Tag: Bird Walk

May 13, 2013 Bird Walk to Chatauqua Park and Gregory Canyon with Jack Strobel

Posted on May 18, 2023 by frbcadmin - Bird Walks, Blog

Thank you to everyone who came to our trip on May 13th at Chautauqua Park! It was not the planned location, as we could not get to the Meyer’s Gulch Trail. Unfortunately, there was an accident on the mountain leading to the trail head and the rangers were asked to close the roads and even some of the hiking paths up the mountain. Thank you for everyone’s patience as we adjusted on the fly that morning. Luckily, the park was just down the road from where we were originally going to go.

Overall, I think the trip ended up being great! We had a total of 34 species seen and heard. I loved seeing some of my favorites return like the swallows and warblers. It is a shame we didn’t see the MacGillivray’s warbler. It eluded our gaze in the trees! However, we did hear 4 separate individuals which is still a lovely day. The star of the show was the Grey Catbird. It was singing some strange songs and making a lot of weird noises. It even fooled me into thinking it was a Yellow-breasted Chat at first!

We walked just over 2 miles with a good hike there at the end for those who stayed. We certainly got our workout in for the day! The morning was lovely and sunny as well with clouds just starting to roll in as we took off.

Male Black-headed Grosbeak. Photo by Jamie Simo.

I hope to make it back out to Meyer’s Gulch trail at some point here soon. Our trip turned out well, but I am still itching to get to Meyer’s Gulch. Keep an eye out! Maybe sometime soon we will have a trip available once again at the Gulch.

For those who joined the trip, thank you once again. For those of you we missed, we hope to see you next time.

Thank you again!

Jack Strobel

Gregory Canyon, Boulder, Colorado, US

34 species

Mallard 1

Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 2

Mourning Dove 3

Broad-tailed Hummingbird 16

Turkey Vulture 6

Downy Woodpecker 1

Hairy Woodpecker 1

Northern Flicker 10

Cordilleran Flycatcher 2

Say’s Phoebe 1

Steller’s Jay 2

Blue Jay 5

Black-billed Magpie 21

American Crow 5

Black-capped Chickadee 4

Tree Swallow 3

Violet-green Swallow 3

Cliff Swallow 1

Bushtit 4

Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1

Red-breasted Nuthatch 1

White-breasted Nuthatch 1

House Wren 2

European Starling 4

Gray Catbird 1

American Robin 15

American Goldfinch 1

Dark-eyed Junco 1

Spotted Towhee 29

Common Grackle 7

MacGillivray’s Warbler 4

Yellow Warbler 6

Yellow-rumped Warbler 0

Wilson’s Warbler 1

Black-headed Grosbeak 1

April 8, 2023 Bird Walk to Sawhill Ponds with Patrick Morgan

Posted on April 10, 2023 by frbcadmin - Bird Walks, Blog

The bird walk on Saturday, April 8, at Sawhill Ponds was a great one! The weather was a perfect 60 degrees with minimal wind, which was quite the change from the snowstorm earlier this week. With the ponds thawed out and migration beginning to get underway, 10 birders joined the walk and were excited to see what they could find.

It didn’t take long for us to find some of our first target birds for the day. A pair of Ospreys that nest at the park were flying around the parking lot. One of them ended up catching a fish, which they proceeded to eat on top of one of the utility poles. As we watched, an adult Bald Eagle swooped in quickly to attempt to steal the fish! The Osprey was able to get away, while we marvelled at the aerial battle taking place.

All throughout the walk, we could hear Red-winged Blackbirds and Song Sparrows singing to establish their territories amongst the cattails. Only male Red-winged Blackbirds were spotted, so the females were either hidden amongst the cattails creating their nests or haven’t quite started migrating back yet. A pair of Killdeer were seen flying overhead, while the sounds of drumming woodpeckers, such as Northern Flickers, Downy Woodpecker, and Hairy Woodpecker, could be heard throughout our walk.

