[cobirds] Boulder Eastern Meadowlark et al. (the plot thickens...)

Hey folks- meant to send yesterday but somehow didn't get this onto the interwebs. sorry for the day-late post!

Anyway, I set out to get in a walk and birding yesterday morning before the heat set in, heading over to the E. Boulder Trail from the Teller Lakes Trailhead off Valmont Rd.  Once there I fell in with Wolf Repass to double our detection capabilities.  

The place felt more like some prairie reserve in the Midwest than a Front Range locality- Dickcissels were constantly audible anywhere in the extensive unmown hay fields along with smatterings of Bobolinks and a furtive Orchard Oriole along the ditch.

The long-staying Eastern Meadowlark (eBird records going back to 11 June) was near the "two tan barns" mentioned by Christine Alexander in her eBird list from 28 June.  This is along the section of trail running N-S, not along the ditch and waterfall area where many other sightings have been.  The bird was foraging in the newly-mown field just west of the two barns, which is the first private property encountered east of the trail once it turns south after leaving the ditch section (or the last private property along this stretch if you start from the Arapahoe Rd. trailhead.)

So, to add to the excellent & extensive recent discussions of this bird:

1) I also heard a singing Eastern Meadowlark, but that detection was a fair way west of the trail by the two tan barns, near the small prairie dog town in that direction.  It only sang a few times and I didn't record it, but it was distinctive as others have mentioned and I'm confident in that ID.

2) The bird we saw well in the mowed field west of the tan barns was calling- we never had it sing while it was in view.  Hugh Kingery noted the diagnostic value of meadowlark calls and this bird had a nice buzzy Eastern call.  I was able to record this (and a nearby calling Western for contrast.) 

3) The bird we saw was carrying food!  Very interesting for the possibilities of nesting there and even better, with who?

4) So crazy thinking now- maybe the bird we saw was a female and the singing bird I heard about 100 yards west was a paired male??  Not asserting that this is the case but not ruling it out either.  I didn't hear the two vocalizations at the same time so another possibility is that the bird sang farther away and then flew in (though we didn't see this) to forage while calling.  

Anyway, the call notes & photos of the bird carrying food can be heard/seen here:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S70955701

Oh, and nice for Boulder County was a Burrowing Owl perching on the power lines between HWY 52 & Lookout Road along 95th.  I saw one driving down and again driving home along the same stretch of wire- there's a small prairie dog town in the field to the West there.  If stopping to search or view be careful along this busy road.  I didn't stop to check for more out in the town, but it was a treat to see the Howdy Owl surveying its domain.

Enjoy- Bill Schmoker, Longmont

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[cobirds] How to identify Mexican Ducks in the field

Hey, all.

Now that you can put the Mexican Duck on your list[*], you probably want to know how to identify the species... ;-)

Earlier this year, Colorado birding experts Jack Bushong and Steve Mlodinow provided this outstanding resource to the birding community:

https://www.aba.org/mexican-duck/

Jack efficiently covers the basics of field identification, and then goes into some of the intriguing side issues: molt, hybrids, and even intersex individuals. Steve then provides a carefully curated and annotated "photo salon" of plumages and seasonal variation likely to be encountered in Colorado (and elsewhere).

Enjoy!

Ted Floyd

Lafayette, Boulder County

[*]I mean, it's cool to try to identify birds even if they don't "count," whatever that means. But hey... 

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[cobirds] New species for Colorado list

Hey, folks. This just came in:

https://americanornithology.org/goodbye-northwestern-crow-hello-mexican-duck/

The Mexican Duck is real, at long last.

Ted Floyd

Lafayette, Boulder County

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[cobirds] marsh wrens this morning by Heinricy Lake

There were 4 or 5 marsh wrens this morning on the Boyd Lake State Park trail half way down the path by Heinricy Lake, their static sound really caught my attention and BirdNET let me know I had the right bird in my sight. 

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[cobirds] Question about great blue herons

I was reading up on their nesting behavior and apparently the parents feed Them several times a day at the beginning and just before they fledge it's down to twice a day. I watched them a couple weeks ago and was surprised to see how long the parents left them alone in the nest.

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[cobirds] Re: Question about great blue herons

I have spent too much time watching GBHs and have seen this behavior numerous times. Hunger is a great motivator - I think the parents do it deliberately. Never fear though as the parents probably aren't too far away and will do a flyby checkup during the day.

Gary Bowen, Thornton

On Monday, June 29, 2020 at 9:13:36 PM UTC-6, Marcia Wade - Lafayette, Boulder County wrote:

I have a question about great blue herons.  At the nest I have been watching since it was built at Hecla Pond, the parents have apparently left.  I have not seen them for two days.  One of the two juveniles can fly, and the other one not so much.  When I went today, there was only one juvenile in nest, and a little while later, I saw a heron flying around the island the platform is on..  At first I thought it was one of the parents, but was disabused of that notion when he crashed into the tree next to the platform.  He proceeded to flap around frantically in the tree trying to get back to the nest.  The other one went to edge of platform and watched all this attentively, and later I saw him in a tree on the other side of the platform, but I didn't see whether he hopped or flew there.  Eventually they both got back into the nest.  My question is whether the parents would leave them before they can take care of themselves.  Last year, the same (I assume) parents did not disappear until both babies were flying and could forage for themselves (I watched them fight over a crawfish one had caught right after the parents left - it was a hoot).  Anybody know the answer?  Thanks in advance.

