Birders,
I’ve had infrequent sightings of single female-plumaged Purple and Cassin’s finches at my feeders in Las Animas (Bent County) since early January. Purple Finch is a review species in Colorado, and Cassin’s Finch is rare so far from the mountains. Until today, I’d never seen both species at the same time. This afternoon, I finally had both birds on the feeder seven feet from my family room window at the same time, and actually nailed photos of them interacting with each other. I’ll gladly send photos to those interested.
I welcome visitors, but of course there’s a caveat. They are unpredictable, often disappearing for days or weeks on end. They may be more reliable in bad weather. And, I’ve got a problem with Red-winged Blackbirds. If I fill my feeders, I will have hundreds around, and they drive off other birds. For the past few days, I’ve only been able to put a small amount of seeds on the tray feeder nearest the window on the west side of my house, as blackbirds are more shy than finches, and will fly off if they see me inside. When the blackbirds leave without successfully feeding, I put out more seed, and hope the finches take advantage of these brief opportunities to visit. So far, this has worked, but I can’t always be around to do this drill.
I went to John Martin Reservoir today. The lake, completely open last Thursday, is currently mostly iced over. Some early migrant American White Pelicans stand stupidly on islands surrounded by ice, waiting for it to melt.
Duane Nelson
Las Animas, Bent County, CO
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