Waterfowl were plentiful throughout the various ponds, with Green-winged Teals, Gadwalls, and Ring-necked Ducks being the most common. Hooded Mergansers, Northern Shovelers, American Wigeons, and Mallards were also seen, while a pair of Blue-winged Teals were a joy to see. The ubiquitous Canada Goose was also seen throughout the park, with one particular bird having already established a nest on an island in one of the ponds.

The smaller songbirds were also very active. We enjoyed seeing American Goldfinches in their bright yellow, breeding plumages, while the Black-capped Chickadees were very active throughout the area. One flock of chickadees seemed to be following us around, and their calls and active habits were a joy to watch. We were also able to spot an uncommon bird for the area. While we watched for birds along Boulder Creek, one of our birders spotted a small passerine hopping around on the bank. We determined it was a Lincoln’s Sparrow by their finely streaked buffy breasts feathers and slender bill. Lincoln’s Sparrow typically are only passing through the area on their way to higher elevations to breed.

As we finished our walk, we spied a Northern Flicker poking their head out of a cavity nest. Northern Flickers often have to contend with the invasive European Starling for nesting space and are usually bested by the latter, so it was nice to see that this one was claiming this cavity as their own. At the end, we finally spied a Belted Kingfisher perched high up on the power line, which was a nice end to the walk. All in all, a great day to kickoff the spring birding!

Taxa Reported: 35

32 Canada Goose

2 Blue-winged Teal

8 Northern Shoveler

20 Gadwall

2 American Wigeon

8 Mallard

16 Green-winged Teal

10 Ring-necked Duck

2 Hooded Merganser

9 Rock Pigeon

2 Mourning Dove

2 American Coot

2 Killdeer

2 Greater Yellowlegs

7 Double-crested Cormorant

3 Great Blue Heron

2 Osprey

1 Bald Eagle

1 Red-tailed Hawk

1 Belted Kingfisher

4 Downy Woodpecker

1 Hairy Woodpecker

4 Northern Flicker

2 Blue Jay

5 American Crow

10 Black-capped Chickadee

1 White-breasted Nuthatch

6 European Starling

18 American Robin

9 American Goldfinch

4 Song Sparrow

1 Lincoln’s Sparrow

1 Spotted Towhee

36 Red-winged Blackbird

2 Common Grackle

March 11, 2023 Bird Walk to Pella Crossing with Jamie Simo

Posted on March 15, 2023 by frbcadmin - Bird Walks, Blog

After scouting out Pella Crossing the day before on a very chilly and overcast Friday morning, it was a blessing to wake up to such a sunny, beautiful day on Saturday. Unsurprisingly, the majority of activity at Pella was at Webster Pond, which is set aside as an emergent wetland for native fish and is therefore closed to fishing. The pond held 11 different species of duck.

Right away we spotted both Canvasback and Redhead ducks, which are two diving ducks sometimes confused for each other. Males of both species have reddish heads in breeding plumage, but while Redheads have conventional round heads, Canvasbacks are easily distinguished by their “ski slope-like” foreheads, which make their profile very triangular.

Among other diving ducks seen were Lesser Scaup and Ring-necked Duck, which are also often confused for each other. While males of both species sport black heads which shine iridescent in the right light, Lesser Scaup males have grey backs with whiter flanks. Ring-necked Duck males, however, have black backs and greyer flanks with a white vertical “spur” at the shoulder area. If close enough, you can also see that Ring-necked Ducks have ringed bills while Lesser Scaups lack this feature.

Male Ring-necked Duck. Photo by Jamie Simo

Male Lesser Scaup. Creative Commons [[File:Lesser Scaup (11636209866).jpg|Lesser_Scaup_(11636209866)]]

Although it’s still a little early for spring migration, we did witness several hints of spring. We saw several Hooded Merganser males, which are a type of fish-eating duck, exhibit courtship behavior, puffing up their crests and stretching their necks out for the accompanying females.

Across the agricultural field to the south we also witnessed a Red-tailed Hawk bringing sticks to a nest. Such “nestorations” are a prelude to breeding and egg-laying, which may begin as early as later this month for this species. While songbirds were in short supply due most likely to the breeze, we did also see two other raptor species: two soaring immature Bald Eagles and, making its appearance just before reaching the parking lot at the end of the walk, an adult Cooper’s Hawk.

