[cobirds] Fort Collins Turkey Vulture roost (Larimer)

[DAVID A LEATHERMAN]

As many of you know, there is a historical Turkey Vulture roost in Fort Collins 
(Larimer) on Mountain Avenue at the nw part of its intersection with 
Washington.  For reference, this is about a mile east of the entrance to 
Grandview Cemetery and exactly two blocks east of Shields Street.  This roost 
has been there many years but I do not know the exact number.  Most summer 
mornings when the temps begin to warm, these birds head out in search of 
roadkill and other casualties of wild life.  From my many visits to the 
cemetery, most days I'd say they head west toward Horsetooth Res, Rist and 
Poudre Canyons, or Red Feather Lakes.  Return is usually sometime between 5 and 
7pm.  Dr. Alex Cringan, a wildlife prof at CSU and one of the major supporters 
of Breeding Bird Atlas 1, kept track of this roost.  Sadly, dear Dr. Cringan 
passed away within the last year.  If anyone knows the whereabouts of his data 
for this vulture roost, please let Georgia or me know.  Thanks.  

At any rate, over 100 birds have occupied this roost in certain summers.  
Recently they have focused on 6 large spruce trees.  Four of these overtopped 
the front part of a vacant lot and two were very nearby on City right-of-way 
between sidewalk and curb.  Several dozen TVs doing what they do to cope and 
process their lifestyle is not pleasant if you are underneath those results.  
No doubt mostly because the roost centered on a vacant lot, the neighborhood 
tolerated the big black birds with bare heads that for some reason picked them. 
 They even raked and disposed of the feathery mess from time to time.  On bad 
days the stench had to be considerable.  I don't know all the conflicts and 
heated discussions that probably occurred between neighbors with differing 
views, or between them and the various authorities who were no doubt contacted. 
 But to the collective credit of the neighborhood, the vultures have been 
allowed to persist.  In this rare case, ecological services prevailed over 
other much more common, valid, urban values.  But like I said, it was a vacant 
lot and nobody was directly underneath the death squad.  

Last year or perhaps late in 2012, the lot went on the market.  It was 
underpriced, no doubt because of the vultures, and snapped up.  The couple who 
bought it talked to some of us about vultures and you could see what was 
coming.  The purchasers wanted to do some building and vultures didn't fit that 
scenario.  The four private spruce were cut.  The City refused to cut their 
two.  

So, while the vultures were away, 2/3's of their historical roost was removed.  
What would the returners do?  What could they do?  Option 1: size things up, 
totally abandon the site, and relocate.  Option 2: all pile into the 2 City 
trees and diss each other even more than they historically had done.  Option 3: 
utilize the 2 City trees to a normal density and the spillover birds expand 
into new nearby trees.  Option 4: utilize the 2 City trees and the spillover 
birds totally relocate.  I received a report from Georgia Doyle, a professional 
biologist, who many of you know and who lives a few blocks away, that 5 birds 
showed up in the two City trees last week on March 24th.  So far, the main 
group has not shown up.  I saw 8 birds in the 2 City trees today.  The birds 
have options for expansion if they need more spruce to accommodate the total 
number of arrivals.  There are 3 spruce growing together on the Mountain Street 
trolley median just to the west.  And there are scattered, even better spruce 
on several lots with old homes in all cardinal directions.  The tension is high 
for folks who own those trees.  While they may have tolerated the vacant lot 
scavengers, as we all know, and in this case I'd say quite understandably, "in 
my backyard" for something like this usually generates a different reaction.

One of the potential new inheritors of roosting vultures is a couple who are 
friends of mine.  They will remain nameless in the spirit of witness 
protection.  The man, let's call him "Buzz", does what we all do nowadays when 
we don't know an answer - he did an internet search for "vulture repellants" 
(or was it "vulture deterrants"?).  Sorting thru the 4,268,712 matches, he came 
to the conclusion his best tried and true option was a top-of-the-line $150 
vulture effigy.  If properly hung by one foot high in the area one does not 
want vultures to sit for a second, its maker (a company ("All About Props") in 
Tucker, Georgia that creates odd items for movie sets) guaranteed success and 
congratulated Buzz on being the first owner of this product in Colorado.  After 
additional fees of $15 shipping and $40 to a professional tree climber for 
installation, the Centennial State's inaugural 18-inch TV effigy swings in the 
breeze, macabre as all getout, about 50 up in a large blue spruce one block to 
the northwest.   You won't see this very realistic rubber or resin likeness, 
complete with "real feathers" (

