Long-billedCurlew: video clip of young chick foraging

Note: this short video clip is fairly jerky--in order to reduce disturbance to the curlew family yet obtain reasonable video of the quite small chick (parents reacted to my recording on tripod across the road and getting reasonable video would require setting up on road next to the field which would be far too intrusive) I had to take the video from inside my car requiring hand-holding camcorder using 40X zoom. Nevertheless, in this clip the chick can be seen reasonably well as it goes about foraging in the field, often walking fairly quickly, as far as about 30 feet from a parent (though very clearly under the watchful eyes of both parent birds that would follow it if it wondered too far)--rather amazing since this precocial chick is possibly a week or less in age. SeEtta

Long-billedCurlew-video clip of the chick with the female

In this clip the Long-billed Curlew is seen near the female. First it stands in place as the parents had been giving warning calls. Standing by the female provides a good perspective on the size of the chick--the adults are about 2 foot in length so this chick is about 6-10 inches in length. At the end the clip shows the chick about 25 feet from the female engaged in independent foraging. SeEtta

Long-billedCurlew:video clip of male and female calling

This video clip begins with the male Long-billed Curlew as it begins giving warning calls in response to me setting up my video on a tripod across the road from the field in which he is foraging. Then it goes to the female, distinctive with her much longer and more distinctly curved bill, who takes up giving the warning calls while I am still unaware that they have a chick in the field (they were so close to the road I didn't think they would have a nest there and couldn't see the chick as it was so small). SeEtta

Long-billed Curlew chick

As can be seen in these pics this Long-billed Curlew chick is still in it's hatchling stage down. This is a very young chick, at least younger than 2-3 weeks old (age when female leaves the parenting to the male) and I suspect only a week or so old. Note: I used my longest lens combination (that is the equivalent of about 900mm) to photograph this Federally listed Species of Concern so I was usually over a hundred feet from the chick (except when I was photographing from inside my car and the chick approached within about 60 feet of my stationary car parked on road--that is when I got the top pic) then cropped the pics to enlarge them. SeEtta

Long-billed Curlew with mother

The mother curlew is near the chick in both of the bottom pics as it forages in the grassy area (actually a lot of forbs). According to Nature Works, "Shortly after birth their parents will lead them to the feeding ground where they will hunt for invertebrates like grasshoppers." This very young chick was quite independent and spent little time near either of it's parents during the almost 2 hours I observed them.

In the middle pic the female is looking skyward, watching for aerial predators (not long after this a Turkey Vulture flew over followed by an explosion of both parents as they flew up to escort it away from their chick). SeEtta

Long-billed Curlew family with young chick

Yesterday I took advantage of a 'cool' front that dropped the temperatures in Otero County from around 100 to the 80's. I returned to look for the Long-billed Curlew pair that I found last year with several chicks. I found the male and female in the lower pics only about a half mile from where I had seen the pair last year so believe this is the same pair. Actually the grass in the field where I saw them the most last year was in poor condition--there is a severe drought in that area plus it appears the ranchers overgrazed those fields (grass fields right across the road were short but healthy looking). Long-billed Curlews are known for nest site fidelity but I suspect the poor condition of the fields they were in last year prompted a move down the road.

The chick shown in the top pic is quite young, actually a nestling but since this species is precocial. More pics to follow. SeEtta

Just a pretty sunset in raven/bobcat canyon

I took this last night as the sun was setting in the canyon near Canon City,CO where I have been following the Common Raven family and where I took the video of the ravens harassing the bobcat. It is just kinda pretty. SeEtta

CommonRavenFamily-On night ledge (after bobcat escorted away)

Very short video clip. After the parent ravens have escorted the adult bobcat away from their fledglings, one parent joins the 2 fledglings on the cliff ledge where they have been lured (with food) to spend the night. This is a pretty save ledge with only one apparent area that a predator could climb down--this is on the far left side and is where I have seen a parent perch for the night, apparently to guard the ledge. And as the guano indicates, this ledge has been used a lot. SeEtta

RavensHarassingBobcat Part II

The raven parents continue pursuing the bobcat that emerges from the trees at the top of the cliff. They harass it, even landing close and flying at it, to encourage it to leave the area where their fledglings are located. This is a large bobcat, clearly an adult. When the bobcat climbs down to the bottom of the cliffs and disappears into the trees, one raven parent continues to keep watch from a nearby tree while the other parent returns to the cliff ledge several hundred feet away where the 2 fledglings are safely located. SeEtta

Ravens Harassing Bobcat-Part I

Tonight at dusk while watching a family of Common Ravens I have been following for the past 2 weeks, I saw the parents fly from past the safe rock ledge where they had brought the fledglings to spend the night to a tree several hundred feet away while calling repeatedly. They seemed to be directing their attention to something I could not see, then out walked a bobcat. Apparently these very protective raven parents saw this bobcat from hundreds of yards away and flew in to harass it into leaving the area. These raven parents clearly will not allow a threat anywhere near their fledglings (at least the two I could see) which were safely deposited on a ledge several hundred feet from where they began harassing the bobcat. SeEtta

Very protective Yellow Warbler pair

While I was looking (unsuccessfully) for the other Western Screech Owl siblings and any parent birds, the female Yellow Warbler in the top pic took great exception to my presence--she called loudly, flitted about in an agitated state and appeared to try to draw me away from her nest or fledglings which I never did see.

