Date: 7/16/26 5:51 pm From: 'Buzz Schaumberg' via Colorado Birds <cobirds...> Subject: Re: [cobirds] Black Phoebe(?), Sawhill/Walden Ponds, Boulder CO
Thank you
Sent from the all new Aol app for iOS
Buzz Schaumberg
On Thursday, July 16, 2026, 6:08 PM, Paula Hansley <plhansley...> wrote:
Birders, Please be cautious when using Merlin to identify a bird, especially when it reports a rare bird, like a Black Phoebe.
Its call notes are very similar to some calls of the Eastern Kingbird, which is nesting in the Walden/Sawhill Ponds area.
Paula HansleyLouisville
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Date: 7/16/26 5:08 pm From: Paula Hansley <plhansley...> Subject: [cobirds] Black Phoebe(?), Sawhill/Walden Ponds, Boulder CO
Birders, Please be cautious when using Merlin to identify a bird, especially when it reports a rare bird, like a Black Phoebe.
Its call notes are very similar to some calls of the Eastern Kingbird, which is nesting in the Walden/Sawhill Ponds area.
Paula Hansley Louisville
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Date: 7/15/26 2:14 pm From: Julia Bond <jebond333...> Subject: Re: [cobirds] Calliope HB’s
Peter,
I had my FOY Calliope (that I know of) this morning in South Boulder.
David Suddjian just had a Bird Bomb episode about the hummers coming
through Colorado. A good watch/listen if you are interested in the
migration and who will be where and when. :) You can find it on the DFO
FB page.
Still waiting for a Rufous.
Julia Bond (Birdnerd on FB)
South Boulder, CO
On Wed, Jul 15, 2026 at 4:53 AM Peter Hark <birdmanhark...> wrote:
> Summit County, 9 miles north of Silverthorn.
>
> We had a male Calliope Hummer at the feeder on the 7th of this month.
> Just here for a day.
> I was wondering if anyone could shed some light for me on fall migration
> time lines. Is this a typical time period for male Calliope migration for
> this area?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Peter Hark
>
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
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Date: 7/15/26 5:35 am From: Jeff P <jeff.percell...> Subject: Re: [cobirds] Calliope HB’s
They should start passing through Colorado mid-July and will dissappear
around mid-September with outliers on either end. I may have seen one in
Erie (SW Weld) on July 8 a few days ago, but didn't have any bins or camera
with me so wasn't confident enough in the id to report it, and I haven't
detected one since. Looking at prior years July 20 is the earliest I've had
one, but would expect you might get them earlier than me. They love to hang
out in my yard in the fall at the hummingbird trumpets and sunset hyssop I
planted a few years ago -- they prefer those much more over the humming
bird feeders.
In ebird on a species account you can set a region and it will show the
monthly bar chart, which it looks like your little dude is right on time
for early birds coming through-- which this has been an early sort of year
for a lot of things it would seem. https://ebird.org/species/calhum/US-CO
Ebird also has a really cool status and trends that depicts week by week
distribution and you can animate it.
On Wed, Jul 15, 2026, 4:53 AM Peter Hark <birdmanhark...> wrote:
> Summit County, 9 miles north of Silverthorn.
>
> We had a male Calliope Hummer at the feeder on the 7th of this month.
> Just here for a day.
> I was wondering if anyone could shed some light for me on fall migration
> time lines. Is this a typical time period for male Calliope migration for
> this area?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Peter Hark
>
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
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Date: 7/15/26 5:06 am From: Robert Righter <rorighter...> Subject: [cobirds] Hugh
The birding community needs to lower a flag to half mast in honor of Hugh. Hugh inspired so many of us to pick up the binoculars and head out to the field to enjoy birdwatching. I was one of those who became motivated by Hugh.
For a state to conduct a Breeding Bird Atlas normally takes huge amounts government money. Hugh approached the powers-that-be in Colorado and was turned down. He was not deterred and all most single-handedly organized a committee, raised the funds, and Colorado’s first Breeding Bird Atlas was launched. Not only was it a scientific success, but all who participated had never had so much birding fun.
Hugh’s skills were not just restricted to birds, he was also a brilliant match maker, introducing me to my wife Sandy. We’ve now been married for 43 years. Thanks again, Hugh. You will be greatly missed.
Bob Righter
Denver, CO
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Date: 7/15/26 3:53 am From: Peter Hark <birdmanhark...> Subject: [cobirds] Calliope HB’s
Summit County, 9 miles north of Silverthorn.
We had a male Calliope Hummer at the feeder on the 7th of this month. Just here for a day. I was wondering if anyone could shed some light for me on fall migration time lines. Is this a typical time period for male Calliope migration for this area?
Thanks,
Peter Hark
Sent from my iPhone
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Date: 7/14/26 7:17 pm From: John Rawinski <johnrawinski0...> Subject: [cobirds] Re: Hugh Kingery and the end of an era
Hugh was always an inspiration and had an enthusiasm for birds that was
contagious. When I first moved to the state in 1982, Hugh would call (back
pre technology) and we would visit about the birds reported in the San Luis
valley. We could talk for a long time. He was always inclusive, even to a
new kid on the block. His legacy is great and I will always appreciate him
for the kind and enthusiastic person he was.
John Rawinski
Monte Vista, CO
On Sunday, July 12, 2026 at 8:41:26 PM UTC-6 Andrews Robert wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> Today I received the sad news from Urling Kingery that Hugh Kingery died
> Saturday afternoon. Urling and one of his daughters was at the house when
> it happened. There are no specific plans at present for a memorial, but
> details will be sent out at the appropriate time. I am sending out this
> information on behalf of Urling and at her request. Truly the end of a era
> in Colorado birding; a great figure will be missed.
> Bob Andrews
> Yekepa, Liberia, West Africa
> Currently in Centennial, Arapahoe Co.
>
>
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Date: 7/14/26 3:10 am From: Pauli Driver-Smith <hollyhockfarms...> Subject: [cobirds] Osprey Nesting Updates
I wrote a pretty strong post to the local social media groups today about the shenanigans that happened the night of the 4th. The men firing off the fireworks started an hour before dark and didn't finish until after midnight. By the time they were through, hundreds of Cliff swallow nests were abandoned leaving nestling and young fledglings behind to die. The noise also scared the Ospreys so much that they abandoned their eggs and now only show up once or maybe twice a day to the platform. I havent' seen the female in days, only the male. Oh, and yes, I know that they laid eggs very late in the season and the chance that they would have successfully raised a brood, was slim, but still.
I probably was just wasting my time and will get a lot of nasty feedback, but I am honestly angry. I didn't post sooner because I've had out of state company and didn't get down to the Cliff Swallow nests to see what happened there until today. I also needed to calm down, and having family visiting helped.
Pauli Smith
Highlandlake/Mead, Weld County, CO
Warning: Rant Ahead.
I'm angry, and I think I have every right to be.
To the boys—and yes, some grown men—who decided illegal fireworks at Highland Lake on the Fourth of July were worth the thrill: your few minutes of entertainment came with consequences.
Your fireworks terrified the pair of Ospreys nesting at the lake. They abandoned their nest, leaving eggs that will never hatch. Those potential chicks are gone because someone decided the rules didn't apply to them.
It didn't stop there.
The explosions also sent hundreds of Cliff Swallow nestlings, fledglings, and their parents into panic beneath the fishing pier, where they were trying to raise their young. Wildlife doesn't understand that the noise will eventually stop. They only know that a predator—or what sounds like one—has arrived, and their instinct is to flee.
Watching those Ospreys successfully accept and adopt my new nesting platform has been one of the highlights of living in Highlandlake. Seeing this nesting season end because of someone's reckless choices is heartbreaking.
I understand that people want to celebrate. I understand that kids like excitement. But celebrating should never come at the expense of living creatures or the law.
This wasn't simply inconsiderate. It wasn't just a violation of Mead's fireworks restrictions or Weld County regulations.
I spoke with Colorado Parks and Wildlife after the incident. They confirmed that Ospreys and Cliff Swallows are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Disturbing protected nesting birds during the breeding season is exactly the kind of conduct these federal wildlife laws are intended to prevent.
Have all the fun you want—but do it legally. Don't endanger your neighbors, don't ignore the rules that are in place to protect our community, and don't destroy wildlife that cannot defend itself.
Freedom has always come with responsibility. Respect for our community includes respect for the creatures that share it.
This wasn't harmless fun.
It was preventable. It was unnecessary. And for the Ospreys and Cliff Swallows that were simply trying to raise their young, the consequences were permanent.
Broken hearted,
The Crabby Old Woman of Highlandlake
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Date: 7/14/26 3:10 am From: Paula Hansley <plhansley...> Subject: Re: [cobirds] Hugh Kingery and the end of an era
Hugh was an incredibly kind and generous person. Thanks to him my
micromount minerals have a home: he gave me the map cases with their flat
drawers (they held the paper copies of the 7 1/2” quads for Colorado) for
me to use to house my small mineral clusters! I made a donation to DFO,
but I’m sure it wasn’t nearly as much as the map cases were worth.
Paula Hansley
Louisville
On Sun, Jul 12, 2026 at 8:41 PM 'Andrews Robert' via Colorado Birds <
<cobirds...> wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> Today I received the sad news from Urling Kingery that Hugh Kingery died
> Saturday afternoon. Urling and one of his daughters was at the house when
> it happened. There are no specific plans at present for a memorial, but
> details will be sent out at the appropriate time. I am sending out this
> information on behalf of Urling and at her request. Truly the end of a era
> in Colorado birding; a great figure will be missed.
> Bob Andrews
> Yekepa, Liberia, West Africa
> Currently in Centennial, Arapahoe Co.
>
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>
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Date: 7/12/26 8:31 pm From: Susan Rosine <u5b2mtdna...> Subject: Re: [cobirds] Hugh Kingery and the end of an era
Oh no, this is soooooooo sad. My thoughts go out to Urling and the entire family. Yes, the end of an era. Glad to have known him.
