cobirds colorado rare bird: March 2020

Tuesday, 31 March 2020

[cobirds] COLORADO RARE BIRD REPORT FOR WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, posted 3/31

Date: Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Compiler: Joe Roller, jroller9 AT gmail.com

Phone: (303) 204-0828

_____________________________________________

The Colorado Rare Bird report is an informational service.

Because of statewide coronavirus "Stay at Home" orders, the purpose of this report is to keep homebound readers abreast of rare bird sightings across the state during spring migration.

This report does NOT endorse or encourage illegal travel to see or "chase" rare birds beyond your own local area.

We urge readers to respect state and local restrictions on non-critical travel and limits on outdoor activities that include birding. Please do so ONLY at or close to home and ONLY with universally promoted safety precautions, including physical "social distancing."

Birders have been helpful by reporting updates to COBirds. Thanks!

CAPITAL LETTERS denote very rare species, as listed by the Colorado Bird Records Committee at the CFO website.

(*) indicates new information on a species.

For more information on birds seen today, go to cobirds.org and scroll to the bottom for "Recent eBird Sightings."

______________________________________________

Migration notes:

It's nice to see the annual cycle of bird migration continue. It's Spring! Swallows, vultures and a few Swainson's Hawks have returned. What's next?

Rare, out-of-place and some out-of-season species reports are listed below.

Tundra Swan (*Summit)

Long-tailed Duck (*Arapahoe)

Horned Grebe (San Miguel)

Mew Gull (Adams)

Lesser-black Backed Gull (Alamosa)

Glaucous Gull (Weld)

Black Phoebe (Douglas)

White-throated Sparrow (Montezuma, Summit)

Sagebrush Sparrow (*Jefferson, *Larimer)

Rusty Blackbird (Douglas)

——————————————————————————

ADAMS COUNTY:

—On Mar 29 a Mew Gull was reported at Dunes Reservoir by Adam Vesely. Dunes Reservoir is northwest of the intersection of E 112th Ave and Highway 85 and appears on the eBird Hotspot map. There's a small public parking lot near the southwest corner of the reservoir, located in the neighborhood.

ALAMOSA/RIO GRANDE COUNTIES:

—On Mar 25 a Lesser Black-backed Gull (alternate plumage) was found at San Luis Lake by Dale and Bev Hettinger. This is the 4th eBird San Luis Valley record for the species.

ARAPAHOE COUNTY:

—On Mar 31 the over-wintering Long-tailed Duck continued at South Platte Park/South Platte Reservoir.

DOUGLAS COUNTY:

—On March 29 a Black Phoebe was reported at Chatfield SP—Plum Creek Nature Area by Matt Crooks.

—On March 25 a Rusty Blackbird was reported at Chatfield SP--Plum Creek Delta by David Bailey.

EL PASO and PUEBLO COUNTIES:

—Please note Chico Basin Ranch is closed until at least April 15 because of the Covid-19 outbreak.

JEFFERSON COUNTY:

—On Mar 31 two Sagebrush Sparrows were reported at Bear Creek Lake Park/Pelican Point Area; first reported by Mark Chavez. Birders have recently been practicing proper social distancing there. Thanks!

LARIMER COUNTY:

—On March 31 a Sagebrush Sparrow was reported at Lake Estes by Marc Hemmes.

MONTEZUMA COUNTY:

—On Mar 28 a White-throated Sparrow was reported at Denny Lake Park by Ryan Votta. This is a first spring e-bird report for this species in this county.

SAN MIGUEL COUNTY:

—On Mar 28 a Horned Grebe was reported at Miramonte Reservoir by Eric Hynes. This is a first spring e-bird report for this species in this county.

SUMMIT COUNTY:

—On Mar 31 a Tundra Swan was reported in Silverthorne at Angler Mountain Ranch Ponds (PRIVATE, view from road only). First reported on Mar 23 by Misty Walters.

WELD COUNTY:

—On Mar 29 a White-throated Sparrow was reported at Banner Lakes State Wildlife Area by Linda Lee.

_________________________________________________

PLEASE NOTE: Because of concerns and precautions around the Covid-19 pandemic, Denver Field Ornithologists and other birding clubs have suspended all in-person club activities, including field trips, for the rest of March and the month of April.

Please share interesting and/or unusual birds and behavior observations on COBirds.

Good birding!

