FW: [cobirds] Re: Late nesting barn swallows

I intended this to go to Mr. Killam plus the entire COBIRDS clan.

Dave

 

From: DAVID A LEATHERMAN
Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2026 1:55 PM
To: 'wmrki...@gmail.com' <wmrkillam69@gmail.com>
Subject: RE: [cobirds] Re: Late nesting barn swallows

 

The discussion of late Barn Swallow fledging initially brought up by Scott, the interesting question by Nathan about what constitutes “fledging” and the various other reports of late BASW activity has been very interesting.  It is exactly what COBIRDS is better at than eBird and I hope both communication outlets continue to thrive.  I have no doubts regarding eBird but sometimes COBIRDS feels threatened and endangered.

 

The two Barn Swallow situations I mentioned in Fort Collins essentially came to an end yesterday. 

 

On 9/14 I visited Sheldon Lake in City Park (just north of Mountain Avenue west of Shields) and during late morning a flock of about 45 fledglings and adults sat on boat ramp wires loudly discussing impending travel plans.  When I visited in late afternoon, they were gone.  Today I saw a few BASW up high over the lake that I suspect were migrants from points north.

 

The nest under the Grandview Cemetery entrance bridge spanning the New Mercer Ditch was completely abandoned as of September 14.  I think some of the last activity of adults flying in to feed young during the period of September 11-13 might well have been Nathan’s “teenagers with driver’s licenses still living at home” scenario.  I bet there are a lot of human parents that wished this phenomenon only lasted a max of a couple days/weeks. 

 

Safe travels to our beautiful fork-tailed, West Nile mosquito-eating friends.

 

Dave Leatherman

Fort Collins

 

From: cobirds@googlegroups.com <cobirds@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of wmrki...@gmail.com
Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2026 10:44 AM
To: Colorado Birds <cobirds@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [cobirds] Re: Late nesting barn swallows

 

And yesterday, September 14, I noted numerous barn swallow fledglings and adults on the power lines along the west side of Lakeside Amusement Park.

On Monday, September 14, 2026 at 3:28:55 PM UTC-6 Betsy Rumely wrote:

Parking garage — Denver Botanic Gardens , 9/2/26

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