Susan Rosine Brighton, Adams County
On Sun, Jul 12, 2026, 8:41 PM 'Andrews Robert' via Colorado Birds < <cobirds...> wrote:
> Hello all, > > Today I received the sad news from Urling Kingery that Hugh Kingery died > Saturday afternoon. Urling and one of his daughters was at the house when > it happened. There are no specific plans at present for a memorial, but > details will be sent out at the appropriate time. I am sending out this > information on behalf of Urling and at her request. Truly the end of a era > in Colorado birding; a great figure will be missed. > Bob Andrews > Yekepa, Liberia, West Africa > Currently in Centennial, Arapahoe Co. > > -- > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Colorado Birds" group. > To post to this group, send email to <cobirds...> > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds > * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include > bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate. > * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/membership/ > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Colorado Birds" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to cobirds+<unsubscribe...> > To view this discussion visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/<812860692.457190.1783910413471...> > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/<812860692.457190.1783910413471...>?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . >
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Date: 7/12/26 7:41 pm From: 'Andrews Robert' via Colorado Birds <cobirds...> Subject: [cobirds] Hugh Kingery and the end of an era
Hello all,
Today I received the sad news from Urling Kingery that Hugh Kingery died Saturday afternoon. Urling and one of his daughters was at the house when it happened. There are no specific plans at present for a memorial, but details will be sent out at the appropriate time. I am sending out this information on behalf of Urling and at her request. Truly the end of a era in Colorado birding; a great figure will be missed.
Bob AndrewsYekepa, Liberia, West AfricaCurrently in Centennial, Arapahoe Co.
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Date: 7/11/26 4:47 pm From: David Suddjian <dsuddjian...> Subject: [cobirds] DFO's BIRD BOMBS: Summer Hummer Celebration! available
Check out the video here of the latest BIRD BOMBS: Summer Hummer Celebration <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNlvkO-3X8Y> and prepare for the best season for watching our hummers. Focus on the ID of Colorado's four common hummingbirds.
David Suddjian Littleton, CO
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Date: 7/10/26 1:18 pm From: Robert Righter <rorighter...> Subject: [cobirds] Separating F Black-chinned from Broad-tailed Hummingbird
This morning while birding the Lair-of-Bear Park a female hummingbird was darting back and forth across a small creek. The two expected hummers for the region would be the Black-chinned and the Broad-tailed. Given the hummers constant motion it seemed impossible to determine if the bill’s length, was long or short, nor if the back color was emerald green toned or dullish, gray green suggestive for a Black-chinned. From the occasional views of it flicking its tail showed small white spots on each side of the tail, although at times hard to determine. In contrast the tail of the Broad-tailed does have a broad tail its white spots at the corner of its tail are more distinctive. Thus by this definition the humming bird I was looking at was a Black-chinned ??
Anyone else have tips on separating female Black-chinned from Broad-tailed.
Bob Righter
Denver, Colorado
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Date: 7/10/26 10:14 am From: Kristi Streiffert <krististreiffert...> Subject: [cobirds] In theaters now...since it IS July...
The Broad-tails: evicted. The Black-chinned: in hiding. And a 3-gram
flaming overlord is currently guarding the feeder like it’s the last drop
of nectar on Earth.
Yesterday, a world of busy Broad-tails and peaceful Black-chinneds...
today, one tiny copper menace shatters the peace. They weigh less than a
nickel, but they have maximum sass. This July, the sugar water runs red (or,
actually, dye-free clear).
Coming to a Colorado backyard near you: *THE RUFOUS-ING*. Rated R for
Ruf-housing.--
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Date: 7/9/26 3:38 pm From: Paula Hansley <plhansley...> Subject: Re: [cobirds] Turkey nesting and families...
Two days ago I saw a turkey family along the Coal Creek trail: two parents
and 6 tiny chicks (about the size of a pickleball)! Could this be a second
brood?
Paula Hansley
Louisville
On Thu, Jul 9, 2026 at 10:51 AM linda hodges <hikerhodges...> wrote:
> Oh my gosh, Nic. What a great story! You are a hero for picking up that
> chick when mom wasn't even willing to roll it over. You'd make a good
> mother hen.
>
> *Linda Hodges*
> *Conservation Chair*
>
> *Aiken Audubon*
>
>
>
> On Wed, Jul 8, 2026 at 8:51 PM nic korte <nkorte1...> wrote:
>
>> On June 27, NE of Collbran at about 7000 ft I encountered a hen turkey
>> and eleven chicks. The chicks were about the size of feral pigeons in
>> height. I suspect these chicks had to have been at least two weeks old,
>> meaning hatching would have been about June 14. This was a rural road and
>> they fluttered across.
>>
>> Today, July 8, about 10 miles away and at approximately the same
>> elevation, I encountered another hen turkey and chicks standing on the side
>> of a well-traveled paved road. If you have picked up a wild turkey egg,
>> then you can visualize the size of these chicks. Hatching must have been
>> yesterday if not early this morning. Thus, it was interesting to observe
>> at least a three-week range in hatching.
>>
>> I stopped the car about five feet from the hen. She ran across the road
>> as the tiny chicks followed. One did not make it. It was lying in the
>> middle of the road flopping about as most of you have seen when a creature
>> has been hit by a car. I watched. The hen ran back, stuck its beak within
>> a few inches of the chick as if to sniff it, then whirled and ran back to
>> the rest of her brood. Obviously, she had made the calculation that
>> endangering herself in the middle of a paved road to save one chick with
>> seven safely waiting for her was a bad plan. She began ushering them up a
>> small embankment. I suspected the chick had stumbled and rolled onto its
>> back and simply did not have the physical competence to right itself. I
>> ran out and scooped it into my cap and took it to the roadside. Part of
>> the reason it could not flip over is that it was so fat! It raced up the
>> hill and caught up with its family.
>>
>> Nic Korte, Grand Junction
>>
>>
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>>
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Date: 7/9/26 1:09 pm From: Brenda Beatty <bbeatty7704...> Subject: Re: [cobirds] Turkey nesting and families...
I agree with Linda!
On Thu, Jul 9, 2026 at 10:51 AM linda hodges <hikerhodges...> wrote:
> Oh my gosh, Nic. What a great story! You are a hero for picking up that
> chick when mom wasn't even willing to roll it over. You'd make a good
> mother hen.
>
> *Linda Hodges*
> *Conservation Chair*
>
> *Aiken Audubon*
>
>
>
> On Wed, Jul 8, 2026 at 8:51 PM nic korte <nkorte1...> wrote:
>
>> On June 27, NE of Collbran at about 7000 ft I encountered a hen turkey
>> and eleven chicks. The chicks were about the size of feral pigeons in
>> height. I suspect these chicks had to have been at least two weeks old,
>> meaning hatching would have been about June 14. This was a rural road and
>> they fluttered across.
>>
>> Today, July 8, about 10 miles away and at approximately the same
>> elevation, I encountered another hen turkey and chicks standing on the side
>> of a well-traveled paved road. If you have picked up a wild turkey egg,
>> then you can visualize the size of these chicks. Hatching must have been
>> yesterday if not early this morning. Thus, it was interesting to observe
>> at least a three-week range in hatching.
>>
>> I stopped the car about five feet from the hen. She ran across the road
>> as the tiny chicks followed. One did not make it. It was lying in the
>> middle of the road flopping about as most of you have seen when a creature
>> has been hit by a car. I watched. The hen ran back, stuck its beak within
>> a few inches of the chick as if to sniff it, then whirled and ran back to
>> the rest of her brood. Obviously, she had made the calculation that
>> endangering herself in the middle of a paved road to save one chick with
>> seven safely waiting for her was a bad plan. She began ushering them up a
>> small embankment. I suspected the chick had stumbled and rolled onto its
>> back and simply did not have the physical competence to right itself. I
>> ran out and scooped it into my cap and took it to the roadside. Part of
>> the reason it could not flip over is that it was so fat! It raced up the
>> hill and caught up with its family.
>>
>> Nic Korte, Grand Junction
>>
>>
>> --
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>>
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>
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Date: 7/9/26 9:51 am From: linda hodges <hikerhodges...> Subject: Re: [cobirds] Turkey nesting and families...
Oh my gosh, Nic. What a great story! You are a hero for picking up that
chick when mom wasn't even willing to roll it over. You'd make a good
mother hen.
*Linda Hodges*
*Conservation Chair*
*Aiken Audubon*
On Wed, Jul 8, 2026 at 8:51 PM nic korte <nkorte1...> wrote:
> On June 27, NE of Collbran at about 7000 ft I encountered a hen turkey and
> eleven chicks. The chicks were about the size of feral pigeons in height.
> I suspect these chicks had to have been at least two weeks old, meaning
> hatching would have been about June 14. This was a rural road and they
> fluttered across.
>
> Today, July 8, about 10 miles away and at approximately the same
> elevation, I encountered another hen turkey and chicks standing on the side
> of a well-traveled paved road. If you have picked up a wild turkey egg,
> then you can visualize the size of these chicks. Hatching must have been
> yesterday if not early this morning. Thus, it was interesting to observe
> at least a three-week range in hatching.
>
> I stopped the car about five feet from the hen. She ran across the road as
> the tiny chicks followed. One did not make it. It was lying in the middle
> of the road flopping about as most of you have seen when a creature has
> been hit by a car. I watched. The hen ran back, stuck its beak within a
> few inches of the chick as if to sniff it, then whirled and ran back to the
> rest of her brood. Obviously, she had made the calculation that
> endangering herself in the middle of a paved road to save one chick with
> seven safely waiting for her was a bad plan. She began ushering them up a
> small embankment. I suspected the chick had stumbled and rolled onto its
> back and simply did not have the physical competence to right itself. I
> ran out and scooped it into my cap and took it to the roadside. Part of
> the reason it could not flip over is that it was so fat! It raced up the
> hill and caught up with its family.
>
> Nic Korte, Grand Junction
>
>
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>
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Date: 7/8/26 7:43 pm From: nic korte <nkorte1...> Subject: [cobirds] Turkey nesting and families...
On June 27, NE of Collbran at about 7000 ft I encountered a hen turkey and eleven chicks. The chicks were about the size of feral pigeons in height. I suspect these chicks had to have been at least two weeks old, meaning hatching would have been about June 14. This was a rural road and they fluttered across.
