I managed to get in a quick lunch at my favorite mid-day break spot, Smith Park in Boulder. I have been a regular visitor at this spot since 2014 and have now seen 61 species at this overgrown urban lot. Today, things were really active in the cool misty weather. Migrants included two Western Tanagers, three Black-headed Grosbeaks, a dozen Wilson’s Warblers and a Gray Flycatcher. Regular species included three Broad-tailed Hummingbirds still hanging out and Bushtits for the fourth straight visit going back to late July.
I may have been able to turn up a few more things (e.g., no nuthatches, Lesser Goldfinches or MacGillivray’s Warblers today, but perhaps the last two have moved on) but a pair of ladies arrived with their baskets in order to harvest what was left of the plum crop at this old over grown yard. They dove right into the main thicket for their harvest, and that was that. Last week there were literally over 1,000 plums present—today fewer than 100, but lots of bear scat! The park also has loads of American hackberries loaded with gall covered leaves, so until they fall off, I suspect that there will be lots of food for passerines.
Bill Kaempfer
Boulder
No comments:
Post a Comment