So I had 5 minutes to spare on my way to an interview... Stopped by the turtle ponds. We cleaned this area up a week ago-- we being my 9th grade students and I. Spent two hours pulling plastic out of the creek, pulling shopping carts out of the muck, pulling trash out of the trees-- lots left by homeless folks camping. Anyways, left the place looking alot better.
I've seen a great blue here, red-tailed hawks, mostly mallards without alot of other water birds, a few Song Sparrows and Chickadees.
But the other big draws include the turtles and the fish. The best place I know to see turtles on the front range-- they crawl up on different rocks and limbs as the sun rises. Big fellas. 6-8 of them, in the two lower pools...
The fish or huge bombers-- in the third pond up. The water had gotten really low a week ago and I was starting to worry about them a bit, then that snow came. Now things are over-flowing. But that day one flashed up, making a huge commotion, and gobbled up on of the mallard chiks floating by with her momma. Bam! Little mini Lochness monster action.
Today I walked towards the bridge and saw something there-- not really perched, but more like it was set there. A swallow-- emerald-- balled up, not moving. Maybe dead and someone put it up there for some reason? But getting closer it doesn't really look dead, and doesn't wake up or move either. I get real close-- close enough to reach out and touch. Which I eventually do, after I've had a good look-- expecting him to burst into frightened flight. Nope. Didn't even wake up.
I pet his right wing a bit more, and a little stronger to boot. Now I kind of want him to wake up. He does-- shakes slumber off a bit, eyes fluttering, focuses in on me. Realizes the situation, is not bothered, tucks his head back into his wing and goes to sleep. Could have just cupped him up and carried him off...
Thursday, May 23, 2019
Rainy days
Been cool here lately-- coming up on the end of May. Had four inches of snow the other day, followed by more overcast days and drizzle. Just fine for birding and keeping the migrants here a bit longer...
Hit Wheatridge Greenbelt yesterday, after dropping Clem at dance. Figured I had half an hour...
Caught some cliff swallows at the first lil pond, furthest to the west. The one that seems it's prone to all kinds of nasty seepage and run-off... A grand Snowy Egret as well...
Moved on, chasing the peeps. Several Killdeer that eventually lead the way, luring me away from their breeding grounds with their dance displays of injury.
But in-between, a tiny little peep-- several of them-- that really just looked like sparrows. Short beaks, near all-brown, and tiny. Have not been able to ID yet. Closest thing is the Least Sandpiper, but that one is white underneath, and this guy was mostly brown all over.
Cruised onwards with my umbrella and the clock ticking-- needed to get back to pick Clem up soon already. Yellow warbler singing high in dead tree. Then a catbird across the way-- my first. This guy was great-- up there with the Curved Beak Thrasher I saw/heard in Santa Fe-- not QUITE as fabulous, but pretty dang cool. Raining.
Other things flitting by. With more time I'd probably nab a few more first-time sightings...
Back at CC, headed back west, there are still masses of what I thought might be a different warbler, but I'm pretty sure is the same Yellow-Rumped. Except is rump isn't yellow anymore. Yellow head, throat, chest, with white wingbars. Darker than the yellow-rumped was three weeks ago. But probably the same crew...
Hit Wheatridge Greenbelt yesterday, after dropping Clem at dance. Figured I had half an hour...
Caught some cliff swallows at the first lil pond, furthest to the west. The one that seems it's prone to all kinds of nasty seepage and run-off... A grand Snowy Egret as well...
Moved on, chasing the peeps. Several Killdeer that eventually lead the way, luring me away from their breeding grounds with their dance displays of injury.
But in-between, a tiny little peep-- several of them-- that really just looked like sparrows. Short beaks, near all-brown, and tiny. Have not been able to ID yet. Closest thing is the Least Sandpiper, but that one is white underneath, and this guy was mostly brown all over.
Cruised onwards with my umbrella and the clock ticking-- needed to get back to pick Clem up soon already. Yellow warbler singing high in dead tree. Then a catbird across the way-- my first. This guy was great-- up there with the Curved Beak Thrasher I saw/heard in Santa Fe-- not QUITE as fabulous, but pretty dang cool. Raining.
