Olive-sided Flycatcher, still declining in numbers

This Olive-sided Flycatcher was an unexpected surprise on my trip to the Lower Arkansas Valley of Colorado last week. I found it giving it's 'quick free beer' call in the limited forest edge around Lake Holbrook. The top photo is really such a classic view showing it's distinctive dark vest an it's very short tail. The is a species of concern with continuing significant population decline.

The tufts of white feathers on it's rump, another feature of this species though not always visible, can be seen in fluffed up bird in the bottom pic. SeEtta

Mississippi Kite: here's looking at you

This is another specialty species I was looking for when I traveled to the lower Arkansas Valley area last week. I found this kite in La Junta where there were several others flying high in the sky. Though I took the pic from my car as I often do to reduce disturbance it heard the mechanical clicks of my digital camera and looked right down at me. Fortunately it didn't disturb it too much as it went on to scratch an itch as shown below. I suspect those claws do a good job of scratching. SeEtta

Singing Dickcissel, close-up

This photo was so good I was able to crop it for a very close-up view and like the others is tweak-free (no other editing). It is really nice to see the rufous shoulders that are not always seen on these birds. And what a coincidence, today I heard a Dickcissel singing in a farm field in the Canon City, CO area;however it was so distant I was unable to locate it visually. That was a surprise as this is the far edge of their range so they are not always in this area every summer. SeEtta

Distinctive Dickcissel

I drove down to the lower Arkansas Valley a few days ago to look for some special species and I was successful in finding Dickcissel, a species I truly enjoy listening to. I was concerned that they would have a difficult time finding suitable habitat as they use hay fields since we have converted much of the grassland. And this year due to very warm spring the hay fields were high and being cut sooner than usual. In fact I found many hay fields had already been cut but did find 3 or 4 male Dickcissels still singing their hearts out in uncut fields.

I had such great mid-afternoon light that these photos came out so nice all I did was crop them to enlarge the birds. SeEtta

Black Phoebe at nest: video clip

In this short video clip one of the Black Phoebe parent birds can be seen perched above and to the left of the nest, very obvious by it's frequent tail wagging. It then flies to the right where it catches an insect off-view and quickly returns to the nest to feed the 6-9 day old nestlings (same day as photos in post below). Video clip is best viewed in full screen format (click on box in far right-bottom corner of screen) SeEtta

Black Phoebe nesting: 6-9 days old

The top pic shows one of the Black Phoebe very young nestlings when it is between 6-9 days old. At this stage it's beak is very large relative to it's size. In the pic below, taken the same day, one of the parent birds is feeding the nestlings. SeEtta

Raven with nestling inside cave nest

This was the most difficult as the parent is inside the cave with the nestling. I think the parent bird is fairly easily visualized perched on the left side of the nest facing to the right. Not as clear is the nestling that is also in the nest, right in the middle of the pic, and just below and facing the parent bird. It is interesting how our eyes are better able to accommodate this as the birds inside the nest are better seen with a spotting scope than through this 400mm camera lens. It may help to enlarge this photo, done by double clicking on it. SeEtta

Common Raven at nest in cave

I have been monitoring a pair of Common Ravens that have nested in a small cave in the side of a cliff near Canon City. I suspect this is the same pair that I followed last year as they nested only a few hundred yards away and have been staying in this territory over the winter. I have found it is very difficult to take photos that show the inside of caves, especially those that are 600-800 feet away and high up the cliff that provides shade all day long. Here is one of the parents perched at the opening to the cave. The nest is somewhat visible in this pic. SeEtta

Bobolink: what sharp tail feathers you have

Still the same Bobolink singing on the line above me. In this pis the very sharply pointed rectrices/tail feathers show up nicely.  Birds of North America online describes Bobolink: "Distinctive features in all plumages include rigid, sharply pointed rectrices and long hind toenails."  The long hind toenails show up better in the pics below.  SeEtta

Bobolink: a tailfeather view

While observing several male Bobolink as they engaged in their territorial behavior, this guy flew onto a power line above me providing a rather different view. As is very clear in these photos, this Bobolink has fluffed up his tail feathers as part of his display. I was surprised at he very contrasting buff edging to it's feathers on it's underparts that give it almost a scalloped appearance. He is engaged in a singing bout with other males in the area. SeEtta

Video:More Bobolinks Countersinging

In this clip three male Bobolinks are seen displaying and engaging in countersinging while between 2 and 4 additional male Bobolinks are heard singing as they are perched nearby. The Bobolink in the center has it's back to the camera providing a good view of it as it alternates aggressive posturing with grooming actions. SeEtta

Bobolinks countersinging: video with 9 singing

I found several male Bobolinks engaged in countersinging in the middle of some farm fields for which I had permission to enter so I was able to get about 80 feet from them for this video. I was able to get 3 Bobolinks in the lens view as they were close together as they engaged in the aggressive territorial auditory and behavioral display. They sand for more than 5 minutes with a few collective pauses as they fluffed up their feathers and engaged in various aggressive poses. Though only 3 Bobolinks are seen at one time the voices heard on the video are of a total of 9 Bobolink that sang in this location, all within 40 feet of each other so they came through nicely. Occasionally a Western Meadowlark, also perched nearby, is heard singing.

