I have not been able to check the cemetery per my every-2-or-3-days schedule of
the last few years. Thus, having not been since 8April, it seemed quite
changed today.
Lots of trees and other plants have flowered/leafed out. The peonies are about
a foot tall, on average. Fox Squirrels were predominately working on Green Ash
flowers. Siskins were doing courtship flights. Robins were in summer worm
mode.
A male Red-naped Sapsucker in the southwest corner was the best bird. It was
flying from tree to tree, doing a lot of aerial hover-gleaning (for what?),
visiting both deciduous and coniferous tree species. Seemed very distracted
and unserious about making sap wells. Probably a tough individual for anyone
wanting to chase it, but who knows?
Other highlights:
* Two Ruby-crowned Kinglets singing back and forth in the same spruce near a
hackberry, possibly an indication of local nesting (which happens with this
species at Grandview maybe 2 years out of 3).
*Lots of cavity-liner gathering (grass, leaves, etc.) by European Starlings,
that have presumably commandeered all the best intermediate-sized cavities.
*While taking pics of a Northern Flicker perched atop a box that it drums on,
but that I have only seen Fox Squirrels peeking out of (and you think it's loud
when they drum on your metal vent pipe on the roof, try trading places with one
of these squirrels), it fanned it tail and flew off. Looking at the pic
reveals a couple red outer retrices, with the rest being yellow. While I don't
have photos to prove it, my sense has been that the tail and wing feathers of
other intergrades are more evenly orange. Is that what others have seen, or
does the impression of orange normally derive from a mixed bag of red and
yellow feathers like this bird had?
*The only Yellow-rumped Warbler (an Audubon's) was foraging high in cottonwoods
presently in flower (dangling purple catkins). Many of the early reports of
warblers from southern CO have been from flowering cottonwoods, also. I wrote
about what I think is the source of migrant songbird attraction to cottonwood
catkins - Dorytomus weevil larvae - in an early "The Hungry Bird" column in
"Colorado Birds" (April 2011, Vol 45(2)). Looks like this might be another
good year for weevils, catkins, and birds that know how to exploit this
combination.
*One starling was doing a great imitation of Western Wood-Pewee.
*Black-capped Chickadees were gathering cottonwood catkin fluff, presumably for
use as nest liner.
*The Great Horned Owl young for this year were not visible when I passed the
nest tree but I would wager they have been visible or will be very soon. Mama
was sitting very high on the nest crotch. I do not know how many babies there
are this year.
*Still no swallows yet. They usually don't appear until the first ditch water
comes in (May 1?).
*Still have not heard a male Broad-tailed Hummingbird. Will a female refurbish
the historical nest in the southeast corner for the 5th consecutive year, and
set a new published record for this species?
*Half-expected to see a Broad-winged Hawk, given recent reports, the date, and
wind direction today, but did not.
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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