Handsome Harris's Sparrows

I found two 1st year Harris's Sparrows yesterday in a field just outside of Florence,CO (a little town not far from where I live). I spotted one perched in a shrub along with some White-crowned Sparrows. After a bit they flew across the road by a ditch and I found there were two Harris's Sparrows.

I watched these birds for an hour and was surprised to see them, and the White-crowns, pick up what was presumably some edible seeds frequently. I guess this was a productive feeding location.

The two Harris's Sparrows appear to be staying together. After all the White-crowns flew off the Harris's Sparrows remained to continue foraging for awhile before settling in on perches near each other inside the shrub for either a rest or possibly for the night. SeEtta

Bushy Bushtits

I was delighted last week to host a flock of 25-30 Bushtits in my yard. I have only seen Bushtits in my yard on one other occasion since I lived in my current house the past 12 years. The Bushtits appeared to feed in my pine trees and pyracantha shrub. When I caught site of this Bushtit, it had apparently just bathed and was grooming causing it to look really bushy (and it was on the other side of my pine tree and it was a cloudy day so a difficult pic to take so not good to enlarge). Because I took this pic through the tree branches, this bird was unaware it was seen or photographed--it shook the water from it's feathers repeatedly, preened fluffed up it's feathers. SeEtta

Wintering sapsuckers: Red-naped

All but one of the sapsuckers I have found overwintering this season in Canon City have been Williamson's except this male Red-naped that I refound where he was previously seen at The Abbey. Some birders might misidentify this male as a Yellow-bellied as the 'frame' around it's throat is relatively heavy for a Red-naped (and some Yellow-bellied have some red feathering on their napes); however, the black frame is broken, at the place where it bends, where some of the red feathers cover it and almost meet the white feathering. Also consistent with it's Red-naped identification is the reduced amount of white on it's back and the clear separation of the white feathering into 2 longitudinal bands (though I find this is not always a definitive field mark). SeEtta

Wintering sapsuckers in Canon City,CO: an update

Before I was out of town for a month on my Rio Grande Valley trip there had been up to 23 sapsuckers wintering in the Canon City area. Since I returned home I have only been able to locate 11. I took the top pic of a female Williamson's Sapsucker today at Rouse Park, a city-type park.

I took the middle pic of another female Sapsucker earlier this week at a private residence. I also refound a male Williamson's at this private location which was hosting both a male and female of this species in November and December. SeEtta

Bighorn sheep in Bighorn Sheep Canyon

To top off a great day filled with Bald Eagles and Pinyon Jays, I spotted this bighorn sheep ewe just as it was getting dark. She and a second ewe were high up the canyon walls on the top of this rock formation. What a wonderful way to end the day. SeEtta

Pinyon Jay flock further up the Bighorn Sheep Canyon

After viewing the Bald Eagles perched, flying or soaring above the Bighorn Sheep Canyon yesterday, I birded in Howard, CO, a small, spread-out town that spans the Arkansas River about an hour's drive west of Canon City. I found a flock of 75+ wandering Pinyon Jays.

These nomads flew as a fairly tight flock from tree to tree, once at a distance of about a half mile. I feel very lucky to find these as this is the second flock of Pinyon Jays I have found this week, the other flock just east of Canon City (I need to get pics of those posted). This species is of significant conservation concern due to habitat loss. SeEtta

Bald Eagle: final sequence of flight pics

In these pics the Bald Eagle has gained altitude and is now more than 150 feet above me as it put on a nice show by soaring around at this lower elevation before joining the other two eagles that were much higher.

After this great show I drove on up the Bighorn Sheep Canyon where I saw more Bald Eagles totally at least 4 and possibly 8 (stopped for lunch so some I saw afterwards may have been the ones I spotted at this location). SeEtta

Bald Eagle: sequence of flying pics continues

These pics follow the Bald Eagle after it lifted off and banked to fly downriver.

The pic below shows how it is gaining altitude. SeEtta

Bald Eagle take off

After keeping an eye, literally, on the birds overhead the Bald Eagle takes off from it's perch.