Today, July 8, about 10 miles away and at approximately the same elevation, I encountered another hen turkey and chicks standing on the side of a well-traveled paved road. If you have picked up a wild turkey egg, then you can visualize the size of these chicks. Hatching must have been yesterday if not early this morning. Thus, it was interesting to observe at least a three-week range in hatching.
I stopped the car about five feet from the hen. She ran across the road as the tiny chicks followed. One did not make it. It was lying in the middle of the road flopping about as most of you have seen when a creature has been hit by a car. I watched. The hen ran back, stuck its beak within a few inches of the chick as if to sniff it, then whirled and ran back to the rest of her brood. Obviously, she had made the calculation that endangering herself in the middle of a paved road to save one chick with seven safely waiting for her was a bad plan. She began ushering them up a small embankment. I suspected the chick had stumbled and rolled onto its back and simply did not have the physical competence to right itself. I ran out and scooped it into my cap and took it to the roadside. Part of the reason it could not flip over is that it was so fat! It raced up the hill and caught up with its family.
Nic Korte, Grand Junction
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Date: 7/8/26 11:19 am From: 'Linda Andes-Georges' via Colorado Birds <cobirds...> Subject: [cobirds] E. Bluebird mystery in several chapters; setting prairie shortgrass ecosystem (Bldr Cnty)
Hello to all the bluebird lovers. I need specialized help solving this puzzlement (calling bluebird monitors like Carol McC!):
On June 24 I began to be aware of bluebird singing and ID'd it as Eastern thanks to learning the song years ago from Christian Nunes. I was excited: We have never had a bluebird of ANY kind here-- didn't even have them on our yardlist. This one was (trumpets!) species #128.
June 25 I realized that although the bird was singing all over the general area, he was favoring our yard. Jean-Pierre got some decent photos, I got an adquate recording. We were increasingly intrigued.
June 26 In the morning I happened to notice the little singer had a female companion. She inspected a swallow nestbox very briefly (less than a minute); then exited and flew away. Not to be seen again (by now I was paying close attention to all this) for 2 days. However when I inspected the nestbox that evening, there was already one small blue egg inside!
June 27 highly motivated, I was keeping a sharp lookout from this day on. No female but the male was singing up a storm (beautiful song).
June 28 another extremely brief sighting of a female.
June 29 early a.m. I checked the nestbox. There were now 2 eggs. But no more female this day, that I could see. Male singing a bit less.
June 30 ditto
July 1 ditto; male really ranging further abroad and not singing much in the yard
July 2 -3 ditto; by now I was thinking that the "ghost" female was a very immature or exhausted (from a previous brood) mom
July 4 hardly glimpsed the male at all
July 5 ditto
July 6 the male sat on nearby fence a while; no views of female
July 7 checked the nestbox in the evening; there were now 3 matching eggs, all somewhat warm.
July 8 observing nestbox obsessively. No views of male or female before 1 pm when I became busy.
?????
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Date: 7/5/26 7:16 am From: Mary Kay Waddington <waddingtonmk...> Subject: [cobirds] Western Warbling Vireo Custer County
About a month ago I wrote bemoaning the fact that Merlin was not recognizing Western Warbling Vireos in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristos.
Well I finally figured it out. Updated my Merlin and now it's finally recognizing that the forest is full of Western Warbling Vireos!
So anyone out there who has been experiencing Warbling Vireo issues (or any other Merlin issue) -- go to your app store and update!
Mary Kay Waddington
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Date: 7/1/26 5:47 pm From: David Suddjian <dsuddjian...> Subject: [cobirds] Next BIRD BOMBS July 9 Summer Hummer Celebration!
Hi CoBirders,
Register now for DFO's *BIRD BOMBS: Summer Hummer Celebration!* <https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_79vkpUjfTquYhSsgQKwAeQ?ampDeviceId=5585655f-94c1-4415-ae#/registration>, set to explode on *Thurday July 9*. This free webinar is just in time for the arrival of Rufous and Calliope Hummingbirds, as Colorado's Hummer Summr heats up. Identification of our hummers is a perennial challenge we look forward to each summer. BIRD BOMBS will offer a helpful look at identification of challenges with Rufous, Broad-tailed, Calliope and Blac-chinned hummers.
*Denver Field Ornitholgists also offers a series of field trips to observe four species of summer hummers.* Check out the trips with the Summer Hummer icon on our *DFO Field Trip Calendar* <https://dfobirds.org/FieldTrips/UpcomingTrips.aspx>. And more hummer opportunties will be added. All DFO field trips have free registration and are open to all.
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Date: 7/1/26 5:43 pm From: David Suddjian <dsuddjian...> Subject: [cobirds] Habitat Blast: Alpine Living available to view
The video of DFO's June 25th *BIRD BOMBS Habitat Blast: Alpine Living <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSgh2DG2IK8>* is available for viewing. Learn about the bird communities of Colorado's subalpine forest and alpine zones.
David suddjian Littleton, CO
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The bobolinks have returned for another year to the open space south and east of the junction of South Boulder and Cherryvale Roads in Boulder County. Several males were present this afternoon (June 28) at 5:05 p.m. offering good views in flight and perched near the road. As always, beware of the roadside vegetation - poison ivy is abundant in this area. But friendlier flora can also be found as Utes Lady Tresses bloom here later in the summer.
Bob Fiehweg and Robin Byers Boulder
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Date: 6/28/26 3:06 pm From: 'Linda Andes-Georges' via Colorado Birds <cobirds...> Subject: [cobirds] frozen thrush specimen; and Eastern Bluebird
Hi folks --
If anyone makes regular trips to the Denver Museum NS and would be willing to ferry a frozen little corpse to the staff there, I'd appreciate it. (The C.U. Museum is closed for the summer). I don't drive to Denver any more. I have a beautiful little Swainson's Thrush (frozen) to "donate." It's seems to be always the mountain birds that make the fatal mistake of seeing only the blue sky in a glass window, despite our strings of beads and bird profiles as warnings.
On a happier note, after 22 years we finally have a bluebird in the yard; it's an Eastern, not a Mountain. It keeps checking out one of the old swallow nestboxes but this afternoon is singing up the hill as though no female has yet appeared. It seems very late. Possible early nest failure, or deceased mate?? Or 2nd brood?
Linda
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This is a common foraging behavior for Broad-tailed Hummingbirds (and
perhaps others) -- feeding on insects over ponds and streams. I've observed
females doing this most often. They are really good at it and in certain
conditions they do a lot of it, so it seems to work well as a foraging
strategy. It is, as you say, remarkable to watch.
David Suddjian
Littleton, CO
On Fri, Jun 26, 2026 at 8:44 PM 'Ron Bolton' via Colorado Birds <
<cobirds...> wrote:
> I was streamside at the St Vrain River, which was running quite strongly.
> I observed a hummingbird perhaps hawking for insects on the wing over the
> stream surface.
> Intuitively this seems like an inefficient way to get calories. But it was
> remarkable to observe.
>
> Comments?
> Ron Bolton
> Berthoud.
>
>
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I was streamside at the St Vrain River, which was running quite strongly. I observed a hummingbird perhaps hawking for insects on the wing over the stream surface. Intuitively this seems like an inefficient way to get calories. But it was remarkable to observe.
Comments? Ron Bolton Berthoud.
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Date: 6/26/26 5:25 pm From: Diana Beatty <otowi33.33...> Subject: Re: [cobirds] BBS route summary in SE El Paso County
Marty,
My BBS starts in Rush and goes south in Lincoln County to about the Crowley
line.
Like yours, it had few Lark Buntings this year after great numbers last
year. And this year I saw new Prairie Dog colonies and record numbers of
Burrowing Owls.
I did have a few Grasshopper Sparrows. I had more Lark Sparrows and House
Sparrows than usual.
Diana Beatty
El Paso County
******
“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said
*Gandalf*, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for
them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is
given us.”
On Fri, Jun 26, 2026, 5:44 PM Marty <wolfmartinc...> wrote:
> Greetings, Cobirders,
>
> I ran my Breeding Bird Survey route in the very SE corner of El Paso
> County (well east of Chico Basin) last Friday (6/19) for the 13th year, and
> wanted to share its status & results a bit for those interested.
>
> I suspect the area has gotten some precipitation since then, but it was
> quite dry the 18th & 19th--tho not the driest I've seen it in mid/late
> June. One rancher I spoke with said they'd have to sell off cattle before
> long if rains don't come so they can plant feed crops, since they couldn't
> afford to continue buying feed. Also, of course, the air was quite
> hazy/smoky from the UT/NM fires--it was difficult to make out Pikes Peak,
> Cheyenne Mtn, & Rampart Range, which normally is not the case.
>
> This route generally has a half-dozen or so plowed or newly planted fields
> along it, interspersed with the short-grass prairie (& grazing
> cattle--including some open range), but not a single field had even been
> plowed this year... hence not a single Mountain Plover detected. There have
> been 5 other years with no plovers on count day, but as many as 12 and 13
> spotted in other years (2021 & 2025). I know folks were seeing them out
> there early this spring (possibly further west, along/off of
> Hanover?)--maybe it was greener there/then, or any in the area of my route
> decided to move along to breed in better pastures.
>
> Numbers of Horned Lark, Cassin Sparrow, and Lark Bunting were below
> average for my tenure since 2013; not a single Grasshopper or Brewer
> Sparrow. At 22, the number of species was my lowest (but tied the previous
> surveyor's species count in 2011. [2025 had my highest species count at
> 36]). The total individuals observed this year was my 3rd lowest at 404 (my
> highest was in 2018, at 539).
>
> On the brighter side, numbers of Scaled Quail, Burrowing Owl, and
> Loggerhead Shrike were above average--9, 15, and 10, respectively (as were
> House Sparrow & House Finch). Also, on the 18th while scouting I had two
> Canyon Towhee, an unexpected new species for the route.
>
> Interestingly, when I was at the first Stop on the 18th to scout things
> out, an Xcel employee pulled up in one of their pickups, asking if I was
> OK, and when he saw my binoculars & camera and heard I was doing my annual
> June bird survey he expressed concern for my safety. He said Xcel was
> underway with layout & construction (& also doing bird & wildlife surveys
> for Environmental Impact analyses) for that #5 segment of their Colorado's
> Power Pathway (transmission lines especially for future solar and wind
> power)--but said that many local folks weren't too happy about it--and they
> might assume I was with Xcel. He said their crews actually have security
> travelling with them for protection.