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[cobirds] Question about great blue herons

I have a question about great blue herons.  At the nest I have been watching since it was built at Hecla Pond, the parents have apparently left.  I have not seen them for two days.  One of the two juveniles can fly, and the other one not so much.  When I went today, there was only one juvenile in nest, and a little while later, I saw a heron flying around the island the platform is on..  At first I thought it was one of the parents, but was disabused of that notion when he crashed into the tree next to the platform.  He proceeded to flap around frantically in the tree trying to get back to the nest.  The other one went to edge of platform and watched all this attentively, and later I saw him in a tree on the other side of the platform, but I didn't see whether he hopped or flew there.  Eventually they both got back into the nest.  My question is whether the parents would leave them before they can take care of themselves.  Last year, the same (I assume) parents did not disappear until both babies were flying and could forage for themselves (I watched them fight over a crawfish one had caught right after the parents left - it was a hoot).  Anybody know the answer?  Thanks in advance.

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[cobirds] Grandview Cemetery, Fort Collins (Larimer) of late

I was out of town for two weeks, got home last Wednesday.  Highlights of two visits to Grandview Cemetery in Fort Collins since my return are as follows:

Western Tanager - at least one male, suspect it has a mate and they are nesting.  Two birds, a male and a female seen on June 10.  This is a first for this species this late in June and nesting would also be unprecedented.  Earlier in June these birds frequented a honeylocust hosting a large population of Honeylocust Plant Bugs.  The male was seen yesterday near this same infested tree.  I was interested to see David Suddjian's report of a Western Tanager in a church yard in Littleton recently. 

Western Wood-Pewee - one or two singing males.  They nest at Grandview about every other year.  If there is one bird, it is moving around and appears unattached.  If it is two individuals, they may or may not have mates.

Hairy Woodpecker - a male of the mountain race with very little white spotting on the back and wings has been hanging around the entrance above the old stone office.  The other day it spent the time of my visit (2+ hours) working on a Norway Maple I suspect has a hollow section of trunk housing carpenter ants.

                                                                        

Chipping Sparrow - one pair is nesting, saw one of them bringing a wingless miller to the nest the other day. This is yet another foothills/lower mountain species that nests at Grandview most years in small numbers.

                                                

Red-tailed Hawk - the nest in the southeast corner fledged two young.  They are learning the facts of life from their parents in the City Park area.

No active Broad-tailed or Black-chinned Hummingbird nests that I know of.  As reported earlier, the three I knew about all failed.  One male hangs out in the yard at the northeast intersection of Mountain Avenue and Grandview Avenue, and I saw one female/immature type in the northeast corner of the cemetery.  Not sure what the problem is this year but suspect the April freezes weren't helpful, nor is all the potential predation represented by fox squirrels, common grackles and blue jays.  Maybe they will consider 2020 a mostly lost year like it is shaping up to be for us humans.

At least 4 pairs of House Wrens are nesting in the periphery of the cemetery.  This is more than I have ever recorded in early summer.  If we say an average of 4 young per nest, that's over 20 House Wrens (including the parents) in this rather small area.  There have been many years when I detect none.

Have not seen the red-phase Eastern Screech-Owl lately.

Sort of in the theme of mountain birds at low elevation, I had a Cordilleran Flycatcher call twice in my apartment courtyard about 3 miles e of the cemetery day before yesterday.  What the heck?  Late going up the hill?  Early coming down the hill?  Regardless, Yard Bird #128.

Dave Leatherman

Fort Collins 

[cobirds] Rufous Hummer behavior, NW Custer County

COBirders— Yesterday two male FOY Rufous Hummingbirds showed up at my feeders more or less on migration time. They followed the usual behavioral pattern of vanguards in that, rather than exhibiting their species’ normal activity (i.e. bellicose copper-colored buzz-bombs), they fed amicably alongside the broad-tails.  Soon they will move on, to be replaced by more typical male Rufous hummers.

   As an aside, we had a pair (m., f.) of Calliopes three weeks ago—for one day only—unusually early for our location. The Broad-Tailed hummers are present in about their regular numbers, about 30+. We are seeing a few fledglings now. In case you are wondering, we buy sugar in 25-pound bags.

  Our cabin feeders are at 9,200 ft. in the Sangre de Cristo range.

Leon (and Treva) Bright, Westcliffe / Pueblo—not so much

[cobirds] Eastern Meadowlark, East Boulder Trail, Boulder Co

Earlier this morning, I rewound the Eastern Meadowlark previously reported by Ted Floyd and widely discussed on Cobirds. This bird was reported as early as June 11 on eBird where it has been more frequently posted than on Cobirds. It has been reported on two separate eBird hotspots as well as at least one personal hotspot.

I walked the East Boulder Trail from the Valmont parking lot/trailhead. (There is also a parking lot/trailhead off of Arapaho.) 

As I walked west along the long drainage/irrigation ditch approaching the small falls in the ditch, I heard the bird singing ahead. I spotted it on a post on the north side of the ditch and could easily see the white malar area. The song was higher pitched than that of the Western Meadowlark, and to me seemed to have clearer whistled quality than the Western. I was able to get distant photos, but a passing runner caused the bird to fly into the hay field south of the trail before I could get a recording.

I continued along the trail awhile before turning back. Walking along the ditch, with hay field on either side of the trail was like walking through fields of Dickcissel song. I tallied 9 singing Dickcissels, which I suspect was low. I was also graced with nice looks at a male Bobolink on the trail and occasional Bobolink songs from the field south of the trail. Just after turning south on the trail (the area I have found best for Bobolinks this year and last), a female Bobolink flew to perch on a barbed wire fence. A singing male Bobolink flew to her on the fence, then flew back to the field still singing. From the field, he continued to sing as another male flew up to a trailside Russion olive and began singing. 

