[cobirds] Chico Basin Ranch Banding Station Report- May 20, 2026-Bird Conservancy of the Rockies

A strange day weatherwise/birdwise which led to more birds being around after 10:30 AM today. No rain her after 4 AM but was cloudy most of morning with a couple peaks of the sunshine. Still not many birds as the day before but after 10:30 the banding woods was moving with birds. The sun did eventually come out fully after 11 AM. Anyway, those birding the woods after 11 AM were busy looking at the birds around. 

The Ovenbird was still singing near the banding building again today.

38 New Banded Birds

Wilson's Warbler- 1

Common Yellowthroat- 2

MacGillivray's Warbler- 1

Yellow-breasted Chat- 3

Northern House Wren- 1

Willow Flycatcher- 1

Dusky Flycatcher- 2

Western Flycatcher- 1

Lincoln's Sparrow- 2

Mountain White-crowned Sparrow- 1

American Goldfinch- 4

Swainson's Thrush - 9

Western Tanager- 2

Gray Catbird- 2

Bullock's Oriole- 2

Black-headed Grosbeak- 3

Brown Thrasher- 1

9 Recaptures

MacGillivray's Warbler- 3

Yellow-breasted Chat- 1

Lincoln's Sparrow- 1

Swainson's Thrush- 2

Bullock's Oriole- 1

Least Flycatcher-1

1Return from spring 2025

Yellow Warbler female

Hoping the weather will push out the birds hanging around for several days and bring in more new ones to the banding woods. 

The Banding station will be open tomorrow from sunrise until @11 AM. 

Stop by and share your bird sightings with us.

Register to bird on the ranch at Aiken Audubon website www.aikenaudubon.com

Remember there is limited cell service out there so if unfamiliar with the areas to bird, Please take a pic or download the map on the website.

Have a good day,

Julie Shieldcastle

Bander, Chico Basin Ranch

Bird conservancy of the Rockies

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[cobirds] Aiken Audubon hybird mtg tonight: Corvids + Conifers: Pinyon Jays in WY's Bighorn Basin

MAY MONTHLY MEETING TONIGHT: CORVIDS AND CONIFERS - 

PINYON JAYS IN WYOMING'S BIGHORN BASIN

In 2024, the Draper Natural History Museum, in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management, Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology at the University of California, Davis, Northwest College, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service initiated a study to characterize habitat use by Pinyon Jays across limber-pine woodlands in Wyoming’s Bighorn Basin. In this presentation, join Corey Anco as he shares highlights from the first few field seasons of this project and explores the Pinyon Jay’s curious relationship with seed-bearing pines.
This is a hybrid meeting: in-person at the Colorado Parks & Wildlife Office; 4255 Sinton Road,  Colorado Springs  80907. Our entrance to the building is located on the EAST side (back side) of the building; not the main entrance. Parking is encouraged in the south and west parking lots.

Doors Open 6:30pm
Snacks & Bird Talk (meet & mingle) 6:45pm
Meeting announcements 7:00pm
Program Presentation 7:15pm

Join Zoom Meeting:
click here to join
Meeting ID: 577 018 0765
Passcode: WESO

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Re: [cobirds] ID help please! Juvie Peregrine or a Prairie Falcon?

As suggested to me by Dave Leatherman, that looks more like an Eurasian Hobby. I've sent a screen grab to a Brit friend in Connecticut for his opinion.

Tony Leukering

Cut Bank, MT

On Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 4:25:47 PM UTC-6 Peter Ruprecht wrote:

I'd go with immature Peregrine. The malar is too wide for a Prairie, and I'd expect a Prairie of any age to have a more distinct light supercilium.

Peter Ruprecht

Superior

On Tue, May 19, 2026 at 3:37 PM <jay...@gmail.com> wrote:

All:

I'm a bit stumped on this ID.  Seen this morning in a filed just north of Union Res in Weld Co.  Bird was sitting in the field  for 10+minutes and I got a few pics from scope. 

So I figure it's either a juvenille Peregrine or a Prairie Falcon. Obvious dark mustache, white cheeks and throat. 

Please comment away!

Jay Hutchins

Longmont

Sent from my iPhone

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Re: [cobirds] ID help please! Juvie Peregrine or a Prairie Falcon?

I'd go with immature Peregrine. The malar is too wide for a Prairie, and I'd expect a Prairie of any age to have a more distinct light supercilium.

Peter Ruprecht

Superior

On Tue, May 19, 2026 at 3:37 PM <jay1125@gmail.com> wrote:

All:

I'm a bit stumped on this ID.  Seen this morning in a filed just north of Union Res in Weld Co.  Bird was sitting in the field  for 10+minutes and I got a few pics from scope. 

So I figure it's either a juvenille Peregrine or a Prairie Falcon. Obvious dark mustache, white cheeks and throat. 

Please comment away!

Jay Hutchins

Longmont

Sent from my iPhone

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[cobirds] Chico Basin Ranch Banding Station Report- May 19, 2026-Bird Conservancy of the Rockies

If it is raining in your neck of the woods, it most likely will not be raining at Chico Basin Ranch at least the El Paso County side. I probably just jinxed that fact. HA!