All-in-all we saw 28 species, which wasn’t bad for the “calm before the storm” of spring migration!

Pella Crossing Open Space, Boulder, Colorado, US
28 species

Cackling Goose 40
Canada Goose 100
Wood Duck 2 Quick fly over. Heard alarm call from female and saw two ducks.
Gadwall 11
American Wigeon 6
Mallard 6
Green-winged Teal 2
Canvasback 2
Redhead 3
Ring-necked Duck 1
Lesser Scaup 5
Bufflehead 3
Common Goldeneye 5
Hooded Merganser 8
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 5
American Coot 1
Cooper’s Hawk 1
Bald Eagle 2
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Belted Kingfisher 1
Northern Flicker 1
Common Raven 2
American Robin 2
House Finch 4
American Goldfinch 1
White-crowned Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 2
Red-winged Blackbird 6

February 11, 2023 Bird Walk to Waneka Lake and Greenlee Preserve with Jamie Simo

Posted on February 13, 2023 by frbcadmin - Bird Walks, Blog

After a very cold and windy Thursday scouting out Waneka Lake and Greenlee Preserve for February’s bird walk, it was a relief for Saturday’s sun and calm winds. While the lake was mostly frozen, there were a couple circles of open water and we were able to get decent looks at Green-winged Teal and a lone, male Common Merganser. From a distance, the creamy patch near the Green-winged Teal’s tail is a great field mark to look for. Males in breeding plumage also have a white, vertical stripe on their “shoulder,” which is visible from the side.

Male Green-winged Teal. Note the vertical slash near the head and the creamy patch near the tail. Photo by Jamie Simo.

Although there wasn’t much open water for geese, we saw many Canada and Cackling Geese flying over. In one group there was even a Snow Goose. Snow Geese will often intermix with flocks of Canada Geese, so keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary!

We had better luck with songbirds than waterfowl. Before we had even left the parking lot, we were treated to a cacophony of European Starling chatter as they scouted out nesting cavities in the big trees between the parking lot and lake. Northern Flickers were also active pecking around on the ground possibly for their favorite food of ants. We even saw one female Northern Flicker with yellow wing and tail linings, a sign of a hybrid red-shafted x yellow-shafted flicker.

At the feeders near the shack we were treated to great views of Spotted Towhees and White-crowned Sparrows. Spotted Towhees are particularly striking with their black, orange, and white coloring. Towhees love tangles of brush and as ground feeders can be attracted to millet on a low platform or sprinkled on the ground.

Probably the highlight of the morning for me was the immature Red-tailed Hawk that posed in a tree not that far away from us then soared low directly over our heads. At the end of the walk she (female raptors are bigger than males and this was a fairly large bird) even landed on a power pole directly over our heads. Red-tailed Hawks are extremely variable, but even though immature Red-tails lack the red tail, you may still be able to distinguish them by their chocolate brown head, belly band (can be variable, but the belly band was thick and obvious on this bird), white scapular (shoulder) V, and, if soaring, their bulging secondary wing feathers and dark patagial marks.

All in all, it was a gorgeous day for birding and we saw 25 species. Not bad for mid-February! Happy birding!

Waneka Lake/Greenlee Preserve, Boulder, Colorado, US
25 species (+4 other taxa)

Snow Goose 1
Cackling Goose 4
Canada Goose 36
Cackling/Canada Goose 47
Mallard 5
Green-winged Teal 4
Common Merganser 1
Eurasian Collared-Dove 5
Ring-billed Gull 8
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Downy Woodpecker (Rocky Mts.) 2
Northern Flicker 4
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1
Blue Jay 3
American Crow 2
Black-capped Chickadee 5
White-breasted Nuthatch (Interior West) 2
European Starling 16
Townsend’s Solitaire 1
American Robin 1
House Sparrow 6
House Finch 6
Dark-eyed Junco 1
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 1
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 1
White-crowned Sparrow 8
Song Sparrow 2
Spotted Towhee 6
Red-winged Blackbird 14

January 14, 2023 Bird Walk to Sandstone Ranch with Aron Smolley

Posted on January 16, 2023 by frbcadmin - Bird Walks, Blog

Saturday, January 14^th Bird Walk: Sandstone Ranch with Aron Smolley

Kicking off 2023 with our first bird walk of the year, we returned to Sandstone Ranch and its variable habitats to boost our year list with some diversity. Although our target bird- the northern shrike- and several of the expected species, such as American tree sparrow and belted kingfisher, eluded us today, there was some interesting bird activity, and a great time was had by all.

