Saturday, 23 May 2026

[cobirds] Gregory Canyon Survey for May, Boulder Mt. Park - seen near Long Canyon \ Gregory Canyon trail junction.

From Gregory Canyon Survey May 22nd, 2026

Photo of Ovenbird during the survey: 
          Ovenbird Long Canyon Boulder CO 1 signed copy.jpg

May 22, 2026, Bird Inventory for Gregory Canyon, Boulder Mt. Park

Birds:

Mourning Dove – 6 – at both low and high elevations

Broad Tailed Hummingbird – 19 – concentrated at lower elevations

Northern Flicker – 1 – only one seen and heard

Hammond’s Flycatcher – 2 – one near the parking lot, another at high elevation

Warbling Vireo spp. – 7 – at all elevations, singing, foraging

Plumbeous Vireo – 8 – most up in ponderosa pine areas, singing, chases, calls

Blue Jay – 2 – one near parking area, one at higher elevation

Stellar’s Jay – 8 – up high and low – one doing an imitation of a Cooper’s hawk

Black Billed Magpie – 6 – all near the road and parking area

American Crow – 12 – calls, flying

Common Raven – 50+ unusual mass of ravens riding thermals and calling, over Green Mountain and the First Flatiron and over the canyon. These groupings are unusual, and there is still debate as to why they congregate like this.  (Note:  I had seen a congregation similar to this over Mount Blue Sky several years ago, with over 300 ravens.  It was astonishing to see!)
 
Violet Green Swallow – 4 – lower elevation, calling and flying

Mountain Chickadee – 8 – calls, songs, foraging, at higher elevations

Black Capped Chickadee – 6 – at high and low elevations

Bushtit – 2 – along the road near the parking area

White Breasted Nuthatch – 2 – foraging, calling

Pygmy Nuthatch – 2 – near the road

Red Breasted Nuthatch – 8 – calls, foraging, higher up in Douglas Fir \ Pine forests

House Wren – 13 – most near the road and lower elevations

Canyon Wren – 1 – singing, lower part of canyon trial

Blue Gray Gnatcatcher – 1 – one calling and foraging, lower elevation

American Robin – 16 – males and females at all elevations, foraging

Gray Catbird – 9 – most near the road and parking area, chases, songs, calls

Virginia’s Warbler – 8 – most at higher elevations, songs, foraging

MacGillivray’s Warbler – 2 – songs, lower part of canyon

Audubon’s Warbler – 1 – singing, highest part of survey route

Ovenbird – 1 (plus 3 more in Long Canyon area) – songs and perched in evergreens.  The one for Gregory Canyon was just inside the survey route close to the Long Canyon Trail junction.

Yellow Breasted Chat – 3 – songs, near road and upslope from parking area.

Western Tanager – 14 – songs, calls, flying; majority were at higher elevations in the pine belt

Spotted Towhee – 16 – at all elevations, but most lower down

Chipping Sparrow – 4 – songs.  Unusually low numbers this year.

Gray Headed Junco – 4 – two pairs near nest sites, higher elevation

Black Headed Grosbeak – 8 – songs, flying, perched.  Most at lower elevations

Common Grackle – 4 – near the parking area

Brown Headed Cowbird – 10 – calls, songs, flying, most at lower elevations

American Goldfinch – 2 – songs, perched; near the road

Total Bird Species Count = 36 (one more than last year)
Conspicuously Absent:  starlings and raptors

Mammals:
Mule Deer - 2
Fox Squirrel – 3
Pine Squirrel – 4
Chipmunk spp. – 1

Snakes:
 Western Terrestrial Garter Snake – 1

Wildflowers were scant due to lack of rain, but small amounts of the following were seen - spiderwort, evening primrose, sulphurflower, scorpionweed, garlic mustard, bush penstemon, wallflower, asters, cranesbill, phlox, wild violet, dandelion, lavender penstemon, toadflax, goldenbanner,  desert parsley, mountain parsley, etc. 

John T (Tumasonis)



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