I haven't been to Grandview Cemetery (GC) in Fort Collins for a couple weeks and was interested in the changes.
The Great Horned Owl adult female was NOT on her nest, either at the beginning of the visit or 3 hours later. A crow yelled obscenities at the site, so perhaps the nestlings were down in the elm crotch out of view and the female was simply stretching/airing out after a weekend of cold, wind and moisture.
No less than 4 Broad-winged Hawks were overhead. One flew thru at treetop level, the other three spiraled up from the residential area just east of the entrance to a very high altitude and drifted off to the west. Perhaps this was a mini-kettle and I suspect one or two others were missed due to my unsuccessful attempts to photograph the visible individuals.
Good numbers of Chipping Sparrows picked at dandelions. In their midst was at least one gray-headed Dark-eyed Junco, either late getting out of Dodge or one with second thoughts about its premature return to the mountains (now white).
My first female Broad-tailed Hummingbird at GC this year was doing what they typically do during nest-building: hovering around the upper crown of a tall spruce gathering spider webbing by beak from branch tips. I found one nest that appears to be either (1) a new one halfway to completion OR (2) an old half-deteriorated nest from last summer that went undetected and is being refurbished. I never saw a hummer visit this nest but will check in the next few days.
Two male Ruby-crowned Kinglets sang in their territories dominated by tall spruce trees. One went crazy when I did a little playback (think "messing with Sasquatch" commercials for jerky).
A Black-capped Chickadee flew and fed with a Mountain Chickadee. I would not be surprised is they are a mixed couple.
Total of 22 species (eBird checklist with photos submitted elsewhere for which I would provide a link if I knew how).
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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