cobirds colorado rare bird

Wednesday, 29 August 2012

Re: [cobirds] Flycatcher in Canon City with very long and wide bill, a Traill's??

SeEtta, the photos in your blog document (in my mind) very nicely an Eastern Wood-Pewee. Very long wings, dull wing-bars, all yellow mandible, and uniform pale underparts. The bill is a pewee bill, too large for any empid, I believe. I have a photo of one from Missouri on-line here: http://www.pbase.com/quetzal/image/145449093. Shortly, I will upload another photo showing the shape of the bill from below, much like your bird. Does anybody in this forum think a Western Wood-Pewee can look like the bird in SeEtta's photographs? Western would be the more expected Wood-Pewee in Colorado (by 1000-to-1), so it would be good to absolutely rule it out. Vocalizations would help, as well as a better view of the relative width of the upper and lower wingbars, and the length of the primaries relative to the undertail coverts.

Nick Komar

Fort Collins

From: SeEtta Moss

Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2012 8:15 PM

To: cobirds@googlegroups.com

Subject: [cobirds] Flycatcher in Canon City with very long and wide bill, a Traill's??

When I saw the very long and wide bill with orangish lower mandible on a empidonax flycatcher yesterday morning I thought it might be an Acadian Flycatcher. I shot a number of photos quickly before it flew off into an off-limits and fenced area by the Canon City Riverwalk. I went back down this morning in case it was still around so I might get photos from a different angle to help with id but did not see it.

It has long wings, primary projection looks long, whitish throat and underparts, the hint of wing bars not visible clearly in my photos. I have read that Willow Flycatchers have bills that are almost as long and wide as Acadian's do but Sibley's Field Guide to Birds says Western Willows have moderate primary projections. I have uploaded photos onto my Birds and Nature blog and would appreciate some assistance with id.

SeEtta Moss
Canon City
Blogging for Birds and Blooms magazine @ http://birdsandbloomsblog.com/author/seetta-moss/
Personal blog @ http://BirdsAndNature.blogspot.com
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[cobirds] Flycatcher in Canon City with very long and wide bill, a Traill's??

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[cobirds] Jackson Lake , Curlew Sandpiper

Hi CO birders :

My group of Jackie H , Jeannie M and Aaron S picked out the juvenile Curlew Sandpiper finally around 11 AM after walking out from the west side campground to the waters edge through sinking , stinking mud. If we hadn't been pre alerted to look for a " Dunlin " type peep it would have passed us by ( thanks Steve M ). Look for a " Dunlin " type profile , longer black legs , little larger in size to adjacent Baird's , prominent white supercilium , scaly back , long downcurved bill , pale underparts , did not notice any buffy wash on upper breast perhaps because of the intense light. Aaron managed to get a distant flight picture showing the white rump and leg extension beyond tail .

Earlier along the SW inlet canal ( access from the South end ) we had a variety of peeps including two Buff-breasted Sandpipers which walked right past us just a few yards away.Some gripping photos were taken.

Later we walked the dam wall from the outlet canal and found Marbled Godwit ( 3 ) , Sanderling ( 1 ) , Red-necked Phalarope ( 2 ) , Short-billed Dowitcher ( 1) plus the more common shorebirds .

Finally before the heat defeated us we visited the SWA area at the north end and counted 26 Mountain Plovers in the grassy verge of the beach.

John Drummond

Monument

[cobirds] Tennessee Warbler-Last Chance/Washington County

Hi all,

Dave Leatherman just called to report he found 22 species of birds at Last Chance including a 1st fall female Tennessee Warbler. The warbler was feeding on aphids on the north side in the thistle patch. Dave says while Last Chance looks bad it is coming back and definitely worth checking.

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Rachel Hopper

Ft. Collins, CO

RE: [cobirds] Scissor-tailed Flycatcher - Jefferson

What a crazy bird. At 8:45 am the Boulder Bird Club and I had the bird in
the same area but it flew a 1/2 mile almost to Ward Rd at about 8:50 am. We
couldn't refind it.
Shortly thereafter, I had a Sage Thrasher and a Lark Bunting just north of
52nd and Xenon in some open and weedy fields directly south of the office
building south of the church.

Ira Sanders
Golden, CO

-----Original Message-----
From: cobirds@googlegroups.com [mailto:cobirds@googlegroups.com] On Behalf
Of Chuck
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2012 12:46 PM
To: Colorado Birds
Subject: [cobirds] Scissor-tailed Flycatcher - Jefferson

Gary Mathews, Bob Schlosser, Judy Wright and I enjoyed the Scissor- tailed
Flycatcher hunting from the wire fence on the north side of the Van Bibber
trail at the top of the hill immediately east of the yellow hydrant from
about 11:00 to 11:30 this morning. Judy and Gary certainly got their money's
worth for their drive down from Estes!

Chuck Lowrie, Denver

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[cobirds] Scissor-tailed Flycatcher - Jefferson

Gary Mathews, Bob Schlosser, Judy Wright and I enjoyed the Scissor-
tailed Flycatcher hunting from the wire fence on the north side of the
Van Bibber trail at the top of the hill immediately east of the yellow
hydrant from about 11:00 to 11:30 this morning. Judy and Gary
certainly got their money's worth for their drive down from Estes!

Chuck Lowrie, Denver

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[cobirds] El Paso County - Falcon, Colorado

It's always a good thing when you can find other people that have the same desire to be out birding all day.

We recently had a new employee arrive at our office.

Just prior to Dr. R.M.'s arrival at our worksite, she had watched "The Big Year."

This movie, along with findout out that I enjoy birding, sparked an interest in her to begin this incredible hobby.

Two days after our meeting, she was hooked.

She purchased a home in Falcon, Colorado, and began the search for birds.

She found a pond on Stapleton Drive, just east of Meridian. (Stapleton Drive and Lambert Road intersection)

She managed to get almost a dozen species identified from this pond in just a few days.

From her tips on this pond, my wife and I decided to visit it on Wednseday (28 Aug 2012).

We arrived at approx 6:45pm, so the sunlight was pretty bad.

Right away I could see a good amount of activity.

Mallards everywhere.

Wilson's Phalaropes doing their Crazy Ivan dances around the Mallards.

Killdeer - dozens

Sandpipers - pretty sure Solitary and others that I couldn't identify.

Then, in the NW corner of the pond, I spotted a group of interesting birds.

Long dark bill. Brown. Stripes down the back.

I believe they are my 285th life bird - Wilson's Snipe!

Or, if my eyesight is getting bad, they could be Short Billed Dowitchers.

I"m going with Wilson's Snipe.

(Would appreciate any feedback from other birders about my identity and tell me what all the types of Sandpipers were at that location)

Good birding!

Aaron Driscoll

Colorado Springs