[cobirds] the detectives in the shrubbery, anecdote from Barr Lake May 9th

Hello all:

A few of us decided to take a day off for a spring picnic at Barr Lake (thanks, Cushmans!), which most of us had not visited for years. We had forgotten how far it is from Boulder, and found many changes along the route, including huge housing developments ("Prairie Center" where prairie used to be), heavy traffic where that used to be sparse; and new highways with roundabouts and a Natural Foods out there in ag land. Wow.

As for the birdy part of our excursion, it was noisy and abundant on this fragrant spring day. We found most of the expecteds, with Bullocks Orioles, W. Kingbirds, House Wrens and Yellow Warblers in full voice making it hard to hear more uncommon things. We were enjoying this Umwelt so much, that it was midmorning before Bev Baker and I began to hear an intriguing little buzz in the grasses and shrubs that we could not identify. That always spurs us to go into full-chase mode. I tried repeatedly to get a recording with poor success, due to the dominance of the aforementioned songs. We seriously considered grasshoppers (the insect) as an ID option.

We had this conversation:

Bev: It has the quality of a Brewer's.

L: Yes, but-- Brewer's sing on different pitches! This is just one to three buzzes on one pitch! And multiples, moving around fast.

Do you each have a bird in mind now?

Sometime later, after catching split-second views of the elusive and boringly gray-brown birds, we heard one song that varied in pitch.

Bev: That's it -- it has to be a Brewer's

Linda: You're right--but it sounds like a Brewer's with a sore throat. These just don't know how to sing the breeding song yet. Odd: In Arizona we saw a big flock and they were all singing a hallelujah chorus like they're supposed to.

We were satisfied and jubilant, but wrong.

Bev went home and in her usual bulldog style, delved into the subject and came up with the real answer: Clay-colored. This (believe it or not) was a lifebird for me, and upon rising this morning I found one singing in our yard. I might not have known had I not experienced it so unforgettably yesterday. 

Yardbird 126, in a bit of shortgrass prairie that still lacks some important species.

Linda

I acknowledge that I live in the territory of Hinóno'éí (Arapaho) and Cheyenne Nations, according to the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie; and that Colorado's Front Range is home to The Ute & many other Native peoples. Reconozco que vivo en el territorio de las naciones Hinóno'éí (Arapaho) y Cheyenne, según el 1851 Tratado de Fort Laramie; y que el estado de Colorado al esté de las Montañas Rocosas es territorio de Utes y muchos otros pueblos indígenas.