Sunday, 30 April 2023

[cobirds] Glossy Ibis - Larimer County

I was in Windsor this morning and noticed there had been reports of a Glossy Ibis between Windsor and Fort Collins since yesterday. Luckily I had some time to investigate. It took me almost an hour to sort through all the White-faced Ibises (70 of them, exact count), but I eventually found 2 Glossy Ibises and a 3rd candidate bird. They were in a flooded field slurping up worms. Also a Willet, a couple of Lesser Yellowlegs, and several Greater Yellowlegs were foraging amongst the Ibis. I'm not sure who was the initial finder, but they have been seen by many and were attracting several interested non-birders as the field is along a fairly busy road.

There was also a late juvenile Snow Goose in the back of the field near several Canada Geese and Mallards.

Curious if anyone has any insight into the ID of the bird I have in my checklist as a Glossy/White-faced? It lacked the white on the face, but also didn't have the pale blue lines of the Glossy. It lacked the reddish legs of the White-faced, but also didn't have as dark an eye as the Glossy. Perhaps it's a hybrid? 


Good birding, 
Jeff Percell 
Erie, CO

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[cobirds] Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists (30 Apr 2023) 139 Raptors

Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Colorado, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 30, 2023
SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason Total
Black Vulture000
Turkey Vulture23343358
Osprey65052
Bald Eagle12051
Northern Harrier31930
Sharp-shinned Hawk76977
Cooper's Hawk10206224
Northern Goshawk029
Red-shouldered Hawk000
Broad-winged Hawk31125125
Red-tailed Hawk10154441
Rough-legged Hawk000
Swainson's Hawk133535
Ferruginous Hawk61454
Golden Eagle21137
American Kestrel23298358
Merlin11222
Peregrine Falcon11318
Prairie Falcon005
Mississippi Kite000
Unknown Accipiter0811
Unknown Buteo245
Unknown Falcon011
Unknown Eagle000
Unknown Raptor002
Total:13913841915


Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 17:15:00
Total observation time: 8.25 hours
Official Counter Carol Cwiklinski, Emma Riley
Observers: Aarohi Barman, Andrew Jensen, Carol Cwiklinski, Ginni Dickinson, Karen Fernandez, Mike Fernandez, Steve Small



Visitors:
It was a very busy day on the ridge so thank you again to all who came out and helped spot birds against the bright blue skies. They were challenging but I think we would all agree it was well worth it! We had at least 43 visitors today including Dave Prentiss, a former Dinosaur Ridge volunteer, who stopped by with his son in search of BW and they were rewarded. Two other visitors recently moved to the area and spent the morning with us, so thank you Blythe and Colin! It was great to meet you both and have your help.

Weather:
It was another eye burner today with little to no cloud cover all day. Winds were from the E/NE for most of the day until we also felt winds from the SW in the late afternoon. The usually present haze was extra thick today, really worsening late in the day.

Raptor Observations:
What a day! Migrants were again high and primarily west of us today. We had a very surprisingly good FH flight today including one dark-morph. These birds are typically done migrating by this time at our site, especially in that volume. We also had another great BW flight today, officially marking our biggest BW season in site history (1990’s data should be available soon so that may reveal otherwise). Our AK flight today also marks the highest season AK count since 2005. This is extra special as this species has been of concern and many resources have been put into supporting their population. The species diversity today also deserves mention, with our season high of 14 species seen migrating.

Non-raptor Observations:
Non-raptor highlights of the day include the seasons first BGGN, a flock of Gull sp. (30+), and more AMWP. TOSO have been seen less frequently in the fire so it was great to see one perched in a burnt pine today as well. Multiple lists are available on eBird thanks to volunteers and visitors.

Predictions:
Similar conditions are expected for tomorrow with slightly higher temperatures. Birds may be high!