[cobirds] Colorado Rare Bird Alert, 1 April 2014

[Joyce Takamine]

Compiler: Joyce Takamine
Date: April 1, 2014
email: rba AT cfobirds.org
phone: 303-659-8750

This is the Colorado Rare Bird Alert for Tuesday, April 1, 2014, sponsored
by the Denver Field Ornithologists and the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory.
If you are phoning in a message, you can skip the recording by pressing the
star key (*) on your phone at any time. Please leave your name, phone
number, detailed directions including county, and dates for each sighting.
It would be helpful if you would spell your last name.

Highlight species include (* indicates new information on this species in
this report).

TUNDRA SWAN (Weld)
Barrow's Goldeneye (Larimer)
Thayer's Gull (*Pueblo)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (*Denver, El Paso)
White-winged Dove (Pueblo)
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Yuma)
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER (Pueblo)
American Three-toed Woodpecker (Jefferson)
Black Phoebe (Delta, Fremont)
Eastern Phoebe (Douglas, Pueblo)
Curve-billed Thrasher (El Paso)
Fox Sparrow (Dolores/Montezuma)
Harris's Sparrow (Delta, El Paso)
GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW (Boulder)
Northern Cardinal (*Arapahoe, Prowers)
Rusty Blackbird (Teller)

ARAPAHOE COUNTY:
--A male Northern Cardinal was reported by Frost at Highline Canal and
Quincy in Cherry Hills Village on March 30.
On March 31, Breitsch reported that the Northern Cardinal was south of
Quincy along Highline Canal trail.  Just south of there is a bridge
crossing the dry canal on the east.  The Cardinal was just north of the
bridge.

BOULDER COUNTY:
--Severs reported that the GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW continues at the Teller
Farm
Parking lot by the windbreak on March 27.

DELTA COUNTY:
--A Harris's Sparrow was reported by Garrison at the FS office feeder in
Paonia on March 25.
--A Black Phoebe was reported by Harris at a bridge across the Gunnison
River near Dominquez Canyon Road on March 29.

DENVER COUNTY:
--A Lesser Black-backed Gull was reported by Rurik at Marston Reservoir on
March 29.

DOLORES/MONTEZUMA COUNTIES:
--A Slate-colored Fox Sparrow was reported by Vest in Lone Dome SWA on the
Dolores River on March 29.

DOUGLAS COUNTY:
--A singing Eastern Phoebe was reported by Kibbe at Chafield SP on March
28.  It was singing in a tree adjacent to "Phoebe Bridge" over Plum Creek.

EL PASO COUNTY:
--At Chico Basin Ranch (fee area) Percival reported on March 25 a singing
Curve-billed Thrasher and by the banding station a Harris's Sparrow.
--An ad Lesser Black-backed Gull was reported by Peterson at Big Johnson on
March 28.

FREMONT COUNTY:
--A Black Phoebe was reported by Moss on the Canon City Riverwalk about .25
mile east of 9th St on March 30.

LARIMER COUNTY:
--A pair of Barrow's Goldeneyes was reported by Baron at Timnath Reservoir
on March 10. They were seen from the parking lot of open space (South
Shore) off of CR 40.  Leatherman reported that the Barrow's Goldeneyes
continue at Timnath on March 25.

PROWERS COUNTY:
--A pair of Northern Cardinals was reported by Kaempfer at Lamar Community
College Woods on March 22.  On March 25, 2 Northern Cardinals were seen by
Stulp at LCCW.

PUEBLO COUNTY:
--A singing Eastern Phoebe was reported by Percival on March 26 W of Valco
Ponds parking lot along Hwy 96 in Pueblo.
--A singing Eastern Phoebe was reported by Percival on March 28 at Valco
Ponds/Rock Canyon in Pueblo.
--A m YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER and singing White-winged Dove were reported
by Percival at Pueblo City Park on March 28.
--A juv Thayer's Gull was reported by Percival on March 29 flying above the
dam at Pueblo Reservoir.

