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!
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.
Pygmy Nuthatch. Photo by Jamie Simo.
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).
Plumbeous Vireo. Photo by Jamie Simo.
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
A group of 12 of us started our walk around 8:00 a.m. on a beautiful sunny day with temperatures in the mid-70’s. Though August is a bit of a quiet time for birds, we ended up seeing 25 species, with a total of 210 individuals. We had some excellent spotters in our group, and we all saw much more because of their contributions. Right off the bat we saw a Cedar Waxwing on a dead branch at the top of a tree across the river. Though seen more often in the warmer months, these stunning birds winter here and wherever berries are plentiful. We saw a bit of their aerial acrobatics while hunting for insects, but mostly they were in resting mode, perhaps recovering from the breeding season – those youngin’s are a lot of work! Cedar Waxwings often flock together, and are sometimes mistaken for a flock of starlings since they are about the same size. They are often seen in berry bushes and along rivers and ponds.
Cedar Waxwing. Photo by Jamie Simo.
As we approached the bridge over the South Platte River, we spotted a Black-Crowned Night-Heron flying overhead. This heron is rather oval-shaped, with its neck hunched down. It is striking with its red eyes and yellow legs and feet. It roosts in trees during the day, and becomes active late in the day, foraging for fish and small aquatic animals in shallow water on the edges of ponds. We also saw a Great Blue Heron, more commonly seen than the Black-crowned Night-Heron. Missing today was the Snowy Egret, which breeds in Colorado and migrates to Mexico and South America. Though seen more often in the warmer months, the two aforementioned herons are here year-round.
Black-crowned Night-Heron. Photo by Jamie Simo.
After crossing the bridge and getting off the main trail, we saw many of our species: a Red-tailed Hawk; a Western Kingbird; three swallow species – Northern Rough-winged, Cliff and Barn; House Finches, a female Broad-tailed Hummingbird, and male Red-winged Blackbirds among others. We heard but did not see an American Goldfinch, making its “Potato Chip” flight call, and the skulky Gray Catbird.
Flying overhead, brilliant white in the sun, we saw several large groups of Ring-billed Gulls; one group had over 50 individuals.
Coming back to Hudson Gardens, we saw a lone male Wood Duck, another stunning bird, swimming in the stagnant pond. Wood Ducks nest in trees and nest boxes. When the ducklings are ready to leave the nest, they jump, sometimes as far as 50 feet to the ground!
We had a nice surprise at the Hudson Garden bird feeders – as the leader was reviewing the birds we’d seen and imitating the Gray Catbird, a Spotted Towhee responded with its similar call. More and more, the Spotted Towhee is becoming a regular backyard bird, not only scratching in the underbrush for insects, but also snatching seed dropped by other birds at bird feeders.
Old Saint Vrain Road in Lyons, Colorado is a gem for birders owing to the fact that it is what is known as an “ecotone.” An ecotone is a transition zone between one habitat and another and tends to be very biologically active because of that mixing. Old Saint Vrain transitions between riparian, rocky cliffs, and drier hillside with shrubs and Ponderosa pine and birds from all three habitats can be found here.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Photo by Jamie Simo.
On Saturday the 13th we met at the adjacent Picture Rock Trail parking lot for Heil Valley Ranch then walked the short distance down to Old Saint Vrain Road. The scrubby environs around the parking lot are ideal for Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, which we heard, but didn’t see. These small blue-gray (hence the name) birds are slightly smaller than a Bushtit with longer legs and bill and a tail they tend to hold up like a wren. They have a conspicuous white eye-ring and make a distinctive scratchy squeak call.
One of the houses along Old Saint Vrain Road has bird feeders up all year long and, in late summer, can play host to all four species of hummingbirds likely to be seen in Colorado. Along with the usual Broad-tailed and Black-chinned Hummingbirds, which breed along the Front Range, we saw one female Rufous Hummingbird.
Adult male Blue Grosbeak. Photo by Jamie Simo.
