[cobirds] Boulder Audubon on-line meeting: Tues, Jan. 26, 2021

Burrowing Owls in Boulder County: A tiny owl's battle for survival! – ONLINE MEETING

Burrowing Owls with butterfly prey item. Photo courtesy of Audubon Field Guide.

Join Boulder County Audubon in an online meeting on January 26th, 2021 to learn from Sue Cass about the fascinating history of Burrowing Owls in Boulder County and the work done by our County, City, and many BCAS members who have volunteered to monitor these charismatic owls.

In 1909, Junius Henderson, founder and first Curator of the University of Colorado Henderson Museum of Natural History, declared Burrowing Owl "our most abundant owl on the plains". Boy, have things changed! By the 1990s, Burrowing Owl had nearly disappeared from Boulder County. In 2008, Boulder County Parks and Open Space (BCPOS), City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) and the Boulder County Audubon Society (BCAS), with support from the Boulder County Nature Association (BCNA), united in a single cause to locate and monitor every Burrowing Owl nest in the County and the fact that Burrowing Owl is a prairie dog commensal interfuses survival challenges for both species here on the burgeoning Front Range! This is a report on thirteen years of Burrowing Owl monitoring in Boulder County!

Burrowing Owl. Photo by Steve Jones.

Sue Cass is the proud matriarch of a six generation Boulder family and a passionate life-long birder. Sue has contributed enormously to the local ecological community, for which the Boulder County Audubon Society awarded Sue its 2014 Environmental Conservation Award and in 2015 Sue received Boulder County Parks and Open Space Environmental Stewardship Award. Sue's contributions include serving on the Board of Directors of Boulder County Nature Association, since 2001, currently as president; serving on the BCPOS Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee; coordinating the BCNA Winter Raptor Survey since 2001; and coordinator the volunteers for the last 10 years for the BCPOS Burrowing Owl Survey. Sue is also a Volunteer Naturalist for Boulder County Parks and Open Space since 2001 and provides advanced training in raptor ecology and field ID for new Volunteer Naturalists and raptor nest monitors in addition to field ID and instruction on interpretive public programing on the broader subject of the birds of Boulder County.

---

When: Tuesday January 26, 2021.   The presentation starting at 7:15 PM. Everyone is encouraged to join early to work through any connection issues (the meeting room will be open at ~7:00 PM).

Where: This meeting will be held online. All participants will be muted upon entry to the meeting room. The chat feature will be on so you can write questions for the speaker.

To join the meeting, click the link to be directed to the meeting room.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82351730641?pwd=TWEySTZjSlJudytvRVM2MUdHUDFmUT09

If the link above does not work, you can join by going to https://zoom.us/ and entering the Meeting ID and Password (below).

If you wish to join audio by telephone, you can also call either number below or find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kb5c2jtca. We highly recommend you also join the meeting by video (but don't connect audio) due to the visual nature of this presentation.

• +1 301 715 8592 US
• +1 253 215 8782 US

Meeting ID: 823 5173 0641

Password: 001700

Join/Membership

Learn about joining the Boulder County Audubon Society. Read More

Found an Injured Bird?

Visit the Colorado Native Bird Care and Conservation website-
Click Here

Made Possible By You

Follow Us!

NATURE-NET

facebook.com/BoulderAudubon

twitter.com/BoulderAudubon

 

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAGdTUTaDxn3Vh8mYWjJbam0n-Yr5Lri5EMyBit4hz4reRUZesw%40mail.gmail.com.

[cobirds] Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Jefferson County

The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker that was reported a few days ago (thanks to who found it) continues today. It is along the Bear Creek Greenbelt, ebird hotspot is Kipling to Wadsworth, you can park in the large parking lot just of Estes St, which can be access from Yale (Called the Stone House on Google Maps). The bird is in some pines at the Lakewood City Open Space maintenance area. I am not sure if you can go there so  I saw it from across the river. If you walk under Estes underpass (west) their will be a dirt area that over looks the river not far up stream. From their I got a distant look at the bird.

 Again I am not sure if you can walk around the Lakewood maintenance area which is directly across Estes street. The tree is in the fenced area.

The area is good for other birds also, I found 9 Blue Jays in a single tree. I think that is the most I have seen in a single tree together.

Good Birding

Brian Johnson

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/3c092214-8dd9-40cb-9020-cd7adfab0fd5n%40googlegroups.com.

[cobirds] Boulder Audubon meeting January 26, 2021 (Note corrected date!)

Burrowing Owls in Boulder County: A tiny owl's battle for survival! – ONLINE MEETING

Burrowing Owls with butterfly prey item. Photo courtesy of Audubon Field Guide.

