I started early at the mouth of Waterton Canyon to revisit the Black Phoebe and Eastern Phoebe, hoping to get some further info on possible nesting. Both birds were in the same spot where they have been enjoyed of late. They continued to behave in near proximity to each other as a pair would, but I saw no evidence of nesting during my time with them. At one point they were both perched about 15 feet away from me, one on either side and both calling continually - a great comparison of the call notes. And I saw a Say's Pheobe on the walk in for the Sayornis trifecta.
-- The walk in was very birdy indeed early in the morning. Buntings were everywhere along the trail and especially in the weedy field on the south side as I walked in (much less activity on the walk out), with lots of Lazuli, but also Indigo and hybrids. Flocks were flushing up in the field and many queued up along the fence line. There were many adult males. My conservative estimates of numbers were 46 Lazuli, 3 Indigo (2 adult males, 1 female type), 3 hybrid ("Lazigo"; all adult males; 2 singing), and 21 unidentified Lazuli/Indigo. Also noted were 31 Chipping Sparrows (migrants), 14 Lark Sparrows, 5 Blue Grosbeaks, 28 Gray Catbirds, 4 Western Tanagers, and about 13 Yellow-breasted Chats. A female MacGillivray's Warbler near the Black Phoebe spot was maybe of note down out of the hills. A Least Flycatcher was in that area, too, and as I began on the trail a Greater Yellowlegs was flying high over, looping around the general area before continuing northeast out of view.
Water levels at Chatfield Reservoir continue to drop, but shoreline areas are still flooded. The Swim Beach had 2 Greater Yellowlegs, 1 Lesser Yellowlegs, 9 Spotted Sandpipers, a herd of 28 Killdeer, plus California and Ring-billed Gulls.
An Eastern Phoebe was visible from Kingfisher Bridge on the downstream side, while the area upstream of the bridge had no less than 7 Least Flycatchers (most noted calling simultaneously in varied directions from one spot along the cement path on the Douglas side that is now free of flooding. One Red-eyed Vireo there, too.
The last reach of the road to the "Plum Creek Nature Area" had a number of Lazuli Buntings, 1 male Indigo Bunting and 1 male "Lazigo" hybrid. Also a singing Grasshopper Sparrow still present and two Blue Grosbeaks. Near the marsh along Plum Creek upstream of the end of the road I saw a Savannah Sparrow, which I don't recall encountering there in the nesting season on prior visits. The creek has really eroded a big channel through the marsh area, but the Common Yellowthroats (9) and other marsh species seem happy.
The Marina Sandspit has some islands and shoreline now exposed, but remains largely flooded. Gulls, cormorants, pelicans were loafing there, and Great Blue Herons were plentiful. Seems like a spot to watch as the water continues to drop and new margins and shallows appear.
David Suddjian
Littleton, CO
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAGj6Ror_ebkD-Ru7%3Dfj1%2BBwArxQn0PEhDUpVttn8AnW-kdqrBQ%40mail.gmail.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
No comments:
Post a Comment