With the female apparently attentive, both males continued singing, until the bird in the field finally flew up to the Russian olive and sent the other male on his way.

When I approached the cataract on the ditch, I again heard the Eastern Meadowlark singing, this time from the field to the south. This time I was able to get a recording of the bird, though I haven't yet checked to see how much airplane noise and trail traffic distracts. The bird eventually flew to a cottonwood near the falls where it sang again for awhile before flying northeast into the fields there. 

At that point, I cold hear the call of breakfast and headed home. Checklist is here https://ebird.org/checklist/S70907809. Photos and recordings will be added later.

Chuck Hundertmark

Lafayette, CO

[cobirds] New Brighton/Adams County Reservoir Access

Hi everyone,

Brighton/Adams County recently opened up a nearly 2.5 mile biking/hiking path that connects Ken Mitchell Park to a trailhead near E-470/Brighton Road. I ran this path this morning, and it now offers excellent views of 5 reservoirs that were previously either difficult to view or simply impossible to view. Although it requires some walking, it should provide terrific viewing of gulls, loons, grebes, ducks, and scoters if you're up for it. The majority of the new section also parallels the South Platte River which offers the usual species. I'm looking forward to spending time here this fall!  

I don't know if they plan to open additional parking areas, but as of now, park at either Ken Mitchell Park in Brighton and follow the path south, or park at the trailhead just north of E-470/Brighton Road intersection and follow the path north. 

The attached image shows the general area with the new path highlighted in red dots. 

Adam Vesely

Thornton, CO

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[cobirds] Red-eyed Vireo, Least Flycatcher, Adams County

I visited Barr Lake State Park for some socially distant birding with some other CFO birders this morning. We birded the southeast corner of the

Lake, from the banding station to the Gazebo Overlook, a two-mile stretch. It was quite birdy and we recorded over 50 species, many of which were in family groups. The last bird of the morning was a singing Red-eyed Vireo just west of the banding station. I stayed back to record it and thought I heard a ch'bek or two of a Least Flycatcher. When I finally had a chance to listen to my vireo recording, it had picked up at least 5 ch'bek calls. Both of these species are flagged as rare by eBird. I will upload audio to the eBird checklist shortly: https://ebird.org/checklist/S70885567  

Nick Komar

Fort Collins

[cobirds] Lewis's Woodpeckers--Larimer County

There is a pair of Lewis's woodpeckers near the Hewlett Gulch trailhead up the Poudre River canyon. They are about 150m down from the structure at the TH, on the right, nesting in a cavity facing the trail in the pair of dead cottonwoods just after the first dead cottonwood.

Courtney Schultz

Bellvue, CO

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[cobirds] Re: Is the Boulder Co. meadowlark a Lilian's meadowlark?

I thought the definitive way to ID Eastern vs. Western Meadowlarks was their Call notes, not their songs.

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Re: [cobirds] Idaho Springs

Doug, 

Joe gives great advice. On the way, there will be Black-headend Grosbeaks and possibly Band-tailed Pigeons (a troop of over 20 come to my feeders in Empire), Warbling Vireos and Wilson's Warblers. Will you be driving to Idaho Springs/Georgetown?  I might have some other suggestions. 
Larry Modesitt 

Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 27, 2020, at 8:13 AM, Joe Roller <jroller9@gmail.com> wrote:



Doug,

You'll have a lot to cover biking up to Guanella Pass itself and the campground near it on the Georgetown side.

So if you must find a spot near Idaho SPrings, I'd cruise around the town itself. Hummer feeders? 

COnsider a cruise around Georgetown, but main goal is the PASS, where you'll find habitat and birds

not easy at lower altitudes. 3 toed woodpecker,  rare WW Crossbill and it may take a while to search for 

and find WT Ptarmigan at the pass.

Good luck.

Let me know what you checked and saw please.

Joe Roller, Denver

On Sat, Jun 27, 2020 at 5:45 AM Doug <dlschoch@q.com> wrote:

Does anyone know of a decent birding spot/trail in close proximity to Idaho Springs? I'm biking Guanella pass tomorrow and was thinking of heading up early to do some birding.

Thank you.

Doug Schoch

Sent from my iPhone

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[cobirds] Re: Hooded Merganser breeding in Colorado / Jeffco (I think)

Hooded Merganser Fledglings Jeffco WRGB

Saw 3 half-sized fledglings sitting on a log at the edge of Tabor Lake in the Wheatridge Greenbelt.  

Mother sitting placidly next to them on the bank.

Considering the huge horde of Cormorants nesting on the island (as well as several pairs of Great Blues and some Night Herons) 

Tabor Lake must be a hugely productive lake for fish!!

Other surprise sighting: a TV headed east over Bass Lake, being chased by a Red-winged.

Other nesting behaviour:  Rough-winged Swallow entering a hole in the bank of Clear Creek.  Couldn't see if mouths were full

of food or if they were tidying up a hole for a 2nd brood.

David Gulbenkian Jeffco

On Monday, June 1, 2020 at 8:51:41 PM UTC-6, Dave Cameron wrote:

I believe I read here recently some speculation as to whether Hooded Merganser nests and breeds in Colorado.  Forgive me if this isn't news....  But on a bike ride Sunday on the Bear Creek Trail, between Estes and Kipling (which I'm pretty sure is Jefferson County), we saw a female and one tiny little chick, both sitting on a log in the middle of the Bear Creek.  This was right off the iron foot bridge/bike bridge about halfway between Estes and Kipling.  No male in sight.  There's also a Mallard pair with 5 new hatchlings.  A pair of Muskrats also use this 'pond' by the bridge.