Report submitted by DAVID HILL ()
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at: http://www.dfobirds.org
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Count data submitted via Dunkadoo - [Project Details]




Site Description
Dinosaur Ridge is the only regularly staffed hawk watch in Colorado and is the
best place in the world to see migrating Ferruginous Hawks. Hawk watchers may
see 17 species of migrating raptors; and it is an excellent site to see rare
dark morph buteos including Broad-winged hawk, Swainson’s hawk, Ferruginous
hawk, Rough-legged hawk and Red-tailed Hawk. Other raptors we see include Golden
and Bald Eagles, Northern harrier, Osprey, Peregrine Falcons, Prairie Falcons,
Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks, American Kestrels, Merlin, and Turkey
Vultures. Northern Goshawk is uncommon but also counted each season. Non-raptor
species include Rock Wren, Bushtit, Western Bluebird, Sandhill Crane,
White-throated Swift, American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. Birders of any
skill level are always welcome. The hawk watch at Dinosaur Ridge is staffed by a
Hawk Counter and volunteers from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM from March 1st to May 14th,
weather permitting.

Directions to site:
From exit 259 on I-70 towards Morrison, drive south under freeway and take left
into first parking lot, the Stegosaurus lot. Follow hawk watch signs from the
southwest end of the parking lot to the hawk watch site. The hike starts heading
east on an old two-track and quickly turns south onto a trail on the west side
of the ridge. When the trail nears the top of the ridge, turn left, and walk to
the flat area at the crest of the ridge. (Distance: 0.56 miles, Elevation gain:
259 feet)

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[cobirds] Interesting El paso county birds (BCNH and ibis)

   I did some looking around Fountain today and in addition the many regulars I saw some ibis in the southeast corner of the Kane and Link road intersection. Flood irrigation of the surrounding fields seems to be just getting started so they should be around for a couple of days. I suspect most or all of them were white-faced, they were too far away to see well.

   There was a Black crowned night heron on the east side of the large Rice's pond at Fountain creek nature center. Also a pair of pelicans.

Bill Kosar
El Paso county

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[cobirds] Spring counts

We have revived the Spring Counts that have gone on for 42 years -- starting in 1980. Here's the list, with some leaders particularly asking for participants. I hope you can go on one of them.

Chatfield particularly needs volunteers.

Hugh

Friday, May 12 

Cherry Creek State Park:
Leader: Cynthia Madsen, cmadsen08@gmail.com
Contact leader for meeting details
6:30 am 

Saturday, May 13

Chatfield State Park. Leader, Jill Holden,
jilllovesbirds@comcast.net

Bear Creek Park: Leader: Cyndy Johnson,
8 am. Meet in Park at Skunk Hollow

Barr Lake. Leader: Doug Ward,
dougward@frontier.com

Audubon Nature Center
. Leader, Bill Schreitz, flannelmoth@gmail.comSunday, May 14
Castlewood Canyon State Park: Leader: Dave Hill,
davidhill2357@gmail.com

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[cobirds] Black-throated Grey Warbler Jeffco at Audubon Nature Center Today

I saw the BTGW this morning about 10:30 at the Denver Audubon Nature Center, east side of the trail between the amphitheater and the restrooms by the ponds. It was with chickadees, yellow rumps, and an Orange-crowned Warbler feeding in the cottonwoods. Not seen since.

Lynne Forrester
Southeast Jeffco

Re: [cobirds] Bird Book Sale

Wish I had known about this too!  In regard to donating books, what I have done for quite a few years at various book sales is walk in to the sale with my donations under my arm (in a shopping bag) - nobody has ever objected - and I plop them down in the science & nature section (or wherever they belong).  I try to buy fewer books than I donate, so it's a win-win and I don't have to make multiple trips.

On Tuesday, April 25, 2023 at 12:28:12 PM UTC-6 Wayne Wathen wrote:
Wish I knew about this book sale earlier but somehow missed it.  I also have been in the process of donating books since at 81 it is time to downsize.  I have somewhere between 30 and 50 mostly bird books I was planning to donate to a place in Boulder but have not heard from them.  Is it to date to bring books to donate on Saturday?  Can't do it before because my wife is having knee replacement surgery tomorrow (Wednesday).

Wayne Wathen
Highlands Ranch

From: 'Hugh Kingery' via Colorado Birds <cob...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Monday, April 24, 2023 5:15 PM
To: cob...@googlegroups.com <cob...@googlegroups.com>; dougl...@googlegroups.com <dougl...@googlegroups.com>
Cc: ka...@denveraudubon.org <ka...@denveraudubon.org>
Subject: [cobirds] Bird Book Sale
 
Denver Audubon will hold a Sale of nature books -- mostly bird books -- this Saturday and Sunday at the Audubon Nature Center at Waterton.
It will open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Urling and I donated 175 books from our nature library -- surely one or two will appeal to you.


