Sunshine butterfly-the Tiger Swallowtail

These Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies are so bright yellow and large that they are the sunshine butterflies to me. Unlike some that will fly off at any disturbance, these stay put allowing great views and photos. I found this beauty on the Canon City Riverwalk. I have seen conflicting info about whether there are Western or Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies in this area so am not calling it one or other (it is not a Two-tailed Tiger Swallowtail that occurs here as it is missing the second elongated tail). SeEtta

'Whit,whit'--Willow Flycatcher

Finally I got an empid flycatcher to call loud enough that I could distinguish the call. I found this bird foraging in the riparian area near the Arkansas River by the Canon City, CO Riverwalk. I have had a number that did not vocalize and a few that called so softly (or at a distance) that I could not be sure I could distinguish it's call from similar ones. Though this empid made a soft 'whit' call, it was clearly a 'whit' that it repeated several times. The bird has a long, broad bill, no discernible eye ring,a distinct peak on rear part of it's crown, white throat that contrasts with grayish brown/olive upperparts, 2 light wing bars and moderate primary projection (eastern bird?)--all characteristics of Willow Flycatchers and the 'whit' call provides confirmation. SeEtta

Bubbly Bobolink

I found this guy yesterday, the first Bobolink I have found so far in the Canon City,CO area. We are at the extreme limits of breeding for this species but I have been finding them almost every summer for about 15 years since they were first seen in this area. SeEtta

Incessant singer--the Red-eyed Vireo

Red-eyed Vireo are like the ever-ready bunny of singers--they just keep singing and singing and singing with only brief breaks. This bird was foraging around the Sell's Lake parking lot of the Canon City Riverwalk when I went down to do some birding this morning. Though it spent most of it's time high in the canopy of large deciduous trees as is it's habit, I caught it in a smaller tree where I got these pics.

I really liked the rear-view shot in the bottom pic. It shows the quite pale shade of yellow on it's undertail coverts. SeEtta

Tail-less McGillivray's Warbler

Back home now in Canon City,CO so birded the Canon City Riverwalk this morning. I found this McGillivray's Warbler that had lost it's tail making it an unusual short warbler. SeEtta

Little big-eyed (Burrowing) owl

This Burrowing Owl was perched on a fence post at the John Martin State Wildlife Area east of Las Animas, CO. Their extra big eyes (relative to the rest of their faces) is likely what is so appealing about them (like with other critters with large eyes). SeEtta

Long-billed Curlew foraging in wheatfield

I was surprised to find this Long-billed Curlew foraging in dryland wheat field in Kiowa County, CO and I saw it with at least one good size prey in it's bill (big enough I could see it thru my spotting scope with the bird about about a hundred feet away). It surprises that they would forage, and forage successfully at that, in this monocrop agriculture. Please note the difference in these pics related to my changing my camera settings due to change in overcast conditions. SeEtta

Warbler migrating machine still kicking out birds near Lamar

Winds were terrible, strong and very gusty but there were still migrating warblers at Temple Grove @ Ft Lyon Canal north of Lamar. Fortunately this great grove of trees and shrubs, less than 200 feet wide at most, provided shelter from the winds so that warblers and other birds could forage, albeit closer to or on the ground. The Northern Waterthrush in the top pic was walking on the canal road foraging for bugs blown out of the canopy as the water level in the canal itself was so high the bank sides were too steep.

Since McGillivray's Wablers spend a lot of time close to the ground, the bird in the bottom pic was less impacted by the winds. I also refound the Hooded Warbler that I posted about 2 days ago, and he sang off and on but much less than the other day. Also he spent his time on and near the ground where foraging was less risky than in the blowing branches of trees. It was overcast and dark so pic quality suffered. SeEtta

American Restart warblers, foraging quickly in Lamar Woods

I ran into local birder Jill White Smith who had found an American Redstart in Lamar Woods earlier this morning. I was able to refind it as well as a second American Redstart foraging nearby. These two were very active, flitting about constantly and quickly higher in the canopy. I think these are adult females because they have the 'yellow base of remiges' noted in The Sibley Guide to Birds. SeEtta