TELLER COUNTY:
--2 Rusty Blackbirds in breeding plumage were reported by Jones at Manitou
Lake on March 22.  They were about 300-400 yards N of the dam along a trail
on W side of Trout Creek.  Taylor reported that the pair of Rusty
Blackbirds was seen again on March 23.

WELD COUNTY:
--A TUNDRA SWAN was reported by Lefko at Loloff Reservoir on March 23.  The
TUNDRA SWAN was seen
again on March 29 by Mlodinow.

YUMA COUNTY:
--A Red-bellied Woodpecker was reported by Witt at Sandsage SWA on March 30.

DFO Field Trips
The DFO Field Trip for Friday, April 4 will be to Denver City Park (photo
and behavior trip) led by Chuck Hundertmark (303-604-0531 or chundertmark8
AT gmail.com).  Meet the leader at 0700 at the parking strip SE of 22nd
Ave, just north of Ferril Lake.  From Colorado Blvd, turn west onto 22nd
Ave. and go past the Museum of Nature and Science.  Turn left just before
the zoo at the sign to the Pavilion Bandstand.  Park on the left at the end
of the parking area closest to Ferril Lake.
  Will photograph and observe early nesting behavior of Double-crested
Cormorants, Black-crowned Night-Herons, and Snowy Egrets on Ferril and Duck
Lakes.  Will also walk the park for migrants and early nesters.  An easy
morning walk for half-day trip.  Bring water, snacks, bins, camera, and
optional tripod and scopes.  Limit of 10 participants, so call or email
leader if you plan to attend.

Good Birding,
Joyce Takamine
Boulder

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[cobirds] Re: Too bad birders can read...

[Amber Carver]

I wanted to add my two-cents worth on this interesting conversation.  There 
are a few points that I think previous respondents have not addressed.  One 
is that migration is an incredibly complex phenomenon, and though a great 
deal of research has gone into understanding it, no one can claim to know 
exactly what prompts individual birds to get up and go. Birding experience 
and historical records can help you guess, but individual birds show up in 
odd places all the time. This may occur more and more with changes to 
habitat and climate, which are happening blisteringly fast. What we know 
about migration patterns in the recent past might not tell us much about 
what's going to happen in the near future. Birds do not have time to evolve 
in response to global climate change, and they may respond in unpredictable 
ways. Lastly, a response to the comment that "neotropical migrants have no 
way of knowing that conditions may be suitable on their breeding grounds 
when they are thousands of miles away."  To this I say that we also have to 
consider the changes occurring on the wintering ground. I don't pretend to 
know how warming temperatures, shifting rain patterns, and a loss of 
habitat on the wintering ground will impact the migration habits of many of 
these birds, but we should not take a "temperate-centric" view on this. 
Birds don't just migrate to Colorado because it's a good place to breed; 
there are factors prompting them to leave their wintering ground as well.

Amber Carver
Littleton (Arapahoe Co.)

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RE: [cobirds] Re: Too bad birders can read...

[Ira Sanders]

Well said.

 

Ira Sanders

Golden, CO

 

From: cobirds@googlegroups.com [mailto:cobirds@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of 
Amber Carver
Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2014 7:40 AM
To: cobirds@googlegroups.com
Cc: Paula Hansley; redstart.pa...@gmail.com
Subject: [cobirds] Re: Too bad birders can read...

 

I wanted to add my two-cents worth on this interesting conversation.  There are 
a few points that I think previous respondents have not addressed.  One is that 
migration is an incredibly complex phenomenon, and though a great deal of 
research has gone into understanding it, no one can claim to know exactly what 
prompts individual birds to get up and go. Birding experience and historical 
records can help you guess, but individual birds show up in odd places all the 
time. This may occur more and more with changes to habitat and climate, which 
are happening blisteringly fast. What we know about migration patterns in the 
recent past might not tell us much about what's going to happen in the near 
future. Birds do not have time to evolve in response to global climate change, 
and they may respond in unpredictable ways. Lastly, a response to the comment 
that "neotropical migrants have no way of knowing that conditions may be 
suitable on their breeding grounds when they are thousands of miles away."  To 
this I say that we also have to consider the changes occurring on the wintering 
ground. I don't pretend to know how warming temperatures, shifting rain 
patterns, and a loss of habitat on the wintering ground will impact the 
migration habits of many of these birds, but we should not take a 
"temperate-centric" view on this. Birds don't just migrate to Colorado because 
it's a good place to breed; there are factors prompting them to leave their 
wintering ground as well.