Joe Roller

Denver, CO

jroller9 AT gmail.com

303 204-0828

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[cobirds] Sage Thrasher, Boulder Co.

CObirders,
On a 4-mile walk around the periphery of Davidson Mesa Open Space in Louisville this morning, I saw and heard (love its call) 4 pairs of Say's Phoebes! They tend to be on parts of the Mesa that are closer to buildings.

The best bird for me was a Sage Thrasher! It landed briefly on a barbed wire fence right by me! I was on the far west end of the trail, which comes very close to highway 36 where it crests a hill before going down to Boulder. Next time, I'll take my camera! It was so close that I could see it's yellow eyes without using my binoculars! I tried to take a picture with my cell phone, but it is blurry.

Paula Hansley
Louisville
Sent from my iPhone

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[cobirds] Dinosaur Ridge - Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (31 Mar 2020) 26 Raptors

Dinosaur Ridge - Bird Conservancy of the Rockies
Colorado, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 31, 2020
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	0	0	0
Turkey Vulture	2	2	2
Osprey	0	0	0
Bald Eagle	1	14	14
Northern Harrier	0	1	1
Sharp-shinned Hawk	3	5	5
Cooper's Hawk	1	6	6
Northern Goshawk	0	0	0
Red-shouldered Hawk	0	0	0
Broad-winged Hawk	0	0	0
Red-tailed Hawk	13	83	83
Rough-legged Hawk	0	0	0
Swainson's Hawk	0	1	1
Ferruginous Hawk	0	0	0
Golden Eagle	0	2	2
American Kestrel	4	5	5
Merlin	0	1	1
Peregrine Falcon	1	2	2
Prairie Falcon	0	2	2
Mississippi Kite	0	0	0
Unknown Accipiter	0	2	2
Unknown Buteo	1	4	4
Unknown Falcon	0	0	0
Unknown Eagle	0	0	0
Unknown Raptor	0	4	4
Total:	26	134	134

Observation start time:	08:30:00
Observation end time:	13:00:00
Total observation time:	4.5 hours
Official Counter	Carol Cwiklinski
Observers:	David Gulbenkian

Visitors:
The trail was relatively quiet today, with fewer people and bicycles than is usual for a nice weather day. I conducted todayâ€™s count from the power line just north of observation, to make social distancing easier.

Weather:
Winds today were variable with speeds from calm to 7-10 mph gusts. Starting S/SW and switching to west with gusts from variable directions west, north, east and south. Luckily some cloud cover persisted through the day, helping me locate birds.

Raptor Observations:
Raptors were slow to start today but finally in the afternoon a migration flow was evident. The winds created a situation where the birds were scattered across the sky, ranging from the western ridges to green mountain in the east. Mostly they were very high. My afternoon observations were conducted facing mostly north, concentrating on the clouds above and north of the ridge.

Non-raptor Observations:
Migration of non raptors was not significant.

Predictions:
I expect numbers of raptors migrating along the ridge to continue to increase in numbers and diversity.

Report submitted by Matthew Smith (matt.smith@birdconservancy.org)
Dinosaur Ridge - Bird Conservancy of the Rockies information may be found at: http://www.birdconservancy.org/
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]

Site Description
Dinosaur Ridge is the only regularly staffed hawkwatch in Colorado and is the
best place in the world to see migrating Ferruginous Hawks. Dinosaur Ridge may
be the best place in the country to see the rare dark morph of the Broad-winged
Hawk (a few are seen each spring). Hawkwatchers who linger long enough may see
resident Golden Eagles, Red-tailed Hawks and Prairie Falcons, in addition to
migrating Swainson's, Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks, American Kestrels and
Turkey Vultures. Peregrine Falcons and Ferruginous Hawks are uncommon; Northern
Goshawk is rare but regular. Non-raptor species include Rock Wren, and sometimes
Bushtit, Western Bluebird, Sandhill Crane, White-throated Swift, American White
Pelican or Dusky Grouse. Birders are always welcome.
The hawkwatch is generally staffed by volunteers from Bird Conservancy of the
Rockies from about 9 AM to around 3 PM from March 1st to May 7th.

Directions to site:
From exit 259 on I-70 towards Morrison, drive south under freeway and take left
into first parking lot, the Stegosaurus lot. Follow small signs from the south
side of lot to hawkwatch site. The hike starts heading east on an old two-track
and quickly turns south onto a trail on the west side of the ridge. When the
trail nears the top of the ridge, turn left, head through the gate, and walk to
the clearly-visible, flat area at the crest of the ridge.