Other things flitting by. With more time I'd probably nab a few more first-time sightings...
Back at CC, headed back west, there are still masses of what I thought might be a different warbler, but I'm pretty sure is the same Yellow-Rumped. Except is rump isn't yellow anymore. Yellow head, throat, chest, with white wingbars. Darker than the yellow-rumped was three weeks ago. But probably the same crew...
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
Global Big Day
yeah that was this past Saturday-- alot of people getting out documenting the birds in their area, or multiple areas...
Me, I woke up at 4. Not so unusual, but a bit early for Saturday. All good with the timing, though-- allowing me to have some coffee, do a little tai chi, pack up a breakfast and lunch, and hit the road before the sun was up.
First destination was Barr Lake State Park-- a bit of a drive-- across town then northeast up 76, as if I were driving off to Wisconsin. But then there the lake is, right off the highway. As I pulled off and onto the 2lane road towards the park, an eagle-- bald or golden, not sure-- slowly flapped by to the north. Good sign.
At the entrance the sun still wasn't up proper, but just about. I paid my fee to the loud racket of a killdeer in the middle of turnaround circle there-- fussing about something-- me, I guess. Drove on down and parked before the nature center, got my stuff together then walked in that direction. Arriving there at the center there were some huge trees-- not even sure what variety-- in a grassy park area-- kind of like a rest stop or something. And bang! Bullock's orioles, right there! Hadn't seen any of them yet-- bright orange in a tree of yellow-green as the sun finally broke ground. The familiar call they make-- nice to hear again.
And also-- the Western Kingbird-- a pair. Had been waiting for those, for sure. Wasn't aware the Orioles were gonna be there, but I'd been on the lookout for the Kingbird for weeks.
Turns out the Orioles had arrived just that night-- I saw six or seven of them during my three hours of walking the perimeter of the lake. First clockwise, then I back-tracked when I got too close to the highway noise.
Ended up with 33 species for that segment of the morning, including Osprey, house wrens (plenty of them, for sure), the Downy Woodpecker, American Coots, blackbirds-- alot of the usuals. The orange and yellows I saw right at daybreak turned out to be some of the big catch for the day, though the others, and the walk, and the new place, and the people I bumped into-- all were appreciated as well.
Me, I woke up at 4. Not so unusual, but a bit early for Saturday. All good with the timing, though-- allowing me to have some coffee, do a little tai chi, pack up a breakfast and lunch, and hit the road before the sun was up.
First destination was Barr Lake State Park-- a bit of a drive-- across town then northeast up 76, as if I were driving off to Wisconsin. But then there the lake is, right off the highway. As I pulled off and onto the 2lane road towards the park, an eagle-- bald or golden, not sure-- slowly flapped by to the north. Good sign.
At the entrance the sun still wasn't up proper, but just about. I paid my fee to the loud racket of a killdeer in the middle of turnaround circle there-- fussing about something-- me, I guess. Drove on down and parked before the nature center, got my stuff together then walked in that direction. Arriving there at the center there were some huge trees-- not even sure what variety-- in a grassy park area-- kind of like a rest stop or something. And bang! Bullock's orioles, right there! Hadn't seen any of them yet-- bright orange in a tree of yellow-green as the sun finally broke ground. The familiar call they make-- nice to hear again.
And also-- the Western Kingbird-- a pair. Had been waiting for those, for sure. Wasn't aware the Orioles were gonna be there, but I'd been on the lookout for the Kingbird for weeks.
Turns out the Orioles had arrived just that night-- I saw six or seven of them during my three hours of walking the perimeter of the lake. First clockwise, then I back-tracked when I got too close to the highway noise.
Ended up with 33 species for that segment of the morning, including Osprey, house wrens (plenty of them, for sure), the Downy Woodpecker, American Coots, blackbirds-- alot of the usuals. The orange and yellows I saw right at daybreak turned out to be some of the big catch for the day, though the others, and the walk, and the new place, and the people I bumped into-- all were appreciated as well.
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