 

Amber Carver

Littleton (Arapahoe Co.)

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 .
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[cobirds] Greater Yellowlegs/Pierce

[The "Nunn Guy"]

At Crom Lake this morning there were four Greater Yellowlegs and at the 
marsh at Weld CR 84/31 was a lone Greater Yellowlegs 
(http://coloradobirder.ning.com/photo) -- you'll also be treated to see 
some great(!) "chicken" photos taken by Pat G in North Park recently.

Thanks Gary Lefko, Nunn
http://coloradobirder.ning.com/
Mobile:  http://coloradobirder.ning.com/m

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[cobirds] Fwd: storm wigeon

[Joe Roller]

I am forwarding this from Mr. Silverstein, who sent this message and photo
to the RBA.

Joe Roller, Denver

-- Forwarded message --
From: Mark Silverstein 
Date: Tue, Apr 1, 2014 at 8:34 AM
Subject: storm wigeon
To: r...@cfobirds.org


Joyce:



On Saturday 3/29 I took this photo at Bluff Lake in Denver.I sent it to
the ID forum on whatbird.com to ask what it was that I had photographed,
and I was told it's a rare storm wigeon.  Fran Haas said I should forward
this to you.



--Mark Silverstein

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<>

[cobirds] Fwd: storm wigeon

[Joe Roller]

Thanks to Mark Silverstein who sent this nice photo of a Storm Wigeon to
the RBA, which I tried to forward to Cobirds.
If the photo does not show up in this thread, I will forward it to those
who request it.

Comment:
This is a nice example of a "Storm" Wigeon, not shown in most field guides,
but known to some birders,
hunters and taxidemists. This form shows a pale or "bald' head, not just
the" pate" and is a genetic variant,
not a hybrid. The head is pale except for the usual bold green blaze from
the eye to the back of the head.

*For more details, look up "storm wigeon" on line*. There are nice
comparisons of a normal plumage Am Wigeon
next to the Storm Wigeon variant at the link "Greg in San Diego."  The
Denver Museum of Natural History two American Wigeons,
(Storm Wigeon variant plumage) in its collection, where they are on display
in a glass case on the 3rd floor.

The origin of the name "Storm" Wigeon is hotly debated. Most authorities
agree that the name derives from
its association with "Storm's Taxidermy Shop" in Walla Walla Washington,
where Sam Storm and his wife,
Wendy, had this American Wigeon color variant on display in the window of
their shop. In fact other hunters who were lucky enough
to plink similar individuals soon began to take them to be mounted there,
and it became quite an impressive display, with multiple
similar birds. The local name became "Storm's Wigeon,"
and then shortened to its present day form, Storm Wigeon. The Latin name
would be "*Anas Americana thunerstormei*."
This color variant seems to pass through Washington State in early April,
often as early as the first day of April.

Joe Roller,
Denver






-- Forwarded message --
From: Joe Roller 
Date: Tue, Apr 1, 2014 at 9:47 AM
Subject: Fwd: storm wigeon
To: Colorado Birds 


I am forwarding this from Mr. Silverstein, who sent this message and photo
to the RBA.

Joe Roller, Denver


-- Forwarded message --
From: Mark Silverstein 
Date: Tue, Apr 1, 2014 at 8:34 AM
Subject: storm wigeon
To: r...@cfobirds.org


Joyce:



On Saturday 3/29 I took this photo at Bluff Lake in Denver.I sent it to
the ID forum on whatbird.com to ask what it was that I had photographed,
and I was told it's a rare storm wigeon.  Fran Haas said I should forward
this to you.