Her very attractive male partner came in to help, providing me with the opportunity to get these bottom two pics. SeEtta

Young Western Screech Owl fledgling--more still pics

I took these pics of the young Western Screech Owl fledgling this morning with my Canon xti dslr camera (with my 400 mm lens and 1.6 multiplier for not having a full frame camera I have the equivalent of about 640 mm zoom). The top pic is, of course, very cute as the little owl peeks over the crook of the tree at me.

The little owl appears to be behaving 'coyly' in the middle pic though really it was just sneaking a peak at this big creature that makes a lot of clicking noise (with my dslr camera). The bottom pic shows how this little owl looks like most of the time as it stays hidden behind the foliage. SeEtta

Young Western Screech Owl fledgling--digiscoped video clip

I got this video clip of the young Western Screech Owl fledgling by digi-scoping it using my Canon s90 point and shoot camera's video mode hand held to my Zeiss spotting scope. SeEtta

Young Western Screech Owl fledgling

Last evening, just at dark, as I watched some bats I heard some vocalizations in the trees that seemed familiar. Soon I saw 2 'figures' (just blurred things flying from a tree). I got out my spotlight and found the source of the continuing vocalizations--a young Western Screech Owl. Though I tried to get pics of the owl lit by my strong spotlight, these were not any good so returned this morning and refound this owl, getting these two pics I digi-scoped through my spotting scope by hand-holding my Canon S90 point and shoot camera over the lens. More to follow. SeEtta

Phoebe nestlings being fed

The phoebe nest is located under a culvert across the Arkansas River from the Canon City Riverwalk where I took this video clip through my spotting scope. The culvert is lower than the riverbank where I was standing so I lowered the tripod and took this from a kneeling position, yet still could not get the top of the adults head. This is the female and she appears to be an Eastern Phoebe (tho there is some possibility she is a hybrid EasternXBlack) and the male attending this nest is a Black Phoebe. The nestlings are in the shorter nest on the left. After the female feeds one of the nestlings it turns it's body around and provides a rear view from which the adult takes a fecal sac as it produced and flies off with it. (there is some very interesting info at that link so click on it and many will likely learn something new--I did! SeEtta

Curious little weasel

This little weasel was very curious, surprising me that it would come so close to me (less than 15 feet). It even came this close to me as I was standing by my car in which was my dog--and the weasel clearly saw my dog. I have read now that they are very curious critters. This location was in the Black Forest of Colorado, at an elevation around 7,500 feet, that has a lot of Ponderosa pine trees with some adjacent short-grass prairie. More pics and info tomorrow. SeEtta

Wow, a Long-tailed Weasel

I was delighted to see this Long-tailed Weasel today as it has been a long time since I have seen one, presumably because they are more common in Colorado at higher altitudes than I frequent and because they said to be more nocturnal (though not exclusively). It is interesting that when little guy appeared a Mountain Chickadee flew into a tree above calling repeatedly (weasels predate bird nests and anything they can catch so clearly not welcomed by local birds). SeEtta

Wildfire-Duckett Fire: slurry bomber drops fire retardant

I wasn't sure as I filmed this if one of the 2 planes I saw was a slurry bomber. It was and it drops the reddish colored fire retardant on the trees at the edge of the fire. SeEtta

Wildfire-Duckett Fire: video clip showing the breadth of this extensive wildfire

In this clip the extensiveness of this wildfire is shown and I comment on it about how much more fire was there that I hadn't seen until now. SeEtta

Wildfire-Duckett Fire: different views

I took the top pic from a short ways west of Texas Creek (this turns out to be just the north section of the fire)and the Duckett Fire sure gives an impressive show as it rises in a tall and dark column into the sky.

I took the middle pic from about 5 miles away, and at a higher elevation than the fires, providing some perspective on the overall breadth of the fire--I was really surprised to see just how much more extensive the fire was than what I had seen near Texas Creek and other locations before getting above it.  Even as large as it looks in this view, the south section (shown below) is to the left of the photo so not pictured here.