[cobirds] Standley Lake UPDATE - Jeffco

Standley Lake UPDATE 3/31

There's a fun little "pond" called Loon Lake on the NE end of the Standley Lake Open Space (easily accessed by parking at Wayne Carle Middle School). Today I saw a FOS Green-winged Teal (pair), as well as a FOS Say's Phoebe! The pond also has a pair of Cinnamon Teals, Hooded Mergansers, and a handful of other ducks. Loon Lake is not a HotSpot, so you may not run across the birding lists unless something rare shows up.
Bird Island still has 14 Great Blue Herons nesting, but the number of Double-crested Cormorants is up from 53 to 83!
Parking lots on the north and south shore are filling by early afternoon...

DSTU7076 - bird island.JPG

Donna Stumpp, Westminster

Jefferson County

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[cobirds] Sage Thrasher/Nunn

Hi all

In my neighborhood on my telework break just now, 3 or 4 Sage Thrasher at Weld CR 41/102. This area known for them during both migrations.

Photos: http://www.friendsofthepawneegrassland.org/

Thanks Gary Lefko, Nunn

http://www.friendsofthepawneegrassland.org/

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[cobirds] 2 TVs leaving Longmont, Boulder Co.

Around 10:52 I had 2 Turkey Vulture heading west out of town. Where did they all go? North, maybe?

Todd Deininger
Longmont, CO

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Re: [cobirds] 99 TVs heading into Longmont, Boulder County

NO DEB,

IMO This is the exact type of discussions we should be having about birds seen in our neighborhoods and thank you Todd and Ira for posting.

Apparently this topic is off limits by moderator, so please stop it or I will comment afterwards each time. Deb, I just LOST TWO birding friends family members in TEXAS AND FLORIDA TO COVID-19 LAST NIGHT. With all due respect, your comment should not have a "lol" type emoji after it. FYI both of these birders feel horribly guilty blaming themselves because they were out chasing birds and think they brought virus into home. It's impossible to know, but WHY take risks. Trust me, you do not want to be in their position. All I want to do is be there and hug them, but nobody is allowed in their home as they are "assumed" positive and they are supposed to STAY AT HOME. I assume they could still go look for a bird in a Park, but they learned their lesson the hardest way possible. Please Deb and others do NOT joke about this virus.

Allison Hilf,

Aurora, CO

On Tuesday, March 31, 2020 at 2:40:24 AM UTC-6, fiddlenurs wrote:

Because they don't want us reporting rare bird sitings anymore! 😹
Deb Carstensen, Arapahoe county
Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 31, 2020, at 2:12 AM, Ira Sanders <zroadr...@gmail.com> wrote:

Boy am I out of it. Why is Todd writing about 99 Sony/LG LED'S??
Ira Sanders

On Mon, Mar 30, 2020 at 7:45 PM Todd Deininger <goldene...@gmail.com> wrote:
As I stepped out the house at 7pm, I had a kettle of Turkey Vultures directly over the house heading east into town. I am pretty sure I saw the fist one of the group.

Might have to plan my dog walk as the weather warms up tomorrow.

#my2cents - Keep the RBA going. Is someone really going to head out from Denver to see the horned grebe in San Miguel Co.? The RBA helps us get a better understanding of the status and distribution of the birds moving through CO this time of the year.

--
Todd Deininger
Longmont, CO

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--
Ira Sanders
Golden, CO
"My mind is a raging torrent flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives."

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[cobirds] Band-tailed Pigeon in Evergreen Jefferson County

On Saturday we saw our first of the year Band-tailed Pigeon at our feeder tree. Appeared to be a male. We regularly have a flock of Band-tails during the summer. That's been happening for more than 30 years. Even have a photo of them copulating! And with young.
JoAnn Hackos, Jefferson County

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[cobirds] Re: Accipiter "Fun"/Weld

Hi all

Quite a few responses for this ID challenge. ID is Cooper's Hawk for these various reasons in addition to what Caleb provided:

Eye further forward towards the beak on the head/profile, vs. in the middle on a Sharp-shinned Hawk
Eye overall smaller than the beak, vs. the same size as the beak of a Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's (long tail in respect to the body) — maybe a male
Long tail with much shorter outer tail feathers