Along with the usual cohort of Wild Turkeys, including some young of the year, the highlights of the morning were probably the Blue Grosbeaks and Lazuli Buntings. We had a spectacularly deep blue Blue Grosbeak male singing his heart out as well as what I mistakenly labeled an adult male molting into duller winter plumage. I’ve since discovered that, upon reaching adulthood, male Blue Grosbeaks retain their blue feathers all year. Therefore, the reddish-brown bird we saw was either a first year male not yet in adult plumage or a female. Grosbeaks are named for their big, conical beaks (gros=large), which they use to crack seeds.
Immature male or adult female Lazuli Bunting. Photo by Jamie Simo.
Like their relative the Blue Grosbeak, Lazuli Buntings can also be found in shrubby open areas. The males remind me of sherbet with their orange, white, and electric blue coloring. We had a quick glimpse of an adult male along with better views of a either a young male or a female, which was more cinnamon-hued with hints of blue.
Old Saint Vrain Road never disappoints, even during the dog days of summer! In all we had 32 species.
Beaver Ranch is a multi-use, 450-acre park operated and managed by a local non-profit, Beaver Ranch Community, in agreement with Jeffco Open Space. The Front Range Birding Company has been leading bird walks there now for three years, and when birding seems slow elsewhere it continues to deliver a good variety of birds. This is despite all the falderol that can go on there on a Saturday morning – cabin rentals, horseback riding, a disc golf course, multiple ziplines, and occasional weddings.
As usual this past Saturday it was hard for us to leave the parking lot because of the slew of initial birds that we had to take note of and try to identify, which is a particularly challenging task this time of year with so many doofy looking youngsters adding their variety of calls to the mix. To begin with we had three species of swallows: Tree, Violet-green, and Barn. Trees and Violet-greens can generally be separated from the other swallows by their bright, white breasts (though immature Violet-greens can be a bit dull looking). The main features to look for in separating Trees and Violet-greens from each other are that the dark hood on Trees comes below the eye while on Violet-greens it ends above the eye, and the Violet-greens have notable white sides to their rumps. One additional attribute to become aware of is that Violet-greens are shorter-tailed, and when looking at perched birds their wingtips project well beyond the tail. Barn Swallow adults can be easily identified because of their deeply forked tail. However, juveniles, though-long-tailed, lack the obvious longer forked tail. Other features to look for are the rusty forehead and throat.
Also, while still in the parking lot, we were treated to a juvenile Red-naped Sapsucker which, though it lacked having any red, did show the characteristic sapsucker white wing patch which on a perched bird appears as a long vertical white bar. Then, there was a family of Red-tailed Hawks – an adult with two shrill begging juveniles. We noted that while the adult had the characteristic “red” tail and the tails of the juvies were paler and more obviously multi-banded, they all three had the diagnostic dark patagium – the leading edge of the wing. And then, there was a beautiful female Western Tanager and a bunch of other cool birds, but we finally got ourselves out of the parking lot and checked out a Yellow Warbler and some Lincoln’s Sparrows in the willows along Casto Creek. A bull moose had been reported in that area, but we regretfully didn’t become acquainted.
The real highlight of the day came in the form of a slew of Virginia’s Warblers. Virginia’s are one of our six regularly occurring breeding warblers found in the foothills west of Denver. The other five are MacGillivray’s, Yellow, Yellow-rumped, Wilson’s, and Common Yellowthroat. Virginia’s spend their winters in southwest Mexico and then migrate north to breed on the mesas and in the canyons of the semi-arid Southwest. Locally, they prefer the dry oak scrub and mountain mahogany of our foothills where they nest on the ground raising on average 3-5 fledglings. However, once these juveniles exhibit enough self-reliance, then it is time for what is known as post-breeding dispersal to find new foraging resources, which can then be a preliminary step towards fall migration. This is what we witnessed on Saturday. I believe that we only saw 2-3 adult Virginia’s and that the rest were youngsters, and it was interesting to see them utilizing willow-alder riparian habitat that was thick with cow parsnips, which in turn were presumably thick with little insects – just what insectivores need. Much fun!