And I focused in on the south section of the fire, the furthest distance from me. The fire had blown up and produced this very large plume-wow.  SeEtta

Wildfire--Duckett Fire: short video clip from about 7-8 miles away

Another short clip of the Duckett fire that I took yesterday from a little closer, maybe 7-8 miles away (tho I say 10 or more miles away on the video clip, distance is deceptive and when I measure it on google maps it is a closer than I thought). SeEtta

Wildfire--Duckett Fire: another video clip, a little closer

Another short video clip of the Duckett Fire, this time a little closer-8-10 miles away. SeEtta

Wildfire-Duckett Fire video clip

I took this clip from the Texas Creek area which is about 12 miles away from the north part of the Duckett Fire and the rising column of smoke seen here. SeEtta

Wildfire-Duckett Fire slurry drop by bomber

The top pic shows the slurry drop of fire retardant which is colored bright reddish. The bottom pic shows the bomber (on the left) flying off and the plane that is the in-air control towards the top of the pic as the slurry continues falling to the trees. SeEtta

Wildfire--the Duckett Fire in Custer & Fremont Counties, Colorado

This wildfire has burned about 1,500 acres about an hour west of where I live. I drove up that way this afternoon to check on some nesting birds and on some BLM areas that get a lot of destructive off-road motorized activity. I saw the fire and went up a rugged county road to get a few photos of illegal off-road motorized abuse which put me in a great spot to get some photos and video of this wildfire. Both of these pics show trees 'torching'. More to come. SeEtta

Black-throated Sparrows continue near Canon City

I continue to see Black-throated Sparrows in a small canyon just south of Canon City,CO. And they continue to sing intermittently (video soon). I saw 3 Black-throated Sparrows in the same deciduous shrub yesterday and without obvious hostility-not sure how that can be as they are supposed to be protective of territories. SeEtta

Bubbly Bobolink (what big feet you have)

I got this photo of one of the 4 Bobolinks I have saw in a hay field in the Canon City area today. I love their bubbly song and this one was singing away when I took his photo. I was quite impressed the the good size feet, and especially long toenails, it had so enlarged the pic to show these. I also heard, then saw (usually occurs in that order) in the same fields-this was the first I have seen of this species here this year. Unfortunately the farmer is mowing his hay fields and started on the field where 3 of the Bobolink have been. So they and the Dickcissel are likely not to be around much longer. SeEtta

Black-throated Sparrows: more pics

This morning I was able to watch 3 Black-throated Sparrows as they either foraged (only one agonistic interaction), or possibly looked for nesting material inside/under deciduous shrubs but I believe there may be more birds in this area. I heard at least one singing again this morning but only a few times so the birds may already have nested. I watched the one in the bottom 2 pics as it loafed for more than 5 minutes in the shade and it might have continued except that it was hot so I started walking back to my car which appeared to prompt it to start moving again. SeEtta

As noted in the pics, these birds were located in Williamsburg which is a very small town a few miles south of Canon City. Though these birds are located within the town limits that is only a technicality as the area is actually quite rural with only one house within a mile of this location. SeEtta

Nice find: Black-throated Sparrows near Canon City

I was very pleased to find Black-throated Sparrows in one of my Colo Breeding Bird Atlas priority blocks just a few miles south of Canon City,CO. In July, 2009 I found 5-6 Black-throated Sparrows, including several juveniles, in this area. Though I believe this species likely nested here I was unable to find any evidence beyond finding this apparent family group during breeding season and did not find any last year.

Yesterday morning I first spotted two Black-throated Sparrows flying down a dry gulch very near where I first spotted one two years ago. They 'disappeared' after flying into some cholla cactus. Then last evening when I was in that area watching to see if a reluctant young Common Raven would finally fledge, I spotted a Black-throated Sparrow and it was singing (I got some video but haven't uploaded it). The light was poor so I didn't get any still pics until this morning when I took these. More follow. SeEtta

Black-crowned Night-Heron: immature bird

This immature Black-crowned Night-Heron is also in Holcim Wetlands. I think it is likely a first spring bird though it's plumage is similar to juvenal plumage. It flies quite well (not like young fledgling), it was out foraging on it's own, and according to Colorado Breeding Bird Atlas I the earliest fledged young recorded in Colorado was on June 21-and it takes young fledglings awhile to become as independent and skilled in flight as this bird. Additionally this birds' iris appear pretty orange which Birds of North America (BNA) online indicates would be consistent with first spring bird--"bright yellow by 20–30 d, orange-chrome by 1 yr, and bright red by 2–3 yr of age". Also it's upper mandible looks "black with greenish olive sides basally" which BNA states is found at age 1.

Black-crowned Night-Heron: adult in flight

I was really happy to get this pic as one of the adult Black-crowned Night-Herons flew from the Holcim Wetlands to nearby riparian forest to roost.

Black-crowned Night-Heron: adult in flight

I caught these two pics of one of the adult Black-crowned Night-Herons yesterday. I thought the top pic gave an interesting view of it in mid-wing flap while the bottom pic showed the back of the bird nicely. SeEtta

Black-crowned Night-Heron: adult foraging during day

I found this adult Black-crowned Night-Heron at Holcim Wetlands just east of Florence, CO this week. Though I have seen this species in Holcim Wetlands in previous years, there was no indication of breeding nor has there been any indication of their breeding anywhere in Fremont County where this wetlands is located.

Today I found a second adult and both were foraging in the daytime, a behavior associated with nesting behavior per Birds of North America online. I also saw at least one immature Black-crowned Night-Heron and will post more about that above. SeEtta