Singing Northern Parula in Lamar,CO

I know, not a very good pic but this warbler was not being cooperative. Though it sang for a little while, it spent most the time foraging in thick weeds where I only got brief glimpses. However, this pic does show much of the field marks for a male of this species-- bluish upperparts with a green mantle, yellow throat with a dark colored breastband (actually black and rufous but colors not clear in this pic), white wing bars and even showing some of the white on the belly. SeEtta

Hooded Warbler pulling nictitating membrane over eyes

The top pic shows the nictiating membrane as it comes up over the Hooded Warbler's eye. The bottom pic, taken about 1 minute later, shows the nictitating membrane now covering the entire eye. SeEtta

More Hooded Warbler pics

This great little warbler would forage for awhile then stop to loaf, sometimes groom a little then sing. A couple of times he would fly in quite close to me as I stood as motionless as possible. SeEtta

Today a Hooded Warbler at Temple Grove

I ran into some Boulder birders this morning who told me there was a singing Hooded Warbler and a singing Red-eyed Vireo at Temple Grove earlier today. I had not intended to bird Temple Grove today but this changed my plans (plus I had lost the Philadelphia Vireo I had been following at Lamar Woods in hopes of getting a pic of it). Due to a need to get my car tire repaired before venturing out of town I did not get to Temple Grove until noon. Within a few minutes I heard this Hooded Warbler singing and a little later was able to get these sweet pics of him. What a beaut. More pics coming. SeEtta

Another Temple Grove rarity: Chestnut-sided Warbler

This is the third warbler that is rare to Colorado that I found on Saturday at Temple Grove on the Ft Lyon Canal north of Lamar, CO. Though I refound him again Sunday these were the best pics I could get as he stayed most of the time about 40 feet away on the other side of this wide canal. This little guy foraged mostly in the deciduous trees.

I birded Temple Grove again today but there was no sign of this little guy so he too must have moved on to his breeding grounds. SeEtta

More Magnolia Warbler pics

Three more pics of this very good-looking Magnolia Warbler (even it's name sounds gorgeous) that I photographed over the week-end. I saw him both Saturday and Sunday with pics days but did not refind him when I visited Temple Grove today so I guess he fueled-up to continue his trip. SeEtta

Photo of Magnolia Warbler I found at a hotspot north of Lamar,CO

After I found this lovely male Magnolia Warbler yesterday at Temple Grove, along the Ft Lyon Canal, I spent about 45 minutes trying to get a reasonable pic of the bird. He was about 45 feet away on the other side of this wide canal, under the wonderful deciduous tree canopy that makes this a special place, and flitting around between the branches of some conifers planted there as he foraged very actively--so getting a reasonable pic was quite challenging. Then he apparently decided that the bugs on my side of the canal were better so he flew into a small tree directly above me! Fortunately I was able to get this one very good shot as--ironically--he was too close most of the time for my super zoom camera lens to focus. This pic came out so good I did not have to crop or do any editing-just added the text. SeEtta

More MOURNING WARBLER pics

In the pics on the earlier post and in the top pic, it is clear that this bird has bright yellow plumage on it's underparts and a dark gray hood with no visible eye arcs. The upperparts are olive green and it has a short tail. When enlarged further by clicking on each pic it is possible to see the blackish lores and the darker black coloration on the bottom of the hood forming what Birds of North America online aptly called a black 'bib.' Again, I have not edited these pics, other than cropping to enlarge, in order to preserve coloration and shading--since this species likes dense vegetation, the areas it was in were very shaded so the pics are dark. SeEtta

MOURNING WARBLER, very rare bird I found today near Lamar, CO

This morning I birded at a super neotropical migrant trap called Temple Grove. This is a unusual nice grove of trees and shrubs extending for close to a half mile along the Ft Lyon Canal--as this canal moves water to agricultural areas from the Arkansas River it is unusual to see such extensive vegetation as the canal companies routinely remove both native and non-native trees and shrubs to reduce water 'lost' to them.