Join Boulder County Audubon in an online meeting on January 26th, 2021 to learn from Sue Cass about the fascinating history of Burrowing Owls in Boulder County and the work done by our County, City, and many BCAS members who have volunteered to monitor these charismatic owls.

In 1909, Junius Henderson, founder and first Curator of the University of Colorado Henderson Museum of Natural History, declared Burrowing Owl "our most abundant owl on the plains". Boy, have things changed! By the 1990s, Burrowing Owl had nearly disappeared from Boulder County. In 2008, Boulder County Parks and Open Space (BCPOS), City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) and the Boulder County Audubon Society (BCAS), with support from the Boulder County Nature Association (BCNA), united in a single cause to locate and monitor every Burrowing Owl nest in the County and the fact that Burrowing Owl is a prairie dog commensal interfuses survival challenges for both species here on the burgeoning Front Range! This is a report on thirteen years of Burrowing Owl monitoring in Boulder County!

Burrowing Owl. Photo by Steve Jones.

Sue Cass is the proud matriarch of a six generation Boulder family and a passionate life-long birder. Sue has contributed enormously to the local ecological community, for which the Boulder County Audubon Society awarded Sue its 2014 Environmental Conservation Award and in 2015 Sue received Boulder County Parks and Open Space Environmental Stewardship Award. Sue's contributions include serving on the Board of Directors of Boulder County Nature Association, since 2001, currently as president; serving on the BCPOS Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee; coordinating the BCNA Winter Raptor Survey since 2001; and coordinator the volunteers for the last 10 years for the BCPOS Burrowing Owl Survey. Sue is also a Volunteer Naturalist for Boulder County Parks and Open Space since 2001 and provides advanced training in raptor ecology and field ID for new Volunteer Naturalists and raptor nest monitors in addition to field ID and instruction on interpretive public programing on the broader subject of the birds of Boulder County.

---

When: Tuesday January 26, 2021.   The presentation starting at 7:15 PM. Everyone is encouraged to join early to work through any connection issues (the meeting room will be open at ~7:00 PM).

Where: This meeting will be held online. All participants will be muted upon entry to the meeting room. The chat feature will be on so you can write questions for the speaker.

To join the meeting, click the link to be directed to the meeting room.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82351730641?pwd=TWEySTZjSlJudytvRVM2MUdHUDFmUT09

If the link above does not work, you can join by going to https://zoom.us/ and entering the Meeting ID and Password (below).

If you wish to join audio by telephone, you can also call either number below or find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kb5c2jtca. We highly recommend you also join the meeting by video (but don't connect audio) due to the visual nature of this presentation.

• +1 301 715 8592 US
• +1 253 215 8782 US

Meeting ID: 823 5173 0641

Password: 001700

Join/Membership

Learn about joining the Boulder County Audubon Society. Read More

Found an Injured Bird?

Visit the Colorado Native Bird Care and Conservation website-
Click Here

Made Possible By You

Follow Us!

NATURE-NET

facebook.com/BoulderAudubon

twitter.com/BoulderAudubon

 

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAGdTUTbQJQ4gfC_P1v0ZbaxWKqcOX_A9ctWc4QE0WdiQkEwnyQ%40mail.gmail.com.

[cobirds] Weld Rd. 128 Rosy-Finches/Private Property

COBirders,

Both viewing o opportunities for the Weld County Rosy-Finches on Rd. 128 are located on private property. The empty property on 128 just west of 37 is private property, however the Rosy-Finches are easily viewed from the road while in your vehicle.

The homestead at the intersection of 128 & 37 is occupied and also private property. The owners there are quite aware of all of the vehicles at the empty homestead and have so far been tolerant of the activity, but please respect their property and be considerate of the fact that this is their home.

The Rosy-Finches at the bluff on 128 are on private property which is owned by the Lazy D Grazing Association. There is no access to this property so stay on the road if the flock happens to be at this location. They rosies are far enough away that you may want a scope but straying off the road here is not permitted. The ranch hand for the Lazy D checks this property frequently and is not tolerant of trespassers.

I am still not sure if there are 2 flocks of Rosy-Finches or if this is just one flock that splits up. I am leaning towards it being 2 different flocks as this morning the rosies were being seen in both locations at around the same time. 

Thanks to everyone for their cooperation so that we may all continue to enjoy these birds for the remainder of the winter.