Good birding! Chuck
Beaver Ranch, Aug 6, 2022 30 species
Broad-tailed Hummingbird 9 Turkey Vulture 5 Red-tailed Hawk 3 Red-naped Sapsucker 1 Downy Woodpecker 1 Hairy Woodpecker (Rocky Mts.) 1 Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 4 Western Wood-Pewee 4 Cordilleran Flycatcher 1 Steller’s Jay 2 Mountain Chickadee 19 Tree Swallow 11 Violet-green Swallow 5 Barn Swallow 4 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3 Red-breasted Nuthatch 2 White-breasted Nuthatch 4 Pygmy Nuthatch 3 House Wren 2 Mountain Bluebird 1 American Robin 2 Red Crossbill 2 Pine Siskin 9 Chipping Sparrow 1 Lincoln’s Sparrow 5 Red-winged Blackbird 4 Virginia’s Warbler 7 Yellow Warbler 1 Western Tanager 2 Black-headed Grosbeak 1
Our Saturday walk at Heil Valley Ranch consisted of a good crew of seven. The Cal Wood fire torched the area 2 years ago, killing much of the Ponderosa canopy in the area. Because of this, the vegetation that is coming back is quite weedy, consisting mostly of common mullein and musk thistle. This has led to an explosive growth of some grasshopper and butterfly groups in the valley.
Mourning Dove. Photo by Jamie Simo.
As for the birds, we either heard or saw a total of twenty-seven species, the most abundant of which were Mourning Doves, Lesser Goldfinches, and Lazuli Buntings. Views towards the canyon walls to the east were initially difficult due to the lighting in the morning, but we were able to identify many birds by call or song. We talked about the Western Tanager’s song being like “a robin with a sore throat.” Additionally, after hearing Rock Wrens sing for almost an hour up the hill without good looks, we were finally rewarded when one flew in close and perched on a nearby rock (fittingly).
Rock Wren. Photo by Jamie Simo.
Because of the heat forecasted for the day, we did a short loop around the Lichen Loop trail and called it a little bit early. It was both eerie and hard to see the destruction caused by such a high-intensity fire, but there are still some birds who have taken advantage of the situation and are thriving at Heil Ranch.
A hot, sunny morning awaited us at Walker Ranch for our June 11, 2022 second Saturday bird outing with Front Range Birding Company Boulder. Walker Ranch is a Boulder County Open Space property located in the foothills at about 7,300’ elevation. The Meyers Homestead Trail follows Meyers Gulch, a drainage that feeds into South Boulder Creek, as it moves through a landscape dominated by open Ponderosa Pine forest. On the day of our outing, everything was verdant with late-spring growth, spurred on by recent snowfall and rain, and a few wildflowers and their attendant butterflies brought a pop of color to the landscape.
Female Lesser Goldfinch. Photo by Jamie Simo.
Quite a few birds were already in breeding mode, with several species singing and a few species visiting nests. We observed Mountain Chickadees and Western Bluebirds visiting nest boxes, a female Lesser Goldfinch busily constructing her nest in the top of a small conifer, and a Western Wood-Pewee building a nest in a low-hanging branch right over the trail.
Speaking of the nest-building Western Wood-Pewee, we had an interesting debate in the field about whether this bird was in fact a Western Wood-Pewee (in genus Contopus), or one of the very similar small flycatchers in genus Empidonax. One feature this bird showed that was confounding us was a partial white eyering, just a spot behind the eye, which recalled Empidonax flycatchers with less-distinct eyerings like Willow Flycatcher, and the smaller Hammond’s Flycatcher. Wood-pewees usually do not show any eyering at all. But as with field identification in general, it’s best not to rely on any one field mark in order to make a ID – one should evaluate as many lines of evidence as possible and consider which of the possible IDs is best supported by the evidence. This turns out to be very important for visually identifying North American flycatchers, many of which can have overlapping physical features and can be very difficult to ID to species by sight, even in the hand (we talked in the field about how sound is actually the best way to identify North American flycatchers…but our flycatcher in question was silent as it went about its nest-building work).
