[cobirds] Chico Basin Ranch Banding Report, June 2, 2026-Bird Conservancy of the Rockies

Well, you sure cannot depend on the weather forecast here. This morning was a bit cooler than predicted but we caught more birds than yesterday. A couple new species for the season include: White-eyed Vireo and Curve-billed Thrasher. Not sure what the thrasher was doing near the nets; however, a nice bird to see.

15 New Banded Birds

White-eyed Vireo- 1

Willow Flycatcher- 1

Swainson's Thrush- 9

Bullock's Oriole- 2

Brown Thrasher- 1

Curve-billed Thrasher- 1

3 Recaptures-breeding species

American Robin

Yellow Warbler

Bullock's Oriole

Birds are in full breeding and still a few migrants trickling through. Birder's have observed Ladder-backed Woodpecker, American Robin, House Finch families on the ranch.

If wanting to visit the ranch this week, please register online at the Aiken Audubon website www.aikenaudubon.com

The banding station will be open tomorrow through Saturday from sunrise until @ 11AM.

Please stop by to share our sightings.

Have a good day,

Julie Shieldcastle

Bander, Chico Basin Ranch

Bird Conservancy of the Rockies

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Re: [cobirds] Need identification help - from RMNP

Hi Evon,

That is a Horned Lark.

David

On Tue, Jun 2, 2026 at 9:10 AM Evon Holladay <eholladay303@gmail.com> wrote:

We were in Estes Park/RMNP for the big snow storm the week of May 4. We spotted this little one foraging along the road.

Any ideas? It clearly has a black stripe around the neck.

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EH

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[cobirds] Need identification help - from RMNP

We were in Estes Park/RMNP for the big snow storm the week of May 4. We spotted this little one foraging along the road.

Any ideas? It clearly has a black stripe around the neck.

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EH

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[cobirds] Inaccessible birding opportunity at Antero Reservoir in Park County

Antero is now closed to general access as it is being de-watered to move the water supply to a downstream reservoir with less evaporation. I viewed it with a scope today from at least two miles away at Buffalo Creek Reservoir. It is perhaps 50% de-watered now, and the South Fork of the South Platte is flooding its banks downstream of the reservoir with the discharge of water. Due to the distance and heat shimmer it was hard to be sure of any IDs except for Am. White Pelicans, apparent cormorants and generic flying gulls (no doubt most or nearly all California Gulls). There were thousands of birds there! Blurry blobs in the scope, and no doubt many little ones I could not discern at all. I estimated about 600-700 pelicans, and maybe 2000 gulls, and lots and lots of other birds, too. There are huge expanses of shallowing water and mud flats, and presumably many fish and other life available for the birds. It would be awesome to get in there to see what is there!  I'm wondering if the Snowy Plovers that breed there are able to nest this year with these changes. I hope so. But scads of other birds are reaping the bounty for now. 

The rookery at Eleven Mile Reservoir (California Gulls, Am. White Pelicans and Double-crested Cormorants) is going strong. Birds nesting there fly to Spinney Mountain Reservoir and Antero to forage.

David Suddjian

Littleton, CO

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[cobirds] Chico Basin Ranch Banding Report, June 1, 2026-Bird Conservancy of the Rockies

Happy June! Migration is winding down; but there are still some flycatchers, Lincoln's Sparrows, and Swainson's Thrushes that are trickling through. All recaptures were breeding birds and maintained or lost a little weight from banding time. Breeding birds will be burning the energy they eat during nesting season.

12 New Banded Birds

Common Yellowthroat- 1

Western Wood-Pewee- 1

Willow Flycatcher-1

Alder Flycatcher- 1

Northern House Wren- 1

House Finch- 2

Lincoln's Sparrow- 1

Swainson's Thrush- 2

Northern Mockingbird- 1

Bullock's Oriole- 1

5 Recaptures

Western Wood-pewee- 1

Bullock's Oriole- 4

The Banding Station will be open tomorrow through Saturday from Sunrise until @ 11AM. Please register on the Aiken Audubon website if interested in visiting the ranch. www.aikenaudubon.com

Enjoy the Day,

Julie Shieldcastle

Bander, Chico Basin Ranch

Bird Conservancy of the Rockies

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[cobirds] Chatfield Banding Station, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies 5-31-26

We had nice weather, an interesting mix of birds, and very enthusiastic visitors for our final day of the spring 2026 season.

Among our 17 species (including all birds caught - banded today, banded in some prior year, and banded earlier this season), we got two first of season and relatively rare for us species (Plumbeous Vireo and Black-headed Grosbeak). 

We also caught another old Yellow Warbler (banded as an adult male in 2021 and caught every year since).  That gives us 3 old Yellows for the season - 2 males that would have hatched in 2019 or before and a female that would have hatched in 2015 or before.

Here's the breakdown of the 17 banded today and the 5 new returns:

Downy Woodpecker 1, banded 2024

Western Wood-pewee 1
Western Flycatcher 1
Plumbeous Vireo 2
Swainson's Thrush 1
Gray Catbird 3 new, 1 banded 2023
Yellow Warbler 4 new, 1 banded 2021
Common Yellowthroat 1
Yellow-breasted Chat 1 new, 1 banded 2024
Song Sparrow 1 new, 1 banded 2025 (these were 2 males in breeding condition, caught at the same time in the same net, and almost chasing each other along the trammel)

Lincoln's Sparrow 1
Black-headed Grosbeak 1

Done at Chatfield for spring 2026!  Watch for info about banding at Chatfield this fall, as well as fall at Barr Lake (where we will be back at our regular site after two years in a temporary location due to dam repair).

Meredith McBurney
Bander, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies

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[cobirds] Nick Komar Book Signing and Reading

Front Range Birding & Optics is pleased to host birding rockstar Nick Komar for a reading and signing of his new book The Biggest Year in American Birding: A Quest to Find 900 Birds in the USA and its Territories at both of our stores today, June 1st.

Littleton: 11am to 1pm 10146 W. San Juan Way Unit 110      Call 303-979-2473 to register

Boulder: 3pm to 5pm 2425 Canyon Blvd Suite B                    Call 303-979-2475 to register

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--Jamie Simo

Manager Front Range Birding & Optics

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