Hugh Kingery

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[cobirds] Re: interesting Snowy Egret at The Arsenal, Adams Co., Apr. 29; and other stuff

The goose/angler interaction made me laugh, and somehow motivated me to think about the Snowy Egret.  Possibilities come to mind:
(1) all snowy egrets have this breeding plumage briefly, and I've never noticed it before;
(2) somehow just the feathers at the back of the head were stained when the bird was foraging in dark-colored water;
(3) a genetic anomaly in this particular bird that affects just the feathers on the back of the head;
(4) hybridization with Cattle Egret (I don't even know if that's possible);
(5) disease affecting the feathers at that location;
(6) insects / mites / parasites affecting the feathers at that location;
(7) the bird perched with the back of it's head subject to an exhaust fan from an industrial facility that expels a dark contaminate
(I saw a pink-colored Rock Pigeon once, and a half hour later, saw it's roost at a fiberglass batt manufacturing plant);
(8) evolution in action; the bird in the photograph will be more successful than it's peers;
(9) something else.

eBird has about 150,000 photos of Snowy Egret; I didn't go through all of them, but here are some interesting photos:

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/543479121

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/391235451
(what's going on with this bird?)

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/483064311

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/75611831
(this might just be lighting)

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/353345441
(how staining at the back of the head might occur)

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/359495781
(maybe lighting again)

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/33365841
(lighting ?)

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/466387331

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/319186461

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/338686541

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/480235771
(that was just for fun...)

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/359495781

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/96980911
(this last photo makes me think: option 10:  straw colored plumage at Snowy Egret back-of-head is variable)

Thanks for a great post, Ted Floyd, and motivating me to learn stuff!

On Saturday, April 29, 2023 at 7:41:37 PM UTC-6 Ted Floyd wrote:
Hey, all.

With a group from the Univ. of Denver, I saw a curious snowy egret at Lake Ladora, upper (north) end, Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, Adams Co., earlier this sunny and warm Sat., Apr. 29. Basically, it was doing the cattle egret thing, with creamsicle orange highlights in the plumage. Got pics from multiple angles, so I'm sure it wasn't just a trick of light. Anyhow, this bird:

SnEg 01.jpg

I can't recall ever having seen a snowy egret thus attired.

We saw a pair of most excellent long-billed curlews walking around and mostly standing about plausible-looking nesting microhabitat beyond the bison perimeter at the Big Bluestem exclosure. Happily, the birds were on the other side of the big fence, so human disturbance won't be a factor, should the birds elect to raise a family there. Wouldn't that be something! Here's one of the birds:

LBCu 01.jpg

Willets everywhere. At least 32 at Havana Ponds, and probably more than that. Most of them were pill-will-willet'ing, but this one was mum:

Will 03jpg.JPG

We saw an eastern bluebird at the terminus of the trail that comes in from the east to Upper Derby. Fuzzy and heat-shimmered, but I don't think I've ever seen a bluebird at The arsenal except fall–winter, so we were pleased with the find. Maybe prospecting for a nest site?—

EaBl 01.jpg

Nice day out there. Practically zilch on the migratory front. The weather was just too nice. But a delectably eclectic assortment of such goodies as wood duck, burrowing owl, rock wren, Townsend solitaire, great-tailed grackle...no rhyme or reason at all, just fun birds. 8 or 9 species of shorebirds; decent numbers of western, eared, and horned grebes all together on Ladora; shockingly few warblers (3 yellow-rumps and nothing else); a Lincoln sparrow here, a Brewer sparrow there, and both black-lored and white-lored white-crowned sparrows.

Looks like we came up with 76 bird species for the outing. Tiger beetles included green claybank and oblique-lined. Several brilliant coyotes. Also: illogical trail closures; a motorcycle race on the auto loop; and a Canada goose fighting with and vanquishing a fisherman. What that goose did to the fisherman looked painful. Use your imagination. But COBirds is family-friendly, and I shall say nothing more of the matter.

Ted Floyd
Lafayette, Boulder Co.

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