Category: Bird Walks

Walden Ponds, February 27th–Sheridan Samano

Posted on March 3, 2021 by - Bird Walks, Blog

Walden Ponds, Sawhill Ponds and Boulder Creek – February 27, 2021 – with Sheridan Samano

Last Saturday morning, there was enough interest for two different bird walks at the Walden Ponds/ Sawhill Ponds Complex in Boulder. Both groups met at Cottonwood Marsh, but with different start times and routes. The avian highlights varied substantially between the two walks.

To start, the 8 am group noticed several male Red-winged Blackbirds displaying and singing in the cattails on the south side of the marsh. It won’t be long before we see an influx of even more males and females as spring progresses and breeding season is in full swing.

From Cottonwood Marsh, we headed to the northwest corner of Duck Pond where the group started practicing their duck ID skills. In winter, ducks showcase their fine-feathered breeding plumage so this time of year offers excellent opportunities to learn how to distinguish between common species in the area. At Duck Pond, we found Hooded Mergansers, Ring-necked Ducks, Gadwalls, American Wigeon, and Mallards. As we watched the various individuals from the same species, we noticed that members of the same species tend to move together in groups. Female ducks are harder to distinguish, but they’re often traveling with male counterparts. Those observations can help birders ID ducks on future outings.

Each pond we passed offered a different collection of waterfowl so we had several opportunities to practice telling species apart. Finding a large group of male Green-winged Teal in a large pond north of Duck Pond, the smallest dabbling duck in North America, was a highlight for everyone. Green-winged Teal are often found at shallow edges of ponds. They often walk along muddy edges, too.

By the time the second walk started at 10:15 am, the skies were clearing and it was much warmer. These conditions favored raptor activity so the focus of the second walk shifted from examining ponds to searching perches and the sky overhead.

An adult Bald Eagle perched noticeably on a tower east of Cottonwood Marsh greeted the group. This individual was likely from the pair that nests east of 75th Street. We could see the second half of the pair at the nest tree.

Instead of heading due west from Cottonwood Marsh as we did during the first walk, we headed north towards Boulder Creek. On the west side of Cottonwood Marsh, we spotted a male American Kestrel perched on a stump with his back to us. This view provided an opportunity to discuss coloration differences among the sexes of North America’s smallest falcon. Female Kestrels don’t have blue-gray wings like males. We got a second, better look at this male later in the walk.

Other raptor highlights during the second walk included multiple Red-tailed Hawks, a third year Bald Eagle, and a Golden Eagle. A member of our group mentioned she was hoping to see a Golden Eagle this morning so having one fly overhead at the end was an excellent way to end our morning of birding.

The Walden Ponds and Sawhill Ponds Complex is featured in Best Birding Hikes – Colorado’s Front Range. The Complex offers some of the best year-round birding opportunities in Boulder County. No matter the month, a birding outing here is sure to deliver.

22 Species Observed during 8 am Bird Walk (eBird Checklist)

Canada Goose – 13

Northern Shoveler – 5

Gadwall – 24

American Wigeon – 10

Mallard – 25

Green-winged Teal – 20

Ring-necked Duck – 6

Common Goldeneye – 1

Hooded Merganser – 30

Common Merganser – 10

Great Blue Heron – 8

Red-tailed Hawk – 2

Northern Flicker – 4

Blue Jay – 5

Black-billed Magpie – 2

American Crow – 1

Black-capped Chickadee – 8

European Starling – 2

American Robin – 2

House Finch – 2

Song Sparrow – 1

Red-winged Blackbird – 30

 

29 Species + 1 Other Taxa During 10:15 am Bird Walk (eBird Checklist)

Cackling Goose – 2

Canada Goose – 28

Cackling/Canada Goose – 90

Northern Shoveler – 2

Gadwall – 11

American Wigeon – 8

Mallard – 40

Green-winged Teal – 1

Ring-necked Duck – 10

Common Goldeneye – 1

Hooded Merganser – 14

Common Merganser – 5

Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) – 8

Great Blue Heron – 1

Golden Eagle – 1

Bald Eagle – 3

Red-tailed Hawk – 4

Northern Flicker – 1

American Kestrel – 1

Blue Jay – 4

Black-billed Magpie – 1

Common Raven – 1

Black-capped Chickadee – 4

White-breasted Nuthatch – 1

European Starling – 6

American Robin – 1

House Finch – 3

Song Sparrow – 2

Red-winged Blackbird – 46

Yellow-rumped Warbler – 1

 

Sandstone Ranch, February 13–with Aron Smolley

Posted on February 13, 2021 by - Bird Walks, Blog

 

American Tree Sparrow. Photo by Jamie Simo.

