On 6/25 in the early PM, a friend and I tried for the Blue-winged Warbler at Welchester Tree Grant Park (northeast of Yank and W 8th, Lakewood, Jefferson) . We ran into three other birders in the process of leaving who reported NOT seeing the bird. Between 1 and 2PM, we did NOT see or hear the bird, either. On 6/26 starting about 7:30AM, essentially this same group of people tried again and the bird WAS, contrastingly, quite cooperative. Per many, many reports, the center of its territory seems to be at the far eastern end of the Park, specifically the grove of small green ash trees just downhill and to the north of famous russian-olives just e (i.e., the private side) of the park/private fence. Open weedy field to the north. Patch of Poison Hemlocks (or whatever those Umbellaceae plants that look like Queen Ann's Lace are) west of the field along the fence line. Small running stream/ditch right thru the middle of it all. Perfect, according to the accounts I've read of their habitat requirements/ likes. [As an aside, I'm all but certain those abundant, brilliant blue to blue-purple damselflies perched within and near the warbler's territory on dirt social trails/bridge/wooden debris in the stream are Vivid Dancers, Argia vivida].
My take on this bird is that, like many of these lost male warblers in the past that stick on the Front Range beyond the peak of spring migration, it is full of breeding desire but running out of steam. It tends to sing a lot in the A.M. hours, during which it makes a couple laps of its breeding territory (which extends about 75 yards to the west of the ashes described above into the mixed deciduous "jungle"). Sings not at all, or very seldom in the PM. It reminds me of the Tropical Parula in Fort Collins years ago, which essentially went silent about the 4th of July. As many others have reported, it is tough to hear if your hearing is not good at the upper range. If you do hear it, judging exactly where the sound is coming from is tougher yet. It mostly stays fairly high and moves very little while singing (reminds me of a damn Red-eyed Vireo, the way it eludes visual detection). All I can figure is that these fantastic photos we've been seeing of this bird involve the use of audio tomfoolery. Not a judgment, just a statement. Yes, the song is more like the end of typical Golden-winged song. The bird looks like a field guide model Blue-winged.
This most recent encounter provided no real information on what this bird is eating, although once I thought I saw it make a frenetic dive for a flushed miller moth in cottonwood. I have received reports/photos from others (Walt Knudsen and Mary O'Connor, respectively) that indicate it's diet includes aphids in cottonwood and green fruitworms in ash.
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
My take on this bird is that, like many of these lost male warblers in the past that stick on the Front Range beyond the peak of spring migration, it is full of breeding desire but running out of steam. It tends to sing a lot in the A.M. hours, during which it makes a couple laps of its breeding territory (which extends about 75 yards to the west of the ashes described above into the mixed deciduous "jungle"). Sings not at all, or very seldom in the PM. It reminds me of the Tropical Parula in Fort Collins years ago, which essentially went silent about the 4th of July. As many others have reported, it is tough to hear if your hearing is not good at the upper range. If you do hear it, judging exactly where the sound is coming from is tougher yet. It mostly stays fairly high and moves very little while singing (reminds me of a damn Red-eyed Vireo, the way it eludes visual detection). All I can figure is that these fantastic photos we've been seeing of this bird involve the use of audio tomfoolery. Not a judgment, just a statement. Yes, the song is more like the end of typical Golden-winged song. The bird looks like a field guide model Blue-winged.
This most recent encounter provided no real information on what this bird is eating, although once I thought I saw it make a frenetic dive for a flushed miller moth in cottonwood. I have received reports/photos from others (Walt Knudsen and Mary O'Connor, respectively) that indicate it's diet includes aphids in cottonwood and green fruitworms in ash.
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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