I first spotted this bird this morning but only had a very brief look, too brief to call such a rarity (and life bird for me). I didn't refind it until after lunch. Though I got the top pic at that time, I couldn't tell if it was good enough to show field marks in the small lcd screen on my camera so I kept looking and refound him a second time at almost 2 pm when I got the bottom pic and two more posted next. I have not edited these pics in order to preserve the coloration and shading though they are pretty dark (this species likes dense vegetation and it was pretty dark where I photographed it) SeEtta

Pretty chestnut-cheeked Stilt Sandpipers north of Rocky Ford,CO

I found these two Stilt Sandpipers foraging in the Ordway,CO Feedlot lagoons. I think these sandpipers are very attractive in their Alternate (breeding) plumage, especially the chestnut cheek patches. There have been several sightings of this fairly unusual species this spring (more commonly seen in the fall in Colorado) further east in Colorado, most in the southeast area of the state. SeEtta

More Canon City Riverwalk colorful birds

I photographed these two birds on the Canon City,CO Riverwalk this week. The female Black-headed Grosbeak flew in quite close but thought she was hidden behind the foliage. She was one of a number of Black-headed Grosbeak that were chasing each other as a part of breeding behavior.

I didn't get the greatest view of the male Lazuli Bunting but I do like to show the underside of birds since that is often the view we get in the field. SeEtta

One of the Gray Flycatchers

This is one of the Gray Flycatchers moving through the Canon City,CO area as they migrate. This one was on the Canon City Riverwalk foraging away from the river. See the nice eye-ring, short primary projection, and the pale band across the forehead. Plus it pumped it's tail downward. SeEtta

More pics of the Traill's Flycatcher in previous post

I like both of these pics because they provide very good views of the wing feathers and the long primary projection. SeEtta

Enticing empid--safely calling it a Traill's Flycatcher

In addition to the Olive-sided Flycatchers and a few Western Wood-Pewees on the Canon City Riverwalk over the past few days, there were also empidonax (empid)

flycatchers moving through on their migration. In fact, I saw 8-10 empids day before yesterday and at least 8 yesterday both on the Canon City Riverwalk and just east of Canon City.

This empid was at the Canon City Riverwalk, though along the fence by an agricultural field off the parking lot. Though I suspect this is a Willow Flycatcher, but it didn't vocalize so I am playing it safe by calling it a Traill's (Willow/Alder complex). The only editing I am doing of these empid pics is cropping to enlarge them so their true coloration and shading (given the variations due to lighting) is retained. Got more close up pics and posting next. SeEtta

Strange view of Olive-sided Flycatchers

While birding on the Canon City, CO Riverwalk last week-end I spotted 2 large birds at the top of a tree over the trail and the top pic is what I saw--it took me a minute to realize that this was an Olive-sided Flycatcher from a bottoms-up view.

Given their location, the bottom 2 pics were the best I could get of these birds. I was surprised to see the light yellowish wash on the belly area when I enlarged the pics as they are usually not close enough to see this in pics and I don't think I've ever seen in in binoculars. I did check and Birds of North America online which said: "Whitish belly sometimes has pale-primrose-yellow wash." I ran into 2 Olive-sided Flycatchers just about an hour ago and at the same location on the Riverwalk (same birds??? maybe using this as a stop-over location to fuel up for the rest of their migration journey). This time they were calling though all I could hear was the 'three beers' part of their 'quick three beers' call. They continued calling back and forth for several minutes and I stayed to enjoy this uncommon serenade--due to serious declines this species is Federally listed as a Candidate for Endangered Species designation. SeEtta

More Broad-winged Hawk pics

The top pic shows nicely the rufous brown barring on the leg feathers on this bird. Also seen are the mostly whitish undertail coverts. Other than the light superciliary line (seen best by clicking on pic to enlarge it) above the eye, the hawk appears to have adult plumage. I am wondering if this hawk is in transition to Basic I plumage. SeEtta

Broad-winged Hawk, another Canon City Riverwalk goodie

I spotted this unusual hawk yesterday morning on the Canon City, CO Riverwalk. Broad-winged Hawks have become quite regular with usually one or more found in spring in the riparian forest area here. Though this hawk looks like an adult, a light supercilium can be seen in the bottom pic (only editing was cropping) which is listed as a juvenal trait by Wheeler in Hawks of Western North America and in Birds of North America online. More pics (supercilium best viewed by clicking on each pic to enlarge) in next post. SeEtta