It was an honor and a pleasure to lead my first bird walk for Front Range Birding Company this morning. Although the temperatures never quite got above 4 degrees Farenheit, our small group had a fantastic time braving the elements in search of birds at Sandstone Ranch.

A lone American tree sparrow greeted us at the bottom of the hill, and we started off scanning the mostly frozen river for waterfowl, and mostly turned up Canada and Cackling geese as well as mallards, but we did get some great views of the local muskrat going about it’s day on the ice like it was no big deal. As soon as we crossed the first bridge we dicovered a pair of American kestrels, a male and female sitting side by side, feathers puffed up for warmth, and shortly after that we had a pair of red-tailed hawks soaring

Northern Pintail drake. Photo by Jamie Simo.

in the distance in what appeared to be early courtship behavior. An adult bald eagle sat perched next to a partially completed nest as black-billed magpies fluttered by.

Scanning the river we managed to turn up a few gadwall among the mallards, and a Northern pintail was a “lifer” for one of our participants. We also found some more bonus mammals- a small herd of white-tailed deer and a mink! A little further upstream we had a female hooded merganser ducking and diving beneath the icy water. At this point, we made a group decision to start making our way back to the parking lot, stopping occasionally for interesting waterfowl such as a common goldeneye, as well as some little brown birds that had to be left unidentified (I blame fogged-up, iced over binoculars and shivering hands!)

When we got back to the main trail we had a soul-satisfying view of an immature bald eagle that flew low and slow over our heads, and at that point my falcon senses started tingling so I started scanning the sandstone cliffs. To my delight, a prairie falcon (a lifer for ALL the partipants of this bird walk!) was perched in plain view at the edge of the cliff so we took a small detour so that everyone could get a closer look. The final bird of the day- a special bonus I might add- was a merlin that zipped by, giving us all of 3 seconds to confirm it’s identity before disappearing over the horizon. Our third falcon species and the perfect ending to a wonderful, albeit frigid, bird walk.

Here is our complete list of (confirmed) birds seen:
Canada goose-110

Merlin. Photo by Jamie Simo.

American crow- 17
Am. tree sparrow- 1
Mallard- 48
Cackling goose- 37
American kestrel- 2
Black-billed magpie- 3
Red-tailed hawk- 2
Gadwall- 4
Western meadowlark- 3
Northern pintail- 2
Bald eagle- 2
Hooded merganser- 1
Common goldeneye- 1
Prairie falcon- 1
Merlin- 1

South Platte Park, Feb 6, 2021 – with Chuck Aid

Posted on February 7, 2021 by - Bird Walks, Blog

We visited two main areas this morning, South Platte Reservoir and the smaller ponds just to the east of the reservoir along the South Platte River.  The reservoir had very little action, but we did get to have excellent views of a pair of Long-tailed Ducks.  These guys were historically known as Oldsquaws, evidently because they (the males primarily, actually) tend to be far more vocal than most other ducks and can be heard for long distances.  This politically incorrect name was changed about twenty years ago, and the name from across the Atlantic for this species was adopted.

Long-tailed Duck – non-breeding male (c) Bill Schmoker

Long-tailed Ducks have several unique qualities.  One is that they dive deeper than any other duck, down to almost 200 feet.  Hence, we tend to see them when they show up in Colorado on only the largest reservoirs.  Then, unlike any other waterfowl, they have three plumages instead of the normal two. In the non-breeding season, when we see these guys here in Colorado, the male has a white forehead and crown, a black nape and sub-auricular area (below the ear), a beige patch on the side of head, a bi-colored black-pink-and black bill, and a white chin and breast. The most distinctive feature is the two long central tail feathers that stream behind. The female has a white eyeline, neck, nape, and area where bill meets face, a dark sub-auricular area (sort of like the male), and otherwise she is mostly mottled brown (see photo at the top of the blog).

Western Meadowlark (c) Bill Schmoker

One of our morning’s highlights was getting to see a flock of 28 (more or less) Western Meadowlarks in the top of a cottonwood.  We have Meadowlarks throughout the year here in Colorado, with more around in the summer than the winter.  However, these wintering birds tend to hang out together in small flocks, so when we do get to see them, we tend to see more than one bird at a time.  Our flock did seem to be unusually large, and it was interesting that they were all in the top of a tree.