Dave Cameron

Denver

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[cobirds] Western Slope Swans

On my way to the Western Slope, David Starbuck and I had two definite swans flying low and upriver to the east. First impression was Mute Swan. Does anyone out there have any info on identification of these guys? We were approximately 5 miles east of Cameo on 1-70.

Mark Chavez

Sent from my iPhone

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Re: [cobirds] Idaho Springs

Doug,

You'll have a lot to cover biking up to Guanella Pass itself and the campground near it on the Georgetown side.

So if you must find a spot near Idaho SPrings, I'd cruise around the town itself. Hummer feeders? 

COnsider a cruise around Georgetown, but main goal is the PASS, where you'll find habitat and birds

not easy at lower altitudes. 3 toed woodpecker,  rare WW Crossbill and it may take a while to search for 

and find WT Ptarmigan at the pass.

Good luck.

Let me know what you checked and saw please.

Joe Roller, Denver

On Sat, Jun 27, 2020 at 5:45 AM Doug <dlschoch@q.com> wrote:

Does anyone know of a decent birding spot/trail in close proximity to Idaho Springs? I'm biking Guanella pass tomorrow and was thinking of heading up early to do some birding.

Thank you.

Doug Schoch

Sent from my iPhone

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[cobirds] Idaho Springs

Does anyone know of a decent birding spot/trail in close proximity to Idaho Springs? I'm biking Guanella pass tomorrow and was thinking of heading up early to do some birding.

Thank you.

Doug Schoch

Sent from my iPhone

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[cobirds] Grand Junction

Hi all,
I was wondering if anyone was interested in carpooling to Grand Junction next week. I have money to pay for gas and live just off I-70 near it's intersection with I-76.
Thanks,
Pablo Quezada
Denver,
Co

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Re: [cobirds] Is the Boulder Co. meadowlark a Lilian's meadowlark?

Hello everyone . . . to my ears, Ted, the bird sounds just right for Eastern (honest-to-God) Meadowlark  . . .

I don't hear any downslurring at the end that is (apparently) associated with lilianae.

sebastianpatti@hotmail.com
Sebastian T. Patti
770 S. Grand Avenue

Unit 3088

Los Angeles, CA 90017 
CELL: 773/304-7488

---

From: cobirds@googlegroups.com <cobirds@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Ted Floyd <tedfloyd73@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, June 26, 2020 1:00 PM
To: Colorado Birds <cobirds@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [cobirds] Is the Boulder Co. meadowlark a Lilian's meadowlark?

 

Hey, all.

Hannah Floyd and I caught up yesterday evening, Thurs., June 25, with the eastern meadowlark that's been summering at Teller Farms, Boulder County. Conditions were trying, with a steady west wind (a dry squall was passing), eccentric lighting, and the various noises associated with that infernal ditch. Nevertheless, we succeeded in obtaining audio, video, and photos of the bird.

Audio:

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/245783731

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/245784621

Video:

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/245786061

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/245787041

Photos:

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/245787831

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/245787841

Based on various details of plumage and song, I wonder if this meadowlark is a Lilian's meadowlark, Sturnella magna lilianae (=S. lilianae, a full species, by some authorities).

Any thoughts on that?

And here's a thought we'll all agree on: Whatever it is, the bird sings a bright, beautiful song! At the exact same bend in the trail as the meadowlark, listen for Dickcissels and Bobolinks. They're there with the meadowlark--and less taxonomically vexing.

Ted Floyd
Lafayette, Boulder County

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[cobirds] Lesser Goldfinch, west Centennial, Arapahoe County

Hello Fellow Birders,

   A black-backed male Lesser Goldfinch just deigned to grace my little townhouse yard near Holly & Arapahoe with his presence a few minutes ago.  Not the first time I've seen a Lesser here, but rare enough to warrant reporting.

Keep Smilin',

Kevin Corwin 

west Centennial, Arapahoe County 

Sent from my Remington Rand Typewriter via my Rotary Dial Wall Phone

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Re: [cobirds] Is the Boulder Co. meadowlark a Lilian's meadowlark?

Hi Ted,

I think the Teller Farm Eastern Meadowlark is a fine old Sturnella magna magna ("Eastern" Eastern). The song is high pitched (averaging around 4 kHz vs. 3-3.5 on Lillian's), the thing has midnight black head stripes and kerchief, and the view of the tail feathers that we get in your video taken from behind the bird (dorsal surface of tail) shows dark webs on the two inner tail feathers that should be all white on Lillian's. 

Everyone can brush up on the audible differences between the songs at Nathan Pieplow's blog here: http://earbirding.com/blog/archives/29

A checklist with some tracks of what I IDed as a Lillian's on Gunbarrel Hill, Boulder County, in 2018. I think the song stands out as being quite distinct from the "king of the earth" song of nominate Easterns: https://ebird.org/checklist/S46522659

Then there was this one that I found back in June 2013: https://ebird.org/checklist/S14388107

I'll be adding the videos mentioned in the comments to the checklist here shortly, but it might take them a while to process. The skinny is that it is a S. magna magna that sings a high-pitched Eastern song, but had no problem switching to a bubbly Western Meadowlark song when it wanted. The clincher from the ID standpoint was that it called like an Eastern. As Nathan Pieplow might tell you, meadowlarks can learn each others' songs, but the calls are innate. 

One more anecdote that I have observed on the Teller Farm Eastern. It's in an irrigated hay field. It's the kind of place one might expect to observe a S. magna magna back east. It's far from the dry grasslands inhabited by Lillian's. The Lillian's on Gunbarrel Hill was in a weedy patch of pasture grasses and thistles amongst a prairie dog colony. Good for Westerns and Lillian's. You may note a distinct grass in the 2013 Eastern videos- that's New Mexican Feather Grass. In good years it produces a distinct tall structure that can be seen from miles away. I think that's what drew it into that area among the matrix of short-stature mixed-grass prairie in the surrounding landscape. 

