Highlight of a 4-hour visit yesterday to Grandview Cemetery (GC) at the west terminus of Mountain Avenue in Fort Collins was a singing PLUMBEOUS VIREO, which is definitely late to be at low elevation and about 5-10 miles east of where it ought to be at this time of year. Is there a standard, biological name for these lonely, "I need a woman" males that we see/hear from time to time in June, singing incessantly, wandering the terrain?
Two Broad-tailed Hummingbird nests have two young each. One is in a Douglas-fir, the other a Colorado Blue Spruce. Another spruce nest is under construction. Is this nest-in-progress the work of: 1) a late bird that just didn't get the memo (there's always one), 2) because this female had a failed first nest, or 3) the start of a second brood (still unproven for this species)? Other females present at GC probably indicate, as usual, there are nests, maybe several, that have escaped my detection.
A Great Horned Owl in a Green Ash attracted a mixed flock of insulters (Blue Jay, House Finches, Chipping Sparrow, Plumbeous Vireo (for a short time), and American Robins).
A pair of Red-tailed Hawks are consistently seen in the southeast corner, mostly in cottonwoods, and almost always catching the wrath of robins. I wonder if these hawks have a taste for robin nestlings?
The cemetery has a difficult-to-locate Bushtit at present and they are probably nesting in or near the cemetery.
Both goldfinches will nest soon, the Chipping Sparrow is probably a local breeder. No nesting Western Wood-Pewees or Ruby-crowned Kinglets this summer at GC.
Saw my first Common Nighthawks (4) of the year at the cemetery sail over e to w about 6pm. Also, FOY at the cemetery Chimney Swifts (2), which I have never been able to figure out where they nest.
Total of 24 species, which is a good number. About the only species that might have been missed are flyover Ring-billed Gull, flyover White Pelican, White-breasted Nuthatch, and Mourning Dove. The Rock Pigeons that used to always sit on the pole north of the northwest corner haven't been there for months, which probably indicates an eradication campaign over at Poudre HS.
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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