It banks and turns to fly downriver. SeEtta

What's flying high above the Bald Eagle?

While I was watching the Bald Eagle from the last post with my spotting scope, I wondered why it kept turning it's head to the side with one eye looking downward and the other looking upward. I thought it might be checking for some prey beneath it but I was wrong. It turned out that this pair of Common Ravens in the top pic was flying above and when they flew off I found there was a pair of Bald Eagles soaring high above. So I think it was literally keeping an eye on these birds. SeEtta

Back in Colorado: Beautiful Bald Eagles

I still have several more video clips and a number of pics from my Texas trip to post but it was just such a great birding day here near home that I had to post these now. I drove up the Bighorn Sheep Canyon that runs along the Arkansas River from just west of Canon City to the town of Howard. Near the town of Cotopaxi I found these Bald Eagle perched on a snag tree on the other side of the highway and the river, between 125-150 feet away--(not close but with my 300mm lens, 1.4 extender and 1.6 multiplier for not having a full frame camera, it was the equivalent of about a 900 mm lens).

If you look close, the eagle has a feather stuck on top of it's bill. Just double-click on each pic for close-up views (these pics are good enough quality to enlarge fairly nicely). This might have come from when it groomed itself or possibly from some bird it consumed. SeEtta

Clapper Rail clip 6: the final 'stalk'

If you have viewed the other 5 clips and now ready to view this one, you are either a bird behavior lover (like I am) or a rail-o-phile . This last clip shows the rail stalking some more then apparently giving up or deciding it's time to take a break as it walks out of the water and into some talk vegetation where it proceeds to engage in some grooming (didn't post the video of that as it doesn't show--I saw it with my binoculars). Hope you have enjoyed these clips as I have enjoyed them. SeEtta

Clapper Rail clip 5: longer view of rail in good light & more close-ups

A little longer clip with the rail in good light and some close-up views as it stalks and actively forages. SeEtta

ClapperRail-clip 4: close-up views of cinnamon, buff & gray plumage

This is another very short clip and it provides some close-up views of the Clapper Rail. Though it is under the boardwalk, the cinnamon, buff and gray colored feathers are seen since the sunlight is lighting up the area. SeEtta

ClapperRail-clip 3: rail stalks slowly then quick action

In this short video clip the Clapper Rail begins with a slow stalk then locates a target feast prompting some vigorous movement. SeEtta

Clapper Rail: a few photos

I had to throw in a few still pics for a change of pace.

Check out the drop of water in the bottom pic that I caught just as it hit the water. It dropped from the rail's bill. SeEtta

Clapper Rail clip2: video clip of rail foraging under the boardwalk

In this short clip the Clapper Rail is foraging under a section of the boardwalk. A very close-up view is at the end of the clip. SeEtta

Clapper Rail clip1: video clip of rail walking around in the open

I videotaped this Clapper Rail from the famous So Padre Island Convention Center boardwalk and am posting a series of short clips (most under 30 seconds). I have visited this wonderful birding boardwalk on a number of occasions when I have traveled to the Rio Grande Valley to enjoy the wonderful birds in this area. I have always enjoyed the great and usually close-up views I have had of Clapper Rails from this boardwalk. I will be adding still photos and videos of other cool birds I saw from this boardwalk this trip in later posts. I must add that I was quite disappointed with the new additions to the boardwalk system that is associated with the new So Padre Nature and Birding Center, a far too expensive building (no additional habitat just a fancy building with waterfalls in front?!) and not a very friendly place (they could learn a lot about servicing nature lovers from the staff at the Estero Llano Grande State Park). I strongly recommend entering the boardwalk from the Convention Center entrance, a location that also has a nice butterfly garden and bird habitat.

