First-of-the-year Great Egret in Canon City,CO area

Yesterday I also found this Great Egret, the first I have seen this year and the first reported in Fremont County, CO. It was feeding in the wetlands in a small park in Florence, CO which is less than 10 miles from Canon City.
Much of the birding in Florence River Park crashed after the town cut out almost all the tamarisk, an invasive plant, which composed most of the understory to the nice cottonwood riparian area adjacent to the Arkansas River (instead of staging the removal and replanting native vegetation to provide continuing habitat for neotropical migrant songbirds that used to frequent the park). Fortunately they did not enter the wetland area of this park to go after tamarisk plants so it still draws some birds (though this is the first time I have seen a Great Egret in that wetland). SeEtta

More pics of unusual hybrid phoebe

Here are two more pics of that unusual hybrid phoebe I posted on below. Unfortunately it was fairly shy so I was unable to get any pics in better light or closer view for more details. SeEtta

Probable hybrid phoebe with very unusual plumage

I found this probable Black/Eastern Phoebe hybrid today at my friend's in the Canon City,CO area. It has bright brown, almost rust colored, forehead feathers. The dark body feathers are from dark brown to charcoal and it has a breast dark on the top and white beneath, separated by an inverted 'v' found in Black Phoebes (as it's feathers were ruffled in the pics, I cannot tell how close to a 'v' this is).
Again not possible to tell for sure but it looks like it is undergoing a molt of some side and back feathers. It called only once, a 'tseep' that sounded like a Black Phoebe. It interacted briefly with another phoebe (probably a Black Phoebe but I didn't see it good enough to rule out another hybrid) in an neutral manner. SeEtta

Curve-billed Thrasher posing

Curve-billed Thrashers can be found in several areas around Canon City, CO. This one was along Tunnel Drive Road at the far west end of town. As can be seen in the top pic, this area includes tree cholla which is the favored by this species in this area. I enjoy how Curve-billed Thrashers, when one does not intrude in the birds' space, will perch in place as though posing for photos. SeEtta

Vesper Sparrows have returned

I photographed this Vesper Sparrow this week in Crowley County, Colo on the eastern plains in the company of several other Vesper Sparrows. It's rufous lesser coverts are visible, a feature rarely visible on perched birds. Visible field marks are darkly outlined cheek patch, distict white eye-ring, conspicuously streaked back. SeEtta

Great Horned Owl on nest

This owl mom is sitting on a nest in the Canon City, Colo area. SeEtta

First-of-the-year Greater Yellowlegs

I found this first-of-the-year shorebird working in a flooded field in Florence, Colo with some Canada Geese and a few ducks. SeEtta

Video clip of the intermediate plumaged phoebe singing

I took this video clip yesterday (and it has taken me until today to get it in a format for uploading) of the possible hybrid Black X Eastern Phoebe that I posted about in my last posting. The song the bird sings is consistent with the primary song of the Black Phoebe and the calls it emits also sound like Black Phoebe calls. As it flies off I lose it briefly then get on it again. At the end it flies after it's apparent mate which seems likely the reason for the fluttering of it's wings in the display before it takes off. SeEtta

More intermediate plumaged phoebe pics

Here are two more pics of the intermediate plumaged phoebe that I took today. You can see the small hook at the tip of the phoebes bill, a characteristic of Black Phoebes but one that is seldom seen in the field. These pics enlarge nicely for super close ups by double-clicking on each one. SeEtta

Possible Black/Eastern Phoebe

I took these pics of an intermediate plumaged phoebe today in Fremont Co., Colo. As can be seen in these pics, this looks a lot like a Black Phoebe but there are white feathers invading the upper chest area that should be black outside of the 'V' of white from the belly. Also there are some white feathers under the chin.
I have seen several probable hybrid Black-Eastern Phoebes in my county in the past and this is likely one. Also it was located at a nest site that was attended last year by an intermediate plumaged phoebe and an apparent Black Phoebe--and the nesting was successful. The top 2 pics enlarge nicely so double-click on them. SeEtta

American Dipper gathering nesting material

For the last several years one to two American Dippers have spent the winter on the Arkansas River just east of Canon City, CO. Since the Arkansas River freezes in many areas it isn't unusual for this species to go downstream to open waters.
This dipper really filled it's beak with nesting material. The bottom pic shows the undertail coverts, a view seldom seen in photos of this species. SeEtta

These are the parents to the Great Horned Owl nestling in the post below. SeEtta

Great Horned Owl Nestling

I'm back and there are already some new baby birds including this young Great Horned Owl nestling I photographed at dusk tonight in Pueblo, CO. I saw the parent birds a little earlier in trees a few hundred feet from this stump nest. When I returned I saw this baby owl and a second one that retreated into the stump when I approached. Double-click on the pic for an enlarged view of this cutie. SeEtta