>
> Here are some pics from the 2 days (first 4 from scouting on the 18th;
> next 4 from count day the 19th).
>
> [image: IMG_3000ce.jpg]
> [image: IMG_2994ce.jpg]
> [image: IMG_3001be.jpg]
>
> ...looking west past the parched prairie toward the Peak--not as clear as
> normal.
> [image: IMG_3009be.jpg]
>
> Count day--
> [image: IMG_3032e.jpg]
>
> ...there's the Peak...?
> [image: IMG_3035e.jpg]
> [image: IMG_3044e.jpg]
> 5 owls in this shot (6 were present):
> [image: IMG_3048ce.jpg]
>
> Curious to hear from other BBS-ers.
>
> Marty Wolf,
> NW CO Spgs
>
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Date: 6/26/26 4:44 pm From: Marty <wolfmartinc...> Subject: [cobirds] BBS route summary in SE El Paso County
Greetings, Cobirders,
I ran my Breeding Bird Survey route in the very SE corner of El Paso County (well east of Chico Basin) last Friday (6/19) for the 13th year, and wanted to share its status & results a bit for those interested.
I suspect the area has gotten some precipitation since then, but it was quite dry the 18th & 19th--tho not the driest I've seen it in mid/late June. One rancher I spoke with said they'd have to sell off cattle before long if rains don't come so they can plant feed crops, since they couldn't afford to continue buying feed. Also, of course, the air was quite hazy/smoky from the UT/NM fires--it was difficult to make out Pikes Peak, Cheyenne Mtn, & Rampart Range, which normally is not the case.
This route generally has a half-dozen or so plowed or newly planted fields along it, interspersed with the short-grass prairie (& grazing cattle--including some open range), but not a single field had even been plowed this year... hence not a single Mountain Plover detected. There have been 5 other years with no plovers on count day, but as many as 12 and 13 spotted in other years (2021 & 2025). I know folks were seeing them out there early this spring (possibly further west, along/off of Hanover?)--maybe it was greener there/then, or any in the area of my route decided to move along to breed in better pastures.
Numbers of Horned Lark, Cassin Sparrow, and Lark Bunting were below average for my tenure since 2013; not a single Grasshopper or Brewer Sparrow. At 22, the number of species was my lowest (but tied the previous surveyor's species count in 2011. [2025 had my highest species count at 36]). The total individuals observed this year was my 3rd lowest at 404 (my highest was in 2018, at 539).
On the brighter side, numbers of Scaled Quail, Burrowing Owl, and Loggerhead Shrike were above average--9, 15, and 10, respectively (as were House Sparrow & House Finch). Also, on the 18th while scouting I had two Canyon Towhee, an unexpected new species for the route.
Interestingly, when I was at the first Stop on the 18th to scout things out, an Xcel employee pulled up in one of their pickups, asking if I was OK, and when he saw my binoculars & camera and heard I was doing my annual June bird survey he expressed concern for my safety. He said Xcel was underway with layout & construction (& also doing bird & wildlife surveys for Environmental Impact analyses) for that #5 segment of their Colorado's Power Pathway (transmission lines especially for future solar and wind power)--but said that many local folks weren't too happy about it--and they might assume I was with Xcel. He said their crews actually have security travelling with them for protection.
Here are some pics from the 2 days (first 4 from scouting on the 18th; next 4 from count day the 19th).
...looking west past the parched prairie toward the Peak--not as clear as normal. [image: IMG_3009be.jpg]
Count day-- [image: IMG_3032e.jpg]
...there's the Peak...? [image: IMG_3035e.jpg] [image: IMG_3044e.jpg] 5 owls in this shot (6 were present): [image: IMG_3048ce.jpg]
Curious to hear from other BBS-ers.
Marty Wolf, NW CO Spgs
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Date: 6/26/26 6:40 am From: 'Linda' via Colorado Birds <cobirds...> Subject: Re: [cobirds] Digest for - 4 updates in 1 topic
Great "haul!" I can almost smell the mountain air.
Linda
> On Jun 26, 2026, at 07:13, <cobirds...> wrote:
>
> <cobirds...> <https://groups.google.com/forum/?utm_source=digest&utm_medium=email#!forum/cobirds/topics> <https://groups.google.com/forum/?utm_source=digest&utm_medium=email/#!overview> Google Groups <https://groups.google.com/forum/?utm_source=digest&utm_medium=email/#!overview> > Topic digest <>
> View all topics <https://groups.google.com/forum/?utm_source=digest&utm_medium=email#!forum/cobirds/topics> > Wild Basin - RMNP <x-msg://2/#group_thread_0> - 4 Updates
> Wild Basin - RMNP <http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds/t/252a455fbb82e617?utm_source=digest&utm_medium=email> > John Tumasonis <snakemonev...>: Jun 25 09:53AM -0700
>
> All:
> Some birding and wildflowers at Wild Basin in Rocky Mountain
> National Park, over the last couple weeks. Compiled from three visits in
> June. Note: requires a Timed Entry Permit between the hours of 9 a.m. to
> 2 p.m. If you get there before 9 a.m. you don't need a timed permit, but
> you will still need your "regular" pass, or pay at gate. The road is bumpy
> with some potholes, but a a passenger car can make it to the trailhead if
> going slowly. I broke this down into three sections: the "willow
> marshes" from Copeland Lake to the Winter Gate; the Ponderosa \ Lodgepole
> pine forests from the Winter Gate to the main trailhead; and the main
> trailhead up past Calypso Cascades. Got my boots and feet muddy trudging
> through marshes.
>
> Pardon my spelling and grammar.
>
> Great Blue Heron - 2 - one at Copeland Lake, the other in the willow
> marshes\
>
> Spotted Sandpiper - 4 - at two separate ponds.
>
> Wilson's Snipe - 8 - willow marshes; several winnowing displays, alarm
> calls, and one doing the "broken wing trick" to lure me away from a nest
> site.
>
> Mallard - 2 at Copeland Lake
>
> MacGillivray's Warbler - 6
>
> Audubon's Warbler - 21 males and females
>
> Wilson's Warbler - 11
>
> Williamson's Sapsucker - 1 male, foraging on a huge ponderosa pine (dead)
> snag
>
> Northern Flicker - 2
>
> Red Napped Sapsucker - 1 male
>
> Three Toed Woodpecker - 1 male chased off a Douglas fir by a red napped
> sapsucker
>
> Dusky Flycatcher - 8 - in willow thickets and marsh habitats - one being
> attacked by a broad tailed hummingbird
>
> Cordilleran Flycatcher - only 1 at the entrance station
>
> Hammond's Flycatcher - 4 in mixed evergreen habitat
>
> Broad Tailed Hummingbird - 14
>
> Brown Creeper - 1
>
> White Breasted Nuthatch - 2
>
> Red Breasted Nuthatch - 6
>
> Pygmy Nuthatch - 6
>
> American Robin - 40+ - the predominant species
>
> Townsend's Solitaire -2
>
> Clark's Nutcracker - 2 flyovers, calling
>
> American Dipper - 4 - at footbridge crossing and at Copeland Falls
>
> Black Headed Grosbeak - 4 - males and females; one nest site found
>
> Western Tanager - 10 - males and females collecting insects
>
> Lincoln's Sparrow - 12 - songs, chases; in willow marshes
>
> Song Sparrow - 12 singing, foraging in willow marshes
>
> Fox Sparrow - 2 singing - in marshes
>
> Violet Green Swallow - 16
>
> Pine Siskin - 15 - flyovers, calling
>
> Mountain Chickadee - 6
>
> Black Capped Chickadee - 4
>
> Gray Headed Junco - 15 - nesting, foraging, songs, calls
>
> Chipping Sparrow - 2
>
> Warbling Vireo - 15
>
> Note: At the winter parking area and road-creek crossing there were dozens
> of robins, warbling vireos, Audubon's warblers, and Western Tanagers, all
> flycatching insects over the creek and surrounding forests.
>
>
> Mammals:
> Moose - 2
> Pine Squirrel - 6
> Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel - 2
> Chipmunk spp: 2
> Mule Deer - 1
>
> Flowers were scant, but many species: Stonecrop, Blue Columbine,
> Baneberry, Sulphurflower, Heart Leaf Arnica, Globeflower, Marsh Marigold,
> Shooting Star, Elephantshead, Spotted Coralroot, Geyer's Onion, Yarrow,
> Mouse-Ear, Dandelion, Boulder Raspberry, Wild Rose, Wild Strawberry,
> Ninebark, Chokecherry, Cinquifoil spp; Wild Geranium, Goldenbanner,
> Mountain Lupine, Groundsel spp; Mountain Violet, Pussytoes,
> Pearlyeverlasting, Mountain Ash, Red Elderberry, Blue Clementis, and
> dozens of others.
>
> John T (Tumasonis)
> "I'm not a real birder. I only pretend to be one on CoBirds."
> Buzz Schaumberg <egseagle171...>: Jun 25 05:03PM
>
> Love it!
>
>
> Sent from the all new Aol app for iOS
> Buzz Schaumberg
>
> On Thursday, June 25, 2026, 10:53 AM, John Tumasonis <snakemonev...> wrote:
>
> All: Some birding and wildflowers at Wild Basin in Rocky Mountain National Park, over the last couple weeks. Compiled from three visits in June. Note: requires a Timed Entry Permit between the hours of 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you get there before 9 a.m. you don't need a timed permit, but you will still need your "regular" pass, or pay at gate. The road is bumpy with some potholes, but a a passenger car can make it to the trailhead if going slowly. I broke this down into three sections: the "willow marshes" from Copeland Lake to the Winter Gate; the Ponderosa \ Lodgepole pine forests from the Winter Gate to the main trailhead; and the main trailhead up past Calypso Cascades. Got my boots and feet muddy trudging through marshes.
> Pardon my spelling and grammar.
> Great Blue Heron - 2 - one at Copeland Lake, the other in the willow marshes\
> Spotted Sandpiper - 4 - at two separate ponds.