--Mark Silverstein

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[cobirds] Re: storm wigeon

[Joe Roller]

Please read the above, which may exonerate me from a spanking, or may
double the punishment.
joe


On Tue, Apr 1, 2014 at 10:06 AM, Joe Roller  wrote:

> Thanks to Mark Silverstein who sent this nice photo of a Storm Wigeon to
> the RBA, which I tried to forward to Cobirds.
> If the photo does not show up in this thread, I will forward it to those
> who request it.
>
> Comment:
> This is a nice example of a "Storm" Wigeon, not shown in most field
> guides, but known to some birders,
> hunters and taxidemists. This form shows a pale or "bald' head, not just
> the" pate" and is a genetic variant,
> not a hybrid. The head is pale except for the usual bold green blaze from
> the eye to the back of the head.
>
> *For more details, look up "storm wigeon" on line*. There are nice
> comparisons of a normal plumage Am Wigeon
> next to the Storm Wigeon variant at the link "Greg in San Diego."  The
> Denver Museum of Natural History two American Wigeons,
> (Storm Wigeon variant plumage) in its collection, where they are on
> display in a glass case on the 3rd floor.
>
> The origin of the name "Storm" Wigeon is hotly debated. Most authorities
> agree that the name derives from
> its association with "Storm's Taxidermy Shop" in Walla Walla Washington,
> where Sam Storm and his wife,
> Wendy, had this American Wigeon color variant on display in the window of
> their shop. In fact other hunters who were lucky enough
> to plink similar individuals soon began to take them to be mounted there,
> and it became quite an impressive display, with multiple
> similar birds. The local name became "Storm's Wigeon,"
> and then shortened to its present day form, Storm Wigeon. The Latin name
> would be "*Anas Americana thunerstormei*."
> This color variant seems to pass through Washington State in early April,
> often as early as the first day of April.
>
> Joe Roller,
> Denver
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -- Forwarded message --
> From: Joe Roller 
> Date: Tue, Apr 1, 2014 at 9:47 AM
> Subject: Fwd: storm wigeon
> To: Colorado Birds 
>
>
> I am forwarding this from Mr. Silverstein, who sent this message and photo
> to the RBA.
>
> Joe Roller, Denver
>
>
> -- Forwarded message --
> From: Mark Silverstein 
> Date: Tue, Apr 1, 2014 at 8:34 AM
> Subject: storm wigeon
> To: r...@cfobirds.org
>
>
> Joyce:
>
>
>
> On Saturday 3/29 I took this photo at Bluff Lake in Denver.I sent it
> to the ID forum on whatbird.com to ask what it was that I had
> photographed, and I was told it's a rare storm wigeon.  Fran Haas said I
> should forward this to you.
>
>
>
> --Mark Silverstein
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

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RE: [cobirds] Re: storm wigeon

[William H Kaempfer]

Joe,

I recall seeing one of these with you at Upper Latham.

Bill Kaempfer
Boulder

From: cobirds@googlegroups.com [mailto:cobirds@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of 
Joe Roller
Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2014 10:07 AM
To: Colorado Birds; Joe Roller; 
Subject: [cobirds] Re: storm wigeon

Please read the above, which may exonerate me from a spanking, or may double 
the punishment.
joe

On Tue, Apr 1, 2014 at 10:06 AM, Joe Roller 
mailto:jroll...@gmail.com>> wrote:
Thanks to Mark Silverstein who sent this nice photo of a Storm Wigeon to the 
RBA, which I tried to forward to Cobirds.
If the photo does not show up in this thread, I will forward it to those who 
request it.

Comment:
This is a nice example of a "Storm" Wigeon, not shown in most field guides, but 
known to some birders,
hunters and taxidemists. This form shows a pale or "bald' head, not just the" 
pate" and is a genetic variant,
not a hybrid. The head is pale except for the usual bold green blaze from the 
eye to the back of the head.

For more details, look up "storm wigeon" on line. There are nice comparisons of 
a normal plumage Am Wigeon
next to the Storm Wigeon variant at the link "Greg in San Diego."  The Denver 
Museum of Natural History two American Wigeons,
(Storm Wigeon variant plumage) in its collection, where they are on display in 
a glass case on the 3rd floor.

