A Palm Warbler was reported by a reliable observer (Ed Levering) on 22Nov within the CSU Gardens (Plant Environmental Research Center or "PERC"), located in the southwestern corner of the CSU campus in Fort Collins (Larimer). I tried to refind this bird yesterday and today but did not, and do NOT believe it is still present. It was seen along the main n-s sidewalk which connects Lake Street (south end) with Pitkin Street (north end) thru the main part of the gardens very near Lake Street. This area WAS very birdy, mostly with fruit-eaters (robins, waxwings, and flickers) because of the abundance of berries. Foremost in this regard are various types of mountain-ash (Sorbus), viburnum, crabapple, and euonymus. If we get any Bohemian Waxwings this winter in CO, this rather northern location would likely be among the first to attract them. It has always looked good for (and sometimes actually has) semi-hardies like Hermit Thrush, Gray Catbird, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Spotted Towhee, and the like. If you haven't been there, it is worth visiting just for its labeled woody plants of many types. Its bird potential is gravy.
After this check, I visited Grandview Cemetery very late in the afternoon. Toward the end of the circuit as birds were settling to various roosts, a bird flew down to one of the last patches of snow still remaining from the recent storms. The bird was a COMMON REDPOLL, probably a juvenile (fairly brownish with very little red on the crown). It ate/drank slush just long enough to allow an ID, then flew up to the top of a cone-laden blue spruce just to the south and I believe it roosted within this tree. The location of the snow was along the west side of the ditch, about 75 yards south of the main entrance at the west end of Mountain Avenue. Basically, if you come into the cemetery, cross the bridge over the ditch and turn south, the small-getting-smaller snow pile is just north of the first big shrub (a persian-type lilac) you see on the west side of the ditch (which is just north of another little bridge crossing the ditch into the parking lot for the cemetery shop buildings). The only other time I've seen a redpoll in the cemetery was November 1991. Perhaps the recent redpolls in extreme northeastern CO, Estes Park, and this one constitute the beginnings of an invasion year for us? Not sure what other states to the north are reporting. Maybe someone reading this does and can comment. Thanks. As an additional comment, I went to Mission Viejo site in Aurora yesterday to see if anything could be learned about what the Varied Thrush first reported by Buzz Shaumberg (thanks for your post) is eating. Two of the trees it seems to frequent in Buzz's backyard are a fruit-heavy, pink-flowered type of crabapple and an leaf-retaining apple (golden delicious?) with monster fruits. The park to the east has a mini-grove containing female junipers with berries and biggish pines. As the Huffstaters and others have reported, it likes the heated waterbath in the yard north of Buzz's (3896 S. Idalia, bird and birder friendly owner's name is Myra Meverden). Food, water, and cover - what else could a bird want? Dave Leatherman Fort Collins -- 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.com/group/cobirds?hl=en.