Rather than plumage features, the structure of our flycatcher was more helpful. Our flycatcher was long and lanky like a wood-pewee, with a deeply notched tail, long undertail coverts and long primary projection/long wings ending about halfway down the length of the tail when folded. It showed a peaked crown most of the time we watched it. We found it building a nest in a habitat where one is less likely to find Willow and Hammond’s Flycatcher breeding and more likely to find Western Wood-Pewee breeding in Colorado: open Ponderosa Pine forest. One plumage characteristic that was more useful than the partial eyering was the gray centers to the otherwise whitish undertail coverts on our mystery bird – this is a feature of wood-pewees that separates them from genus Empidonax. Only one other member of genus Contopus that sports dark centers on the undertail coverts was likely to be at Meyers Gulch that day: Olive-sided Flycatcher. But Olive-sided Flycatcher has a proportionally larger head, heftier bill and a much more prominent dark “vest” on its front than our bird was showing. So, adding up all of the evidence, Western Wood-Pewee it was.
Western Tanager. Photo by Jamie Simo.
The springtime earbirding at Meyer’s Gulch also did not disappoint. We heard six species of sparrow singing all along the trail: Chipping, Vesper, Song, Lincoln’s, and Green-tailed and Spotted Towhees (towhees are also sparrows). We even caught fleeting looks at some of these sparrows, especially Green-tailed Towhee, although the Lincoln’s Sparrows and Spotted Towhees remained mostly unseen as they sang. Several unseen Warbling Vireos were heard singing along the trail. We even got to hear a few snatches of song from a briefly-seen male Cassin’s Finch, whose song is a simpler, shorter set of warbles than its more common relative, the familiar House Finch, but that still has that finch-y je ne sais quoi. A male Western Tanager was heard singing at one point along the trail, which gave us the opportunity to talk about how their song sounds like a burrier version of the American Robin’s familiar song. Later on, Mr. Tanager graced us with his presence in the top of a tree where we could actually see him and appreciate the pop of color he brought to the springtime landscape as well.
The bird walk on June 7 was at Sawhill Ponds, a City of Boulder property. The former gravel mines turned wetland ponds offer great year-round birding opportunities. The summer breeding season brings many migrants to the area looking for good nesting spots and plenty of insect prey. With the sun rising earlier this time of year, we met around 7:30 am to get a glimpse of the birds before the heat of the day began.
We set off heading west along the main path that goes around the perimeter of Sawhill Ponds. The first part of our walk offered brief glimpses at Yellow Warblers, Bullock’s Orioles, and plenty of Red-winged Blackbirds. With the leaves on the trees fully grown out at this point in the season, it can be pretty difficult to spot a bird, even one as bright as a Bullock’s Oriole. Often we would have to rely on our hearing and knowledge of the various bird songs. The Merlin Bird app and its sound recognition feature works very well for one who is not too accustomed to the different songs and can help immensely in learning them.
Snowy Egret. Photo by Patrick Morgan.
After working out some of the different songs, we stopped by one of the first ponds north of the trail, which is officially called Sawhill Pond No. 3. Here we got some good looks at a Snowy Egret, which has been hanging out at this pond for the past couple of weeks. Our patient watching was even rewarded by catching a glimpse of the bird catching a fish! As we stood there watching the Egret, a Great Blue Heron swooped in, along with a pair of Spotted Sandpipers and Killdeer. These shorebirds are some of the few that stick around here for the summer, as most species of shorebird head to the far north to breed.
