I reported last week that I had been seeing an Eastern Phoebe at the old sewer pond/tank next to the Canon City Riverwalk. Yesterday I saw 2 Eastern Phoebes there. I watched them for about 15 minutes as they brought food to a location under a bridge-like structure with steel girders that extends over the pond (really an old tank more than 30 feet in diameter). It isn't possible to view what is under the girders but this is clearly an appropriate location for a phoebe nest. Each phoebe took turns taking food under the structure and coming back out in less than 30 seconds without an food in their bills. They are evidently bringing food to nestlings and the reason I had only been seeing one phoebe, and the reason that bird was not calling, was that the female had been sitting on her nest. I have reported seeing a pair of Eastern Phoebes at this location for the past several years but this is the first time I have seen evidence of breeding.
These Eastern Phoebe pair should be easily seen for the next two weeks as they feed their nestlings so this a great opportunity for those who have never seen this species before. Eastern Phoebe nestlings fledge on day 16-18 per "Birds of North America" online. Directions to access the 9th Street entrance to the Canon City Riverwalk is on the Colorado County Birding webpages. After parking in the Sell's Lake parking area, take the trail that goes by the bluff for several hundred yards. The old sewer ponds are inside the chain link fenced area just north of the bluff trail. The likely nest is above the eastern most sewer tank (it is open and you view it from above on the trail). Though the birds may forage close to the fence and thus only 20 or so feet from the trail, they are more likely to be 50 or so feet away so it may be worth lugging a spotting scope on the short walk (trail is level and handicapped accessible) to view the phoebes. SeEtta Moss Canon City http://BirdsAndNature.blogspot.com --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Join us at the 2009 Convention in Alamosa: http://cfo-link.org/convention/index.php You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.as/group/cobirds?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