 At the end of the video I pan over to a 4th Bobolink that has it's back to us showing it's gorgeous golden-yellow and white feathering like the two in this pic. This is the largest group of Bobolinks I have ever seen in one location and the chorus of them was a great experience. SeEtta

Lazuli Bunting, yard & neighborhood bird

This is one of the two male and one female Lazuli Buntings that have been singing in trees in my yard and several several adjacent yards for over a week. Hopefully one of the males will pair up with the female and nest in one of our neighborhood trees. Have also had a male Indigo Bunting during the same time period, also singing, but haven't spotted any females for him. In this photo the male Lazuli is eating at Sean and Melanie's feeder. SeEtta

Northern Parula: yellow throat and inside of mouth too

The Northern Parula I found in my yard this afternoon was kind enough to show off it's very yellow throat and black band across it as shown in top pic. In the bottom pic the bird was going after the fat worm seen in the photos on the previous post and what a very yellow mouth it has. His green back shows well in this photo as do his white eye crescents. 

The other field marks--bluish gray hood and wings plus white wing bars are visible in all pics. SeEtta

Nice yard bird-Northen Parula

Yesterday I was pleased with the mini-fall out in my yard of neotropical migrants though none was rare at all. This morning all that remained were the Gray Catbird and the buntings that have been here for a week or so. So I birded the Canon City Riverwalk (actually I live less than 500 feet from the greenbelt that is the bluff over the Riverwalk) but no sign of the Yellow-rumped Warblers that visited my yard last night.

When I got home around 1 pm and stepped out of my car, I heard a buzzy warbler singing above me and found this male Northern Parula in my Purple Ash trees. I watched it for almost 10 minutes as it foraged actively high in the tree foliage where it got a nice fat worm as shown in it's beak in the top two pics. I have a photo in the next post of the bird with it's beak open wide as it went for the worm. SeEtta

My neighborhood Gray Catbird

A number of years ago a pair of Gray Catbirds nested right under my dining room window--what wonderful intimate views I had. Unfortunately I had to clean up the very overgrown shrub in which they nested so they haven't nested in my yard since but do come to visit--well, they come to eat here anyway. And the male, or males, engage me in countersinging--or I engage them. This afternoon we had a strong storm with some small hail and a half inch of rain--afterwards there was a mini-fallout of birds: a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak and 2 male Black-headed Grosbeak; 4+ Yellow-rumped Warblers (more than I have seen on our Riverwalk all week); several singing Yellow Warblers; 2 Broad-tailed Hummingbirds; two male and 1 female Lazuli Buntings and 1 male Indigo Bunting (that have been around for a week); a few Pine Siskin that should have gone to breeding territories; and the pair of Gray Catbirds.

Since this action took place around 6 pm with still a few raindrops from clouds, I was unable to get any reasonable photos of these birds with the exception of the catbirds that foraged only about 20 feet away. The top two pics I believe are of the male as when I started singing, this is the catbird that jumped up on top of the post to confront me. And I think the bottom pic is of the female, the bird that continued foraging and ignored my whistled challenge. SeEtta

Western Bluebird pair carrying food

This morning I birded the Canon City,CO Riverwalk for a bit and found this pair of Western Bluebirds in a field where they were foraging, often close to each other. I watched to see if they had a nest nearby as a pair had nested not far from this location last year. After almost 15 minutes I observed one then the other take off with food in it's bill, flying high up into a grove of trees presumably to feed nestlings in a natural nest hole there. I tried to find the nest site in this wooded area that has a lot of good nest holes in several trees but the area is being flooded with water.

While I was watching I saw this long strand of apparent nylon line that was attached to a stick on the ground then sent about 80 feet up into a tall cottonwood where it was stuck--I guess it is some strong kite line. Most years a pair of Cooper's Hawks nests in this area and I didn't want to risk a young hawk not seeing it in time and injuring itself on this very strong line so I tried to pull it in hopes it would break off from the tree. No such luck, it just bit hard into my hand. So I tried letting it wrap around me while I turned around and around, but it still didn't break and it was hurting me even though it was on the outside of my coat. So I had to cut it with my nail clippers and take the section I had home with me.