Christian Nunes

Boulder, CO

---

From: cobirds@googlegroups.com <cobirds@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Ted Floyd <tedfloyd73@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, June 26, 2020 2:00 PM
To: Colorado Birds <cobirds@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [cobirds] Is the Boulder Co. meadowlark a Lilian's meadowlark?

 

Hey, all.

Hannah Floyd and I caught up yesterday evening, Thurs., June 25, with the eastern meadowlark that's been summering at Teller Farms, Boulder County. Conditions were trying, with a steady west wind (a dry squall was passing), eccentric lighting, and the various noises associated with that infernal ditch. Nevertheless, we succeeded in obtaining audio, video, and photos of the bird.

Audio:

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/245783731

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/245784621

Video:

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/245786061

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/245787041

Photos:

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/245787831

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/245787841

Based on various details of plumage and song, I wonder if this meadowlark is a Lilian's meadowlark, Sturnella magna lilianae (=S. lilianae, a full species, by some authorities).

Any thoughts on that?

And here's a thought we'll all agree on: Whatever it is, the bird sings a bright, beautiful song! At the exact same bend in the trail as the meadowlark, listen for Dickcissels and Bobolinks. They're there with the meadowlark--and less taxonomically vexing.

Ted Floyd
Lafayette, Boulder County

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[cobirds] Boulder Bobolink Bonanza

Hi Cobirds,

Chris Petrizzo and I birded a few places around Boulder today, with one highlight being the Cherryvale Trailhead area.  In the nearby grassy fields, especially between there and Hwy 36, we saw at least 14 Bobolinks.  At one point I had five in one binocular view.  Chris also saw a couple of Dickcissels.  Other fun birds there included singing Savannah Sparrows, singing and winnowing Wilson's Snipe, and a flyover Wilson's Phalarope.

Note that if you walk along Cherryvale Rd itself, there are some spots with a LOT of poison ivy.

Peter Ruprecht

Superior

[cobirds] Re: Tent camping in Baca County

Tom, et al, Re: maps. There are two statewide, back road atlases that I highly recommend: Benchmark Maps' Colorado Road and Recreation Atlas or DeLorne's Colorado Atlas and Gazetteer. These are invaluable for "wilderness" birders, and either one is well worth the $20 to $30. Especially in the eastern grasslands and on the Western Slope, wherever public land is shown -- USFS grassland or BLM -- car camping is allowed. FYI Cheers, Ron

On Wednesday, June 24, 2020 at 10:24:24 PM UTC-6, Tom Wilberding wrote:

The CFO website mentions Cottonwood Canyon in Baca County: "A visit here will seldom leave a birder disappointed!" https://cobirds.org/CountyBirding/County/BySite.aspx?SiteID=36

 

Barb and I second that opinion. We spent two nights there this week and enjoyed the birds and wilderness very much, worth the six hour drive from Littleton. Here is a five minute account of our trip. No rarities, but if you are thinking of visiting Baca County, you may benefit from our experience.

 

My goal was to see and photograph birds, and to photograph the Milky Way for the first time, which requires a camera, a tripod, a clear-dark-moonless sky, and insomnia. The eastern prairie of Colorado has no big cities, so dark skies are possible.

 

Baca County, Colorado's most southeastern county next to Kansas and Oklahoma, has a website that recommends camping at Carrizo Canyon Picnic Area, so we headed there. At 3 PM we arrived and found no people and only three picnic tables for camping, and an outhouse. A sign declared the park was closed for camping due to the pandemic, the outhouse locked. What now? We hiked the Carrizo one-mile trial in 94-degree heat while thinking what to do next. The trail was blocked in two spots due to high water in the canyon, but we saw a couple of eastern phoebes as consolation.

 

The sign at Carrizo mentioned in fine print that "dispersed camping" was allowed on the Comanche National Grasslands nearby. But the grasslands are a patchwork. What is private ranch and what is public grasslands in that vast area? You would need a map; but we didn't have one, nor cell phone service or internet.

 

I had read that "primitive camping" was allowed at Cottonwood Canyon, about seven miles to the west, and that Cottonwood Canyon had many interesting birds, so we decided to camp there, come what may. We are not expert campers. We have enjoyed several camping trips to state park campgrounds that had a host, picnic tables, fire rings, water, and bathrooms. But primitive camping? No host, no picnic table, no fire ring, no water, and no bathroom.

 

We felt okay about the prospect of primitive camping except for the no-bathroom part, but we did bring a small shovel and toilet paper along just in case. I learned on this trip that you're supposed to dig a hole then poop in the hole. You don't do the opposite—poop then dig the hole. Women seem to instinctively understand this. Me—live and learn—I had to clean the shovel!

 

We drove down into remote Cottonwood Canyon, miles from nowhere, and saw a large sign on the side of the dirt road where the primitive camping was supposed to be: "Private Property." It was riddled with bullet holes. Now what to do? The sign did not read "No Camping" so we decided to look for a shady spot near Cottonwood Creek that was hidden from the road and take our chances in case the sign meant "no camping" after all. Always an adventure!