Yellow-rumped Warbler – Audubon’s race in fall (c) Bill Schmoker

Another great bird we saw was an Audubon’s race of the Yellow-rumped Warbler.  This is the western race, while the eastern race is the Myrtle.  We have both races here in the winter.  These two were considered to be separate species back in the day, but because of the degree of hybridization they were lumped together as one species.  The yellow rump is always bright yellow regardless of the time of year or the race.  Superficially, we always talk about the Audubon’s having a yellow throat and the Myrtle having a white throat but take a look in your field guide and note that the yellow throat of an Audubon’s in first-year birds can be very washed out and almost white.  A good feature to look for is whether that throat patch is restricted to the throat area (Audubon’s), or whether it wraps around back of the auricular (ear) patch (Myrtle).

I hope to see you on another walk soon!

Chuck

 
South Platte Park, Feb 6, 2021
32 species

Cackling Goose  20
Canada Goose  33
Northern Shoveler  30
Gadwall  72
American Wigeon  20
Mallard  38
Green-winged Teal  56
Ring-necked Duck  44
Lesser Scaup  10
Long-tailed Duck 2
Bufflehead 12
Common Goldeneye 15
Hooded Merganser 28
Common Merganser 2
Eurasian Collared-Dove 1
Killdeer 2
Ring-billed Gull 8
Great Blue Heron 1
Bald Eagle 2
Red-tailed Hawk 6
Belted Kingfisher 1
Downy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 6
American Kestrel 2
Black-billed Magpie 3
American Crow 3
Black-capped Chickadee 12
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
House Finch 14
Song Sparrow 1
Western Meadowlark 28
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s) 1

 

South Platte Park, January 9 – with Chuck Aid

Posted on January 14, 2021 by - Bird Walks, Blog

Greater Scaup (c) Rob Raker

What a great morning!  A bit on the chilly side, but we saw some cool birds. We started with one of the classic bird identification conundrums.  Was our group of five scaup Lesser or Greater Scaup?  These two members of the Aythya genus are very similar in appearance and can cause no end of headaches.  There are a number of characteristics to look for, and it’s best if you can have more than one of them on which to base you ID.  Let’s begin with lateral head shape.  In Greater Scaup the head is higher towards the front of the crown and is gently rounded from crown to nape as it slopes back from that high point, the eye appears proportionally higher in the face, the bill is more massive, and the head tends to be green (but there are many warnings about not relying on head color).  When viewing the head from the front, Greater Scaup have definite “jowls” and the nail at the tip of the bill is quite wide. 

Lesser Scaup (c) Bill Schmoker

Lesser Scaup have a more pointy, taller head with an obvious corner at the rear of the crown, which is also the highest point of the head; the eye is more centered in the face from top to bottom, the bill is thinner, and the head tends to be purple (but this is not always reliable).  When viewed from the front, Lessers have a narrower (less jowly) look, and the nail at the tip of the bill is just a little black spot. For more on scaup head shape check this out – https://cobirds.org/Publications/ColoradoBirds/InTheScope/21.pdf.  Two other characteristics to be aware of are the degree of whiteness in the flanks – Greaters tend to be more bright white, and the amount of white in the wings – in Greaters, this white extends through both the secondary and primary flight feathers, while the white in Lessers is confined to the secondary flight feathers. Lacking a scope on Saturday, I didn’t feel as though I was getting as good a view as I needed to make a definite identification, and therefore just put these birds down as Greater/Lesser Scaup. Incidentally, these guys were seen on Blackrock Lake which, in prior years, has been a good place to see Greater Scaup.  One more resource for you – https://www.audubon.org/news/greater-or-lesser-scaup-here-are-biggest-differences-between-two.

Common Merganser pair (c) Bill Schmoker

While at Blackrock we also got to spend some time on identifying a male and female Common Merganser.  The male is pretty straightforward with his all-white breast and belly, dark green head (which often appears black), and red-orange bill.  But let’s spend some time on the female, because we want to be able to distinguish the female Common Merganser from the superficially similar female Red-breasted Merganser. We noted on Saturday that our bird had a warm, cinnamon brown head, with slight crests at the back, and a distinct bright-white throat patch.  One other feature to look for is that the bill on a Common Merg has a wide base where it meets the head and then it tapers down to a narrow point.  The bill on a Red-breasted Merg is uniformly thin along its whole length, and while there can be some lightness of color in the throat area it’s more blended and not so distinct as with the Common Merg. Also, the Red-breasted has longer, wispier, ragged crests.