In this first, and very short, clip the rail walks out into the open providing some very nice views. SeEtta

Long-billed Thrasher foraging for food in the leaf litter: video clip

One of the Rio Grande Valley's specialty birds (resident of So Texas & Eastern Mexico)is shown engaging in their distinctive feeding behavior--poking and sweeping it's bill from side to side in the leaf litter, eating several morsels it finds. It gives great views at the beginning of the clip when it stops to look to see if I was a threat (no one else was nearby and though I was being very quiet, the camcorder makes a little beep sound when it starts). I videotaped this bird at the Frontera Audubon thicket in Weslaco, TX, a great place to bird (even when they don't have rarities, I find I can get great views of Valley specialities at pretty close range here). SeEtta

Thousands of Sandhill Cranes line the fields adacent to H87--more west Texas fun

The very top pic shows a crane beginning a leap up while flapping it's wings. Though often associated with dances of breeding behavior, Birds Of North America online explains that this is a signaling behavior given by birds intending to take off to other family members.

Both this video clip (they are pretty distant in the clip) and bottom pic (it is best to double click on the pic to see the extent of the view captured by that wide angle shot) show many of the Sandhill Cranes that were foraging in tilled agricultural (presumably cotton as most I saw were) fields adjacent to H87 north of Big Spring and south of Lamesa in west Texas. These cranes extended for over a mile along the highway, most on the west side but a few hundred on the east side. That was a pretty cool distraction from the otherwise not very stimulating drive between these two towns. SeEtta

Chihuahuan Raven flock infiltrated by a hawk: video clip of the action

This short clip shows a rather hapless hawk that flew into the midst of a loose flock of Chihuahuan Ravens and it was not welcome. Both the hawk and the ravens engage in some acrobatic warfare. This clip is best viewed in an enlarged form that can be accessed by double-clicking the small box in far bottom right corner. SeEtta

Chihuahuan Ravens: Jan, 2011 clip of hundreds flying overhead

I got this clip a few days ago on my return trip through the Lamesa, TX area. These are only a small part of the very large congregation of more than a thousand I found north of Lamesa--hundreds flying, hundreds perched in trees and hundreds sharing an area that likely included a pond with hundreds of Sandhill Cranes. The sound of the Chihuahuan Ravens comes pretty clear in this clip as hundreds of the birds fly overhead. SeEtta

Chihuahuan Ravens: close-up video clip

This short clip gives a closer view of two Chihuahuan Ravens. Previous to this clip the raven on the right was making a non-too-subtle move to get the food that the other raven has. The raven in the rear outsmarted it and returns to working on whatever morsel it has in its beak. SeEtta

Chihuahuan Ravens: large flock flying

This short video clip gives another nice view of the large concentration of Chihuahuan Ravens near Lamesa,TX as this group flies fairly close to the ground giving pretty good views. SeEtta

Chihuahuan Raven: beak view

This raven was one of the very large winter concentration in the Lamesa, TX area. It, and many others I saw, showed very clearly the field marks of Chihuahuan Ravens. This is in contrast to a number of ravens that I see in southeastern Colorado where it is often difficult if not impossible to clearly identify birds that do not vocalize. In this pic the heavy/thick bill with rictal bristles coming almost the distal end of the bill make it clear that this is a Chihuahuan, and not a Common, Raven. SeEtta

Wintering concentration of Chihuahuan Ravens

This video clip shows one of the large loose flocks of Chihuahuan Ravens I saw in and around Lamesa, TX both on my way to the Rio Grande Valley in December and on my way back this week. Birds of North America online notes that this species is known to congregate in large numbers in western parts of Texas. More to come. SeEtta

Pretty Pyrrhuloxia

I photographed this gorgeous male at San Angelo State Park in San Angelo, TX 2 days ago. What stunning plumage. (Also my Canon EF400,5.6 lens is a great lens that takes excellent pics) Please double-click on each pic for close-up views of this beauty. SeEtta

Hummer-still pics--[Post note: probable Black-chinned]

[POST NOTE: I have requested and received feedback from several members of the Texbird listserve, including those with considerable experience and expertise, that all agreed this is not an Ann's Hummingbird. They all also agreed that it is, or it is suggestive of, a Black-chinned Hummingbird.]
Not the best pics but these may provide more clues for an identification. Double-click on each pic for enlarged views. SeEtta

