excited to count one! The only migrant after the count resumed was a distant Cooper's Hawk to the west, speeding past just as the storms closed in. Today we counted our 1000th migrant of the season, a Sharp-shinned Hawk!

Non-raptor Observations:
White-throated Swift 25, Broad-tailed Hummingbird 1, Hairy Woodpecker 1, American Crow 1, Common Raven 3, Black-capped Chickadee 1, swalow sp. 3, American Bushtit 2, White-breasted Nuthatch 1, House Finch 2, Pine Siskin 1, Spotted Towhee 1, Western Meadowlark 1

Predictions:
Tomorrow, expect clouds and cooler temperatures in the low 50s to low 60s F. Light NE winds are predicted. There is a chance we have more storms in the late afternoon. Keep an eye on the radar and stay off the ridge if there is lightning nearby.

---

Report submitted by Official Counter of the day shown above (dinor...@gmail.com)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at: www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Count data submitted via Trektellen.org - [Project Details]

---

Site Description
Dinosaur Ridge is the only regularly staffed hawk watch in Colorado and is the
best place in the world to see migrating Ferruginous Hawks. Hawk watchers may
see 17 species of migrating raptors; and it is an excellent site to see rare
dark morph buteos including Broad-winged hawk, Swainson's hawk, Ferruginous
hawk, Rough-legged hawk and Red-tailed Hawk. Other raptors we see include Golden
and Bald Eagles, Northern harrier, Osprey, Peregrine Falcons, Prairie Falcons,
Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks, American Kestrels, Merlin, and Turkey
Vultures. American Goshawk is uncommon but also counted each season. Non-raptor
species include Rock Wren, Bushtit, Western Bluebird, Sandhill Crane,
White-throated Swift, and American White Pelican. Birders of any skill level are
always welcome. The hawk watch at Dinosaur Ridge is staffed by Hawk Counter(s)
and volunteers from March through early May.

Directions to site:
From exit 259 on I-70 towards Morrison, drive south under freeway and take left
into first parking lot, the Stegosaurus lot. Follow hawk watch signs from the
southwest end of the parking lot to the hawk watch site. The hike starts heading
east on an old two-track and quickly turns south onto a trail on the west side
of the ridge. When the trail nears the top of the ridge, turn left, and walk to
the flat area at the crest of the ridge. (Distance: 0.56 miles, Elevation gain:
259 feet)

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[cobirds] Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists (09 Apr 2026) 43 Raptors

Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Golden, Colorado, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 09, 2026
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	0	0	0
Turkey Vulture	0	65	92
Osprey	4	12	18
Bald Eagle	0	5	18
Northern Harrier	0	9	21
Sharp-shinned Hawk	7	42	63
Cooper's Hawk	7	68	120
American Goshawk	0	0	1
Red-shouldered Hawk	0	0	0
Broad-winged Hawk	0	0	0
Red-tailed Hawk	9	93	341
Rough-legged Hawk	0	0	0
Swainson's Hawk	1	1	1
Ferruginous Hawk	0	0	9
Golden Eagle	0	1	8
American Kestrel	15	146	285
Merlin	0	1	4
Peregrine Falcon	0	1	3
Prairie Falcon	0	1	3
Mississippi Kite	0	0	0
Unknown Accipitrine	0	3	9
Unknown Buteo	0	0	3
Unknown Falcon	0	1	2
Unknown Eagle	0	0	0
Unknown Raptor	0	2	3
Total:	43	451	1004

Observation start time:	09:00:00
Observation end time:	13:45:00
Total observation time:	3.53 hours
Official Counter	Emma Riley, Soren Zappia
Observers:

Visitors:
5 visitors. We had a few visitors in the morning to see the birds, and all enjoyed all the kestrels zooming right past our heads! Thank you to Helen Berkman, Ric Olson, Ryan Gannon, and Chris and Cayce Gulbransen for volunteering! We especially appreciated your flexibility with weather today.

Weather:
It started as a cloudy and cool day in the morning with light SE winds and temps in the mid 60s F. Cloud cover started mostly cloudy but increased to overcast as the morning progressed. Around 11:45 MST, lightning was detected in the area, and the count was paused for safety per our protocols. At 1:00 MST the count resumed, and we had about 40 minutes before multiple lightning strikes were detected only a few miles away and it started to rain. As radar indicated storms would continue, the count was ended at 13:39 MST.

Raptor Observations:
Despite the shortened count day, we had a good flight in the morning, including accipitrines, Red-tailed Hawks, and American Kestrels. While most migrants were to the west, many of the AKs were low past the ridge. A highlight of the day was seeing four migrating Osprey in the morning, with two in the first hour. We also had our first migrant Swainson's Hawk, a light morph adult. After yesterday's local bird, we were excited to count one! The only migrant after the count resumed was a distant Cooper's Hawk to the west, speeding past just as the storms closed in. Today we counted our 1000th migrant of the season, a Sharp-shinned Hawk!