Say’s Phoebe (c) USFWS

Heading over to the C-470 overpass we had a few more great birds, including Killdeer, Belted Kingfisher, and a Say’s Phoebe.  This last is really the only flycatcher that we can see in the Denver area in the winter. In southern Colorado, in the winter, you can also find Black Phoebes.  While 30-40 years ago Say’s Phoebes were considered quite rare in the winter in Colorado, we now see them with some increasing regularity, and, overall, their numbers have been on the increase.  With regard to summer populations for the US and Canada, Breeding Bird Survey data over a 45-year period indicate an estimated 40% increase.

 

 

Risty Blackbird (c) Bill Schmoker

We ended the morning with a couple of more first-rate birds at a swampy beaver pond.  Rusty Blackbirds occur rarely in the winter in eastern Colorado, primarily along the South Platte and Arkansas River drainages.  We ran into a little group of four and got great looks at one with its brownish hood and back, buffy supercilium (eyebrow), small black patch around its bright yellow eye, and slender, slightly decurved bill.  In this same area, apparently hanging out with some Song Sparrows, we had another rare winter resident, a beautiful Swamp Sparrow.  And then, in that same area we got multiple views of Wilson’s Snipe.  And then……., but that’s enough for now.

Hope to see you on another walk soon.
Chuck

 

South Platte Park, Jan 9, 2021
30 species (+1 other taxa)

Cackling Goose  12
Canada Goose  4
Northern Shoveler  11
Gadwall  39
American Wigeon  11
Mallard  26
Northern Pintail  1
Green-winged Teal  28
Greater/Lesser Scaup  5
Bufflehead  14
Common Goldeneye  11
Hooded Merganser  5
Common Merganser  2
American Coot  4
Killdeer  1
Wilson’s Snipe  3
Ring-billed Gull  4
Great Blue Heron  3
Red-tailed Hawk  2
Belted Kingfisher  1
Northern Flicker  8
Say’s Phoebe  1     
Black-billed Magpie  2
American Crow  9
Black-capped Chickadee  7
Bushtit  8
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
American Pipit  2
Song Sparrow  4
Swamp Sparrow  1
Rusty Blackbird  4

South Platte Park, Dec 5, 2020 – with Chuck Aid

Posted on December 10, 2020 by - Bird Walks, Blog

Greater Scaup (c) Bill Schmoker

Saturday at South Platte Park was a memorable one.  We had great weather, a great group, and OUTSTANDING birds!  We began at Blackrock Lake where we spent time working on the finer points of Greater Scaup identification.  These diving ducks belong to the Aythyagenus along with Canvasback, Redhead, Tufted Duck, Ringed-neck Duck, and Lesser Scaup.  A few of these are very similar and it takes some work learning the subtle differences required to differentiate them. Telling Greater Scaup from Lesser Scaup is the biggest of these challenges.  They are very similar in all plumages.  However, here are a few things to work on.  Greater Scaup are 18” long and weigh 2.3 lbs; Lesser Scaup are only an inch shorter, but they weigh half a pound less (22% less).  So, Greaters just seem heftier – bigger rounded head, big jowls, wide body; while Lessers are more attenuated – thinner body, thinner head, thinner neck, more pointy-headed. This is all pretty subtle stuff, but we wouldn’t want this bird-watching game to be too easy now, would we?  One of the things that really helped us out on Saturday was that the Greater Scaup were mixed in with some Ring-necked Ducks which are roughly the same size and weight as Lesser Scaup.  Our Greaters were significantly bigger than the Ring-necked Ducks.

We next moved on over to where the South Platte flows under C-470.  There was a good variety of ducks here, but the real prize was a singing American Dipper that just went on and on.  Beautiful! Particularly in December!

Swamp Sparrow (c) Bill Schmoker

We then proceeded over to a relatively new beaver pond just south of C-470 where we had several great birds: Wood Duck, Wilson’s Snipe, Swamp Sparrow, Rusty Blackbird, and Pine Warbler. The look we had at the Swamp Sparrow was world class.  The bird sat out in the open for ten minutes and we got to note every important feature – similar to a Song Sparrow but a bit smaller, more delicate, and shorter tailed – strongly streaked gray and brown crown, gray nape, clean white throat, dark rufous wings and shoulders, blurry gray-buff streaking on upper breast, and clean white belly.  The best look I’ve ever had!  We got a good enough look at the Rusty Blackbird in order to identify it, but it was high in a tree and a bit far away.