Ferruginous Hawk chasing immature Bald Eagle. Photo by Jamie Simo.

Canada and cackling geese were numerous as we made our way from the parking lot towards the riparian area. A ball of horned larks swooped and swirled around the hills to our left and a downy woodpecker flew overhead. A pair of American kestrels caught our attention with their high-pitched calls, and everyone was able to view them through our Zeiss spotting scope. A great blue heron flew by while blue jays and mourning doves flitted about the trees over the creek. As soon as we crossed the first bridge, we had a burst of action from two immature bald eagles and a ferruginous hawk all chasing each other. From the smell we assumed there must have been an animal carcass nearby- soon after we discovered a deceased goose on the island in the river. We spent some time scanning for water birds and had one common goldeneye and one common merganser among the ubiquitous mallards and Canada geese.

Northern Harrier eating a goose carcass. Photo by Jamie Simo.

The highlight of today by far was the female northern harrier that gave me my closest view of this bird to date! She flew directly in front of us, low and slow and in perfect lighting. The cherry on top was that she descended upon the dead goose, and everyone got to witness the graphic spectacle of her feeding upon it. HPAI concerns aside, this was quite fascinating to observe through a high-powered scope. It’s not every day you get to see a northern harrier perched on the ground, much less eating prey.

From that spot we also had quite a few other raptors; mostly immature bald eagles (at one point we had seven individuals in one field of view!) as well as several red-tailed hawks, all very different plumages. A couple of white-tailed deer made their presence known as we started heading back to the parking lot. We stopped a few more times for western meadowlarks, song and white-crowned sparrow, and a gigantic adult bald eagle flyover. Final species for the day was a gang of wild turkeys that followed us out and prompted a hilarious conversation about collective nouns for animals. All in all, another successful bird walk. Happy new year everyone and happy birding!

Bird List:

Canada goose: ~200

Cackling goose: ~50

Mallard:~50

Common goldeneye: 1

Common merganser: 1

Great blue heron: 1

Downy woodpecker: 1

Northern flicker: 1

American kestrel: 2

Mourning dove: 5

Rock pigeon: 6

Blue jay: 8

Bald eagle: 8

Ferruginous hawk: 1

Red tailed hawk: 4

Northern harrier: 2

American crow:10

Wild turkey: 7

Horned lark: ~20

Song sparrow: 2

White crowned sparrow: 5

American goldfinch: 1

December 10, 2022 Bird Walk to Milavec Reservoir with Jamie Simo

Posted on December 13, 2022 by frbcadmin - Bird Walks, Blog

Milavec Reservoir in Frederick, CO has always been a reliable place for good, close views of ducks and geese in the winter. So I was initially disappointed that there weren’t more birds on the water when we climbed the steps from the parking lot. My disappointment didn’t last long, however. I guess the birds were just waiting for it to warm up a little more!

Along with the American Robins and European Starlings that favor the Russian olives that grow around the reservoir, we got to see not only the usual red-shafted form of our Northern Flicker, but the intergrade form. The Front Range is where the red-shafted Western and yellow-shafted Eastern types of the Northern Flicker mix and mingle. Often you can catch a hint of a bird’s Eastern heritage by a faint red crescent on the nape of the neck (missing in Western birds) or by yellow or orange wing and tail linings rather than the reddish linings more typical of Western birds. On our walk we had a female bird with definite yellow linings and a male who showed a red and black malar or “mustache” stripe.

Male intergrade Northern Flicker. Photo by Jamie Simo.