------------------------------
Rachel Hopper
rkhphotograph.net
r-hopper@comcast.net
Ft. Collins, CO

[cobirds] Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, Adams

Hi,

I spent most of yesterday, 1-22, at Rocky Mountain Arsenal. I found Lake Ladora to the partly open in the middle and towards the south east. It hosted the usual winter ducks, nothing out of the ordinary. Lake Mary was frozen over as usual. Rode and Gun Club Pond was dry and so was Lower Derby. I walked along the bushy Woods trail but did not find any sparrow flocks. The wildlife drive produced the most, namely at the point where the road follows some large utility polls, around mile marker 7 of the drive. Three Bald Eagle were circling over head, a Prairie Falcon on a pole and Rough Legged Hawk on another pole down a road I can't drive on. Nearby in a Prairie Dog town was a Ferruginous Hawk, hoping for some Prairie Doge lunch.

One amazing thing, which might be a record for me, was I did not kick up any Western Meadowlarks, during the course of four hours and time walking some of the trails. Not one, not a sound!

Over all, not very productive. If any one wants to visit I would recommend checking out Ladora and taking your time on the Wildlife Drive. Hopefully we get some needed moisture and the ponds/lakes will fill up.

Brian Johnson,

Englewood

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/a9b1b472-47fd-4d69-a34a-f81eb69916b2n%40googlegroups.com.

Re: [cobirds] Re: Identification for these adorable birds

Caleb et al,

I agree with your general statement about the seasonal occurrence of shrikes in CO, but only for the northern plains.  I have spent four weeks in southeastern CO (Prowers, Bent, Baca, Las Animas) since early December and my tally is as follows: loggerhead shrike 6, northern shrike 0.  That is not so say northern shrikes do not occur down there in winter, they do.  They were tallied on the John Martin Reservoir CBC and have been seen in small numbers by others this winter.  I guess my point is it depends where you are and when.  Birds that usually winter south of Colorado are becoming more common in winter as the climate changes.  What is true for the winter of 2020-21 might not be so true for winter 2030-31.  I have been going to southeastern Colorado in all seasons for the last 47 years and would say south of the Arkansas River and east of I-25, a shrike seen in winter down there has much more than a 50% chance of being a loggerhead.  Ditto for the Grand Junction area.  On the Pawnee Grasslands, different story.  A few loggerheads have occurred there in winter over the years, and will be increasingly more likely in coming years (IMO), but the overwhelming odds at present favor northern.

And I agree Brian's photo shows a northern, the more expected species for its location and date.  Now the question is, what was it eating?  Is it preying on birds at feeders, small rodents, wintering nymph grasshoppers, all of the above, what?  Is it utilizing the technique of impaling, jamming big prey into branch crotches, or eating its prey without temporary storage altogether?

Dave Leatherman

Fort Collins

---

From: cobirds@googlegroups.com <cobirds@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Caleb A <calebscotta@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 23, 2021 6:59 PM
To: Colorado Birds <cobirds@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [cobirds] Re: Identification for these adorable birds

 

Hi Brian!

The first photo looks to be a female American Goldfinch. Note that it's pale yellow-ish, has a small, dark "finch" bill, the clean, pale underparts, and the "tipped" tail with black and white. The second photo is a Northern Shrike. We get two shrike species in Colorado: Northern and Loggerhead Shrike. The one you photographed is a Northern Shrike. Note that the black line going through its eye gets very thin. Its sister shrike species would have a thicker "mask." Generally speaking, if you see a shrike in the winter, it's a Northern Shrike, and if you see a shrike in the summer, it's a Loggerhead Shrike. (During migratory seasons, you have to watch out for the explicit marks, because both species are present!)

Hope this helps you :)

The birds are happy, and so am I

~Caleb Alons, Larimer County

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/538d14df-7f0f-4c15-a131-724cb12d044bn%40googlegroups.com.

Re: [cobirds] Re: Identification for these adorable birds

Thank you so much, What a detailed and educational response. I greatly appreciate it!

-Brian

Get Outlook for iOS

---

From: cobirds@googlegroups.com <cobirds@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Caleb A <calebscotta@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 23, 2021 6:59:53 PM
To: Colorado Birds <cobirds@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [cobirds] Re: Identification for these adorable birds

 

Hi Brian!

The first photo looks to be a female American Goldfinch. Note that it's pale yellow-ish, has a small, dark "finch" bill, the clean, pale underparts, and the "tipped" tail with black and white. The second photo is a Northern Shrike. We get two shrike species in Colorado: Northern and Loggerhead Shrike. The one you photographed is a Northern Shrike. Note that the black line going through its eye gets very thin. Its sister shrike species would have a thicker "mask." Generally speaking, if you see a shrike in the winter, it's a Northern Shrike, and if you see a shrike in the summer, it's a Loggerhead Shrike. (During migratory seasons, you have to watch out for the explicit marks, because both species are present!)

Hope this helps you :)

The birds are happy, and so am I

~Caleb Alons, Larimer County

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/538d14df-7f0f-4c15-a131-724cb12d044bn%40googlegroups.com.