Anyhow, despite rain and snow flurries everywhere else or so it seemed from what the volunteers and birders told me, it was not raining or snowing at sunrise nor did it during the morning at all. Tomorrow may be another story but right now, it doesn't look like any rain at sunrise.

Twenty-three bird species were captured including five species of warbler including: Wilson's, Yellow, MacGillivray's, Audubon's Yellow-rumped Warblers and two Northern Waterthrush. An Ovenbird sang off an on all morning near the banding building.

We also caught a Warbling Vireo, took its measurements to help distinguish between Western and Eastern Warbling Vireos. The measurements did not help us to differentiate. However, when getting photos of the bird, it sang a little ad when it was released it flew to a nearby branch and sang a Western song (Had a little twang it its song- just kidding). So a Western Vireo it was! Thank you Bird for singing for us.

81 Birds Banded

Wilson's Warbler- 6

Yellow Warbler- 6

MacGillivray's Warbler- 3

Northern Waterthrush- 2

Audubon's Yellow-rumped Warbler- 4

Northern House Wren- 1

Willow Flycatcher- 1

Western Wood-pewee- 1

Western Warbling Vireo- 1

Lesser Goldfinch- 1

American Goldfinch- 15

House Finch- 2

Lincoln's Sparrow- 5

Lazuli Bunting- 2

Mountain White-crowned Sparrow- 2

Veery- 2

Swainson's Thrush- 15

Hermit Thrush- 2

Yellow-breasted Chat- 3

Black-headed Grosbeak- 3

Bullock's Oriole- 3

Common Grackle- 1

3 Recaptures

American Redstart- gained almost a grams since yesterday!

Hermit Thrush

Bullock's Oriole

The Banding station will be open tomorrow weather dependent at sunrise until @ 11 AM.

Please stop by the banding station and share your sightings with us. We would love to hear about them. 

Please sign up on the Aiken Audubon website if wanting to bird the ranch. www.aikenaudubon.com. Also remember cell service is very poor out there so download the map or stop by the banding station and look at the laminated map we have to get your bearings while driving around the ranch. 

Enjoy the Day,

Julie Shieldcastle

Bander, Chico Basin Ranch

Bird Conservancy of the Rockies

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Re: [cobirds] Dead swalow- Longmont

I've only seen one Violet-green swallow here in Highlandlake and that was several years ago. It also appeared to just fall out of the sky - dead. They are such beautiful birds.

I haven't seen any swallows of any kind here this year. It is strange, we live on a lake and there are plenty of nesting areas that they have come back to year after year. I wonder what happened to them?

Pauli Smith

Highlandlake/Mead, Weld, CO

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From: cobirds@googlegroups.com <cobirds@googlegroups.com> on behalf of David Hyde <davidhyde1951@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 19, 2026 1:20 PM
To: Charlie Chase <charlesachase3@gmail.com>; Colorado Birds <cobirds@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [cobirds] Dead swalow- Longmont

 

Thank you all for what to do with this swallow. i shall freeze it and note details and take it to Emily Braker at the UC Boulder Museum. This is closer to me than Denver. An interesting thing about this dead Violet-green swallow is that there were (are) hundreds of Barn Swallows and Cliff swallows, a few Tree swallows around the lake and NO Violet-green swallows except this dead and still warm one which was on the grass near the monument on the south side of Lake McIntosh. And I never see VG swallows on this lake before... Last year I found a dead Raven closeby this spot and it, too, was still warm and in perfect condition. I wasn't able to keep it (I've been warned by my fam before about keeping dead birds in the fridge...), but that's two perfectly healthy looking birds just falling out of the sky! Thanks again - Dave/Longmont

    Here's a photo of the swallow on the Lake McIntosh monument:

On Tue, May 19, 2026 at 12:24 PM Charlie Chase <charlesachase3@gmail.com> wrote:

I sent him a personal message already-- thanks for forwarding this.  Had him contact DNMH Zoology Dept.

Cheers

C

On Tue, May 19, 2026 at 12:10 PM Susan Rosine <u5b2mtdna@gmail.com> wrote:

I've copied Charlie Chase on this. He may know of a place that will take it.

Susan Rosine 

On Tue, May 19, 2026, 10:43 AM David Hyde <davidhyde1951@gmail.com> wrote:

Walking along the edge of Lake McIntosh in Longmont just now I spotted hundreds of different swallows on the ground and in the air. And I found this dead one, which I think is a Violet-green swallow. It was just lying on the ground, sill warm and bright eyed. I brought it home. My question is, is there anyone who wants a dead swallow or what should I do with it? -- Dave Hyde/Longmont

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[cobirds] ID help please! Juvie Peregrine or a Prairie Falcon?

All: I'm a bit stumped on this ID. Seen this morning in a filed just north of Union Res in Weld Co. Bird was sitting in the field for 10+minutes and I got a few pics from scope. So I figure it's either a juvenille Peregrine or a Prairie Falcon. Obvious dark mustache, white cheeks and throat. Please comment away! Jay Hutchins Longmont Sent from my iPhone -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate. * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/membership/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/8D7BDEBD-B5A5-44D1-98C8-4E662C6DABAB%40gmail.com.