> Wilson's Snipe - 8 - willow marshes; several winnowing displays, alarm calls, and one doing the "broken wing trick" to lure me away from a nest site.
> Mallard - 2 at Copeland Lake
> MacGillivray's Warbler - 6
> Audubon's Warbler - 21 males and females
> Wilson's Warbler - 11
> Williamson's Sapsucker - 1 male, foraging on a huge ponderosa pine (dead) snag
> Northern Flicker - 2
> Red Napped Sapsucker - 1 male
> Three Toed Woodpecker - 1 male chased off a Douglas fir by a red napped sapsucker
> Dusky Flycatcher - 8 - in willow thickets and marsh habitats - one being attacked by a broad tailed hummingbird
> Cordilleran Flycatcher - only 1 at the entrance station
> Hammond's Flycatcher - 4 in mixed evergreen habitat
> Broad Tailed Hummingbird - 14
> Brown Creeper - 1
> White Breasted Nuthatch - 2
> Red Breasted Nuthatch - 6
> Pygmy Nuthatch - 6
> American Robin - 40+ - the predominant species
> Townsend's Solitaire -2
> Clark's Nutcracker - 2 flyovers, calling
> American Dipper - 4 - at footbridge crossing and at Copeland Falls
> Black Headed Grosbeak - 4 - males and females; one nest site found
> Western Tanager - 10 - males and females collecting insects
> Lincoln's Sparrow - 12 - songs, chases; in willow marshes
> Song Sparrow - 12 singing, foraging in willow marshes
> Fox Sparrow - 2 singing - in marshes
> Violet Green Swallow - 16
> Pine Siskin - 15 - flyovers, calling
> Mountain Chickadee - 6
> Black Capped Chickadee - 4
> Gray Headed Junco - 15 - nesting, foraging, songs, calls
> Chipping Sparrow - 2
> Warbling Vireo - 15
> Note: At the winter parking area and road-creek crossing there were dozens of robins, warbling vireos, Audubon's warblers, and Western Tanagers, all flycatching insects over the creek and surrounding forests.
>
> Mammals: Moose - 2Pine Squirrel - 6Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel - 2Chipmunk spp: 2Mule Deer - 1
> Flowers were scant, but many species: Stonecrop, Blue Columbine, Baneberry, Sulphurflower, Heart Leaf Arnica, Globeflower, Marsh Marigold, Shooting Star, Elephantshead, Spotted Coralroot, Geyer's Onion, Yarrow, Mouse-Ear, Dandelion, Boulder Raspberry, Wild Rose, Wild Strawberry, Ninebark, Chokecherry, Cinquifoil spp; Wild Geranium, Goldenbanner, Mountain Lupine, Groundsel spp; Mountain Violet, Pussytoes, Pearlyeverlasting, Mountain Ash, Red Elderberry, Blue Clementis, and dozens of others.
> John T (Tumasonis)"I'm not a real birder. I only pretend to be one on CoBirds."
>
> --
> --
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> To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/<91339802-0595-4ec5-9814-34d92afec775n...> > Jon Webb <cordillerasales...>: Jun 25 12:06PM -0600
>
> Hey John, great list… thanks for posting. Surprised no Kinglets!?
>
> Jon Webb
> Lyons, CO
>
>
>
>
>
> John Tumasonis <snakemonev...>: Jun 25 12:34PM -0700
>
> Ack! Of course there were kinglets - 18 of them. And 4 red winged
> blackbirds. And 4 cedar waxwings. And 1 hermit thrush. - I lost my
> notebook, and then I lost my mind. :) !
>
> John T
>
> On Thursday, June 25, 2026 at 12:06:27 PM UTC-6 Jon Webb wrote:
>
> Back to top <x-msg://2/#digest_top>
> You received this digest because you're subscribed to updates for this group. You can change your settings on the group membership page <https://groups.google.com/forum/?utm_source=digest&utm_medium=email#!forum/cobirds/join>.
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Ack! Of course there were kinglets - 18 of them. And 4 red winged
blackbirds. And 4 cedar waxwings. And 1 hermit thrush. - I lost my
notebook, and then I lost my mind. :) !
John T
On Thursday, June 25, 2026 at 12:06:27 PM UTC-6 Jon Webb wrote:
> Hey John, great list… thanks for posting. Surprised no Kinglets!?
>
> Jon Webb
> Lyons, CO
>
>
>
>
>
> On Jun 25, 2026, at 11:03 AM, 'Buzz Schaumberg' via Colorado Birds <
> <cob......> wrote:
>
> Love it!
>
>
> Sent from the all new Aol app for iOS
> <https://apps.apple.com/us/app/aol-news-email-weather-video/id646100661> > Buzz Schaumberg
>
> On Thursday, June 25, 2026, 10:53 AM, John Tumasonis <snake......>
> wrote:
>
> All:
> Some birding and wildflowers at Wild Basin in Rocky Mountain
> National Park, over the last couple weeks. Compiled from three visits in
> June. Note: requires a Timed Entry Permit between the hours of 9 a.m. to
> 2 p.m. If you get there before 9 a.m. you don't need a timed permit, but
> you will still need your "regular" pass, or pay at gate. The road is bumpy
> with some potholes, but a a passenger car can make it to the trailhead if
> going slowly. I broke this down into three sections: the "willow
> marshes" from Copeland Lake to the Winter Gate; the Ponderosa \ Lodgepole
> pine forests from the Winter Gate to the main trailhead; and the main
> trailhead up past Calypso Cascades. Got my boots and feet muddy trudging
> through marshes.
>
> Pardon my spelling and grammar.
>
> Great Blue Heron - 2 - one at Copeland Lake, the other in the willow
> marshes\
>
> Spotted Sandpiper - 4 - at two separate ponds.
>
> Wilson's Snipe - 8 - willow marshes; several winnowing displays, alarm
> calls, and one doing the "broken wing trick" to lure me away from a nest
> site.
>
> Mallard - 2 at Copeland Lake
>
> MacGillivray's Warbler - 6
>
> Audubon's Warbler - 21 males and females
>
> Wilson's Warbler - 11
>
> Williamson's Sapsucker - 1 male, foraging on a huge ponderosa pine (dead)
> snag
>
> Northern Flicker - 2
>
> Red Napped Sapsucker - 1 male
>
> Three Toed Woodpecker - 1 male chased off a Douglas fir by a red napped
> sapsucker
>
> Dusky Flycatcher - 8 - in willow thickets and marsh habitats - one being
> attacked by a broad tailed hummingbird
>
> Cordilleran Flycatcher - only 1 at the entrance station
>
> Hammond's Flycatcher - 4 in mixed evergreen habitat
>
> Broad Tailed Hummingbird - 14
>
> Brown Creeper - 1
>
> White Breasted Nuthatch - 2
>
> Red Breasted Nuthatch - 6
>
> Pygmy Nuthatch - 6
>
> American Robin - 40+ - the predominant species
>
> Townsend's Solitaire -2
>
> Clark's Nutcracker - 2 flyovers, calling
>
> American Dipper - 4 - at footbridge crossing and at Copeland Falls
>
> Black Headed Grosbeak - 4 - males and females; one nest site found
>
> Western Tanager - 10 - males and females collecting insects
>
> Lincoln's Sparrow - 12 - songs, chases; in willow marshes
>
> Song Sparrow - 12 singing, foraging in willow marshes
>
> Fox Sparrow - 2 singing - in marshes
>
> Violet Green Swallow - 16
>
> Pine Siskin - 15 - flyovers, calling
>
> Mountain Chickadee - 6
>
> Black Capped Chickadee - 4
>
> Gray Headed Junco - 15 - nesting, foraging, songs, calls
>
> Chipping Sparrow - 2
>
> Warbling Vireo - 15
>
> Note: At the winter parking area and road-creek crossing there were
> dozens of robins, warbling vireos, Audubon's warblers, and Western
> Tanagers, all flycatching insects over the creek and surrounding forests.
>
>
> Mammals:
> Moose - 2
> Pine Squirrel - 6
> Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel - 2
> Chipmunk spp: 2
> Mule Deer - 1
>
> Flowers were scant, but many species: Stonecrop, Blue Columbine,
> Baneberry, Sulphurflower, Heart Leaf Arnica, Globeflower, Marsh Marigold,
> Shooting Star, Elephantshead, Spotted Coralroot, Geyer's Onion, Yarrow,
> Mouse-Ear, Dandelion, Boulder Raspberry, Wild Rose, Wild Strawberry,
> Ninebark, Chokecherry, Cinquifoil spp; Wild Geranium, Goldenbanner,
> Mountain Lupine, Groundsel spp; Mountain Violet, Pussytoes,
> Pearlyeverlasting, Mountain Ash, Red Elderberry, Blue Clementis, and
> dozens of others.
>
> John T (Tumasonis)
> "I'm not a real birder. I only pretend to be one on CoBirds."
>
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Date: 6/25/26 11:06 am From: Jon Webb <cordillerasales...> Subject: Re: [cobirds] Wild Basin - RMNP
Hey John, great list… thanks for posting. Surprised no Kinglets!?
Jon Webb
Lyons, CO
> On Jun 25, 2026, at 11:03 AM, 'Buzz Schaumberg' via Colorado Birds <cobirds...> wrote:
>
> Love it!
>
>
> Sent from the all new Aol app for iOS <https://apps.apple.com/us/app/aol-news-email-weather-video/id646100661> > Buzz Schaumberg
>
> On Thursday, June 25, 2026, 10:53 AM, John Tumasonis <snakemonev...> wrote:
>
> All:
> Some birding and wildflowers at Wild Basin in Rocky Mountain National Park, over the last couple weeks. Compiled from three visits in June. Note: requires a Timed Entry Permit between the hours of 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you get there before 9 a.m. you don't need a timed permit, but you will still need your "regular" pass, or pay at gate. The road is bumpy with some potholes, but a a passenger car can make it to the trailhead if going slowly. I broke this down into three sections: the "willow marshes" from Copeland Lake to the Winter Gate; the Ponderosa \ Lodgepole pine forests from the Winter Gate to the main trailhead; and the main trailhead up past Calypso Cascades. Got my boots and feet muddy trudging through marshes.
