Today at Grandview Cemetery in Fort Collins (Larimer) could be described as "beautiful" and "transitional".
Relatively unhardy insectivores like Western Wood-Pewee (1) and Barn Swallow (several) were still present. A few Turkey Vultures still linger at the Mountain Avenue roost to the east. The Wilson's Warblers, in your face a week ago, seem mostly gone (none seen today). A warbler species that could be considered a "gapper" between early and later fall chipped "hello" (Townsend's Warbler). And the flag-bearer of the later fall warblers (Yellow-rumped) also showed up. The first one (or was it two?) Brown Creeper of the fall down low returned to its assigned seat, presumably to winter in the spruce next to the big hackberry in the northern part of the cemetery. Foothills/mountain migrants like Western Tanager (1) and Chipping Sparrow (25) continue to trickle through, not in that frenzied, hyper way they sometimes do, but in a manner befitting the lower 1/5th of car's rear windshield showing first frost this morning. There was a major influx of Mountain Chickadees, Blue Jays, and American Robins. Continuing the elevational migrant theme, a female Cassin's Finch put in a brief appearance atop a tall spruce. Shortly after, a heard-only Evening Grosbeak passed over.
But what I really wanted to mention was spurred by Bill Kaempfer's remarks yesterday about the best group of passerines he saw out northeast being in a hackberry in Yuma. Yes, it is that time of year when the gall psyllids of at least two types emerge from hackberry leaf galls and provide munchies or more for migrants. I consider popcorn an entree. Not sure if this makes me "mildly bizarre" or just indicates I know what I like. Likewise, birds can make minute food bits into entire meals, if the fare is good enough and abundant enough. Emergence of the small psyllids is a bit early this year, like many other phenological events, presumably because of the warm, dry weather. During the peak of their emergence, psyllids can certainly be abundant and result in bird feeding frenzies. Over the next 2-3 weeks, I would pay special attention to hackberries along the Front Range, far western plateaus (Durango, Delta, Grand Junction, for ex.), and particularly on the eastern plains. If there are any good eastern migrant passerines, my bet is they will at least check out hackberry for the availability of psyllids. If there is psyllid "action", they might linger in such trees for days. (See the portion of the CFO website that contains archived articles of "The Hungry Bird" and go to July 2010 for more specifics about these fascinating insects
Today at Grandview, the psyllid emergence is imminent, but not yet in full swing. However, at this time just prior to emergence, at least 5 kinds of animals were jumping the gun and getting psyllids while they are standing still (that is, while still within the galls, both nipplegalls and blistergalls): Black-capped Chickadee, Mountain Chickadee, House Finch, Pine Siskin, and Fox Squirrels. My guess would be psyllids are flying throughout the far eastern plains, and along the Front Range from Denver south. To verify, find a hackberry, position yourself with the tree between you and the sun, and if you see "gnats" buzzing all around during the warm part of the day, there's a good chance the little flying things are psyllids.
A Brown Creeper and a Downy Woodpecker were also in hackberry but I could not confirm their finding psyllids, as they sometimes do on the bark surface or within galls. A further indication of this tree's value to urban wildlife last night was in the raccoon scat today - pure hackberry "berries". Birds eating by day the hackberries still up in the trees were robins, flickers, and starlings. Solitaires will soon join them.
Reports from the field welcome.
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
Relatively unhardy insectivores like Western Wood-Pewee (1) and Barn Swallow (several) were still present. A few Turkey Vultures still linger at the Mountain Avenue roost to the east. The Wilson's Warblers, in your face a week ago, seem mostly gone (none seen today). A warbler species that could be considered a "gapper" between early and later fall chipped "hello" (Townsend's Warbler). And the flag-bearer of the later fall warblers (Yellow-rumped) also showed up. The first one (or was it two?) Brown Creeper of the fall down low returned to its assigned seat, presumably to winter in the spruce next to the big hackberry in the northern part of the cemetery. Foothills/mountain migrants like Western Tanager (1) and Chipping Sparrow (25) continue to trickle through, not in that frenzied, hyper way they sometimes do, but in a manner befitting the lower 1/5th of car's rear windshield showing first frost this morning. There was a major influx of Mountain Chickadees, Blue Jays, and American Robins. Continuing the elevational migrant theme, a female Cassin's Finch put in a brief appearance atop a tall spruce. Shortly after, a heard-only Evening Grosbeak passed over.
But what I really wanted to mention was spurred by Bill Kaempfer's remarks yesterday about the best group of passerines he saw out northeast being in a hackberry in Yuma. Yes, it is that time of year when the gall psyllids of at least two types emerge from hackberry leaf galls and provide munchies or more for migrants. I consider popcorn an entree. Not sure if this makes me "mildly bizarre" or just indicates I know what I like. Likewise, birds can make minute food bits into entire meals, if the fare is good enough and abundant enough. Emergence of the small psyllids is a bit early this year, like many other phenological events, presumably because of the warm, dry weather. During the peak of their emergence, psyllids can certainly be abundant and result in bird feeding frenzies. Over the next 2-3 weeks, I would pay special attention to hackberries along the Front Range, far western plateaus (Durango, Delta, Grand Junction, for ex.), and particularly on the eastern plains. If there are any good eastern migrant passerines, my bet is they will at least check out hackberry for the availability of psyllids. If there is psyllid "action", they might linger in such trees for days. (See the portion of the CFO website that contains archived articles of "The Hungry Bird" and go to July 2010 for more specifics about these fascinating insects
Today at Grandview, the psyllid emergence is imminent, but not yet in full swing. However, at this time just prior to emergence, at least 5 kinds of animals were jumping the gun and getting psyllids while they are standing still (that is, while still within the galls, both nipplegalls and blistergalls): Black-capped Chickadee, Mountain Chickadee, House Finch, Pine Siskin, and Fox Squirrels. My guess would be psyllids are flying throughout the far eastern plains, and along the Front Range from Denver south. To verify, find a hackberry, position yourself with the tree between you and the sun, and if you see "gnats" buzzing all around during the warm part of the day, there's a good chance the little flying things are psyllids.
A Brown Creeper and a Downy Woodpecker were also in hackberry but I could not confirm their finding psyllids, as they sometimes do on the bark surface or within galls. A further indication of this tree's value to urban wildlife last night was in the raccoon scat today - pure hackberry "berries". Birds eating by day the hackberries still up in the trees were robins, flickers, and starlings. Solitaires will soon join them.
Reports from the field welcome.
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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