Pine Warbler (c) Rob Raker

Finally, the real highlight of the day was the Pine Warbler.  This bird breeds and winters in the eastern half of the United States, occurring rarely here in Colorado.  We had several opportunities to get reasonably good looks – greenish-olive crown and back, throat and breast bright yellow with line of faint yellow extending back below and behind the darker auricular (ear) patch, with faint smudgy streaking on sides of the breast, white belly and under-tail coverts, yellow broken eye-ring creating eye arcs above and below the eye with a small yellow lore spot (between the eye and the bill), wings grayish with two strong white wing-bars. There was one disconcerting feature on this bird – it’s lower mandible was deformed, having grown out longer than normal.  It seemed to be doing fine, but who knows what the impact of that may have on its survivorship.

Risty Blackbird (c) Bill Schmoker

Good birding!  
Chuck

South Platte Park,  Dec 5, 2020
40 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose  24
Cackling/Canada Goose  80
Wood Duck  2
Northern Shoveler  38
Gadwall  30
American Wigeon  18
Mallard  37
Green-winged Teal  13
Ring-necked Duck  46
Greater Scaup  8
Bufflehead  12
Common Goldeneye  19
Hooded Merganser  18
Common Merganser  22
Pied-billed Grebe  2
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  6
American Coot  7
Killdeer  3
Wilson’s Snipe  1
Ring-billed Gull  1
Great Blue Heron  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Belted Kingfisher  4
Hairy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  3
American Kestrel  1
Blue Jay  1
Black-billed Magpie  2
American Crow  2
Common Raven  2
Black-capped Chickadee  16
White-breasted Nuthatch  2
Brown Creeper  1
American Dipper  1
House Finch  2
American Goldfinch  1
Song Sparrow  7
Swamp Sparrow  1
Western Meadowlark  1
Rusty Blackbird  1
Pine Warbler  1

 

Walden/Sawhill Ponds Complex, March 14th – with Stephen Chang

Posted on March 24, 2020 by - Bird Walks, Blog

The Saturday of March 14th, I led a group of 7 on a chilly morning to Walden Ponds wildlife habitat for our monthly birdwalk. We won’t be having another walk until, at the earliest, May 9th (maybe later), but we made the most of our last walk by observing 31 different species! Highlights included at least four different Bald Eagles (two adults and two juveniles), the area’s winter resident Harlan’s Hawk, and a very cooperative Northern Shrike.

Northern Shrike (c) Sibylle Hechtel

 

Northern Shrikes are a winter visitor here to the front range, but they breed up in the arctic tundra/taiga. Shrikes are our only predatory songbird, and during the winter the Northern Shrike will eat mostly other small songbirds and small rodents. In arid, open habitats across the front range, the Northern Shrike is replaced by the Loggerhead Shrike in the summer. They will eat small birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects.

Loggerhead Shrike (c) Jamie Simo

 

Our full eBird checklist can be found here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S65787632 

 

There is still plenty of migration to be had, so be sure to get out and look at some birds. Spending time in our natural areas is a easy way to practice social distancing. Happy Spring and be well!

Best,

Stephen Chang

Milavec Reservoir, Jan 11, 2020–with Jamie Simo

Posted on January 15, 2020 by - Bird Walks, Blog

Cackling Goose (left) vs Canada Goose (right) (c) Jamie Simo

Milavec Reservoir in Frederick, CO is one of the best places along the Front Range to see all the possible (read: non-rare) interior goose species. Sometimes, like last year, it even plays host to some rarities like the Colorado-record Pink-footed Goose and Barnacle Goose. As hoped for, while we didn’t see any Colorado-record geese on this frigid, but sunny, Saturday morning, we did see all the usual goose suspects. We also had some great ducks and raptors.

Nearly all Coloradans are familiar with our only breeding goose species, the Canada Goose, but winter brings migrant Cackling, Greater White-fronted, Ross’s, and Snow Geese from the arctic to our lakes, reservoirs, and fields. The most similar to the Canada Goose, the Cackling Goose was only recognized as a species in its own right in 2004. There are 4 subspecies of Cackling Goose varying in size and color, but some of the common characteristics include smaller body size than the majority of Canada Geese (there may be some overlap with the smallest subspecies of Canada Goose), a shorter neck, and a bill that looks “stubby” because of a more rounded or square head shape. Because of the difficulty of distinguishing between the smallest subspecies of Canada Goose and the largest subspecies of Cackling Goose, small white-cheeked geese are sometimes referred to as “Cackling-ish.”

