Mallards are apparently usually vegans, but a bit like some human vegans. Faced with extreme decisions--survival or perhaps the offering of a chocolate chip cookie that contains a tiny amount of egg, some human vegans will remain true to their ideals, but others will choose to eat the morsel at hand. Back when winter was extremely cold for long spells (1980s), I photographed mallards eating a dead fish in Denver's Washington Park. Much more recently, I photographed a mallard stealing pieces of a crayfish from a muskrat who had laid out its meal on a rock in the middle of the South Platte River. Survival was clearly the goal of the ducks in Washington Park. I believe tastiness was the reason for the mallard stole from the muskrat.
Nancy Stocker
Denver, City and County
Diana Beatty <otowi33.33@gmail.com>: Aug 26 05:19PM -0600 Colorado Field Ornithologists Speaker Series Presents: *Ornitherapy: for your mind, body, and soul* Saturday September 4th 7pm Watching birds:not only fun, but good for you! Watching birds can bring you more than enjoyment. Come learn why birds are heart healthy! We'll delve into our connections to birds, how to practice Ornitherapy for optimal benefits, and learn about the latest research into the power of nature for overall well-being. Register now: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUkceyppzIpH9AkLKi6_POo1tdCt23cQNsG Diana Beatty on behalf of CFO Board of Directors El Paso County |
Meredith McBurney <Meredith.McBurney@birdconservancy.org>: Aug 26 04:07PM -0700 Another moderately paced morning. Our second adult male Blue Grosbeak, but otherwise lots of HY birds. 22 new birds today: Mourning Dove 1 Western Wood Pewee 1 Willow Flycatcher 1 House Wren 2 new, 1 banded 2020 Yellow Warbler 4 Wilson's Warbler 9 Chipping Sparrow 1 Clay-colored Sparrow 1 Blue Grosbeak 1 We will be open 6 days a week, weather permitting through October 23. Closed Mondays. Click here <https://birdconservancy.doubleknot.com/event/calendar/4525> to register to visit - we are offering one-hour slots (up to 12 visitors at a time); 7:30-8:30 most weekdays, and 8-9, 9-10, and 10-11 on weekends. We look forward to seeing many of you during the season! Meredith McBurney Bander, Barr Lake Station Bird Conservancy of the Rockies |
Dave Hyde <pink-beam@hotmail.com>: Aug 26 04:29PM Thank you all for your identification of this bird as an Eastern bluebird. But this is not any E. bluebird! It is Yard Bird #100 for my location. I was hoping to make it to 100 species here before we moved to Longmont in August. We're now moved, I have 100 species in just under 5 years here, and I've enjoyed the house near Storm Mountain in Larimer Cty as one of the best places I've lived to spot birds. Now I'll see what pops up at our new home near Lake McIntosh in Longmont! I've already seen a duck! Happy Birding to us all – Dave Hyde/Longmont, CO Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows From: Nicholas Komar<mailto:quetzal65@comcast.net> Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2021 2:35 PM To: Dave Hyde<mailto:pink-beam@hotmail.com> Cc: Colorado Birders<mailto:cobirds@googlegroups.com> Subject: Re: [cobirds] Bluebird ientification Dave, Orange throat = Eastern bluebird. Rare but regular breeders in Larimer county foothills. Nick Komar Fort Collins CO On Aug 25, 2021, at 1:34 PM, Dave Hyde <pink-beam@hotmail.com> wrote: Hello CObirders, The attached photos show a bluebird (3 photos) and a typical Western bluebird at my location near Storm Mountain in Larimer Cty. on June 3, 2021. Can anyone advise me as to identification: Western or Eastern bluebird? Pleasant birding to you all – Dave Hyde/nr Storm Mtn. Larimer Cty. CO Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com<mailto:cobirds+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com>. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CY4PR06MB32567768CB138D8DF9BDDD8EF5C69%40CY4PR06MB3256.namprd06.prod.outlook.com<https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CY4PR06MB32567768CB138D8DF9BDDD8EF5C69%40CY4PR06MB3256.namprd06.prod.outlook.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>. <DSCF1403c.jpg> <DSCF1408c.jpg> <DSCF1409c.jpg> <WBluebird-1ccc.jpg> |
Scott <pygmyowl@frii.com>: Aug 26 04:52PM -0600 Eastern On 8/25/2021 1:33 PM, Dave Hyde wrote: -- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus |
Jared Del Rosso <jared.delrosso@gmail.com>: Aug 26 01:30PM -0700 An update: last night (8/25), about 20 Common Nighthawks flew southeast (more east than south) over my house (just north of Arapahoe and University) in Centennial (Arapahoe). It didn't seem like a migratory flight; they were lowish and sort of feeding. But who knows. A few potential destinations, nearby, are southeast: Holly Park, Willow Spring Open Space, and the Big Dry Creek. Looking forward to autumn, but not to saying goodbye, for another half year, to these birds. - Jared Del Rosso Centennial, CO On Thursday, August 19, 2021 at 10:44:34 AM UTC-6 Jared Del Rosso wrote: |
Jared Del Rosso <jared.delrosso@gmail.com>: Aug 26 01:27PM -0700 Driving around Centennial today (County Line and Arapahoe roads, east of University in Arapahoe County), I'll say that wherever there was one magpie there were a dozen. On power lines, picking through yards alongside flickers, in parking lots. Just lots and lots of magpies. - Jared Del Rosso Centennial, CO On Wednesday, August 25, 2021 at 5:01:07 PM UTC-6 preston...@gmail.com wrote: |
"rjpa...@gmail.com" <rjpautsch@gmail.com>: Aug 26 12:11PM -0700 In the shallow bay at the end of the Boulder West trailhead yesterday, our Boulder Bird Club group observed something very strange. A mother Pied-billed Grebe was actively hunting and feeding what looked like small crayfish to her three young (they still had head stripes). They were being followed by a lone Mallard, which would aggressively pursue a young grebe after it had been given the crawfish by its mother until it was able to snatch the crawfish from the young grebe's mouth. The grebes would dive and thus lose the Mallard for a moment, but as soon as it popped up, the Mallard was after it again. This happened three times within 15 minutes. I thought Mallards were vegetarians! |
Peter Ruprecht <pruprecht@gmail.com>: Aug 26 01:32PM -0600 What a fascinating observation. Per https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mallard/lifehistory , Mallards eat a good deal of animal matter, mainly invertebrates, during the summer. In my experience, it's rare to see them eat any critter that's bigger than a half-inch or so. However, a couple years ago I watched in amazement as a drake used its bill to dispatch a medium-sized bullfrog and then struggled for several minutes to swallow it. Peter Ruprecht Superior On Thu, Aug 26, 2021 at 1:11 PM rjpa...@gmail.com <rjpautsch@gmail.com> wrote: |
Robert Righter <rorighter@earthlink.net>: Aug 26 12:06PM -0600 Hi We just had a female Calliope Hummingbird come to our flowering pots on our back porch. Quite aggressive. Came right up to my nose and began buzzing around the face looking me in the eyes. Luckily, I survived. Bob Righter Denver, CO |
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