 

We set up our tent, then relaxed in our camp chairs above the creek. (No campfire due to a county ban.) Birds serenaded us one by one, as if on cue: canyon wren, yellow warbler, plumbeous vireo, ash-throated flycatcher, yellow-breasted chat, blue grosbeak, ladder-backed woodpecker, Chihuahuan ravens, Mississippi Kites, mourning doves, and others whose calls or songs I couldn't identify. Then came fireflies blinking in the reeds and all around us, then bats twittering next to the canyon walls, then frogs thrumming, then distant coyotes yipping, and a couple of hours after sunset, the Milky Way and endless stars in the dark sky.

 

It felt remarkable to be in such a remote area only about six hours from Denver. Our own wilderness kingdom--no people, litter (well a little, but we cleaned it up), traffic, lights, airplane noise, fracking equipment, wind farms, phone, internet, Trump news, covid, or covid news. And no mountain lions or bears and very few mosquitoes. Felt like paradise.

 

The night was cloudy, but at 11 pm the sky cleared a bit and I took a few Milky Way photos then turned in after our long and eventful day.

 

A chilly sunrise at 5:30 am, but at 5 am the dawn chorus of birds started and remained in force for over an hour. I think a dozen birds joined in, but I believe two competing yellow-breasted chats could create a dawn chorus all by themselves. A yellow-billed cuckoo landed on a branch above our tent and cuckoo'd for a while before we emerged for the day.

 

After breakfast we drove a 30-mile loop south by a few ranches and saw from the road red-headed woodpeckers, a golden eagle, more kites, a northern mockingbird, and various sparrows. After a picnic lunch we returned to camp to watch rain clouds come in. When the thunder and downpour let up, we enjoyed dinner then took a walk along the canyon and creek, hoping to hear an owl but settled for seeing a beautiful male summer tanager.

 

Tuesday morning another dawn chorus, this time with an owl and distant cow joining in. We had breakfast, took another walk, saw a couple of Bewick's wrens and an indigo bunting. It was time to pack up the tent and start the long drive home.

 

Barb said our 90-degree car smelled like a Waste Management garbage truck with compressed trash and dirty laundry. Oh well, pack it in, pack it out. Highlights on our way home were seeing a curve-billed thrasher in a field of cholla cactus and enjoying a chocolate sundae from the McDonald's drive thru in La Junta.

 

It was a great adventure. Thanks to Barb for her love, sharp eyes, and logistical management. Glad to return home to a shower and bed.

 

Here is our route from Carrizo Canyon Picnic Area to where we camped at Cottonwood Canyon, called by Google Maps "Kim Reorganized 88." Zoom out to see the whole area and state. Click on the 3D button to the right to see canyon walls. https://goo.gl/maps/E4KnWxanGAQ1HejA9

 

30 photos from our trip. Scroll down each photo a little for caption, and click right arrow for next photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/twilberding/50041771501/in/album-72157714850044377/

 

Cheers,

Tom Wilberding

Littleton, Colorado

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[cobirds] Is the Boulder Co. meadowlark a Lilian's meadowlark?

Hey, all.

Hannah Floyd and I caught up yesterday evening, Thurs., June 25, with the eastern meadowlark that's been summering at Teller Farms, Boulder County. Conditions were trying, with a steady west wind (a dry squall was passing), eccentric lighting, and the various noises associated with that infernal ditch. Nevertheless, we succeeded in obtaining audio, video, and photos of the bird.

Audio:

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/245783731

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/245784621

Video:

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/245786061

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/245787041

Photos:

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/245787831

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/245787841

Based on various details of plumage and song, I wonder if this meadowlark is a Lilian's meadowlark, Sturnella magna lilianae (=S. lilianae, a full species, by some authorities).

Any thoughts on that?

And here's a thought we'll all agree on: Whatever it is, the bird sings a bright, beautiful song! At the exact same bend in the trail as the meadowlark, listen for Dickcissels and Bobolinks. They're there with the meadowlark--and less taxonomically vexing.

Ted Floyd
Lafayette, Boulder County

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Re: [cobirds] Scissor-tail

Chuck

Why are you being vague?

Ira Sanders

On Fri, Jun 26, 2020 at 10:07 AM Chuck Aid <caid@ecentral.com> wrote:

I'm being purposely vague about location, and just sending this as an interesting FYI.  A Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was seen (not by me) Thursday, June 25 near the intersection of CO-199 and US-6 in Clear Creek Canyon.

Chuck Aid

Evergreen, 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] Re: Rocky Mountain Arsenal- Grasshopper and Cassin's Sparrow galore and a Bull Snake/Oriole predation event. Oh My!

Sure hope you can post to Ebird. Great list and documentation is welcome since a formal BBS did not occur. Breakfast looks yummy!

On Wednesday, June 24, 2020 at 6:30:25 PM UTC-6, Charlie Chase wrote:

Celebrating my friend Bryce's 72nd BDay started with an Arsenal run, then sourdough blackberry pancakes for very late brunch.  We birded many areas along 64th, then the auto tour loop. Lots of traffic on road and trails, no masks in evidence or any attempt at social distancing except our little group. There about 4 hours. 

The morning started surprisingly with 8 territorial male Cassin's Sparrow's singing on both sides of the road near the first porta-lets and continuing to the entrance to the refuge.  Horned Larks also presented in numbers which is also surprising. There was a great mix of songbirds along the 64th from the visitor center to where the road turns left (north) from 64th.  Highlights include Grasshopper Sparrows calling immediately by the road at Mile Marker 4 and near MM5, Blue Grosbeaks at Lake Ladore and 64th and near MM3, a rock wren making enough racket to wake the dead on the dike at Lower Derby, lots of young of many species including Western Wood-Pewee, Red-tailed and Swainson's Hawks, young and adult groups of Lark Sparrows, grackle families mixed with starling gangs,  It was pretty warm by the time we got to the northern end of the Auto Loop and Burrowing Owl territory.  No hits but on the way out just past the exit from the Bison area eagle-eyed Lisa spotted a young Great Horned Owl sitting in the shade under a tree trying very hard to look like a cat.  Great fun. 58 species.  A few documentary photos made but all on antique I-phones so not worth posting.  So you get a breakfast picture instead.