Common Goldeneyes and Northern Shovelers particularly favor Milavec, interesting as this indicates there’s enough diversity in food to accommodate both diving and dabbling ducks. We witnessed a large group of shovelers milling around in a circle called a “scrum” making a whirlpool to draw things up from the bottom of the reservoir. Their large beaks are designed to filter food out of the water column. Curiously, we saw many males in non-breeding plumage. These males were likely first-year males, which take longer to gain their breeding plumage.

When the geese finally started leaving the adjacent golf course and agricultural fields and taking their siesta on the reservoir, we had a couple of special visitors. One was a Greater White-fronted Goose. We were first alerted to its presence by its call, which is very different than the Cackling and Canada Geese it was surrounded by. This large goose is named for the white at the base or “front” of its orange bill, which is the same color as its feet. We also had a hybrid goose, most likely a Snow x Cackling Goose hybrid due to the visible dark “grin patch” and small size.

Hybrid Snow x Cackling Goose surrounded by Cackling Geese. Photo by Jamie Simo.

Other species of note were an adult Bald Eagle, Ruddy Ducks, and American Tree Sparrows, a winter migrant. A great morning!

Frederick Lake (Milavec Reservoir) & Recreation Area
Dec 10, 2022
24 species

1 Greater White-fronted Goose
300 Cackling Goose (Richardson’s)
1 Snow x Cackling Goose (hybrid) — Pictures to follow
100 Canada Goose
1000 Cackling/Canada Goose
200 Northern Shoveler
1 Bufflehead
13 Common Goldeneye
3 Ruddy Duck
4 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
3 Eurasian Collared-Dove
1 Ring-billed Gull
1 Cooper’s Hawk
1 Bald Eagle
2 Red-tailed Hawk
1 Downy Woodpecker
3 Northern Flicker
2 Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted x Red-shafted)
3 Blue Jay
1 Horned Lark
8 European Starling
40 American Robin
1 American Goldfinch
7 American Tree Sparrow
2 Dark-eyed Junco
1 Song Sparrow
3 Red-winged Blackbird

November 12, 2022 Bird Walk to Lagerman Reservoir with Patrick Morgan

Posted on November 26, 2022 by frbcadmin - Bird Walks, Blog

The Boulder Front Range Birding Company November walk was held at Lagerman Reservoir on November 12 at 8:00 am. The morning was a little frigid, with the temperature in the 20s and a frozen reservoir shoreline. 5 intrepid birders showed up to brave the cold, though we weren’t the only ones. Two other birding groups were there, along with a running group. We joked that there might be more observers than birds at the park this morning.

Looking south across the reservoir with the sun right in your face can make viewing the birds on the water somewhat difficult, so we aimed to make it to the south shore of the reservoir to get a better view. Viewing backlit birds can be a good test of identification skills, however, and we used some of these skills to identify some Buffleheads, Ruddy Ducks, and the ubiquitous American Coots that frequent the reservoir in the winter months.

While we were on the western shore, we noticed multiple Killdeer flying around. These were the only shorebirds that we were seeing, but then we noticed one that was quite smaller in size. The sunlight was making a confirming id difficult, but we were able to narrow in on a Least Sandpiper. The small “peep” had a slightly down-turned bill and greenish yellow legs, good identifiers for this shorebird. They can be pretty rare this time of year, but this one seems to have been hanging out at the reservoir for a couple of weeks.

As we continued on to the south shore, we noticed multiple juvenile Bald Eagles flying around. There is a nest south of the reservoir, barely visible with the naked eye, so these ones could be offspring of that nested pair, but they could also be winter migrants that move into the area in the winter. We noticed them flying low to the ground west of the reservoir, along with multiple Black-billed Magpies and two Ferruginous Hawks. There must have been some type of carcass over there, as a couple of Bald Eagles stayed perched on the fence over there for the duration of our walk.

We finally made it to the south shore after walking less than a mile in about an hour and a half (you tend to not make it very far when the birds are flying around!) and decided that we would view the birds from here and then turn around. We could spot Northern Pintails, Redheads, and Lesser Scaups, but we were most amazed by the flocks of geese flying overhead. This time of year is great to view geese, as thousands of them come down from the north and congregate on the various reservoirs in the area. Most of what we saw were Canada and Cackling Geese, which when flying overhead can be pretty difficult to distinguish. What really excited us was a group of about 12 Snow Geese that flew over the reservoir. After watching the birds flying around and on the water we decided to head back to the trailhead.