While I was tied up in this line the female bluebird flew onto a tree only about 15 feet away. I had to carefully free one arm so I could get the photos of her that are posted here. I also saw a Yellow-rumped Warbler and my first of the year Wilson's Warbler fly nearby while I was incapacitated. SeEtta

Glossy Ibis, a bird's just gotta scratch

Those long nails and toes come in handy when an ibis has an itch. SeEtta

Glossy Ibis near Florence, CO

I found this apparent Glossy Ibis earlier this week in a flock of about 90 White-faced Ibis feeding in a flooded field in Florence, CO. It appears to have the field marks for Glossy Ibis:  dark eye, light blue border (does not wrap around eye) to loral skin,

I had some concerns that the plumage does not have the iridescent purple green gloss field mark for Glossy per Sibley and Crossley in their field. In fact the plumage looks the same on this Glossy as well as the two White-faced Ibis next to it. I have been advised by two highly respected birders that "iridescence differences are unreliable". SeEtta

Eastern Phoebes building nest

While looking for spring migrants at Tempel Grove north of Lamar, Colorado on Sunday I spotted a pair of Eastern Phoebes building a nest--well, actually building at least two and possibly more nests on ledges under a small vehicle bridge over the Ft Lyon Canal. I observed a phoebe work on each of two nests and I saw more partially built nests that they might also be working on. This type of behavior has been observed before as reported by the Vermont Center for Ecostudies: "females were seen attempting to build as many as 15 nests in a season before completing one (Smith 1942)." All of these nests were 'statant' nests; that is, they were built on supporting ledge as opposed to 'adherent' nests that are 'plastered to a vertical surface.'

One of the pair was a first spring bird and the other appeared to be in adult plumage. I do not recall seeing any Eastern Phoebes building nests when I frequented the Tempel Grove area last spring. SeEtta

Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Black-chinned Hummingbird

Last Friday I found this first of the year Rose-breasted Grosbeak feeding near also first of the year Indigo and Lazuli Buntings. Though less colorful than her male counterpart, this adult female Rose-breasted Grosbeak has a subtle beauty. It was interesting to see the bold stripes on the top of her head in the bottom pic.

Further down the Canon City Riverwalk where I found the others, I found this first of the year Black-chinned Hummingbird, also a female--see her long bill. SeEtta

Summer Tanager, brillliant red

Yesterday I drove 150 miles to a migrant trap in Bent County, CO. The winds were strong and gusty so birding was challenging. This hotspot had it's usual good numbers of resident Gray Catbirds and American Goldfinch plus several Swainson's Thrush that are common migrants through here. At least one Warbling Vireo serenaded in competition to the sound of the winds. Several of each Yellow and Yellow-rumped Warblers foraged with the latter working the ground out of the winds. I spotted a warbler with white on it's tail but did not refind for identification until later when a female Hooded Warbler popped up briefly. The only other rarity was this Summer Tanager which can be seen in the lower photo as bright red but having greenish feathers on wings and tails which identifies it as a first spring/summer male. A very slow day for this location during spring migration. SeEtta

Bright spring plumaged Yellow-rumped Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warblers can have such bright colorful plumage during spring as this Audubon's sub-species has. This is one I saw at Tempel Grove in Bent County,CO. SeEtta

Video: Black Phoebe feeding newly hatched nestling

I believe that the nestling(s) being fed were just hatched today. This is a pairing of Black Phoebes nesting under a footbridge near Canon City, CO. This is the location where the first Black Phoebes were observed nesting and several nestings have occurred since then. Best viewed in full screen mode (click box in far right bottom) in order to see a little beak and part of a little head come up when parent leans over to feed. More videos and photos tomorrow. SeEtta

Video clip of recently fledged Eastern Bluebird

Though I would like to have been there when the baby bluebirds fledged I had to leave. When I returned a few hours later they were gone from the nest. After some searching I found them in the nest tree and trees nearby. Now I had to leave my ‘car blind’ and take my Canon 60d dslr camera (it also shoots these HD video clips) on a tripod to a location where I could see the bird through the trees. I spotted the baby bluebirds with my binoculars which I find very important when photographing birds as they provide better visual acuity than does any camera/camcorder viewfinder I have used. I was amazed that two of these baby bluebirds that had fledged within the past 4 hours had managed to fly to a tree over 50 feet away. There were at least 4 and possibly 5 fledglings and they kept the parent birds very busy flying to different locations in 3 trees to feed them. The video below is a short clip showing one of the bluebird babies grooming itself from where it was perched in the crook of a tree. Post notes: I found the parents on the day after the babies fledged but could not located the baby birds. However, I did find two of the baby birds on their day 3 out of the nest. The parents had moved them several hundred yards from the nest tree and while I watched one of the fledglings flew out to fly after it’s own food, a task it did successfully. SeEtta

Eastern Bluebirds: dad doing the feeding

The male Eastern Bluebird was a faithful parent that brought food about as often as the female while I was watching. As the nestlings grew older they would come up to the nest hole and open their beaks wide for feeding. SeEtta

Eastern Bluebird nestlings

The Eastern Bluebird nestlings became very impatient about waiting to be fed and would stick their heads out the nest hole looking for their parents. It wasn’t long before I would hear the parents calling to the nestlings to encourage them to ‘fledge‘ from the safety of their nest hole into the scary world outside. The video clip below shows one of the nestlings that is very near to leaving the nest–it is calling back to the calls of a parent bird as it climbs onto the edge of the nest hole. The male flies in and provides a quick meal though the nestling quickly starts calling again for more food. SeEtta