Thanks Gary Lefko, Nunn

http://www.friendsofthepawneegrassland.org/

On Monday, March 30, 2020 at 6:49:27 PM UTC-6, Caleb A wrote:

Hi, Gary!
Accipiters have always challenged me, but I'm pretty sure that your photographed bird is an adult Cooper's Hawk. My first impression was Cooper's, and I realized why: it shows some of that "capped" appearance and squarish head shape that makes it look a bit "bulkier" unlike the more "cute" Sharp-shinned Hawk. It's tail is rounded off, which I'm pretty sure is the mark for Cooper's as well (Sharp-shinned would be flatter, I believe). That's a very nice photo!
That's my nickel and dime at least.
The birds are happy, and so am I
~Caleb Alons

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Re: [cobirds] 99 TVs heading into Longmont, Boulder County

Ira

There was a distribution shortage that resulted in house-bound birders going crazy not being to take advantage of all the free nature materials being offered. Fortunately at least 99 of us can now access those programs.

Charlie

On Tue, Mar 31, 2020 at 2:12 AM Ira Sanders <zroadrunner14@gmail.com> wrote:

Boy am I out of it. Why is Todd writing about 99 Sony/LG LED'S??
Ira Sanders

On Mon, Mar 30, 2020 at 7:45 PM Todd Deininger <goldeneagle90a@gmail.com> wrote:
As I stepped out the house at 7pm, I had a kettle of Turkey Vultures directly over the house heading east into town. I am pretty sure I saw the fist one of the group.

Might have to plan my dog walk as the weather warms up tomorrow.

#my2cents - Keep the RBA going. Is someone really going to head out from Denver to see the horned grebe in San Miguel Co.? The RBA helps us get a better understanding of the status and distribution of the birds moving through CO this time of the year.

--
Todd Deininger
Longmont, CO

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--
Ira Sanders
Golden, CO
"My mind is a raging torrent flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives."

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Re: [cobirds] 99 TVs heading into Longmont, Boulder County

Because they don't want us reporting rare bird sitings anymore! 😹
Deb Carstensen, Arapahoe county

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 31, 2020, at 2:12 AM, Ira Sanders <zroadrunner14@gmail.com> wrote:

Boy am I out of it. Why is Todd writing about 99 Sony/LG LED'S??
Ira Sanders

On Mon, Mar 30, 2020 at 7:45 PM Todd Deininger <goldeneagle90a@gmail.com> wrote:
As I stepped out the house at 7pm, I had a kettle of Turkey Vultures directly over the house heading east into town. I am pretty sure I saw the fist one of the group.

Might have to plan my dog walk as the weather warms up tomorrow.

#my2cents - Keep the RBA going. Is someone really going to head out from Denver to see the horned grebe in San Miguel Co.? The RBA helps us get a better understanding of the status and distribution of the birds moving through CO this time of the year.

--
Todd Deininger
Longmont, CO

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--
Ira Sanders
Golden, CO
"My mind is a raging torrent flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives."

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Re: [cobirds] 99 TVs heading into Longmont, Boulder County

Boy am I out of it. Why is Todd writing about 99 Sony/LG LED'S??

Ira Sanders

On Mon, Mar 30, 2020 at 7:45 PM Todd Deininger <goldeneagle90a@gmail.com> wrote:

As I stepped out the house at 7pm, I had a kettle of Turkey Vultures directly over the house heading east into town. I am pretty sure I saw the fist one of the group.

Might have to plan my dog walk as the weather warms up tomorrow.

#my2cents - Keep the RBA going. Is someone really going to head out from Denver to see the horned grebe in San Miguel Co.? The RBA helps us get a better understanding of the status and distribution of the birds moving through CO this time of the year.

--
Todd Deininger
Longmont, CO

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Ira Sanders

Golden, CO

"My mind is a raging torrent flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives."

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Monday, 30 March 2020

[cobirds] COLORADO RARE BIRD REPORT FOR TUESDAY, MARCH 31, posted Mon at 9:45

Date: Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Email: RBA AT cobirds.org

Compiler: Joe Roller, jroller9 AT gmail.com

Phone: (303) 204-0828

_____________________________________________

Date: Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Email: RBA AT cobirds.org

Compiler: Joe Roller, jroller9 AT gmail.com

Phone: (303) 204-0828

_____________________________________________

The Colorado Rare Bird Report is an informational service and NOT meant as encouragement to venture out to see birds beyond your area, as we used to do.