Hope to see you next month for our December Bird Walk!

Taxa Reported

13 Snow Geese

500 (est) Cackling/Canada

8 Mallard

7 Northern Pintail

5 Green-winged Teal

7 Lesser Scaup

8 Bufflehead

3 Common Goldeneye

6 Ruddy Duck

30 American Coot

4 Killdeer

1 Least Sandpiper

3 Ring-billed Gull

1 Northern Harrier

4 Bald Eagle

1 Red-tailed Hawk

2 Ferruginous Hawk

1 American Kestrel

4 Black-billed Magpie

2 Common Raven

3 American Tree Sparrow

2 Western Meadowlark

October 8, 2022 Bird Walk to White Rocks Trail with Aron Smolley

Posted on October 8, 2022 by frbcadmin - Bird Walks, Blog

We could not have asked for a more magical day to spend birding for today’s walk along the White Rocks Trail. Our group showed up raring to go and we set off down the trail; black-capped chickadees, American goldfinches, and spotted towhees greeted us as we walked by. The sound of a belted kingfisher reached our ears and, sure enough, we spotted it perch hunting over the riparian area towards the beginning of the trail.

As the morning mist dissipated, we came across a very cooperative red-tailed hawk perched in a snag right by the trail and everyone got excellent views of its field marks through the Zeiss Gavia spotting scope. Further along, we started hearing killdeer and, sure enough, we looked up and observed a group of 5 migrating overhead.

At the first pond, we watched a northern harrier zoom past as an osprey ate its breakfast of fish on a post. An American white pelican showed up as we glassed over the waterfowl on the pond- a surprise treat for all of us. Other birds of note on the pond included a cackling goose, a cooperative pair of great-blue herons, a couple of pied-billed grebes, and 8 beautiful wood ducks- including one stunning male perched up in a tree. Ring-billed gulls chased each other over the pond and gadwalls gathered in the water.

We continued along the trail through the prairie dog down and were lucky enough to find a merlin perched on a fence post- this tiny falcon definitely had the songbirds on edge. As the sun warmed us up, red-tailed hawks, bald eagles, a Cooper’s hawk, and another osprey soared overhead on thermals, while a second northern harrier perched calmly on a post in the distance. The last noteworthy bird of the day was a white-throated sparrow, which is always fun to see this far west.

We also got our cute mammal of the day- a young raccoon peering down at us from high up in a tree! After all was said and done we tallied 34 species total (2 lifers for some of the participants!) in just under 4 hours. This trail area is definitely an underrated birding hotspot and I will definitely be returning here for future walks.

White Rocks Trail area, Boulder, Colorado, US Oct 8, 2022 8:05 AM – 12:05 PM

34 species

Cackling Goose 1 Observed in scope in water by 9 birders.

Canada Goose 13

Wood Duck 8

Gadwall 20

American Wigeon 1

Mallard 10

Pied-billed Grebe 2

Killdeer 5

Ring-billed Gull 2

American White Pelican 3

Great Blue Heron 3

Osprey 2 One perched and one flying over it.

Northern Harrier 2

Cooper’s Hawk 1

Bald Eagle 2

Red-tailed Hawk 5

Belted Kingfisher 1

Downy Woodpecker 1

Northern Flicker 4

Merlin 1

Blue Jay 5

Black-billed Magpie 5

American Crow 1

Black-capped Chickadee 3

European Starling 25

American Robin 7

American Goldfinch 4

Chipping Sparrow 3

White-crowned Sparrow 9

White-throated Sparrow 1

Spotted Towhee 2

Red-winged Blackbird 6

Common Grackle 2

Yellow-rumped Warbler 1

September 10th Bird Walk at Sandstone Ranch with Aron Smolley

Posted on September 20, 2022 by frbcadmin - Bird Walks, Blog

The weather was cold and wet this morning but the upbeat attitudes and great conversation made this walk very pleasant and fun. We started off the day with some American goldfinches feasting on wild sunflowers, and even though they were flitting about we still managed to get everyone some good views of the male with his bright yellow feathers starting to fade into his more drab winter plumage. In fact, we get asked all the time in the store if goldfinches migrate, but the truth is, goldfinches are found in Boulder County year round- only in winter they are in disguise!