Ross’s Goose (foreground) vs Snow Goose (background) (c) Jamie Simo

Like the Canada Goose, the Snow Goose also has a “mini-me” doppleganger, the Ross’s Goose, but that doppleganger is much easier to pick out than the Cackling Goose. Firstly, Snow Geese come in either the expected white plumage with black wingtips or a darker, grey-blue body plumage with white head and neck. Both have pink bills and feet as adults. The latter is sometimes referred to as a “blue goose, “blue morph,” or “blue phase” Snow Goose. There are only 2 subspecies of Snow Goose, but both have a black “grin patch” that gives them a sneering appearance, and a sloping forehead. By contrast, the Ross’s Goose, which is usually white but also occurs rarely in a blue phase, has a steep forehead leading to a rounded crown and lacks the grin patch.

The final expected goose species in Colorado is the Greater White-fronted Goose. This goose is mostly brownish-grey with darker belly bands, orange legs and bill, and white feathers around the base of the bill from which is gets its name.

Other stand-out species were 2 adult Bald Eagles, a Northern Harrier, a Red-breasted Merganser, a female Canvasback, and even a coyote. Not bad for a cold, January morning!

Female Northern Harrier (c) Chris Friedman

Frederick Lake (Milavec Reservoir) & Recreation Area, Jan 11, 2020
25 species

8 Snow Goose
3 Ross’s Goose
1 Greater White-fronted Goose
2000 Cackling Goose
4000 Canada Goose
60 Northern Shoveler
10 Mallard
1 Canvasback
7 Lesser Scaup
3 Bufflehead
20 Common Goldeneye
7 Common Merganser
1 Red-breasted Merganser
1 Ruddy Duck
3 American Coot
1 Northern Harrier
2 Bald Eagle
1 Red-tailed Hawk
1 American Kestrel
1 Blue Jay
6 European Starling
6 American Tree Sparrow
1 White-crowned Sparrow (Gambel’s)
2 Song Sparrow
1 Red-winged Blackbird

Boulder Reservoir, November 9, 2019–with Aidan Coohill

Posted on November 11, 2019 by - Bird Walks, Blog

Female Ruddy Duck (c) Jamie Simo

We started our walk at Boulder Reservoir with excellent sunny weather and low wind, allowing us to see the birds on the lake quite easily without many waves. Boulder Reservoir is the largest reservoir in the county in terms of both size and volume creating an excellent environment for birds but also for recreational boating, fishing, swimming, and jogging. It also provides and holds all water for the Northern Water Distinct for drinking and irrigation. We covered the area in two sections, the first on the southwestern shore of the reservoir which is extremely popular in summer for recreation, and the northern section from the West Reservoir Trailhead. 

Immediately after parking we found a large group of American coots feeding in the shallows of the swim beach. Among the flock was a lone female Ruddy duck. Belonging to the genus of “Stiff-tailed ducks”, it is a small freshwater fowl with a large range across North America. Like all in its genus, the Ruddy duck has a stiff tail (often described as looking like a bundle of Popsicle sticks), males have a bright blue bill, and a body that depending on season and sex is rusty to brown in color. These birds are currently in the process of moving to their warmer wintering grounds further south in the Unites States and into Northern Mexico. 

Bonaparte’s Gull (c) Jamie Simo

Further down the shoreline we found the Rusty blackbirds that have been seen in the area for the last several days, a rarity that drew many local birders to the reservoir. This blackbird is very similar to the Brewer’s blackbird that is common in Colorado but is an uncommon accidental migrant in this part of the west. Unlike the Brewer’s blackbird, it prefers quiet spruce forest and boreal bog and not parks, fields, pastures, lawns, and parking lots. During winter the differences between the sister species becomes most obvious with both the male and female getting buffy and ruddy patterning on their bodies. This was the state the pair we saw were in. 

On the north side of the reservoir we got another cool sighting, two Bonaparte’s gulls. This small bird is the smallest gull in North America aside from the elusive Little gull. They have dainty pink feet, a small beak, and off-white coloring. During winter plumage (what we saw) it trades its distinctive black hood for white save for a small black patch over the ear. These gulls are a real treat as they head south for the winter. 

Other highlights included a Ferruginous hawk perched in a tree on our way out, a pair of Northern harriers, and all three species of mergansers!

In all, we heard or saw 28 taxa; good for this time of year at the reservoir! 

