After the Broncos went "3 and out" for the third time in a row early in the second half today, I decided birding a cold, gray cemetery would be better. Although the Broncos eventually snapped out of it, the cemetery never has an off-game (or quarter, even).
The highlight was a flock of about 20 Bushtits. While they foraged in many different types of vegetation (lilacs, roses, elms), their main focus seemed to be the interior crowns of spruce trees near the hackberry which hosted the Cape May Warbler earlier this autumn. This is a new one for my list of birds capitalizing on hackberry gall-making psyllids. While their doing so during the time when the adults psyllids are most active (April and October) would not be all that surprising, it IS somewhat surprising they are finding them during this time of year. Since other small gleaning birds like chickadees, nuthatches, and creepers actively seek them out during winter, one has to wonder if the Bushtits are copycats. On the other hand, maybe they know from experience with Netleaf Hackberry, which supports psyllids and which occurs in many southwestern canyon habitats. Applying knowledge from another habitat and lookalike tree species to Northern Hackberry in an urban cemetery is not that much of a stretch for creatures as amazing as birds.
Other interesting but usual species present were: Brown Creeper (2-3), Townsend's Solitaire, Mountain Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch (2), and Red-breasted Nuthatch (5+).
Also, the Brown Thrasher which has been present in an alley a block east of the cemetery is still present. It would be a fun species to see on January 1, 2014.
It appears there will NOT be a winter-resident Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Golden-crowned Kinglets or crossbills at Grandview Cemetery this winter, although these birds are certainly possible as pass-throughs during the remainder of the cold months.
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
The highlight was a flock of about 20 Bushtits. While they foraged in many different types of vegetation (lilacs, roses, elms), their main focus seemed to be the interior crowns of spruce trees near the hackberry which hosted the Cape May Warbler earlier this autumn. This is a new one for my list of birds capitalizing on hackberry gall-making psyllids. While their doing so during the time when the adults psyllids are most active (April and October) would not be all that surprising, it IS somewhat surprising they are finding them during this time of year. Since other small gleaning birds like chickadees, nuthatches, and creepers actively seek them out during winter, one has to wonder if the Bushtits are copycats. On the other hand, maybe they know from experience with Netleaf Hackberry, which supports psyllids and which occurs in many southwestern canyon habitats. Applying knowledge from another habitat and lookalike tree species to Northern Hackberry in an urban cemetery is not that much of a stretch for creatures as amazing as birds.
Other interesting but usual species present were: Brown Creeper (2-3), Townsend's Solitaire, Mountain Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch (2), and Red-breasted Nuthatch (5+).
Also, the Brown Thrasher which has been present in an alley a block east of the cemetery is still present. It would be a fun species to see on January 1, 2014.
It appears there will NOT be a winter-resident Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Golden-crowned Kinglets or crossbills at Grandview Cemetery this winter, although these birds are certainly possible as pass-throughs during the remainder of the cold months.
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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