I have only been able to do mostly car birding for the past few weeks due to a bad bout of acute bronchitis so hadn't been up for looking for the Least Bittern found again this year by Rich Miller. Finally recovered I decided to try the method that worked last year--going out in early evening and looking for the bird from the south trail just over half way across from the bridge. It worked as I was able to see the Least Bittern as it flew from the vegetation on the southwest side of the wetlands into the large cattail area. This is how a number of us saw it last year. It appeared to be an adult bird but I was not able to get a photo of the bird in flight in the dimming light (a few minutes before 8pm).
I am somewhat surprised that the Least Bittern is finding enough fish to eat since the water in the pond/wetlands has a lot of sediment as a result of a large rain event just over a week ago. It caused major flooding of the usually quite small creek just to the east of the wetlands that overflowed the berm in between the creek and the wetlands, depositing logs and other debris on what used to be the trail on the east side of the wetlands. The hard rains caused some of the sides of the wetlands to cave in, depositing a lot of soil into the water. It is so muddy I am surprised fish can get enough oxygen.
I was surprised to spot a late breeder--a Ash-throated Flycatcher-carrying food. I followed the flycatcher and it still had the food in it's bill after it flew into a tree about a hundred feet from where I first saw it (and several minutes in time while I walked around the pond to this location) so I believe it was carrying it to feed young. I was not able to follow it to a nest or fledglings as the terrain was filled with downed trees (a great location for this species to find a nest hole). Interesting that this is the first time I have seen this species breeding here and this is one of my priority Bird Atlas blocks. I have uploaded a photo of it with a nice grasshopper in it's bill to my Birds and Nature blog.
I also saw what I believe to be an Eastern X Black hybrid phoebe there. Mostly black feathers on head, back and wings with white throat, yellowish underparts and smudie sides. I have uploaded a photo of it to my blog also.
If you go to Holcim Wetlands please be attentive to weather. Though we have had severe drought in this area, we have also had a few significant rain events that not only do the flooding I discussed above but make the trail very muddy especially where it goes under the railroad bridge (which is next to the creek). A week ago I ran into some northern Colo birders who had visited Holcim Wetlands last Sunday and they reported that the mud was very bad.
Canon City
Blogging for Birds and Blooms magazine @ http://birdsandbloomsblog.com/author/seetta-moss/
Personal blog @ BirdsAndBlooms.blogspot.com
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