Quick! What were you doing in the 3am hour today? Well, this is a what a Gray Catbird was doing at Greenlee Preserve, Boulder County, this hazy, moonlit Thursday "morning," May 26:
http://www.xeno-canto.org/318616
-- http://www.xeno-canto.org/318616
That's right, Gray Catbirds and many other birds sing in the middle of the night, especially when there is good moonlight, as there was in the wee hours this morning.
And the situation on Father's Day eve, June 18-19, 2016, should be ideal for CFO's 2nd annual Boulder County "Big Night." Full moon, courtship at a zenith, and a new-and-improved route. We're even gonna have good weather this year! Along with catbirds, we will try for rails, bitterns, snipes, night-herons, nightjars, owls, and the many passerines that sing on moonlit nights in June: Hammond's Flycatchers, Grasshopper Sparrows, and, most of all, berserk Yellow-breasted Chats.
And the situation on Father's Day eve, June 18-19, 2016, should be ideal for CFO's 2nd annual Boulder County "Big Night." Full moon, courtship at a zenith, and a new-and-improved route. We're even gonna have good weather this year! Along with catbirds, we will try for rails, bitterns, snipes, night-herons, nightjars, owls, and the many passerines that sing on moonlit nights in June: Hammond's Flycatchers, Grasshopper Sparrows, and, most of all, berserk Yellow-breasted Chats.
We will start at sunset, 8:32 pm, on, Sunday, June 18, and we will finish at sunrise, 5:32 am, on Sunday, June 19. Call it a 9-hour descent into insanity. Our itinerary will be the reverse of last year's: We're going to start low and end in the mountains.
This outing, sponsored by Colorado Field Ornithologists, is free and open to the public. RSVP required. The CFO Big Night involves extensive walking in the dark on wet, possibly flooded, terrain, as well as on steep trails in the foothills. If you're still interested, please contact me offline (I'm tfloyd "at" aba.org) for our meeting location and other details.
This outing, sponsored by Colorado Field Ornithologists, is free and open to the public. RSVP required. The CFO Big Night involves extensive walking in the dark on wet, possibly flooded, terrain, as well as on steep trails in the foothills. If you're still interested, please contact me offline (I'm tfloyd "at" aba.org) for our meeting location and other details.
Science writer Justine Hausheer accompanied the group last year, and filed this report:
http://blog.nature.org/science/2015/06/03/extreme-birding-big-night-birds-colorado/
With our new route, the June date, and the full moon, I suspect we will significantly outperform last year's inaugural effort. We will get you home in plenty of time to mow the lawn, unclog the drains, fix broken toys, and all the other things dads do on Father's Day. Hope to see some of you for this zany, festive, and wonder-filled event!
With our new route, the June date, and the full moon, I suspect we will significantly outperform last year's inaugural effort. We will get you home in plenty of time to mow the lawn, unclog the drains, fix broken toys, and all the other things dads do on Father's Day. Hope to see some of you for this zany, festive, and wonder-filled event!
Ted Floyd
Lafayette, Boulder County
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