Hummingbird--video clip 3-[Post note: probable Black-chinned]

[POST NOTE: I have requested and received feedback from several members of the Texbird listserve, including those with considerable experience and expertise, that all agreed this is not an Ann's Hummingbird. They all also agreed that it is, or it is suggestive of, a Black-chinned Hummingbird.]
This clip provides a good and close view of the hummingbird's back. SeEtta

Hummingbird: another video clip-[post note: prob Black-chinned]

[POST NOTE: I have requested and received feedback from several members of the Texbird listserve, including those with considerable experience and expertise, that all agreed this is not an Ann's Hummingbird. They all also agreed that it is, or it is suggestive of, a Black-chinned Hummingbird.]
Though this hummingbird holds it's tail still at times, at other times it pumps it as is shown in this clip. There are groups of feathers with color (that is not clear in this clip) on it's whitish breast that can be readily viewed when the video is stopped briefly. SeEtta

[Prob Black-chinned ] Hummingbird at Bentsen Palm Village RV Park in Mission,TX

[[POST NOTE: I have requested and received feedback from several members of the Texbird listserve, including those with considerable experience and expertise, that all agreed this is not an Ann's Hummingbird. They all also agreed that it is, or it is suggestive of, a Black-chinned Hummingbird.]
I videotaped this female/immature hummingbird in the Bentsen Palm RV Park in Mission,TX feeding in the same coral bean tree as the Black-vented Oriole (and while that rare vagrant was off somewhere else). Another birder said he believed this was an immature Anna's Hummingbird which would also be fairly rare for this area in the winter. Unfortunately I have very limited experience with Anna's Hummingbirds, including none with females and immatures. This bird looks more like a immature Black-chinned but I thought I should put this and more video clips up for feedback by those familiar with Anna's. SeEtta

75-80 Long-billed Curlews in one field--WOW

While searching for Aplomado Falcons I spotted several Long-billed Curlews in a field. When I stopped to look at them I saw there were actually about 50 birds scattered around. Then over the next 15-20 minutes more curlews flew in--again and again until there were at least 75 and likely closer to 80 curlews in this field. More may have come in after I left but I was still looking for the falcons and needed to move along. Though they were foraging, given that it was almost dusk I suspect they came in here to spend the night. The Laguna Madre is just a few hundred yards across the field. I was very impressed to see such a large number in one place. SeEtta

Aplomado Falcons!

Aplomado Falcons are a success story for reintroduction into So Texas after they were extirpated.

Today I birded areas near Brownsville including the Old Port Isabel Road which is the classic location for Aplomado Falcons as the USFWS has placed nest platforms up in this area for these birds. My pic is not great--hey, they were a good thousand feet away and it was late in the day with the sun going down. To even get this pic I had to use my 400 mm lens with 1.4 extender--with the 1.6 multiplier I get since the camera is not full frame, this gives me the equivalent of almost 900 mm. I saw one of the birds flying a little bit earlier but it was clearly on important business and moving fast. Both of these falcons are perched on one of the nest platforms for about 5 minutes while I scoped them so I got good views of their field marks before the sun went behind a cloud and the light decreased. SeEtta

Sabal Palm Santuary-Least Grebe

Though not the first waterfowl to return to the resaca that is being filled with water after being dry for some time, this Least Grebe was enjoying some tasty delights it found during dives. SeEtta

Sabal Palm Santuary-it has reopened (hurray!)

After being closed over 18 months ago, the Sabal Palm Sanctuary reopened last week. I visited yesterday and it looks wonderful. Thank goodness the Border Wall did not close off the entrance to the Sanctuary as was feared; instead, one of the many breaks in the Border Wall is right at the entrance to the Sanctuary as shown in the top two pics.

The trails have been cleared and are mostly in great shape. as shown in bottom two pics. Also shown is some of the wonderful tropical habitat, including a few of the fabulous sabal palms for which this Sanctuary was named, are shown. This habitat is essential for the birds, butterflies and other species we enjoy. SeEtta