Farther down the trail, a pair of Eastern Kingbirds caught our attention. Kingbirds are easy to spot around here, for they often perch out in the open on a mullein stalk or branch, and from there they sally forth to catch a passing insect. As we watched the Kingbirds, a seemingly endless stream of bird song caught our attention. This song belonged to the Gray Catbird, a somewhat non-descriptive looking bird but one with lots of personality. Catbirds belong to the mimid family, a group of birds that are known for their ability to imitate other songs and even man-made noises. We were also able to hear the Catbird’s cat-like “mew” call, which is how they received their common name.
Eastern Kingbird. Photo by Patrick Morgan.
Near the singing Catbird, we stopped to view the Osprey nesting platform. Osprey have taken advantage of the numerous fish-stocked ponds that have been built over the years and can be found all over Boulder County. This mated pair seemed to be doing especially well, for we spotted two (maybe three) nestlings sitting with their parents.
We attempted to complete the perimeter loop, but as we neared the cottonwood grove on the western edge of the property, we were met with obnoxious noise from nearby gravel mining as well as hordes of mosquitoes. Make sure to bring plenty of bug spray if you head to this part of the trail! Instead, we headed back the way we came to head back to the trailhead. On the way we were stopped by a singing Common Yellowthroat. These birds can be very difficult to spot, as they like to stay hidden amongst the cattails. While attempting to spot the singing bird, we heard a different call, which was unlike any other bird we had heard. Much to our delight, it was Virginia Rail! These are very secretive birds that rarely leave the cover of the cattails, but some of us were lucky enough to spot this one. Our patient watching was rewarded even further by a glimpse of the singing Yellowthroat.
Sawhill Ponds is a Boulder birding gem that offers great chances to see a multitude of species (over 200 recorded on eBird). If one is willing to rise early on a summer day, brave the hordes of mosquitoes, and the noise from planes and construction, you will be rewarded with some of the best birds Boulder County has to offer.
Waterton Canyon, located south of Littleton near Roxborough Park, is a popular hiking trail that follows a gentle grade up the canyon. The road was originally the bed of the Colorado, South Park and Pacific Railroad, built in 1877 from Denver, through Waterton Canyon to Leadville. The tracks were removed during WWII for scrap metal. The trail changes from a paved road to a dirt road leading to Strontia Springs Dam, located 6.2 miles from the starting point. Denver Water manages the area and the road gives them access to the dam. Bighorn sheep are often seen along the rocky canyon walls. To protect the sheep, no dogs are allowed in the canyon. This is a great birding area with its riparian habitat hosting many migrants at this time of year.
Gray Catbird. Photo by Jamie Simo.
A group of 13 began our walk on a warm, sunny day, well into the 70’s by the time we started. Before we even left the parking area, one of our participants spotted four eagles, most likely Golden Eagles, soaring overhead. Then upon crossing the road to the trailhead, we heard a catbird in the brushy area on the left. Eventually the catbird showed itself before moving on. Not more than a few minutes on the trail and we spotted 13 White Pelicans high in the sky in V formation. They were following the trail, leaving their V formation to take advantage of the thermals rising from the canyon walls. What a sight they were, shining white in the sun, brilliant against the deep blue Colorado sky. As they turned, the black of their wingtips was beautifully displayed. As we continued up the canyon, we noticed them again and again, totally in awe of this beautiful sight!
Golden Eagle. Photo by Jamie Simo.
As we went deeper into the canyon, the trees rose high around us, and we turned off the main trail to a trail leading south toward the South Platte River, lured by the cacophony of birds high in the trees. Many of us opened the Merlin Bird ID app on our phones and used the Sound ID feature. Merlin did an impressive job identifying the Warbling Vireo and the Yellow-breasted Chat that we heard but did not see. Note that this feature on Merlin Bird ID is not 100% accurate, and if it identifies a bird not commonly seen in the area, it is best to see the bird before adding it to your list. We spent quite a bit of time by the river and soon found it was time to turn back. For the short distance we travelled, we saw a lot! Here is the list:
Pella Crossing Open Space encompasses a collection of former gravel-mine ponds to both the east and west of N 75th Street in Hygiene, Colorado. The portion of the open space west of N 75th Street also includes a short stretch of Saint Vrain Creek on its way to Longmont. The water features and riparian habitat attract many interesting bird species at all times of year. We were greeted by a calm and bright spring morning for our May 14, 2022 second Saturday bird outing to the Marlatt Trails on the western portion of Pella Crossing Open Space.