We watched a Bullocks Oriole nest predation from start to finish. We were attracted to a cacophony of Orioles in a cottonwood. As we got closer, I could see the birds mobbing something. A little closer and I could see a snake crawling along a branch about 10' up in a large Plains Cottonwood. Despite repeated strikes to the body and head, it kept working its ways along and around a variety of branches till it found the nest.. Without a pause, it entered head first into the nest and about 6-8 inches of its body went in with the orioles screaming and striking at it. Approx. 7 minutes later it backed out of the nest and proceeded to find its way back up the branch and away. The orioles keep up their cacophony throughout until it completely left the area. In addition to 6-8 orioles, mostly males, a Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay and Warbling Vireo joined the fracas. Cowbirds were also in the area but didn't join in. The Colorado Bullsnake (Piuophis catenifer sayi) was nearly 3 feet long, and moved very methodically as it searched out the nest then sought a retreat route. When we returned about 10 minutes later, all was quiet and no Orioles approached the nest for at least the next 10 minutes.   

Charlie Chase

Denver

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[cobirds] Scissor-tail

I'm being purposely vague about location, and just sending this as an interesting FYI.  A Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was seen (not by me) Thursday, June 25 near the intersection of CO-199 and US-6 in Clear Creek Canyon.

Chuck Aid

Evergreen, CO

[cobirds] Re: Tent camping in Baca County

This is the guy we had when camping down there......... jat

On Wednesday, June 24, 2020 at 10:24:24 PM UTC-6, Tom Wilberding wrote:

The CFO website mentions Cottonwood Canyon in Baca County: "A visit here will seldom leave a birder disappointed!" https://cobirds.org/CountyBirding/County/BySite.aspx?SiteID=36

 

Barb and I second that opinion. We spent two nights there this week and enjoyed the birds and wilderness very much, worth the six hour drive from Littleton. Here is a five minute account of our trip. No rarities, but if you are thinking of visiting Baca County, you may benefit from our experience.

 

My goal was to see and photograph birds, and to photograph the Milky Way for the first time, which requires a camera, a tripod, a clear-dark-moonless sky, and insomnia. The eastern prairie of Colorado has no big cities, so dark skies are possible.

 

Baca County, Colorado's most southeastern county next to Kansas and Oklahoma, has a website that recommends camping at Carrizo Canyon Picnic Area, so we headed there. At 3 PM we arrived and found no people and only three picnic tables for camping, and an outhouse. A sign declared the park was closed for camping due to the pandemic, the outhouse locked. What now? We hiked the Carrizo one-mile trial in 94-degree heat while thinking what to do next. The trail was blocked in two spots due to high water in the canyon, but we saw a couple of eastern phoebes as consolation.

 

The sign at Carrizo mentioned in fine print that "dispersed camping" was allowed on the Comanche National Grasslands nearby. But the grasslands are a patchwork. What is private ranch and what is public grasslands in that vast area? You would need a map; but we didn't have one, nor cell phone service or internet.

 

I had read that "primitive camping" was allowed at Cottonwood Canyon, about seven miles to the west, and that Cottonwood Canyon had many interesting birds, so we decided to camp there, come what may. We are not expert campers. We have enjoyed several camping trips to state park campgrounds that had a host, picnic tables, fire rings, water, and bathrooms. But primitive camping? No host, no picnic table, no fire ring, no water, and no bathroom.

 

We felt okay about the prospect of primitive camping except for the no-bathroom part, but we did bring a small shovel and toilet paper along just in case. I learned on this trip that you're supposed to dig a hole then poop in the hole. You don't do the opposite—poop then dig the hole. Women seem to instinctively understand this. Me—live and learn—I had to clean the shovel!

 

We drove down into remote Cottonwood Canyon, miles from nowhere, and saw a large sign on the side of the dirt road where the primitive camping was supposed to be: "Private Property." It was riddled with bullet holes. Now what to do? The sign did not read "No Camping" so we decided to look for a shady spot near Cottonwood Creek that was hidden from the road and take our chances in case the sign meant "no camping" after all. Always an adventure!

 

We set up our tent, then relaxed in our camp chairs above the creek. (No campfire due to a county ban.) Birds serenaded us one by one, as if on cue: canyon wren, yellow warbler, plumbeous vireo, ash-throated flycatcher, yellow-breasted chat, blue grosbeak, ladder-backed woodpecker, Chihuahuan ravens, Mississippi Kites, mourning doves, and others whose calls or songs I couldn't identify. Then came fireflies blinking in the reeds and all around us, then bats twittering next to the canyon walls, then frogs thrumming, then distant coyotes yipping, and a couple of hours after sunset, the Milky Way and endless stars in the dark sky.

 

It felt remarkable to be in such a remote area only about six hours from Denver. Our own wilderness kingdom--no people, litter (well a little, but we cleaned it up), traffic, lights, airplane noise, fracking equipment, wind farms, phone, internet, Trump news, covid, or covid news. And no mountain lions or bears and very few mosquitoes. Felt like paradise.

 

The night was cloudy, but at 11 pm the sky cleared a bit and I took a few Milky Way photos then turned in after our long and eventful day.

