[cobirds] Re: Millers

Thanks David! This is a great compilation. It is really entertaining to watch all of the local birds in Loveland/Fort Collins hanging out at the intersections waiting to swoop down on our miller friends. The current flight also happens to be a boon to Flammulated owls and Black Bears.

Michael Tincher

Loveland, CO

On Tuesday, May 23, 2023 at 9:34:13 AM UTC-6 DAVID A LEATHERMAN wrote:

Here is a composite of just some of the birds eating millers in Lamar over the last three weeks.  Molting male Baltimore oriole, black-headed grosbeak, brown-headed cowbird (scavenging a pile of dead millers I think somebody dumped out of their RV onto a dirt road within Hasty CG), Lincoln's sparrow, Bullock's oriole, brown thrasher, Army Cutworm adult (THE miller), prothonotary warbler, white-crowned sparrow, yellow-headed blackbird and yellow-rumped warbler.  Not great photos, highly cropped, but good enough to document the phenomenon.

Some of the comments I got to yesterday's post asked if birds somehow follow the miller migration.  My take would be they travel their general migration flyways.  What they encounter along the way no doubt alters their schedule.  In other words, they get on the interstate.  They get off the road periodically to rest (mostly where there are trees).  If there's water, they drink.  If there's food they eat.  If there's lots of food, they maybe stay for days.  No different than us.  An exit with no services is maybe nothing more than a place to pull off and nap.  The availability of services can mean a different itinerary.  Given the variability of miller populations from year to year, no way the birds can no what they'll encounter starting out, but being the adaptable, opportunistic creatures they are, they know what works best when they come across certain circumstances.  

Dave Leatherman

Fort Collins

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