—We respectfully ask readers of both this report and the streaming eBird emails on which it is based to respect the purpose of the "stay at home" orders. So bird ONLY AT home or close to home and ONLY under all the safety measures widely promoted, especially "social" or "physical" distancing.

Birders have been helpful by reporting updates to COBirds. Thanks!

CAPITAL LETTERS denote very rare species, as listed by the Colorado Bird Records Committee at the CFO website.

(*) indicates new information on a species.

For more information on birds seen today, go to cobirds.org and scroll to the bottom for "Recent eBird Sightings."

______________________________________________

Rare, out-of-place and some out-of-season species reports are listed below.

Tundra Swan (*Summit)

Long-tailed Duck (Arapahoe)

Horned Grebe (San Miguel)

Mew Gull (Adams)

Lesser-black Backed Gull (Alamosa)

Glaucous Gull (Weld)

Black Phoebe (Douglas)

Eastern Bluebird (Chaffee)

White-throated Sparrow (Montezuma, Summit)

Sagebrush Sparrow (*Jefferson, Larimer)

Rusty Blackbird (Douglas)

——————————————————————————

Note, for locations below that you are not familiar with, go to the Colorado Field Ornithologists' (CFO) website. Select the "Birding Resources" header, toggle down to "County Birding," and indicate the county of interest for site information. https://coloradocountybirding.org/County/BySite.aspx.

ADAMS COUNTY:

ALAMOSA/RIO GRANDE COUNTIES:

—On Mar 25 a Lesser Black-backed Gull (alternate plumage) was found at San Luis Lake by Dale and Bev Hettinger. This is the 4th eBird San Luis Valley record for the species.

ARAPAHOE COUNTY:

—On Mar 29 a Long-tailed Duck was reported at South Platte Park/South Platte Reservoir by Robert Raker. This is likely the same bird that had previously been reported on the Jefferson County side of the Reservoir.

CHAFFEE COUNTY:

—On Mar 25 a Eastern Bluebird was reported at Chaffee CR 163 pond (PRIVATE, view from road) by Greg Mihaliok

DOUGLAS COUNTY:

—On March 29 a Black Phoebe was reported at Chatfield SP—Plum Creek Nature Area by Matt Crooks.

—On March 25 a Rusty Blackbird was reported at Chatfield SP--Plum Creek Delta by David Bailey.

EL PASO and PUEBLO COUNTIES:

—Please note Chico Basin Ranch is closed until at least April 15 because of the Covid-19 outbreak.

JEFFERSON COUNTY:

—On Mar 30 two Sagebrush Sparrows were reported at Bear Creek Lake Park/Pelican Point Area; first reported by Mark Chavez. Please note, Park Rangers have been frustrated that some birders have not been practicing proper social distancing, and warn that if that continues the park will be closed.

LARIMER COUNTY:

—On March 28 a Sagebrush Sparrow was reported at Lake Estes by Marc Hemmes.

MONTEZUMA COUNTY:

—On Mar 28 a White-throated Sparrow was reported at Denny Lake Park by Ryan Votta. This is a first spring e-bird report for this species in this county.

SAN MIGUEL COUNTY:

—On Mar 28 a Horned Grebe was reported at Miramonte Reservoir by Eric Hynes. This is a first spring e-bird report for this species in this county.

SUMMIT COUNTY:

—On Mar 30 a Tundra Swan was reported in Silverthorne at Angler Mountain Ranch Ponds (PRIVATE, view from road only). First reported on Mar 23 by Misty Walters.

WELD COUNTY:

—On Mar 29 a White-throated Sparrow was reported at Banner Lakes State Wildlife Area by Linda Lee.

_________________________________________________

PLEASE NOTE: Because of concerns and precautions around the Covid-19 pandemic, DFO and other birding clubs have suspended all in-person club activities, including field trips, for the rest of March and the month of April.

It's a great time for backyard or neighborhood birding. Please share interesting and/or unusual birds and behavior observations on COBirds.

Good birding!

Joe Roller

Denver, CO

Jroller9 AT gmail.com

303 204-0828

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[cobirds] Suspending the rare bird alert ?

Spring migration is one of the most exciting times of the year for birding in Colorado.

