Today, I started at dawn at the se. tip of Jackson Res and spent 3 hours working the birds there. I may have been Mr Leatherman's mystery birder!! If so, I am sad that we missed each other.
Dave produces so much fodder for thought, that I could go on for a long while, so I'll start with yonder highlights.
Approaching the tollbooth at Jackson State Park, maybe 1/2 mile before, you go over a ditch. To your right and ahead is a trailer park. Just before the ditch, one can turn right and access the s. side of Jackson Res. Anyway, this ditch is often very productive, probably because it not only has water, but water that is accessible, with good cover, for thirsty birds.
Anyway, I pulled off to the east side of the road, just s. of the ditch, and the Russian Olive trees there were hopping with birds. One Russian Olive had
WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER (juv)
RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER (juv-imm)
ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK (probably ad female)
By the visitor's center I had a PLUMBEOUS VIREO.
Now, to the start of my day -- the shorebird numbers were still fabulous, if a bit down. The only "highlight" amongst the shorebird family were 4 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS. Notably, 4 BB Plovers were also present. A juv SABINE'S GULL also flew past.
I do wonder what I missed, despite my 3 hours. I heard the BB Plovers 20 minutes before I saw them. I heard a Semi Plover that I never saw, and I have no idea wherefrom the Sabine's Gull came or whereto it went... and I spent a lot of time sorting through the 300 or so Franklin's Gulls present.
Other highlights of today include a TENNESSEE WARBLER at Andrick Ponds SWA in a small clump of Russian Olives along the north side. A ROSE-BREASTED x BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK at the Eaton Cemetery, 6 HORNED GREBES, a BUFFLEHEAD, and 2 CANVASBACK at Timnath Reservoir (the grebes and bufflhead present for a couple weeks or so) and 12 MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS --- seemingly early for the "Plains"
At Fossil Creek Res, there were 6 more HORNED GREBES and a rather surprising 42 COMMON MERGANSERS (surprising for date).
Now.... onto other thoughts
Crow Valley has mostly sucked this fall. I think it is so dry that there are virtually no insects. When it does have birds, it is first thing... my guess is that these are birds that landed during nocturnal migration, found a place that looked good but was sans food, and so depart fairly quickly.
Most other passerine places, on the other hand (at least since the mornings have become a bit chilled) are not really active until about an hour after sunrise (at least out on The Plains), and birds seem to still be arriving for an hour or two yet (probably having left Crow Valley :o)
I noticed much of the changeover that David did. The change is less evident in shorebirds so far, other than the dramatic drop-off in peeps today.
It is tempting to give a list of all migrants, but I'll stick to wobblers.
For 20, 15, and 9 Sep and 31 and 23 Aug.
Orange-crowned (15, 6, 1, 0, 0)
MacGillivray's (1, 1, 1, 3, 0)
Mourning (0, 0, 0, 1, 0)
Common Yellowthroat (0, 1, 0, 2, 1)
American Redstart (0, 1, 1, 3, 2)
Yellow (2, 2, 5, 14, 24)
Chestnut-sided (0, 2, 0, 0, 0)
Myrtle (28, 1, 0, 0, 0)
Audubon's (94, 89, 10, 0, 0)
Myrtle x Audubon's (8, 3, 0, 0, 0)
Townsend's (2, 44, 12, 4, 9)
Wilson's (17, 56, 52, 64, 12)
okay... and for flycatchers
Olive-sided (0, 0, 0, 0, 2)
WW Pewee (0, 1, 2, 4, 1)
Willow (0, 0, 0, 3, 0)
Willow/Alder (0, 1, 0, 1, 0)
Least (0, 1, 0, 1, 0)
Dusky (0, 1, 0, 1, 1)
Empid? (1, 2, 0, 2, 2)
W Kingbird (0, 0, 0, 1, 2)
E Kingbird (0, 0, 0, 3, 1)
Okay -- not nearly as interesting.
Well, off to bed for me.
Good Birding
Steven Mlodinow
Longmont, CO
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