Bear, being a bear up a tree

This is another on my photos I took of the bear I spotted 2 weeks ago about 75 feet up a tree. I will post more when I have a chance to edit and post them. SeEtta

One last shot of a White-throated Swift in flight

I thought this photo really showed off some of it's field marks of this species: white throat and belly and white sides on rump. The tips of the secondaries show up as lighter in color though not white. SeEtta

Migrating White-throated Swifts

Before I left Florence River Park yesterday a flock of 30 or so White-throated Swifts that were migrating made a stop-over to feed above this location (it is not near any cliffs but I have seen this species overhead during migration here before). These birds were flying at 100+ feet high as they flew in around and around overhead. These swifts always challenge my ability to not only track them quickly as they fly over but hold my heavy camera and long lens steady--plus with my lens and extender combination I have to manually focus. So I was happy how well these pics came out. SeEtta

First of the fall Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Boy did this little Ruby-crowned Kinglet live up to it's name! It had it's bright ruby red crest raised most of the time I watched it foraging. You would think from looking at the top pic that it was agitated but it wasn't engaged in battle with any other birds and didn't seem agitated (I have always heard them vocalize as part of agitation and this one didn't)--but it was a cool view.   Amazing the number of interesting birds in Florence River Park this week--much different than it has been for a long time. SeEtta

Black Phoebe in Florence River Park

I posted a few days ago that there were 2 Eastern and a Black Phoebe in Florence River Park and I posted photos of one of the Eastern Phoebes below. Yesterday I was able to get this photo of the Black Phoebe. SeEtta

Shy Rose-breasted Grosbeak

I spotted this Rose-breasted Grosbeak in Florence River Park yesterday but had a hard time getting a photo as it was 'camera shy'. Finally got it in the middle of some foliage so it was pretty dark, making the bill look darker than it was--just click on the pic to enlarge it and the lightness of the bill's coloration should become clear. SeEtta

Red-naped Sapsucker at the Abbey

I spotted a Red-naped Sapsucker 4 days ago at the Abbey when it chased off a Williamson's that was feeding on one of their pine trees. I didn't get to see it well enough to tell it's gender but I photographed this Red-naped there today and it is a male. It was feeding on one of the diverse species of deciduous trees on the Abbey's grounds. Not sure if it is just stopping over to feed during migration or if it is an early 'wintering sapsucker' that stay in Canon City usually from Oct to late winter. SeEtta

Townsend's Warbler gleaning insect larvae from leaf

Here is a Townsend's Warbler appearing to glean an insect larvae from a cottonwood tree leaf. It looks like this infestation of insect larvae (or maybe pupae?) have provided a veritable feast for at least those warbler species for which gleaning this larvae is compatible with their food habits. (most of the Wilson's and Orange-crowned Warblers in this park were mostly foraging low to the ground in shrubs) A check of Birds of North America online shows Townsend's Warbler is known for gleaning insects. It also states that the Yellow-rumped Warblers that were in abundance "Primarily gleans insects from leaves and branches." Researching this I found that leafminers are insects that feed inside of leaves and that they produce large 'blotches' that are irregularly round. I found one leafminer, the Phyllonorycter apparella, that "feeds in an underside mine on cottonwood" and other willow family trees causing a yellowish blotch (called a 'mine'). Maybe this is the insect larvae in the cottonwood tree leaves that is a wonderful source of food for migrating warblers or one like it. SeEtta

Infested trees draw warbler action

On Saturday I was delighted to find dozens of warblers at Florence, CO River Park. Though they were mostly Yellow-rumped Warblers with a few Orange-crowned and Wilson's and one Townsend's, this was still a big event for this location (which has been degraded a bunch in past several years).

 As I watched and took photos I noticed that the leaves on the cottonwood tree leaves, where much of the frenetic feeding action was taking place, had several spots on each leaf. And most of the leaves on most of the cottonwood trees had these yellowish spots on their leaves. When I examined the leaves close up it appeared that there were insect larvae inside the leaves.

In the bottom photo a few of the leaves look like the insect larvae might be maturing, causing parts of the spots to be blackened. Also the spots were more raised than the ones that were mostly yellow. More above. SeEtta

Eastern and Black Phoebes in Florence, CO

Today I found River Park in Florence, CO to be very active for the first time in quite a while (the city has let people drive all over, destroying vegetation). Among the birds there I found two Eastern Phoebes and a Black Phoebe. One of the Eastern's was an immature, the bird in these photos, while the other was an adult. I had seen this immature in and near this park a few times in the past month and it did not seem to want to share it with either of the other two phoebes as it had several antagonistic interactions with each of them. I did not get photos of the Black or adult Eastern but did get these of the immature Eastern.

The mostly buffy edges on it's wing coverts are seen in the top photo. And the bottom photo shows the pointed rectices found on birds of this species in First Basic plumage (September-August) as noted in Birds of North America online. SeEtta

Very large tarantula spider

I found this big tarantula last night on the far west end of Canon City. Actually I spotted one almost this size then saw this guy and was very impressed. It's size is clearer in the photo below that I took with my point and shoot camera.