>
> Pardon my spelling and grammar.
>
> Great Blue Heron - 2 - one at Copeland Lake, the other in the willow marshes\
>
> Spotted Sandpiper - 4 - at two separate ponds.
>
> Wilson's Snipe - 8 - willow marshes; several winnowing displays, alarm calls, and one doing the "broken wing trick" to lure me away from a nest site.
>
> Mallard - 2 at Copeland Lake
>
> MacGillivray's Warbler - 6
>
> Audubon's Warbler - 21 males and females
>
> Wilson's Warbler - 11
>
> Williamson's Sapsucker - 1 male, foraging on a huge ponderosa pine (dead) snag
>
> Northern Flicker - 2
>
> Red Napped Sapsucker - 1 male
>
> Three Toed Woodpecker - 1 male chased off a Douglas fir by a red napped sapsucker
>
> Dusky Flycatcher - 8 - in willow thickets and marsh habitats - one being attacked by a broad tailed hummingbird
>
> Cordilleran Flycatcher - only 1 at the entrance station
>
> Hammond's Flycatcher - 4 in mixed evergreen habitat
>
> Broad Tailed Hummingbird - 14
>
> Brown Creeper - 1
>
> White Breasted Nuthatch - 2
>
> Red Breasted Nuthatch - 6
>
> Pygmy Nuthatch - 6
>
> American Robin - 40+ - the predominant species
>
> Townsend's Solitaire -2
>
> Clark's Nutcracker - 2 flyovers, calling
>
> American Dipper - 4 - at footbridge crossing and at Copeland Falls
>
> Black Headed Grosbeak - 4 - males and females; one nest site found
>
> Western Tanager - 10 - males and females collecting insects
>
> Lincoln's Sparrow - 12 - songs, chases; in willow marshes
>
> Song Sparrow - 12 singing, foraging in willow marshes
>
> Fox Sparrow - 2 singing - in marshes
>
> Violet Green Swallow - 16
>
> Pine Siskin - 15 - flyovers, calling
>
> Mountain Chickadee - 6
>
> Black Capped Chickadee - 4
>
> Gray Headed Junco - 15 - nesting, foraging, songs, calls
>
> Chipping Sparrow - 2
>
> Warbling Vireo - 15
>
> Note: At the winter parking area and road-creek crossing there were dozens of robins, warbling vireos, Audubon's warblers, and Western Tanagers, all flycatching insects over the creek and surrounding forests.
>
>
> Mammals:
> Moose - 2
> Pine Squirrel - 6
> Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel - 2
> Chipmunk spp: 2
> Mule Deer - 1
>
> Flowers were scant, but many species: Stonecrop, Blue Columbine, Baneberry, Sulphurflower, Heart Leaf Arnica, Globeflower, Marsh Marigold, Shooting Star, Elephantshead, Spotted Coralroot, Geyer's Onion, Yarrow, Mouse-Ear, Dandelion, Boulder Raspberry, Wild Rose, Wild Strawberry, Ninebark, Chokecherry, Cinquifoil spp; Wild Geranium, Goldenbanner, Mountain Lupine, Groundsel spp; Mountain Violet, Pussytoes, Pearlyeverlasting, Mountain Ash, Red Elderberry, Blue Clementis, and dozens of others.
>
> John T (Tumasonis)
> "I'm not a real birder. I only pretend to be one on CoBirds."
>
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Date: 6/25/26 10:03 am From: 'Buzz Schaumberg' via Colorado Birds <cobirds...> Subject: Re: [cobirds] Wild Basin - RMNP
Love it!
Sent from the all new Aol app for iOS
Buzz Schaumberg
On Thursday, June 25, 2026, 10:53 AM, John Tumasonis <snakemonev...> wrote:
All: Some birding and wildflowers at Wild Basin in Rocky Mountain National Park, over the last couple weeks. Compiled from three visits in June. Note: requires a Timed Entry Permit between the hours of 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you get there before 9 a.m. you don't need a timed permit, but you will still need your "regular" pass, or pay at gate. The road is bumpy with some potholes, but a a passenger car can make it to the trailhead if going slowly. I broke this down into three sections: the "willow marshes" from Copeland Lake to the Winter Gate; the Ponderosa \ Lodgepole pine forests from the Winter Gate to the main trailhead; and the main trailhead up past Calypso Cascades. Got my boots and feet muddy trudging through marshes.
Pardon my spelling and grammar.
Great Blue Heron - 2 - one at Copeland Lake, the other in the willow marshes\
Spotted Sandpiper - 4 - at two separate ponds.
Wilson's Snipe - 8 - willow marshes; several winnowing displays, alarm calls, and one doing the "broken wing trick" to lure me away from a nest site.
Mallard - 2 at Copeland Lake
MacGillivray's Warbler - 6
Audubon's Warbler - 21 males and females
Wilson's Warbler - 11
Williamson's Sapsucker - 1 male, foraging on a huge ponderosa pine (dead) snag
Northern Flicker - 2
Red Napped Sapsucker - 1 male
Three Toed Woodpecker - 1 male chased off a Douglas fir by a red napped sapsucker
Dusky Flycatcher - 8 - in willow thickets and marsh habitats - one being attacked by a broad tailed hummingbird
Cordilleran Flycatcher - only 1 at the entrance station
Hammond's Flycatcher - 4 in mixed evergreen habitat
Broad Tailed Hummingbird - 14
Brown Creeper - 1
White Breasted Nuthatch - 2
Red Breasted Nuthatch - 6
Pygmy Nuthatch - 6
American Robin - 40+ - the predominant species
Townsend's Solitaire -2
Clark's Nutcracker - 2 flyovers, calling
American Dipper - 4 - at footbridge crossing and at Copeland Falls
Black Headed Grosbeak - 4 - males and females; one nest site found
Western Tanager - 10 - males and females collecting insects
Lincoln's Sparrow - 12 - songs, chases; in willow marshes
Song Sparrow - 12 singing, foraging in willow marshes
Fox Sparrow - 2 singing - in marshes
Violet Green Swallow - 16
Pine Siskin - 15 - flyovers, calling
Mountain Chickadee - 6
Black Capped Chickadee - 4
Gray Headed Junco - 15 - nesting, foraging, songs, calls
Chipping Sparrow - 2
Warbling Vireo - 15
Note: At the winter parking area and road-creek crossing there were dozens of robins, warbling vireos, Audubon's warblers, and Western Tanagers, all flycatching insects over the creek and surrounding forests.
Mammals: Moose - 2Pine Squirrel - 6Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel - 2Chipmunk spp: 2Mule Deer - 1
Flowers were scant, but many species: Stonecrop, Blue Columbine, Baneberry, Sulphurflower, Heart Leaf Arnica, Globeflower, Marsh Marigold, Shooting Star, Elephantshead, Spotted Coralroot, Geyer's Onion, Yarrow, Mouse-Ear, Dandelion, Boulder Raspberry, Wild Rose, Wild Strawberry, Ninebark, Chokecherry, Cinquifoil spp; Wild Geranium, Goldenbanner, Mountain Lupine, Groundsel spp; Mountain Violet, Pussytoes, Pearlyeverlasting, Mountain Ash, Red Elderberry, Blue Clementis, and dozens of others.
John T (Tumasonis)"I'm not a real birder. I only pretend to be one on CoBirds."
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Date: 6/25/26 9:54 am From: John Tumasonis <snakemonev...> Subject: [cobirds] Wild Basin - RMNP
All: Some birding and wildflowers at Wild Basin in Rocky Mountain National Park, over the last couple weeks. Compiled from three visits in June. Note: requires a Timed Entry Permit between the hours of 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you get there before 9 a.m. you don't need a timed permit, but you will still need your "regular" pass, or pay at gate. The road is bumpy with some potholes, but a a passenger car can make it to the trailhead if going slowly. I broke this down into three sections: the "willow marshes" from Copeland Lake to the Winter Gate; the Ponderosa \ Lodgepole pine forests from the Winter Gate to the main trailhead; and the main trailhead up past Calypso Cascades. Got my boots and feet muddy trudging through marshes.
Pardon my spelling and grammar.
Great Blue Heron - 2 - one at Copeland Lake, the other in the willow marshes\
Spotted Sandpiper - 4 - at two separate ponds.
Wilson's Snipe - 8 - willow marshes; several winnowing displays, alarm calls, and one doing the "broken wing trick" to lure me away from a nest site.
Mallard - 2 at Copeland Lake
MacGillivray's Warbler - 6
Audubon's Warbler - 21 males and females
Wilson's Warbler - 11
Williamson's Sapsucker - 1 male, foraging on a huge ponderosa pine (dead) snag
Northern Flicker - 2
Red Napped Sapsucker - 1 male
Three Toed Woodpecker - 1 male chased off a Douglas fir by a red napped sapsucker
Dusky Flycatcher - 8 - in willow thickets and marsh habitats - one being attacked by a broad tailed hummingbird
Cordilleran Flycatcher - only 1 at the entrance station
Hammond's Flycatcher - 4 in mixed evergreen habitat
Broad Tailed Hummingbird - 14
Brown Creeper - 1
White Breasted Nuthatch - 2
Red Breasted Nuthatch - 6
Pygmy Nuthatch - 6
American Robin - 40+ - the predominant species
Townsend's Solitaire -2
Clark's Nutcracker - 2 flyovers, calling
American Dipper - 4 - at footbridge crossing and at Copeland Falls
Black Headed Grosbeak - 4 - males and females; one nest site found
Western Tanager - 10 - males and females collecting insects
Lincoln's Sparrow - 12 - songs, chases; in willow marshes
Song Sparrow - 12 singing, foraging in willow marshes
Note: At the winter parking area and road-creek crossing there were dozens of robins, warbling vireos, Audubon's warblers, and Western Tanagers, all flycatching insects over the creek and surrounding forests.
Flowers were scant, but many species: Stonecrop, Blue Columbine, Baneberry, Sulphurflower, Heart Leaf Arnica, Globeflower, Marsh Marigold, Shooting Star, Elephantshead, Spotted Coralroot, Geyer's Onion, Yarrow, Mouse-Ear, Dandelion, Boulder Raspberry, Wild Rose, Wild Strawberry, Ninebark, Chokecherry, Cinquifoil spp; Wild Geranium, Goldenbanner, Mountain Lupine, Groundsel spp; Mountain Violet, Pussytoes, Pearlyeverlasting, Mountain Ash, Red Elderberry, Blue Clementis, and dozens of others.