 

A chilly sunrise at 5:30 am, but at 5 am the dawn chorus of birds started and remained in force for over an hour. I think a dozen birds joined in, but I believe two competing yellow-breasted chats could create a dawn chorus all by themselves. A yellow-billed cuckoo landed on a branch above our tent and cuckoo'd for a while before we emerged for the day.

 

After breakfast we drove a 30-mile loop south by a few ranches and saw from the road red-headed woodpeckers, a golden eagle, more kites, a northern mockingbird, and various sparrows. After a picnic lunch we returned to camp to watch rain clouds come in. When the thunder and downpour let up, we enjoyed dinner then took a walk along the canyon and creek, hoping to hear an owl but settled for seeing a beautiful male summer tanager.

 

Tuesday morning another dawn chorus, this time with an owl and distant cow joining in. We had breakfast, took another walk, saw a couple of Bewick's wrens and an indigo bunting. It was time to pack up the tent and start the long drive home.

 

Barb said our 90-degree car smelled like a Waste Management garbage truck with compressed trash and dirty laundry. Oh well, pack it in, pack it out. Highlights on our way home were seeing a curve-billed thrasher in a field of cholla cactus and enjoying a chocolate sundae from the McDonald's drive thru in La Junta.

 

It was a great adventure. Thanks to Barb for her love, sharp eyes, and logistical management. Glad to return home to a shower and bed.

 

Here is our route from Carrizo Canyon Picnic Area to where we camped at Cottonwood Canyon, called by Google Maps "Kim Reorganized 88." Zoom out to see the whole area and state. Click on the 3D button to the right to see canyon walls. https://goo.gl/maps/E4KnWxanGAQ1HejA9

 

30 photos from our trip. Scroll down each photo a little for caption, and click right arrow for next photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/twilberding/50041771501/in/album-72157714850044377/

 

Cheers,

Tom Wilberding

Littleton, Colorado

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[cobirds] Ebird postings

At least on cobirds people including me would say where exactly they saw a given species-for instance Rabbit Mountain is a rather large area so nice pics of a Blue Grosbeak are great but where were these pics taken on Rabbit Mountain? Some of us or maybe just me who are still working don't have the time to wander around this area aimlessly-I don't mean to single out this example but how great are all these ebird results for the average birder-agh citizen science you say -so be it.. Bill Fink Longmont

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[cobirds] House Wren makes ultimate sacrifice, Boulder Co

In recent weeks, I have become obsessed with making smartphone recordings of birds (good move). To focus on sound recordings, I have been leaving my camera home (bummer of a choice). This morning, after considering birding closer to home, I decided to bird Joder Ranch, beginning at the Buckingham Park lot (good decision). After a pleasant morning birding with only a few others on the trail, I returned to my truck feeling good about getting 10 recordings. 

At the parking lot, a scolding House Wren voice caught my attention. Following the sound, I spotted the wren about 30 feet up in a cottonwood snag. The wren was moving from branch to branch in an agitated manner close to a cavity in the cottonwood. I figured the bird was near its nest cavity and perhaps gathering insects to feed young. I kept waiting for the bird to go to the cavity, but instead it seemed to circle the area of the cavity, moving about with great agitation. 

When the bird moved higher in the snag, I suddenly saw the source of the agitation. Hanging from a fork in the snag was about a one-foot length of a good size gopher snake. The head and front of the gopher snake were hidden within a second cavity about 6-8 inches above the first. About that time, I noticed a second agitated House Wren also scolding and dancing around the snag in agitation. As I watched, the wrens repeatedly struck the snake on its body where it disappeared into the nest. Realizing the gigantic mistake of not at least putting the camera in the truck, I decided to at least capture an audio recording. The situation was not favorable for audio, with Left Hand Creek roaring in the background and picnickers reveling. Nevertheless, I got a recording and fortuitously, two Lesser Goldfinches showed up to join briefly in the mobbing.

I then made a futile effort to get a smartphone photo of the events. At some point between recording and photographing, I looked up with binoculars to see a wren tail on top of the snake disappear into the cavity. From that point on, there was only one scolding wren, and I concluded that one of the distressed parents had attempted to attack the snake in the cavity. 

I noticed at a few points that the snake's body bulged in the area just outside the nest cavity. When the snake finally emerged from the cavity, there was a prominent bulge behind the head. I was familiar with this phenomenon from an experience many years ago in New Mexico when I was wading in a wetland checking waterfowl nests. I found a coot nest with eggs and resting on the nest was a gopher snake. While I watched, the snake slowly opened its mouth wide and engulfed an egg. As the snake swallowed the egg, a bulge moved along its body. At some point there was a contraction of the body, and the bulge elongated. The snake repeated the process many times as it dined on the eggs.

When the snake at the wren nest pulled out of the nest, it hung for a few minutes while the remaining adult wren continued to scold and attack. At one point, the snake lunged with mouth open at the wren. The wren escaped. 

Just as I thought the drama was over, the snake reentered the nest and remained for several minutes before making a final withdrawal. It then rested in the fork of the snag. 

My feeble efforts to capture this drama in photos and recording are included in this eBird list. https://ebird.org/checklist/S70811931

Gopher snakes appear to be efficient predators on bird nests. On another occasion during the second Colorado Breeding Bird Atlas field season, I was working the Fort Morgan block. At Riverside Park, I heard a great commotion of scolding Red-winged Blackbirds. When I walked to the edge of the dense cattails, I found one male 

red-wing scolding a gopher snake that was partly in a nest in the cattails. For several minutes, I followed along the shore as the scolding moved through the cattails. From time to time, I could glimpse the snake glide up into a nest, then on to the next. 

Occasionally when we bird, we see the face of the struggle for survival.

Chuck Hundertmark

Lafayette, CO