I have been told that tarantulas are migrating but have read that it is not a true migration but a quest to find a female. I sure was impressed by how fast they walk. SeEtta

Another recent Black Phoebe in Canon City

This is another of the several Black Phoebes I have seen on the Canon City Riverwalk this month. On some days I saw up to 3 or 4 Black and an Eastern Phoebe plus a likely hybrid along the one mile section of this riverwalk between Sell's Lake and Raynolds trailheads. SeEtta

Recent juvenile Black Phoebe in Canon City

I am way behind on my photos, just so many birds. And taking prescription medicine for elevated blood lipids that is known for causing fatigue and sleep problems--after birding and doing some chores, I'm just too tired to go through my photos then edit and upload them-bummer. Anyway, this is one of the several Black Phoebes I have seen in the past 2 weeks around the Canon City,Co area. This one is in juvenal plumage (see brown wing bars and straight across demarcation of black and white underparts) and was on the Canon City Riverwalk.

Bear being a bear-up a tree

I spotted this Black bear about 75 feet up a large cottonwood tree yesterday. Click on this photo to enlarge for better view. Actually I got a series of photos of this quality so this is just a teaser. More will follow in a day or two. SeEtta

Broad-winged Hawk, detour through Colorado

Broad-winged Hawks are eastern birds but we have regular visits from them especially during migration. I spotted this one flying high above Brush Hollow State Wildlife Area today. SeEtta

Yellow-headed Blackbirds, squabbling boys

I have been seeing up to several dozen Yellow-headed Blackbirds in Florence for the past few days. The two males in the top pic had a dispute they settled with a short battle. SeEtta

Best photo of this Chestnut-sided Warbler

I think this photo shows all the field marks for a female Chestnut-sided Warbler in 1st winter plumage. I would gladly take a dozen more of her. SeEtta

Chestnut-sided Warbler-photos of underparts

When I typed 'photos of underparts' I thought that this almost sounds naughty. However, underparts of birds are important in establishing species, gender and age. In this bird, the green upperparts, plain white underparts, yellowish wing bars and white eye ring with the lack of any chestnut is diagnostic for 1st winter female Chestnut-sided Warblers. SeEtta

First winter female Chestnut-sided Warbler

Birding this morning was fairly slow only a few warblers (Wilson's, Yellow)that haven't moved on. Then I found this beautiful Chestnut-sided Warbler, a female in first winter plumage. What gorgeous green color on her head and back!

I really liked the bottom pic as the color came through so well, even with overcast skies that tend to suck color from photos, that I did no tweaking-just cropped to enlarge. More pics to come. SeEtta

Townsend's Warbler: unusual shots

Though it seems to be heresy to publish a bird photo that has foliage in front of it's face, I think these show the reality of what one sees in the field. And in the photo above, it provides an interesting view of the bird. I rarely catch a bird in mid flight like the one in the bottom pic. SeEtta

Brightly colored warbler: Townsend's

Today I saw my first Townsend's Warbler along the Riverwalk in Canon City where I live. I didn't get any photos of it but I took these earlier this week of several of the 7 or so Townsend's I saw in Lamar Woods in Lamar, CO. Townsend's are outstanding in the fall in their bright plumage while many other warblers are so drab. SeEtta

Nighthawk sleeping high above

I spotted this Common Nighthawk sleeping on an electric line yesterday. Though the line is fairly thick, it is amazing that these birds can balance themselves while asleep.

I think this is a juvenile bird as it has very pale plumage and lacks the white/buff patch on it's neck SeEtta

Pretty female American Redstart

Before I left Lamar I stopped by the Lamar Woods where I found this pretty female American Redstart on Monday morning feeding in and around a grove of tamarisks but I was unable to photograph her. That evening around 6:30 pm I found the bird in these photos, a female American Redstart that was right in the same tamarisk grove where I had seen the bird in morning so likely the same one. She, and other warblers, were very actively feeding but she was higher up so I got these pics. The next morning I spotted a female American Redstart foraging within 20 feet of where I had seen this bird before so again likely the same one that had stopped over to fatten up for the next leg of her trip south. SeEtta

Magnolia Warbler in Lamar Woods (Lamar,CO)

I got to do some birding in the migration hotspot called Lamar Woods in Lamar, CO this past week in between setting up for our Audubon Colorado board meeting in Lamar (a first) and an Audubon work project to help the Lesser Prairie-Chickens south of there. This is a fall Magnolia Warbler which is somewhat rare in Colorado. Identifying field marks are gray head with bold white eye ring, streaking (though muted in fall) on flanks, two white wing bars, yellow throat and underparts, white undertail coverts (glimpsed in lower pic)and greenish back.

This is an immature bird as indicated by the lack of black streaking on chest as noted in AllAboutBirds webpage (seen in field, not visible in photos). SeEtta

Amazing: video showing duck family successfully crossing freeway

This video clip made my stomach turn several times as this parent duck brings it's baby ducks across several lanes of freeway, almost getting run over several times. Oh, my, these are literally 'lucky ducks.' SeEtta