I walked the Poudre River in eastern Fort Collins (Larimer) today from Prospect south from Sharp Point Drive to the Environmental Learning Center (including the pond to the south of the ELC parking lot [this pond needs a name]), backtracking a bit, crossed over the river to the City-owned Cottonwood Hollow/Running Deer Natural Areas, and back to Sharp Point.
Most enjoyable was following a mixed flock of birds foraging, as best I could tell, on aphids. Lots of aphids. Included in the group were both Mountain and Black-capped Chickadees, a White-breasted Nuthatch (interior race), at least 3 Downy Woodpeckers (eastern race), a Golden-crowned Kinglet (female), Brown Creepers, several Dark-eyed Juncos (mostly slate-colored, but a few Oregon and pink-sided), and one Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's). They were mostly getting an undetermined species (collected for ID) of leaf aphid from various types of willow, but also got Giant Willow Aphids (from one particular Crack Willow) and Snowberry Aphids from Snowberry (Symphorocarpus occidentalis). I followed this flock for over 2 hours and the number of individual aphids they collectively consumed was phenomenal. If it weren't for birds, suffice it to say, we would be wading around in insects. Nobody in their right mind would walk/ride the bike trail without goggles and a plow/fairing. The faint of heart would stay inside and watch football.
Other interesting birds were:
Cackling Goose (several, race undetermined, pretty much part of every "White-cheeked" Goose gathering these days)
Hairy Woodpecker (1 male, mountain race)
Pine Siskin (heard overhead)
Northern Shrike (1 immature), Running Deer NA
Pied-billed Grebe (1), in Pelican Pond
Tree Sparrow (2) in Cottonwood Hollow Natural Area in the grasses where Artist's Point Pond used to be
Marsh Wren (heard out in the cattails at Cottonwood Hollow NA, probably will try to overwinter)
Chipping Sparrow (1 late first-winter bird eating rabbitbrush seeds)
The Trumpeter Swan decoys are still on the industrial park pond along Sharp Point Drive about a block s of Prospect. I wonder when physiological changes (and ice) will trigger their primeval, years-old instincts to migrate indoors to the storage closet until next May?
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
Most enjoyable was following a mixed flock of birds foraging, as best I could tell, on aphids. Lots of aphids. Included in the group were both Mountain and Black-capped Chickadees, a White-breasted Nuthatch (interior race), at least 3 Downy Woodpeckers (eastern race), a Golden-crowned Kinglet (female), Brown Creepers, several Dark-eyed Juncos (mostly slate-colored, but a few Oregon and pink-sided), and one Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's). They were mostly getting an undetermined species (collected for ID) of leaf aphid from various types of willow, but also got Giant Willow Aphids (from one particular Crack Willow) and Snowberry Aphids from Snowberry (Symphorocarpus occidentalis). I followed this flock for over 2 hours and the number of individual aphids they collectively consumed was phenomenal. If it weren't for birds, suffice it to say, we would be wading around in insects. Nobody in their right mind would walk/ride the bike trail without goggles and a plow/fairing. The faint of heart would stay inside and watch football.
Other interesting birds were:
Cackling Goose (several, race undetermined, pretty much part of every "White-cheeked" Goose gathering these days)
Hairy Woodpecker (1 male, mountain race)
Pine Siskin (heard overhead)
Northern Shrike (1 immature), Running Deer NA
Pied-billed Grebe (1), in Pelican Pond
Tree Sparrow (2) in Cottonwood Hollow Natural Area in the grasses where Artist's Point Pond used to be
Marsh Wren (heard out in the cattails at Cottonwood Hollow NA, probably will try to overwinter)
Chipping Sparrow (1 late first-winter bird eating rabbitbrush seeds)
The Trumpeter Swan decoys are still on the industrial park pond along Sharp Point Drive about a block s of Prospect. I wonder when physiological changes (and ice) will trigger their primeval, years-old instincts to migrate indoors to the storage closet until next May?
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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