Non-raptor Observations:
White-throated Swift 25, Broad-tailed Hummingbird 1, Hairy Woodpecker 1, American Crow 1, Common Raven 3, Black-capped Chickadee 1, swalow sp. 3, American Bushtit 2, White-breasted Nuthatch 1, House Finch 2, Pine Siskin 1, Spotted Towhee 1, Western Meadowlark 1

Predictions:
Tomorrow, expect clouds and cooler temperatures in the low 50s to low 60s F. Light NE winds are predicted. There is a chance we have more storms in the late afternoon. Keep an eye on the radar and stay off the ridge if there is lightning nearby.

---

Report submitted by Official Counter of the day shown above (dinoridgehw@gmail.com)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at: www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Count data submitted via Trektellen.org - [Project Details]

---

Site Description
Dinosaur Ridge is the only regularly staffed hawk watch in Colorado and is the
best place in the world to see migrating Ferruginous Hawks. Hawk watchers may
see 17 species of migrating raptors; and it is an excellent site to see rare
dark morph buteos including Broad-winged hawk, Swainson's hawk, Ferruginous
hawk, Rough-legged hawk and Red-tailed Hawk. Other raptors we see include Golden
and Bald Eagles, Northern harrier, Osprey, Peregrine Falcons, Prairie Falcons,
Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks, American Kestrels, Merlin, and Turkey
Vultures. American Goshawk is uncommon but also counted each season. Non-raptor
species include Rock Wren, Bushtit, Western Bluebird, Sandhill Crane,
White-throated Swift, and American White Pelican. Birders of any skill level are
always welcome. The hawk watch at Dinosaur Ridge is staffed by Hawk Counter(s)
and volunteers from March through early May.

Directions to site:
From exit 259 on I-70 towards Morrison, drive south under freeway and take left
into first parking lot, the Stegosaurus lot. Follow hawk watch signs from the
southwest end of the parking lot to the hawk watch site. The hike starts heading
east on an old two-track and quickly turns south onto a trail on the west side
of the ridge. When the trail nears the top of the ridge, turn left, and walk to
the flat area at the crest of the ridge. (Distance: 0.56 miles, Elevation gain:
259 feet)

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[cobirds] Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists (08 Apr 2026) 43 Raptors

Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Golden, Colorado, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 08, 2026
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	0	0	0
Turkey Vulture	3	65	92
Osprey	1	8	14
Bald Eagle	1	5	18
Northern Harrier	0	9	21
Sharp-shinned Hawk	5	35	56
Cooper's Hawk	6	61	113
American Goshawk	0	0	1
Red-shouldered Hawk	0	0	0
Broad-winged Hawk	0	0	0
Red-tailed Hawk	5	84	332
Rough-legged Hawk	0	0	0
Swainson's Hawk	0	0	0
Ferruginous Hawk	0	0	9
Golden Eagle	0	1	8
American Kestrel	21	131	270
Merlin	0	1	4
Peregrine Falcon	0	1	3
Prairie Falcon	0	1	3
Mississippi Kite	0	0	0
Unknown Accipitrine	1	3	9
Unknown Buteo	0	0	3
Unknown Falcon	0	1	2
Unknown Eagle	0	0	0
Unknown Raptor	0	2	3
Total:	43	408	961

Observation start time:	09:00:00
Observation end time:	17:00:00
Total observation time:	8 hours
Official Counter	Emma Riley, Soren Zappia, Emma Riley, Soren Zappia
Observers:

Visitors:
4 visitors. A few folks, both new and familiar, stopped by to enjoy the birds today! We're excited to see what the next few days bring.

Weather:
Today was pleasant with temperatures in the 60s and 70s F and mostly cloudy skies. Cloud cover was extensive but not complete, with the sun behind dense clouds for a good portion of the day. During the final hour or so, the clouds to the south became hazy. In the first few hours, the wind was calm from the W and SW, but flipped to NE in midday, and intensified to a moderate speed. In the final few hours, the wind calmed but remained NE.

Raptor Observations:
We had a good flight in the morning - the most common species were Cooper's Hawks, Sharp-shinned Hawks, and American Kestrels. Birds were high even early in the morning, visible against the gray cloud cover overhead and to the west. When the wind increased in mid-day, the height of flight dropped drastically, and birds were mostly low past the ridge, with a few birds below eye level. AKs made up a good portion of the afternoon flight, although we had a few other birds including a high distant Osprey. In the final few minutes of the count, we spotted our first Swainson's Hawk of the season, a beautiful light morph adult. It soared high before heading west - while this one didn't migrate, it's exciting to see them back! Outside of the raptors, we had our highest total of White-throated Swifts to date for the season.