John T (Tumasonis) "I'm not a real birder. I only pretend to be one on CoBirds."
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Date: 6/24/26 4:19 pm From: Robert Righter <rorighter...> Subject: [cobirds] Birding while using AI
While bird watching in the Pacific North West I’m always impressed by how few song birds are detected. The habitats are stunningly lush and beautiful. Recently while in the Trinidad-Humboldt region of Northern California I asked ChatGPT what is going on with the birds? Paraphrasing ChatGPT replied …During the last ice age much of the Pacific Northwest was smothered by glaciers that over time would retreat then then advance, thus forcing plants and animals to be pushed further south. When the ice age finally melted for good some bird species returned but there was now less geologic time for birds to diversify. Further hindering diversification where the impeding Cascade Mountains. Also conifers became the dominating habitat for the region which was good for some types of birds but discouraging for most.
Wow, how was that for an enriching answer for a complicated question!!
Any one else using AI while birding ?
Bob Righter
Denver CO
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Date: 6/23/26 3:39 pm From: Patrick O'Driscoll <patodrisk...> Subject: Re: [cobirds] Swan goose or hybrid
Ginger --
I'm not an expert on this, but from the photos I've seen online of Swan
Geese, their bills appear longer and a bit more swan-like than this one's.
Hybridization with Graylag or some form of domestic/barnyard goose seems
likely.
Since 2009, Denver City Park has had a resident Graylag hybrid (actually
two of them until one died several years ago) that an eBird reviewer
advised me some years ago was likely a Graylag X Swan Goose hybrid.
I've been checklisting it as such on eBird ever since that reviewer note.
That bird -- known to City Parkers as "Gandalf" (brother to the
now-deceased "Randolph") -- is a lot like this one, except he has a
prominent bill as orange as the feet, not darker like this one.
Also, his bill is large but not as elongated ast the Swan Goose photos I've
seen online.
For what it's worth and comparisons, here's Gandalf last
February in City Park's Duck Lake:
[image: 2026 - FEB7 - DUCKLAKE - GANDALF GRAYLAG X SWAN GOOSE.JPG]
Patrick O'Driscoll
Denver
On Tue, Jun 23, 2026 at 4:13 PM '<ginger-o...>' via Colorado Birds <
<cobirds...> wrote:
> Hi Everyone,
>
> I saw this bird on the Platte River near 88th, hanging out with a bunch of
> Canada geese. Merlin says Swan Goose but a friend thought maybe a
> Graylag/Swan Goose hybrid. Any thoughts? Sorry for the photo quality. I
> only had my phone with me.
>
> Ginger
>
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Date: 6/23/26 3:13 pm From: '<ginger-o...>' via Colorado Birds <cobirds...> Subject: [cobirds] Swan goose or hybrid
Hi Everyone,
I saw this bird on the Platte River near 88th, hanging out with a bunch of Canada geese. Merlin says Swan Goose but a friend thought maybe a Graylag/Swan Goose hybrid. Any thoughts? Sorry for the photo quality. I only had my phone with me.
Ginger
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Date: 6/22/26 8:39 pm From: DAVID A LEATHERMAN <daleatherman...> Subject: [cobirds] Broad-tailed Hummingbird nests
Over the past week I have had the good fortune to find two Broad-tailed Hummingbird nests.
The first one is in Grandview Cemetery in Fort Collins. I noticed a female making repeated visits to a little cement vehicle bridge over the New Mercer Ditch near the entrance to the Cemetery Shop (which is 150 yards south of the rock Cemetery Office at the west terminus of Mountain Avenue). Barn Swallows nest under this bridge. Maybe the hummer was after feathers swallows use for nest liner, but it's more likely the attraction for the hummer was spider webs. Each of the 15 or so visits I witnessed involved a hover next to the bridge, then a dash into the dark underside of the bridge over the ditch water for 10-15 seconds, and then a quick exit out the opposite side from where it entered. The exit flight was always in the same direction. In the past almost all of the 30+ nests I have found at Grandview Cemetery have been on the lower branches of big Colorado blue spruce trees. I checked the nearest spruce along the vector the hummer went after bridge visits. Nothing. Then I went across a broad open area to more spruce trees on the same vector and found the nest. It was what I would call half-built on 6/18 (left photo below). The cup had enough definition for her to sit in it, spin around and shape, and it was somewhat decorated on the outside with spruce bark flakes and bits of lichens. The foundation of the nest appeared to be mostly what I think is bright white spider webbing (with a few American elm seeds embedded by the wind prior to the hummingbird's procurement). Also, a few dandelion seeds were recognizable.
On 6/21 the nest was basically complete, with much greater depth and exterior decorating (below right). You can tell by the web debris on her beak she is still "knitting" the interior of the cup into a final configuration she likes. I do not know if she had laid eggs on 6/21, but if not, that act is imminent. If this nest is like others, she will liven up her two weeks of what must be boring incubation with continued additions to the nest exterior of a tile here and a bit of color there. This has always seemed to me a futile attempt to improve on perfection. And once the eggs hatch, mamma's labors intensify considerably. She must feed the two nestlings, feed herself, defend/shield her progeny from heat, rain, sprinklers, incoming golf balls, fox squirrels, Blue Jays, etc. Egg hatch also marks the onset of nest deterioration. During their approximately two week-long nestling period, the young will grow, thrash around, completely fill the expandable nest to the exclusion of Mom (about half way thru the nestling period she will have to perch next to the nest to feed them). On fledging day, most nests are reduced to throw rugs with no chance for refurbishing and reuse next year.
[cid:<image001.jpg...>] [cid:<image002.jpg...>]
The second nest discovered lately is in lower Rist Canyon west of Fort Collins. It is in an area I have been visiting for over 50 years to collect insects for the Gillette Museum at Colorado State University. On 6/17 I walked past a 5-foot tall Douglas-fir that will be part of the next forest on a north-facing slope at present mostly devoid of big trees due to bark beetle outbreaks in both pine and Douglas-fir and the High Park Fire of 2012. Out of the little tree burst a female hummingbird. I knew what that probably meant and, sure enough, there was a nest with two eggs a mere 3 feet off the ground (left photo below). Today, the female was on the nest (below right). Note the plum-colored gorget feathers on this female, which the hummingbird books say is rare in female broadtails. The exterior of every hummingbird nest is unique and the Rist Canyon nest has a lot more lichens and gray bark bits than the Grandview Cemetery nest.
[cid:<image003.jpg...>] [cid:<image004.jpg...>]
Both genders of hummingbirds are awesome, but for different reasons. The males are gaudy, engage in exotic flight maneuvers, make a lot of noise and beg to have their pictures taken. But the females have always commanded my respect. After being impregnated, they do it all: build the nest, then all the other chores mentioned above, and even do post-fledging feeding/life training of the kids. Here's to female hummingbirds!
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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Date: 6/20/26 8:51 am From: Susan Rosine <u5b2mtdna...> Subject: [cobirds] Re: Possibly injured Kestrel Brighton Adams County
Help is already on the way! No need for more replies. Thanks! Susan Rosine Brighton
On Sat, Jun 20, 2026, 9:38 AM Susan Rosine <u5b2mtdna...> wrote:
> A small business owner in downtown Brighton sent me a photo of a kestrel > looking through their window. She thinks it's injured. I don't really want > to try and handle a kestrel myself. > Thoughts on getting someone out here to take it where it needs to go? > > Susan Rosine > Brighton >
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Date: 6/20/26 8:39 am From: Susan Rosine <u5b2mtdna...> Subject: [cobirds] Possibly injured Kestrel Brighton Adams County
A small business owner in downtown Brighton sent me a photo of a kestrel looking through their window. She thinks it's injured. I don't really want to try and handle a kestrel myself. Thoughts on getting someone out here to take it where it needs to go?
Susan Rosine Brighton
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Things are becoming quite entertaining these days. The male breeding the female and the female trying to breed the male. Silly newlyweds! The nest is right in the center of the platform. There is still a lot of open spaces surrounding it. Lots of vocalizations and once where people walking down the road didn't bother them, now they are hyper vigilant when someone walks by.
They have added some interesting "decor" to the outside of the platform.[cid:f3303eb9-5b28-4a1b-8803-7bcafc4708d8]
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Date: 6/18/26 12:32 pm From: DAVID A LEATHERMAN <daleatherman...> Subject: [cobirds] Crom Lake (Weld) on 6/18/26
FYI, the water level at Crom Lake west of Pierce in Weld County has risen in recent days and formerly exposed shore, especially along the north side, is gone. So is the Hudsonian Godwit, as far as I could tell this morning at 7:30AM. Two avocets, one Black-necked Stilts and about 10 Wilson's Phalaropes, all of which probably tried to breed at Crom, remain. Of course, still lots of Killdeer, most of them up on the dirt of CR31. The local breeder Spotted Sandpipers might have been lurking in the submerged vegetation around the edge.
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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Date: 6/17/26 10:47 am From: 'Ted Cooper' via Colorado Birds <cobirds...> Subject: Re: [cobirds] Food for thought
David, what an amazing, instructive post. All those photos of reptiles and insects made me very hungry for breakfast.
Ted Cooper
> On Jun 16, 2026, at 5:25 PM, DAVID A LEATHERMAN <daleatherman...> wrote:
>
> I made a trip from Fort Collins up to Larimer CR5 (just e of the Rawhide Power Plant), then headed east to check my shrike monitoring areas in the western portion of the Pawnee National Grasslands. I stopped at Crom Lake west of Pierce on the way home.
>
> Larimer CR5 from the Buckeye Road (CR82) north to CR92 was decidedly lackluster. No shrikes, no longspurs, very few grasshoppers, one Golden Eagle.
>
> The western Pawnee Grasslands rarely disappoints in terms of shrikes and their interesting habit of impaling prey. On this trip the fence barb display was comprised of:
> 31 Western Earless Lizards in various conditions from whole and alive to old shriveled pieces
>
> <image002.jpg>
> Prairie earless lizard male in bright breeding coloration, still alive and wondering what the hell just happened, why is King Kong taking my picture.