One way we are made aware of the progress of migrations is by noting the wide variety of species as well as the volume of migrating birds through our state via Cobirds.

A rare species is a rather subjective label, rare to one birder is not so rare to another birder depending on season and location. We all have a choice to chase or not to chase or just observe the action on Cobirds.

Bob Righter

Denver, CO

[cobirds] Moderator Note - bird focus now please

Dear CoBirders,

Nothing about the public health order discussion so far had been at odds with CoBirds rules, but I would like to comment now as list moderator to note that the current status of state and county restrictions have been plainly and repeatedly stated now on CoBirds, Let's please move on to discussion of Colorado birds and birding in this time, and say that unless something changes, we are all aware of the situation.

Also, CoBirders please remember to always sign all posts with your full name and city, as per list rules, and subject lines with a county referenced are appreciated for bird reports.

David Suddjian

CoBirds Moderator

Littleton, CO

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Re: [cobirds] Ideas to Up Your Backyard Birding Game During Quarantine

I have a pair of Resident Red-Tailed Hawks nesting on a powerline tower across from my condo. I have a great view from my balcony. The nest is too high up to see anything in it but have been watching them hunt, carrying nesting material and for the past week one has been staying in the nest constantly. Sometimes they take turns on the nest while the other brings food or material. I am looking forward to seeing some heads pop up out of the nest when the time comes and from the comfort of my balcony and home.

Ken Wat

Aurora

On Mon, Mar 30, 2020 at 8:15 PM Lori Pivonka <lori.pivonka@gmail.com> wrote:

Fantastic thinking! Thank you for sharing your "noticing" techniques!

Stay safe. Be well.
Lori

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 30, 2020, at 7:31 PM, Allison Hilf <allisonhilf@gmail.com> wrote:

Great suggestions Caleb. I've been watching some determined Northern Flickers try to get some squirrels out of the next boxes they used last year. I'm not sure if it was the right thing to "intervene", but today I put Coyote Urine around the trees and around the nest boxes. I'll keep watching.

Allison Hilf
Aurora, CO

On Mon, Mar 30, 2020 at 6:49 PM Caleb A <calebscotta@gmail.com> wrote:
Hello, CObirders!
In light of quarantine during this year's spring migration, I thought I'd offer a few of my tips that I've used to enjoy backyard birding (and find a decent number of species).
I know that it gets a little tedious when all you see is House Finches and American Robins over the course of fifteen minutes, but to cure my backyard birding boredom, I've compiled a list of things that have helped keep backyard birding interesting, but also very educational and help me improve in other facets of bird watching.
1) Use a scope! Granted, this could be a little weird to your neighbors if you're at really close quarters, but positioning a spotting scope away from homes and into an open field can wring in those extra three or four unique backyard species that you might not otherwise see with just binoculars. For example, I've gotten Chipping Sparrow and Horned Lark by using a scope in my backyard and aiming at a nearby open field.

2) Study the minute of the minute of details. Keep a list of all the unique House Finch calls you hear, or maybe pay really close attention to the behavior of birds at certain times of the day. Create mental bird clocks, tracking when the peak of daily activity is, and when it "dries up." A personal example of this is when I studied the flight styles of Red-winged Blackbirds and compared it to Common Grackles and European Starlings. Since their numbers were all but plentiful every single day, I was able to do careful observations of landings, takeoffs, flight-styles, and many nuances and exceptions.

For example, I discovered that (in general) European Starlings favor a more linear flight, whereas Red-winged Blackbirds will often undulate slightly. This undulation occurs because Red-wings often do a flap-flap-tuck-and-glide on repeat, which emulates the American Goldfinch's undulating flight style as well. European Starlings on the other hand have a fairly constant rate of flapping, which makes them look a lot more dynamic and bullet-like when combined with their straighter trajectories.

3) Practice sketching birds. Drawing has never been a favorable skill to my clumsy motions with a pencil. However, when in the event of observing the same few species every day, we birders are given a relatively rare opportunity to study a single species in incredible detail. Sketching your local species that you see on a daily basis can help be an honest check of how much detail you really pay attention to on even common birds.

4) Stay on the lookout for nesting behavior. It's springtime, which means we'll be seeing evidences of nesting! For my personally, I've been tracking three pairs of House Finches who have been carrying nesting materials into three separate trees, visible from my yard. A pair of American Robins have been displaying and feeding together, and this morning I observed them copulating. (Not sure where they're building their nest, however.) Pairs of American Goldfinches have been more frequent, and I'm excited to see all the young birds that hatch this summer!