The origin of the name "Storm" Wigeon is hotly debated. Most authorities agree 
that the name derives from
its association with "Storm's Taxidermy Shop" in Walla Walla Washington, where 
Sam Storm and his wife,
Wendy, had this American Wigeon color variant on display in the window of their 
shop. In fact other hunters who were lucky enough
to plink similar individuals soon began to take them to be mounted there, and 
it became quite an impressive display, with multiple
similar birds. The local name became "Storm's Wigeon,"
and then shortened to its present day form, Storm Wigeon. The Latin name would 
be "Anas Americana thunerstormei."
This color variant seems to pass through Washington State in early April, often 
as early as the first day of April.

Joe Roller,
Denver




-- Forwarded message --
From: Joe Roller mailto:jroll...@gmail.com>>
Date: Tue, Apr 1, 2014 at 9:47 AM
Subject: Fwd: storm wigeon
To: Colorado Birds mailto:cobirds@googlegroups.com>>

I am forwarding this from Mr. Silverstein, who sent this message and photo to 
the RBA.

Joe Roller, Denver

-- Forwarded message --
From: Mark Silverstein mailto:msilv...@comcast.net>>
Date: Tue, Apr 1, 2014 at 8:34 AM
Subject: storm wigeon
To: r...@cfobirds.org

Joyce:

On Saturday 3/29 I took this photo at Bluff Lake in Denver.I sent it to the 
ID forum on whatbird.com to ask what it was that I had 
photographed, and I was told it's a rare storm wigeon.  Fran Haas said I should 
forward this to you.

--Mark Silverstein

[cid:image001.jpg@01CF4D92.E38D83A0]




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<>

[cobirds] Early birds - Chipping Sparrow - Douglas

[Hugh Kingery]

Further to the discussion of early birds, a Chipping Sparrow showed up inour 
yard on Mar. 6, and has come in to feed with a flock of juncos more less daily 
since then. We've watched its crown turn from streaky, vaguely rust, to pretty 
much all rust by the end of March. 
 

Urling & Hugh Kingery 
  Franktown, CO
  


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[cobirds] Arsenal Gulls - Adams County

[JBreitsch - Denver]

Swarms of gulls are on Lake Ladora and the fields to the west.  In fact, 
just as you come on to the property, you will see thousands of them.  I 
didn't have my scope with me, but I was able to find among the many 
Ring-billed Gulls; California Gulls, one Lesser Black-backed Gull, and a 
fair amount of Franklin's Gulls. 

 At Cherry Creek SP, I had a lot of FOY birds, most quite common.  These 
include American White Pelican, Western and Clark's Grebes, Common Grackle, 
Tree Swallow, and some others that I'm forgetting .  Many pheasants have 
been flying around at that park lately, too.

John Breitsch
Denver, Colorado
https://www.flickr.com/photos/breitschbirding/

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Re: [cobirds] Fort Collins Turkey Vulture roost (Larimer)

[apanjabi]

Interesting assessment Dave, it will be interesting see which 'option' the 
birds choose.  Let's hope for everyone's sake the vultures choose to move at 
least part of their group to somewhere where they won't be bothered, or bother 
others. There are certainly plenty of available trees and this can't be the 
first time vultures have had to deal with this in their evolutionary history.  
While some may be concerned for the vultures returning to find that the only 
summer 'home' they ever knew is now gone, the landscape remains suitable for 
them and they will surely adapt to this inconvenience.  

Keep us posted.