Boulder Reservoir, November 9, 2019
27 Species (+1 additional taxa)
  • Cackling Goose 250
  • Canada Goose 100
  • Gadwall 2
  • Mallard 2
  • Lesser Scaup 1 
  • Common Goldeneye 8
  • Hooded Merganser 15
  • Common Merganser 8
  • Red-breasted Merganser 6
  • Ruddy Duck 1
  • Horned Grebe 1
  • Western Grebe 6
  • American Coot 80
  • Bonaparte’s Gull 2
  • Ring-billed Gull 200
  • Herring Gull 1
  • Great Blue Heron 1
  • Northern Harrier 2
  • Red-tailed Hawk 3
  • Red-tailed Hawk (Harlan’s) 1
  • Ferruginous Hawk 1
  • Blue Jay 1
  • Black-billed Magpie 2
  • Black-capped Chickadee 2
  • European Starling 100
  • House Finch 4
  • Red-winged Blackbird 1
  • Rusty Blackbird 2

If anyone would like me to share the eBird checklist with them please email me at aidan@coohill.com

Hudson Gardens, Sept 28, 2019 – with Chuck Aid

Posted on September 30, 2019 by - Bird Walks, Blog

Wood Duck – juvenile male (c) Bill Schmoker

We had an incredibly entertaining start to our walk on Saturday.  This year mama Wood Duck had about eight fledglings back in July.  Last month we were thrilled to see that six of them were still around, and we were able to tell that they were all males.  We could see the characteristic bright white “bridle” that the males have on their neck and cheek, even though the rest of the outrageous male plumage hadn’t quite emerged. On Saturday we were able to see, once again, all six of this year’s juvenile males.  Not too much had changed from a month ago except that they were considerably bigger (almost adult sized), there was starting to be some color definition in the bill, their eyes were getting red, and we could see some of that wonderful deep bluish turquoise in their speculums (the secondary flight feathers). However, they also still had their white eye-rings that are characteristic of juvenile birds.

Wood Duck – female (c) Bill Schmoker

Beyond the six youngsters we also had an adult female Wood Duck (mom?), and three adult males.  These latter were all in the process of emerging from their eclipse plumage phase when the males go through a sequence of molts causing them to look more drab, like their female counterparts.  It can take them awhile to regain their full male splendor, and all three of our Saturday males had different degrees of white speckling in what will become eventually a mostly burgundy-colored breast.  Part of what was so cool about this herd of Wood Ducks is that they were all tending to hang out together foraging in the grass along with some companionable female Mallards, and they were not worried about us at all.

Killdeer (c) Bill Schmoker

As we moved over to the South Platte we saw more Mallards – the males in a mix of plumages between cryptic brown and bright breeding colors, as they, too, are emerging from their eclipse plumage. We also were fortunate to see some Killdeer and a single Spotted Sandpiper which actually will have no spots until next March at the advent of breeding season. 

Cedar Waxwing (c) Bill Schmoker

We also encountered a nice flock of Cedar Waxwings, being a mix of beautiful warm-brown adults and streaky juveniles.  In the adults some of the secondary flight feathers have bright red tips from a waxy red secretion resembling sealing wax.  Historically, Cedar Waxwings were considered uncommon breeders in Colorado, being more common during spring and fall migration and throughout the winter.  However, in more recent years the number of breeders have increased dramatically along water courses in North, Middle, and South Parks and the San Luis Valley.  The resultant increase in the Colorado population may be due to a number of factors: an increase in edge habitat which promotes the growth of fruiting trees and shrubs, the planting of non-native fruiting trees and shrubs, the planting of shelter-belts, and the ongoing increase in Russian olives.

Great Blue Heron (c) Bill Schmoker

One of the topics that came up on our walk was about those species that breed in Colorado and afterwards most of them migrate south, but there are always a few individuals that stick around throughout the winter.  We were speaking primarily of Great Blue Herons, but there are quite a few others that follow this pattern such as American Kestrel, Killdeer, Mourning Dove, Say’s Phoebe, American Robin, and Spotted Towhee.

Undoubtedly the highlight of the morning was getting to watch a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk from about twenty feet away (I kid you not!) eviscerate a cottontail.  I’m thinking that as a youngster it still may have been learning the craft of capturing its own prey, and perhaps it was so darn hungry it just did not care whether we were there or not.

Hope to see you on another walk soon!