Non-raptor Observations:
White-throated Swift 142, Feral Pigeon 3, Northern Flicker 1, Say's Phoebe 1, Black-billed Magpie 1, American Crow 1, Common Raven 3, Black-capped Chickadee 2, American Bushtit 3, Rock Wren 1, American Robin 1, House Finch 2, Pine Siskin 1, Spotted Towhee 1, Western Meadowlark 2

Predictions:
Tomorrow, we expect moderate temperatures with light N and NW winds. Skies are forecasted to start sunny but become cloudy by midday. There is a slight chance of rain in the afternoon - good to have a rain jacket just in case.

---

Report submitted by Official Counter of the day shown above (dinoridgehw@gmail.com)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at: www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Count data submitted via Trektellen.org - [Project Details]

---

Site Description
Dinosaur Ridge is the only regularly staffed hawk watch in Colorado and is the
best place in the world to see migrating Ferruginous Hawks. Hawk watchers may
see 17 species of migrating raptors; and it is an excellent site to see rare
dark morph buteos including Broad-winged hawk, Swainson's hawk, Ferruginous
hawk, Rough-legged hawk and Red-tailed Hawk. Other raptors we see include Golden
and Bald Eagles, Northern harrier, Osprey, Peregrine Falcons, Prairie Falcons,
Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks, American Kestrels, Merlin, and Turkey
Vultures. American Goshawk is uncommon but also counted each season. Non-raptor
species include Rock Wren, Bushtit, Western Bluebird, Sandhill Crane,
White-throated Swift, and American White Pelican. Birders of any skill level are
always welcome. The hawk watch at Dinosaur Ridge is staffed by Hawk Counter(s)
and volunteers from March through early May.

Directions to site:
From exit 259 on I-70 towards Morrison, drive south under freeway and take left
into first parking lot, the Stegosaurus lot. Follow hawk watch signs from the
southwest end of the parking lot to the hawk watch site. The hike starts heading
east on an old two-track and quickly turns south onto a trail on the west side
of the ridge. When the trail nears the top of the ridge, turn left, and walk to
the flat area at the crest of the ridge. (Distance: 0.56 miles, Elevation gain:
259 feet)

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[cobirds] Birding this Saturday in Longmont at Golden Ponds

Hello Co-Birders,
Join local bird watcher Carl Starace Saturday morning, April 11 from 8 a.m. - 11 a.m. to observe birds in ponds and surrounding habitats at Golden Ponds Nature Area in Longmont.‍ With a magnificent view of Longs Peak and the Front Range, this park features 88 acres including 56 acres of water surface in four ponds. ‍Possible species include Bald Eagle, White Pelican, Osprey, and Common Grackle.
Find RSVP and location details on the Boulder County Audubon Society website.

Happy birding!
Kit

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Kit Seeborg

Communication and Outreach Volunteer

Boulder County Audubon Society

Boulder, Colorado

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[cobirds] Nest building Blue Jays & E. Phoebes - Arapahoe

I went out briefly on Monday to the High Line Canal in Centennial and Greenwood Village (Arapahoe County). There, I encountered an Eastern Phoebe pair. (As far as I know, a pair of E. Phoebes has been present in this area only since 2024.) I briefly spotted one collecting nesting material, a little mucky stuff. 

Eastern Phoebes are known for incorporating mosses into their nests. This is what Birds of the World says: "The green moss is an invariable component in nest construction and its presence is diagnostic; late season nests during dry periods may have less moss (HPW)."

Mosses are scarcer in this area, but certainly not absent. There are nice collections of mosses along the creek in spots. Over-irrigated lawns also often have them, usually at their edges. These (the over-irrigated lawns) too, are present in the area.

As someone with a budding interest in bryophytes, I hope to observe and possibly photograph this pair collecting mosses. Unfortunately, for me, I think the nest is in an impossible-to-photograph location along the Little Dry Creek. So it would have to be the birds in action. 

I also encountered a Blue Jay pair creating a twiggy nest over the Little Dry Creek. One of the pair was spending a lot of time sitting atop and moving around the nest, as if to customize the opening. Again, Birds of the World is helpful here, though I don't think it describes exactly what I was seeing -- "Females may shape nest cup by pressing soaked breast against sides of cup. This is perhaps done only when wet leaves are used to line nest (see below)" -- as I didn't notice the birds handling wet leaves.

Later that day, a male Broad-tailed went over me while I was doing nothing in my yard. First of the year for me. 

- Jared Del Rosso
Centennial, CO

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