Arvind Panjabi 

Fort Collins 

Sent from my iPhone

> On Apr 1, 2014, at 2:58 AM, DAVID A LEATHERMAN  wrote:
> 
> As many of you know, there is a historical Turkey Vulture roost in Fort 
> Collins (Larimer) on Mountain Avenue at the nw part of its intersection with 
> Washington.  For reference, this is about a mile east of the entrance to 
> Grandview Cemetery and exactly two blocks east of Shields Street.  This roost 
> has been there many years but I do not know the exact number.  Most summer 
> mornings when the temps begin to warm, these birds head out in search of 
> roadkill and other casualties of wild life.  From my many visits to the 
> cemetery, most days I'd say they head west toward Horsetooth Res, Rist and 
> Poudre Canyons, or Red Feather Lakes.  Return is usually sometime between 5 
> and 7pm.  Dr. Alex Cringan, a wildlife prof at CSU and one of the major 
> supporters of Breeding Bird Atlas 1, kept track of this roost.  Sadly, dear 
> Dr. Cringan passed away within the last year.  If anyone knows the 
> whereabouts of his data for this vulture roost, please let Georgia or me 
> know.  Thanks.  
> 
> At any rate, over 100 birds have occupied this roost in certain summers.  
> Recently they have focused on 6 large spruce trees.  Four of these overtopped 
> the front part of a vacant lot and two were very nearby on City right-of-way 
> between sidewalk and curb.  Several dozen TVs doing what they do to cope and 
> process their lifestyle is not pleasant if you are underneath those results.  
> No doubt mostly because the roost centered on a vacant lot, the neighborhood 
> tolerated the big black birds with bare heads that for some reason picked 
> them.  They even raked and disposed of the feathery mess from time to time.  
> On bad days the stench had to be considerable.  I don't know all the 
> conflicts and heated discussions that probably occurred between neighbors 
> with differing views, or between them and the various authorities who were no 
> doubt contacted.  But to the collective credit of the neighborhood, the 
> vultures have been allowed to persist.  In this rare case, ecological 
> services prevailed over other much more common, valid, urban values.  But 
> like I said, it was a vacant lot and nobody was directly underneath the death 
> squad.  
> 
> Last year or perhaps late in 2012, the lot went on the market.  It was 
> underpriced, no doubt because of the vultures, and snapped up.  The couple 
> who bought it talked to some of us about vultures and you could see what was 
> coming.  The purchasers wanted to do some building and vultures didn't fit 
> that scenario.  The four private spruce were cut.  The City refused to cut 
> their two.  
> 
> So, while the vultures were away, 2/3's of their historical roost was 
> removed.  What would the returners do?  What could they do?  Option 1: size 
> things up, totally abandon the site, and relocate.  Option 2: all pile into 
> the 2 City trees and diss each other even more than they historically had 
> done.  Option 3: utilize the 2 City trees to a normal density and the 
> spillover birds expand into new nearby trees.  Option 4: utilize the 2 City 
> trees and the spillover birds totally relocate.  I received a report from 
> Georgia Doyle, a professional biologist, who many of you know and who lives a 
> few blocks away, that 5 birds showed up in the two City trees last week on 
> March 24th.  So far, the main group has not shown up.  I saw 8 birds in the 2 
> City trees today.  The birds have options for expansion if they need more 
> spruce to accommodate the total number of arrivals.  There are 3 spruce 
> growing together on the Mountain Street trolley median just to the west.  And 
> there are scattered, even better spruce on several lots with old homes in all 
> cardinal directions.  The tension is high for folks who own those trees.  
> While they may have tolerated the vacant lot scavengers, as we all know, and 
> in this case I'd say quite understandably, "in my backyard" for something 
> like this usually generates a different reaction.
> 
> One of the potential new inheritors of roosting vultures is a couple who are 
> friends of mine.  They will remain nameless in the spirit of witness 
> protection.  The man, let's call him "Buzz", does what we all do nowadays 
> when we don't know an answer - he did an 

[cobirds] Golden Ponds Four Plus Four, Longmont

[Carl Starace]

Hi,   Morning arrivals at the ponds in Longmont today were 4 Turkey
Vultures and 4 Common Grackles. On a Sunday afternoon drive along Crane
Hollow Road we found a song filled Chipping Sparrow. Good April
Birding, Carl Starace,  Longmont

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[cobirds] Re: Fort Collins Turkey Vulture roost (Larimer)

[Scott Severs]

Similar tree removal has occurred at the traditional roosts in Boulder and 
Longmont. The vultures were quite adaptable - moving to other trees in the 
area of the original roost, or a block or two away. Continuous use of the 
spruce trees by the birds gives the trees a characteristic bare branch look 
where the needles have all been worn away. As for the vulture effigy, it's 
just a matter of time before spring winds send it to Kansas :). In most 
cases very few of these deterrents have any lasting power as the birds 
adapt and recognize that they pose no threat, e.g. fake owls, and raptor 
playbacks. 

