I was fortunate, yesterday, to find the Common Poorwill perched in the open at Denver Botanic Gardens in Denver. Usually, I only see this bird when it flies away from me, after I've flushed it from a Garden trail or under a tree in Cheesman. A photograph of the bird, which was perched on slate in the Conservatory Garden, is here: https://birderbyaccident.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/dsc_0469.jpg.
The poorwill has been around the Gardens since May 1. I've come across it 10 times over the last 25 days, so it's a reliable enough bird to find there this month.The best time to see it is right after the Garden opens at 9 a.m., before the buses of energetic children on field trips arrive. Head straight to the Conservatory Garden and look carefully at the top of the slate for a dark lump. If you don't see it, look again. When I find it, it's often on the second try. If you don't see it on the slate, head to the "Birds and Bees" trail. Look for lumps on the rocks in front of the trail, then slowly walk the trail.
Other notable, reliable birds include Black-headed Grosbeak and a Warbling Vireo. Bullock's Oriole and the common warbler species have been around lately too. The best place to find these are in Little Cheesman and the southern edge of Cheesman, among the smaller trees and a dozen or two Chipping Sparrow. Associating with the Chipping have been a Brewer's Sparrow and a few Clay-Colored Sparrow. One or two empid flycatchers can be found among the flocks of Chipping Sparrow in Little Cheesman, main Cheesman, and in the Gardens. The only that I've identified are Dusky.
Back in the Gardens, the Bushtit are very active. I saw, I believe, three recently fledged or nearly fledged young huddled on a branch together. The adults were foraging around the Birds and Bees trail and the bamboo. One was especially tame, foraging not an arm's length from me and flying close enough for me to feel its wing beats. Somehow, I didn't manage to get a photograph.
But the Gardens appear run by the Broad-tailed Hummingbird, which buzz by human visitors and aggressively defend territories from each other and any other bird unlucky enough to land on their perches. A few weekends ago, I watched one fly, back and forth, at the face of a Chipping Sparrow. The sparrow stood its ground for a few assaults, before deciding the perch wasn't worth the effort.
Above Cheesman and the Gardens have been Violet-green Swallow, Barn Swallow, one or two Cliff and Northern Rough Winged Swallow, and Chimney Swift. Six American White Pelicans flew over Cheesman yesterday morning. The same number flew over 8th and Grant St. yesterday evening, as a storm rolled in. Black-crowned Night Heron and Snowy Egret fly over fairly consistently as well.
- Jared Del Rosso
Denver, CO
-- The poorwill has been around the Gardens since May 1. I've come across it 10 times over the last 25 days, so it's a reliable enough bird to find there this month.The best time to see it is right after the Garden opens at 9 a.m., before the buses of energetic children on field trips arrive. Head straight to the Conservatory Garden and look carefully at the top of the slate for a dark lump. If you don't see it, look again. When I find it, it's often on the second try. If you don't see it on the slate, head to the "Birds and Bees" trail. Look for lumps on the rocks in front of the trail, then slowly walk the trail.
Other notable, reliable birds include Black-headed Grosbeak and a Warbling Vireo. Bullock's Oriole and the common warbler species have been around lately too. The best place to find these are in Little Cheesman and the southern edge of Cheesman, among the smaller trees and a dozen or two Chipping Sparrow. Associating with the Chipping have been a Brewer's Sparrow and a few Clay-Colored Sparrow. One or two empid flycatchers can be found among the flocks of Chipping Sparrow in Little Cheesman, main Cheesman, and in the Gardens. The only that I've identified are Dusky.
Back in the Gardens, the Bushtit are very active. I saw, I believe, three recently fledged or nearly fledged young huddled on a branch together. The adults were foraging around the Birds and Bees trail and the bamboo. One was especially tame, foraging not an arm's length from me and flying close enough for me to feel its wing beats. Somehow, I didn't manage to get a photograph.
But the Gardens appear run by the Broad-tailed Hummingbird, which buzz by human visitors and aggressively defend territories from each other and any other bird unlucky enough to land on their perches. A few weekends ago, I watched one fly, back and forth, at the face of a Chipping Sparrow. The sparrow stood its ground for a few assaults, before deciding the perch wasn't worth the effort.
Above Cheesman and the Gardens have been Violet-green Swallow, Barn Swallow, one or two Cliff and Northern Rough Winged Swallow, and Chimney Swift. Six American White Pelicans flew over Cheesman yesterday morning. The same number flew over 8th and Grant St. yesterday evening, as a storm rolled in. Black-crowned Night Heron and Snowy Egret fly over fairly consistently as well.
- Jared Del Rosso
Denver, CO
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