Spring migration and the beginning of the breeding season was already in full swing at Pella Crossing. Many of the northern Front Range resident species were beginning to start their annual breeding rituals, with Red-winged Blackbird males vigorously chasing females, House Finches carrying nesting material, courtship feeding between a pair of Black-capped Chickadees, and a female American Robin already incubating on a nest. Two pairs of Osprey, which migrate here to breed from points south, occupied two separate nest platforms at opposite ends of the western half of Pella Crossing, both females incubating and one of the males continuing to bring nesting material. The Great Blue Heron rookery next to Saint Vrain Creek sounded active, which is to say that we heard Great Blue Herons in that direction, but we could not see birds at nests because the trees were already leafing out.
Male Western Tanager. Photo by Sarah Spotten
The real stars of the day’s show, however, were the summer breeders who winter far to the south of Colorado, and the spring migrants visiting briefly on their way to breeding grounds in points north or in higher elevations. A number of northern Front Range summer-visiting songbirds like House Wrens, Gray Catbirds, Bullock’s Orioles, Yellow Warblers, and four species of swallows (Tree, Barn, Cliff, and Northern Rough-winged) delighted us with their cheerful songs and bright colors. A few species were just passing through, still yet to reach their breeding grounds. Among them, a skulky Lincoln’s Sparrow giving its buzzy call, a flamboyant male Western Tanager, and a handsome male MacGillivray’s Warbler (whose name, the group decided, is a mouthful to say!).
Speaking of warblers, two of the biggest highlights of the day were undoubtedly warblers. First, the aforementioned MacGillivray’s Warbler (say it again with me!), which we stayed on for several minutes as it furtively fed along a stand of Russian Olives until everyone in the group got a definitive look – which is saying something indeed for a small, busy, and camouflaged bird uninterested in showing off! The second fabulous warbler we saw was a female-type Northern Parula, which is an unusual sight in our area, as the bulk of their migration path falls far to the east of Colorado’s eastern border with Kansas. This bird was fairly dull-colored even for a female Northern Parula, and may have been a first-year female hatched last summer, now making her first northward migration.
We had a fun group of birders brimming with enthusiasm on our May 14th outing – I thoroughly enjoyed sharing the morning and the birds with you all. My only regret is that with all the interesting birds popping up all around, I didn’t have enough time to answer all your questions and continue all the conversations! Please drop Front Range Birding Company a line at boulder@frontrangebirding.com if you still have burning questions – we touched on a lot of topics like species concepts, hybrids and intergrades, status and distribution of many bird species, and distinguishing between similar species. One of my favorite birds to share with you (and one which spoke to all of those aforementioned topics) was a male Northern Flicker that showed characteristics of being an intergrade between the western “Red-shafted” form and the eastern “Yellow-shafted” form. The two forms are so visually different that they were once considered separate species. On the Front Range of Colorado, the two forms meet and produce an intergrade zone of Northern Flickers that display a spectrum of plumage traits from both forms. Our particular male flicker was a textbook example of such an intergrade, with a bright red malar stripe (“mustache”) from its red-shafted ancestors, and a red nuchal/nape patch on the back of the head from its yellow-shafted ancestors. These intergrade Northern Flickers remind us to look closely at even the most common birds around us – they can be just as fascinating as the rare birds that show up during migration seasons!
Intergrade male Northern Flicker. Photo by Sarah Spotten
See you next time – let’s go birding!
–Sarah
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36 species observed, 188 individuals
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 8
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 1
Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) 2
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 1
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) 10
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) 1
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 5
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 5
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) 4
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted x Red-shafted) (Colaptes auratus luteus x cafer) 1