Chuck

Hudson Gardens, Sept 28, 2019
27 species

Red-tailed Hawk- juvenile (c) Bill Schmoker

Canada Goose  6
Wood Duck  10
Mallard  32
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  2
Broad-tailed Hummingbird  2
Killdeer  4
Spotted Sandpiper  1
Ring-billed Gull  1
Great Blue Heron  1
Turkey Vulture  1
Red-tailed Hawk  2
Downy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  10
Say’s Phoebe  2
Blue Jay  8
Common Raven  1
Black-capped Chickadee  8
Red-breasted Nuthatch  2
White-breasted Nuthatch  3
European Starling  2
American Robin  4
Cedar Waxwing  20
House Finch  14
Lesser Goldfinch  1
Song Sparrow  3
Red-winged Blackbird  6
Yellow-rumped Warbler  2

Lagerman Agricultural Preserve, September 14, 2019–with Jamie Simo

Posted on September 16, 2019 by - Bird Walks, Blog

Least Sandpiper in breeding plumage. Photo by Jamie Simo.

September is a great month to look for migrants and this past Saturday at Lagerman Agricultural Preserve didn’t disappoint on that count. We also welcomed our newest employee, Stephen Chang, to the FRBC team on this bird walk. Welcome, Stephen!

Baird’s Sandpiper in foreground and Least Sandpiper in background. Photo by Jamie Simo.

Unlike spring migration where birds are in a rush to find nesting territories, fall migration is a more leisurely affair, so we saw stopover species that breed farther north, Colorado breeders, and species that winter along the Front Range. In the stopover species category, we saw both Least and Baird’s Sandpipers. Least Sandpipers are the smallest shorebird species in the world and are long-distance migrants breeding in the arctic and wintering in Mexico and Central America. In addition to size, Least Sandpipers can be distinguished from the other small sandpipers classified as “peeps” by their yellow legs (the other four “peeps,” Western, Semipalmated, Baird’s, and White-rumped Sandpipers, have dark legs). In September, Least Sandpipers are still in breeding plumage and appear rusty with a couple of paler stripes down the back.

Baird’s Sandpipers are also long-distance migrants that breed in the arctic, although they travel even farther in winter than Least Sandpipers and fly all the way down to Chile and Argentina. Perhaps because of this they have long wings that extend slightly past their tails. They tend to look somewhat “scaly-backed,” especially juveniles, with dark-centered feathers on their backs edged with a paler tan. Their breasts are also tan with pale striping that doesn’t extend onto the clean white of their bellies and flanks.

Male Brewer’s Blackbird. Photo by Jamie Simo.

For species breeding in Colorado, we saw a number of Brewer’s Blackbirds. Brewer’s Blackbirds are often found in agricultural areas. Males are an iridescent black with a pale eye. The pale eye, lack of red shoulder patches, and thinner bill, distinguish them from the similar male Red-winged Blackbird. Female Brewer’s Blackbirds are brown with a dark eye and can be distinguished from the similar female Brown-headed Cowbird by being darker, larger, and having a thinner bill.

Finally, we were fortunate to see the first vanguard of several species that winter in our area, including the Ring-necked Duck. Despite being named for the ring around their neck, which is usually only visible at close range, Ring-necked Ducks have grey bills tipped with black and ringed with a band of white. Both males and females have peaked heads. Females are brown with a darker brown “saddle” on their backs and a white patch near the base of the bill. In non-breeding plumage, males can be picked out from females by their dark breasts, darker heads, and yellow eyes.

Male and female non-breeding Ring-necked Ducks next to American Coot. Photo by Jamie Simo.

In all, we saw 28 species. Join us next month at our Boulder location when we check out Barr Lake State Park and visit Bird Conservancy of the Rockies’ banding station.

Lagerman Agricultural Preserve, Sep 14, 2019
28 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose 16
Blue-winged Teal 4
Cinnamon Teal 1
American Wigeon 24
Mallard 6
Green-winged Teal 2
Redhead 3
Ring-necked Duck 3
Ruddy Duck 3
Pied-billed Grebe 5
American Coot 12
Killdeer 6
Baird’s Sandpiper 4
Least Sandpiper 2
Short-billed/Longbilled Dowitcher 7
Ring-billed Gull 57
Double-crested Cormorant 13
American White Pelican 2
Great Blue Heron 2
Turkey Vulture 2
Osprey 1
American Kestrel 2
Say’s Phoebe 2
Barn Swallow 11
Lesser Goldfinch 3
American Goldfinch 2
Vesper Sparrow 4
Western Meadowlark 4
Brewer’s Blackbird 6