Scott Severs
Longmont

On Tuesday, April 1, 2014 1:58:25 AM UTC-6, Dave Leatherman wrote:
>
> As many of you know, there is a historical Turkey Vulture roost in Fort 
> Collins (Larimer) on Mountain Avenue at the nw part of its intersection 
> with Washington.  
>  

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[cobirds] Larimer County FOY spotted towhee spotted and comment on migration

[Libby Edwards]

This morning one lone spotted towhee was calling for a babysan on Reservoir
Ridge in west Fort Collins. Dozens of meadowlarks were singing in the
meadow.

In Mid-March we were in Cave Creek Canyon AZ and we saw several early
warblers.  The Virginia's warbler that I found was said to have been 1-2
weeks earlier than the earliest record at Cave Creek Ranch.  At the time I
was reading "Living on the Wind, across the Hemisphere with Migratory
Birds" by Scott Weidensaul, and some of the comments on CO bird are echoed
in his book (or visa versa).  I highly recommend this book if you have not
already read it.

To also comment on recent posts, I enjoy EVERYONE'S posts and I have no
idea whether they are experts or not but I feel all posts are valuable.
Posts are informative and inspiring.  Thank you to everyone who posts!

Libby Edwards
Fort Collins
Larimer County

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[cobirds] Spotted Towhees FOS Boulder Co 3/25/14

[Richard Pautsch]

Re "early birds", I didn't realize that they were unusually early when I
saw them last week, but I had 2 Spotted Towhees along Silver Lake Ditch
between Pearl and Mapleton in Boulder on Tuesday, March 25.

-- 
Dick Pautsch, Boulder

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[cobirds] Cardinal/yes/Arapahoe/territory extension

[Karl Stecher Jr.]

Cardinal continues in Cherry Hills Village just south of Quincy, as the 
highline canal crosses the road between Holly and Colorado Blvd.  No 
sightings before 0850 today, tough watchers were there.  Then Jeff Dawson 
heard the bird sing farther south, in the west side of the towpath, just 
north of the first pond.  I joined him, heard and saw the bird.  It was just 
north of the pond and in a pine tree behind a shed with a black roof topped 
by a blue-green strip.  I followed the bird north, still on the west side of 
the towpath, and then watched it fly east across the canal...seen by others.
It was soon at the bird feeder east of the canal, in the yard where it had 
been seen before.  After a short visit to the feeder, it dropped to the 
dense brush and was almost undetectable.

Soterritory extension.
May be out of sight for many minutes.
Bright red male.
Great territory for it to stay.  I saw/heard about 12 spotted towhees.
And the grackle invasion is upon us. 


Karl Stecher
Centennial 


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[cobirds] Sparrows

[Norma J. Erickson]

Lincoln Sparrow yesterday joining the Harris' that has been here all winter 
long along with the White-crowned.
Norma Erickson
WCR 35 and Hywy 392 north of Greeley

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[cobirds] Travel to Bhutan

[birdingspacepig]

April 1, 2014

Good evening to all!

I was contacted by a gentleman here in Colorado Springs who will be traveling 
to Bhutan for ten days in June. He is looking to speak with or meet with 
someone who has traveled to and birded in Bhutan. He would like to get some 
first-hand information on what to expect, what he should look for, etc. 

If anyone is willing to speak with him, please contact me off line at 
birdingspace...@aol.com and I'll forward your contact information to him.

Thank you in advance to anyone who responds.

Best regards, 

Christine A. Bucher
President, Aiken Audubon Society
Colorado Springs, CO 

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[cobirds] Bald Eagle talon-lock display, Adams County

[Gary Baxley]

This morning I was driving east on Hwy. 7 and was just west of the Platte River 
(near Brighton in Adams County).  As I'm always on the lookout for birds I 
noticed two large raptor-sized birds fly north across the Hwy.  I kept glancing 
to try and figure out which species (not the best light).  All of a sudden they 
were talons-locked and tumbling downward while the light was catching the white 
heads and tails of two Bald Eagles.  I saw about 3 somersaults before they 
separated.  I admit I had a very "wow" conversation with myself seeing this 
display!  Also, saw a Western Meadowlark on a power line today.
My FOS Mourning Dove pair in my yard was sighted March 26 (a couple of days 
earlier than last year - same pair?).  I expect they will remain all season.

Happy Spring,
Sharon Norfleet
Louisville, Boulder County

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