So, let's stay positive, and use this quarantine to brush up and hone our fine-observation skills! And once this is all over, you may be impressed or surprised by how beneficial intentional backyard birding can be. I know I was; and the skills I learned in the yard only helped me enjoy my birding experiences later on in the Parks.
The birds are happy, and so am I
~Caleb Alons

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Re: [cobirds] Continue COBirds -YES; But need for RBA during quarantine???

Bravo! 🦉

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Re: [cobirds] Ideas to Up Your Backyard Birding Game During Quarantine

Fantastic thinking! Thank you for sharing your "noticing" techniques!

Stay safe. Be well.

Lori

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 30, 2020, at 7:31 PM, Allison Hilf <allisonhilf@gmail.com> wrote:

Great suggestions Caleb. I've been watching some determined Northern Flickers try to get some squirrels out of the next boxes they used last year. I'm not sure if it was the right thing to "intervene", but today I put Coyote Urine around the trees and around the nest boxes. I'll keep watching.

Allison Hilf
Aurora, CO

On Mon, Mar 30, 2020 at 6:49 PM Caleb A <calebscotta@gmail.com> wrote:
Hello, CObirders!
In light of quarantine during this year's spring migration, I thought I'd offer a few of my tips that I've used to enjoy backyard birding (and find a decent number of species).
I know that it gets a little tedious when all you see is House Finches and American Robins over the course of fifteen minutes, but to cure my backyard birding boredom, I've compiled a list of things that have helped keep backyard birding interesting, but also very educational and help me improve in other facets of bird watching.
1) Use a scope! Granted, this could be a little weird to your neighbors if you're at really close quarters, but positioning a spotting scope away from homes and into an open field can wring in those extra three or four unique backyard species that you might not otherwise see with just binoculars. For example, I've gotten Chipping Sparrow and Horned Lark by using a scope in my backyard and aiming at a nearby open field.

2) Study the minute of the minute of details. Keep a list of all the unique House Finch calls you hear, or maybe pay really close attention to the behavior of birds at certain times of the day. Create mental bird clocks, tracking when the peak of daily activity is, and when it "dries up." A personal example of this is when I studied the flight styles of Red-winged Blackbirds and compared it to Common Grackles and European Starlings. Since their numbers were all but plentiful every single day, I was able to do careful observations of landings, takeoffs, flight-styles, and many nuances and exceptions.

For example, I discovered that (in general) European Starlings favor a more linear flight, whereas Red-winged Blackbirds will often undulate slightly. This undulation occurs because Red-wings often do a flap-flap-tuck-and-glide on repeat, which emulates the American Goldfinch's undulating flight style as well. European Starlings on the other hand have a fairly constant rate of flapping, which makes them look a lot more dynamic and bullet-like when combined with their straighter trajectories.

3) Practice sketching birds. Drawing has never been a favorable skill to my clumsy motions with a pencil. However, when in the event of observing the same few species every day, we birders are given a relatively rare opportunity to study a single species in incredible detail. Sketching your local species that you see on a daily basis can help be an honest check of how much detail you really pay attention to on even common birds.

4) Stay on the lookout for nesting behavior. It's springtime, which means we'll be seeing evidences of nesting! For my personally, I've been tracking three pairs of House Finches who have been carrying nesting materials into three separate trees, visible from my yard. A pair of American Robins have been displaying and feeding together, and this morning I observed them copulating. (Not sure where they're building their nest, however.) Pairs of American Goldfinches have been more frequent, and I'm excited to see all the young birds that hatch this summer!

So, let's stay positive, and use this quarantine to brush up and hone our fine-observation skills! And once this is all over, you may be impressed or surprised by how beneficial intentional backyard birding can be. I know I was; and the skills I learned in the yard only helped me enjoy my birding experiences later on in the Parks.
The birds are happy, and so am I
~Caleb Alons

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Re: [cobirds] Home video Magpie nest building

Has anyone seen plans for a magpie nest platform? Would use to hopefully encourage to nest on the platform instead of electrical equipment.