>
> 3 greater shorthorned lizards
> 1 prairie hognose snake (about 12 inches long, beheaded)
>
> <image005.jpg> <image006.jpg>
>
> Prairie (aka “Western”) Hognose Snake showing dorsal pattern at left, distinctive black underside at right. Total length was about 16 inches, indicating a young one. The shrike had a reason for killing it. I wonder how many other animals, including humans, kill them because of their rattlesnake-similar dorsal pattern?
>
> 0 many-lined skinks
> 3 unidentifiable pieces of birds one of which was possibly a Lark Bunting
> 1 bird gizzard
> 0 mammals
> 2 redshank grasshoppers (more about this later)
> 0 other grasshoppers
> 0 beetles (although one impaled pellet contained beetle exoskeleton fragments)
> 5 camel crickets (a few fresh, the rest fragments, the identifiable ones being Great Plains camel crickets (Daihinia brevipes))
> 1 black field cricket (Gryllus sp.)
> 1 white-lined sphinx moth caterpillar
>
> <image004.png><image015.png><image017.png><image019.png><image020.png> <image007.jpg> <image008.jpg>
> Shrike-impaled white-lined sphinx moth caterpillar at left. Upper red arrow points to spiracle (white oval with black rim). Lower red arrow points to caudal spine which gives most sphinx moth caterpillars their name of “hornworm”. For those who don’t believe the green blob in the left photo is really a white-lined sphinx moth caterpillar, the right photo shows an intact one for comparison. The dual white arrows at left point to spiracles, while the right one indicates the caudal spine.
>
> I shrike nest, that had 6 eggs on 5/26, had at least 5 nestlings on 6/15 (there might be a 6th youngster in there but I didn’t want to take more than 5 seconds to snap a pic) on 6/15. Note the difference in head size between the lower left bird and the upper bird.
>
> <image024.jpg>
>
> I saw or heard 0 raptors, 0 sage thrashers, 0 longspurs, 0 Common Nighthawks, 1 Burrowing Owl, only 2 Brewer’s Sparrows, 1 Cassin’s Sparrow, goodly number of Lark Buntings, Western Meadowlarks and Horned Larks.
>
> My take is that although the prairie is starting to green up a bit, small mammals are down, grasshoppers are down. Few rodents means few hawks. Few grasshoppers and beetles (especially darkling, scarab and ground) means reptiles are essentially the only prey shrikes out there have this spring-early summer.
>
> I saw this Horned Lark making a run to its nest near the roadside. The two prey items it is beak are a male robber fly and an unidentified larva. Red arrow shows similarity between what the bird has and the abdomen tip of a live robber fly. Thus, one insectivore falls prey to another. As Kurt Vonnegut aptly put it, “And so it goes.”
>
> <image022.png> <image018.jpg> <image026.jpg>
>
> Lastly, at Crom Lake west of Piece I was surprised to see a male Hudsonian Godwit in breeding plumage. Too far away for decent photographs but I did put a few identifiable ones on my partial eBird checklist. In reading of their movements, he should have been in Alaska many weeks ago. I would love to know what shorebirds and ibis get out of Crom Lake’s mud and water but suspect the take includes midge larvae and gastropod snails in the genus Physa.
>
> Dave Leatherman
> Fort Collins
>
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Sorry about the formatting issue of my recent email that maybe cut off the right side of a couple photos on your screen. What things look like when I push “Send” is never what it looks like when received. If you meet the person who does this to us………………
The common name for our earless lizard in CO is Common (not “Prairie”) Earless Lizard. This important creature also goes by Lesser Earless Lizard and Western Earless Lizard. The ornithological powers that be mess with common names, which is frustrating, but at least when they decide on one, it is the only accepted common name. That is, until their next meeting.
And the town east of Crom Lake is Pierce (NEVER speed in Pierce, Nunn or Ault). Next time you’re in Nunn, take a look at their beautiful, shiny Town Hall. I paid for it.
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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Date: 6/16/26 5:22 pm From: Charlie Chase <charlesachase3...> Subject: Re: [cobirds] food for thought corrections
One of my very first encounters with flashing lighted vehicles stopping me
was in Nunn on the way to Pawnee with Ron Ryder on our way to Pawnee in
1976. For those of you who have ridden with Ron, you will be likely as
stunned as I was that he was being pulled over for anything. The deputy
came up and said "Sorry to pull you over Dr. Ryder but my mom wanted me to
tell you about the shrike in her barn". Of course... APB on Ron Ryder!!
Charlie Chase
Denver
On Tue, Jun 16, 2026 at 6:02 PM DAVID A LEATHERMAN <daleatherman...>
wrote:
> All,
>
> Sorry about the formatting issue of my recent email that maybe cut off the
> right side of a couple photos on your screen. What things look like when I
> push “Send” is never what it looks like when received. If you meet the
> person who does this to us………………
>
>
>
> The common name for our earless lizard in CO is Common (not “Prairie”)
> Earless Lizard. This important creature also goes by Lesser Earless Lizard
> and Western Earless Lizard. The ornithological powers that be mess with
> common names, which is frustrating, but at least when they decide on one,
> it is the only accepted common name. That is, until their next meeting.
>
>
>
> And the town east of Crom Lake is Pierce (NEVER speed in Pierce, Nunn or
> Ault). Next time you’re in Nunn, take a look at their beautiful, shiny
> Town Hall. I paid for it.
>
>
>
> Dave Leatherman
>
> Fort Collins
>
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>
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Date: 6/16/26 5:02 pm From: DAVID A LEATHERMAN <daleatherman...> Subject: [cobirds] food for thought corrections
All,
Sorry about the formatting issue of my recent email that maybe cut off the right side of a couple photos on your screen. What things look like when I push "Send" is never what it looks like when received. If you meet the person who does this to us..................
The common name for our earless lizard in CO is Common (not "Prairie") Earless Lizard. This important creature also goes by Lesser Earless Lizard and Western Earless Lizard. The ornithological powers that be mess with common names, which is frustrating, but at least when they decide on one, it is the only accepted common name. That is, until their next meeting.
And the town east of Crom Lake is Pierce (NEVER speed in Pierce, Nunn or Ault). Next time you're in Nunn, take a look at their beautiful, shiny Town Hall. I paid for it.
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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Date: 6/16/26 4:26 pm From: DAVID A LEATHERMAN <daleatherman...> Subject: [cobirds] Food for thought
I made a trip from Fort Collins up to Larimer CR5 (just e of the Rawhide Power Plant), then headed east to check my shrike monitoring areas in the western portion of the Pawnee National Grasslands. I stopped at Crom Lake west of Pierce on the way home.
Larimer CR5 from the Buckeye Road (CR82) north to CR92 was decidedly lackluster. No shrikes, no longspurs, very few grasshoppers, one Golden Eagle.
The western Pawnee Grasslands rarely disappoints in terms of shrikes and their interesting habit of impaling prey. On this trip the fence barb display was comprised of:
31 Western Earless Lizards in various conditions from whole and alive to old shriveled pieces
[cid:<image002.jpg...>]
Prairie earless lizard male in bright breeding coloration, still alive and wondering what the hell just happened, why is King Kong taking my picture.
Prairie (aka "Western") Hognose Snake showing dorsal pattern at left, distinctive black underside at right. Total length was about 16 inches, indicating a young one. The shrike had a reason for killing it. I wonder how many other animals, including humans, kill them because of their rattlesnake-similar dorsal pattern?
0 many-lined skinks
3 unidentifiable pieces of birds one of which was possibly a Lark Bunting
1 bird gizzard
0 mammals
2 redshank grasshoppers (more about this later)
0 other grasshoppers
0 beetles (although one impaled pellet contained beetle exoskeleton fragments)
5 camel crickets (a few fresh, the rest fragments, the identifiable ones being Great Plains camel crickets (Daihinia brevipes))
1 black field cricket (Gryllus sp.)
1 white-lined sphinx moth caterpillar
[cid:<image004.png...>][cid:<image015.png...>][cid:<image017.png...>][cid:<image019.png...>][cid:<image020.png...>] [cid:<image007.jpg...>] [cid:<image008.jpg...>]
Shrike-impaled white-lined sphinx moth caterpillar at left. Upper red arrow points to spiracle (white oval with black rim). Lower red arrow points to caudal spine which gives most sphinx moth caterpillars their name of "hornworm". For those who don't believe the green blob in the left photo is really a white-lined sphinx moth caterpillar, the right photo shows an intact one for comparison. The dual white arrows at left point to spiracles, while the right one indicates the caudal spine.
I shrike nest, that had 6 eggs on 5/26, had at least 5 nestlings on 6/15 (there might be a 6th youngster in there but I didn't want to take more than 5 seconds to snap a pic) on 6/15. Note the difference in head size between the lower left bird and the upper bird.
[cid:<image024.jpg...>]
I saw or heard 0 raptors, 0 sage thrashers, 0 longspurs, 0 Common Nighthawks, 1 Burrowing Owl, only 2 Brewer's Sparrows, 1 Cassin's Sparrow, goodly number of Lark Buntings, Western Meadowlarks and Horned Larks.
My take is that although the prairie is starting to green up a bit, small mammals are down, grasshoppers are down. Few rodents means few hawks. Few grasshoppers and beetles (especially darkling, scarab and ground) means reptiles are essentially the only prey shrikes out there have this spring-early summer.
I saw this Horned Lark making a run to its nest near the roadside. The two prey items it is beak are a male robber fly and an unidentified larva. Red arrow shows similarity between what the bird has and the abdomen tip of a live robber fly. Thus, one insectivore falls prey to another. As Kurt Vonnegut aptly put it, "And so it goes."
Lastly, at Crom Lake west of Piece I was surprised to see a male Hudsonian Godwit in breeding plumage. Too far away for decent photographs but I did put a few identifiable ones on my partial eBird checklist. In reading of their movements, he should have been in Alaska many weeks ago. I would love to know what shorebirds and ibis get out of Crom Lake's mud and water but suspect the take includes midge larvae and gastropod snails in the genus Physa.
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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