American Goldfinch in drab winter plumage. Photo by Jamie Simo.

As we continued down the hill towards the bridge, lots of wet birds were seen through the scope- northern flickers, American kestrels, mourning doves, and even a pair of adult bald eagles with their highly vocal juvenile offspring. We were also treated to a flock of blue-winged teal, a belted kingfisher, and a solitary sandpiper, all viewed from the first bridge. Further along we had a great blue heron, cliff and barn swallows, and a double crested cormorant. We finished off the day with a Cooper’s hawk at a distance- this provided us with a great opportunity to practice raptor identification.

Solitary Sandpiper. Photo by Aron Smolley.

Although on this walk we didn’t see that many species, a good time was still had by all. At the very least it was a great demonstration of the high performance of the Zeiss Gavia spotting scope even on a rainy day, still providing us crisp detail and bright colors despite the low light due to the sky being overcast. Come visit our Boulder location to try out the Gavia for yourselves!

Bird list:

American goldfinch

Northern Flicker

Mourning dove

Belted Kingfisher

American Robin

Gray Catbird
Mallard

Canada Goose

Blue winged teal

Blue jay

Bald Eagle

Solitary Sandpiper

Great blue heron

Cliff Swallow

Barn Swallow

Double Crested Cormorant

Ring-billed Gull

Cooper’s hawk

Mt. Falcon Park, September 3, 2022–with Andrea Cahoon

Posted on September 17, 2022 by frbcadmin - Bird Walks, Blog

After a hearty continental breakfast at the Littleton Store, our group of 10 car-pooled to the west entrance of Mt. Falcon Park. It was a beautiful, sunny day, with nice breezes that kept us cool enough to enjoy the late summer walk. The most plentiful bird of the day was the Pygmy Nuthatch. Allaboutbirds.org describes these birds as “tiny bundles of hyperactive energy that climb up and down ponderosa pines giving rubber-ducky calls to their flockmates.” They breed in groups, and hang out in Ponderosa Pine trees. We got a few good looks, but heard more than we saw.

While at the observation deck (half-way up the tower trail) we heard a Plumbeous Vireo. This bird was high in the Ponderosa Pines, somewhat elusive, but some of us did see it. Once you are familiar with its song, it is easy to remember – three short phrases. One well-known birder in the Denver area described it’s song as: “three-eighths” (pause) “three-eighths” (pause) “five-eighths. This bird is found in coniferous and mixed forests – a dull, gray vireo with bold white spectacles. This bird winters primarily along the west coast of Mexico. No doubt it will soon be on its way. It is named for the rich gray color of its underparts – the gray looks like lead, and the Latin word plumbeous means leaden (from plumbum – lead).

Other birds of the day were Chipping Sparrows, seen by many through a spotting scope, and about seven female Western Bluebirds. Mixed in with the bluebirds was a Yellow-rumped Warbler. Just under half of the species we saw were migratory – nice to get a last look before they head to their wintering grounds.

Other notable sightings included an Abert Squirrel, primarily found in Ponderosa Pine forests, and in the wildflower department, Prickly Poppy and Gayfeather.

Now if you noticed a preponderance of references to Ponderosa Pine, you will understand that habitat pretty much determines what you will see when out in nature.

Mt. Falcon Park – Upper Trails, September 3, 2022
Travelling, 10 Observers, 2-1/2 miles, 74-84 degrees
13 Species, 45 Individuals

2 Turkey Vulture
1 Plumbeous Vireo (Heard only)
1 Steller’s Jay
1 American Crow
2 Mountain Chickadee
1 Swallow sp.
18 Pygmy Nuthatch
7 Western Bluebird
1 American Robin
3 House Finch
3 Lesser Goldfinch
4 Chipping Sparrow
1 Yellow-rumped Warbler

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