Tom Ryon

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 30, 2020, at 3:07 PM, Gregg Goodrich <gregggoodrich@gmail.com> wrote:

I have added a video of 2 Black-billed Magpies building a nest to my home eBird checklist this morning. Cornell is testing video on checklists, so not everyone has this capability yet. I also got audio recordings of Blue Jays and Spotted Towhees on the list. It is a great time now to do audio recordings because there is not as much miscellaneous noise ie... traffic, airplanes, schools and people that can overlay a good recording.

Also, you can add breeding status codes to a species on your list. And photos always enrich an eBird checklist. Here is a link to my checklist from this morning. The audio recording and photos were done from my deck and the video was done on my phone through a spotting scope in the house and hand held.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S66411579

Birding from home or your local patch can be fun when you really look at behavior. See what you can add to your list.

Gregg Goodrich
Highlands Ranch

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[cobirds] 99 TVs heading into Longmont, Boulder County

As I stepped out the house at 7pm, I had a kettle of Turkey Vultures directly over the house heading east into town. I am pretty sure I saw the fist one of the group.

Might have to plan my dog walk as the weather warms up tomorrow.

#my2cents - Keep the RBA going. Is someone really going to head out from Denver to see the horned grebe in San Miguel Co.? The RBA helps us get a better understanding of the status and distribution of the birds moving through CO this time of the year.

Todd Deininger
Longmont, CO

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Re: [cobirds] Ideas to Up Your Backyard Birding Game During Quarantine

Great suggestions Caleb. I've been watching some determined Northern Flickers try to get some squirrels out of the next boxes they used last year. I'm not sure if it was the right thing to "intervene", but today I put Coyote Urine around the trees and around the nest boxes. I'll keep watching.

Allison Hilf

Aurora, CO

On Mon, Mar 30, 2020 at 6:49 PM Caleb A <calebscotta@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello, CObirders!
In light of quarantine during this year's spring migration, I thought I'd offer a few of my tips that I've used to enjoy backyard birding (and find a decent number of species).
I know that it gets a little tedious when all you see is House Finches and American Robins over the course of fifteen minutes, but to cure my backyard birding boredom, I've compiled a list of things that have helped keep backyard birding interesting, but also very educational and help me improve in other facets of bird watching.
1) Use a scope! Granted, this could be a little weird to your neighbors if you're at really close quarters, but positioning a spotting scope away from homes and into an open field can wring in those extra three or four unique backyard species that you might not otherwise see with just binoculars. For example, I've gotten Chipping Sparrow and Horned Lark by using a scope in my backyard and aiming at a nearby open field.

2) Study the minute of the minute of details. Keep a list of all the unique House Finch calls you hear, or maybe pay really close attention to the behavior of birds at certain times of the day. Create mental bird clocks, tracking when the peak of daily activity is, and when it "dries up." A personal example of this is when I studied the flight styles of Red-winged Blackbirds and compared it to Common Grackles and European Starlings. Since their numbers were all but plentiful every single day, I was able to do careful observations of landings, takeoffs, flight-styles, and many nuances and exceptions.

For example, I discovered that (in general) European Starlings favor a more linear flight, whereas Red-winged Blackbirds will often undulate slightly. This undulation occurs because Red-wings often do a flap-flap-tuck-and-glide on repeat, which emulates the American Goldfinch's undulating flight style as well. European Starlings on the other hand have a fairly constant rate of flapping, which makes them look a lot more dynamic and bullet-like when combined with their straighter trajectories.

3) Practice sketching birds. Drawing has never been a favorable skill to my clumsy motions with a pencil. However, when in the event of observing the same few species every day, we birders are given a relatively rare opportunity to study a single species in incredible detail. Sketching your local species that you see on a daily basis can help be an honest check of how much detail you really pay attention to on even common birds.

4) Stay on the lookout for nesting behavior. It's springtime, which means we'll be seeing evidences of nesting! For my personally, I've been tracking three pairs of House Finches who have been carrying nesting materials into three separate trees, visible from my yard. A pair of American Robins have been displaying and feeding together, and this morning I observed them copulating. (Not sure where they're building their nest, however.) Pairs of American Goldfinches have been more frequent, and I'm excited to see all the young birds that hatch this summer!

So, let's stay positive, and use this quarantine to brush up and hone our fine-observation skills! And once this is all over, you may be impressed or surprised by how beneficial intentional backyard birding can be. I know I was; and the skills I learned in the yard only helped me enjoy my birding experiences later on in the Parks.
The birds are happy, and so am I
~Caleb Alons

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