Hi folks,
On this foggy, misty morning at Boulder Valley Ranch, I spied a lonely pair of Cassin's Sparrows working through the yuccas and shortgrass at the edge of the mesa along the Sage Trail. The location was approximately 7/10 of a mile from the main parking area off Longhorn Drive, along the north portion of the loop trail about halfway to the main ranch pond near the junction for the North Rim trail. I IDed them based on their notably plain breasts, overall drab appearance, pale throats, stout body structure, spotty (not streaked) mantles, and moderately but not particularly long tails. They also had slightly dark crowns, slightly raised giving them a more angular appearance than what I expect from, say, Brewer's Sparrows. (I experienced many Cassin's during my field work in SE Colorado 2 years ago, and that's what this pair definitely reminded me of.) These birds however were utterly silent, and although the habitat was decent for them, I got the sense they were just passing through. But, who knows.
I also found several Lark Buntings, mostly females but also a couple males thrown in. There were also numerous House Wrens are now on territories along the shelterbelt trees, with Western Meadowlarks, Vesper Sparrows, a Loggerhead Shrike, and even a few Savannah Sparrows singing from the taller grasses.
Eric DeFonso
Boulder, CO
Boulder, CO
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