Re: [cobirds] Historical perspective on Bohemians?

['Deborah Carstensen' via Colorado Birds]

Such amazing information!! I really appreciate everyone’s posting on the waxwings. ( I wanted to ask peoples opinion about the history of waxwing numbers in Colorado but was afraid I would just be referred to eBird to try to figure it out myself. ) I can’t believe the huge numbers that have been here in the past, astonishing!Thanks!Deb Carstensen, Arapahoe county Sent from my iPhoneOn Jan 29, 2023, at 6:59 PM, Matt Newport  wrote:While not having seen more than 2 total birds in Colorado during this invasion and feeling I have been missing out, I was blessed to have run into a large flock yesterday in eastern Aurora. I rolled up to a park and with a couple of smaller Crabapple trees with many robins and a few Ceder waxwings. After a short walk I returned and noted the same number of robins and waxwings. Got back into the car and just as I started the car, I noted a huge flock of birds come in from nowhere...ALL Bohemians. It was magical really to stand 15ft from this huge flock of Bohemians, at least 175 counted.Matt NewportAurora, Arapaho countyOn Sun, Jan 29, 2023 at 6:18 PM Bill Schmoker  wrote:Hi Jared- love this and looking forward to also hearing from CO long-timers!I have two stories to tell, starting with 1987.  That year the Boulder CBC tallied 11,284 Bohemian Waxwings, which for years was the all-time Christmas Bird Count high count.  (Can any Boulder long-timers fill in more details on this mega year?)  Anchorage AK has since surpassed that but nice to know that for a while we were record holders.  I didn't participate in the count yet but I remember (as will my then dorm-mate Scottt Severs) seeing big flocks on the CSU campus that winter up in Fort Collins.  The Boulder CBC also had a strong precursor count in 1986 with 2135 and other standout years in 1968 (4200) and 1983 (2530.)  Boulder has tallied Bohemians 24 times out of 81 counts.In 2007 the Longmont CBC tallied a very nice 1366 Bohemians.  That year set my personal high mark, with my team tallying 825 in our territory.  But even better were ~2100 in my Longmont back yard on 29 Dec., a count I arrived at by photographing what I could of the massive flock and extrapolating.  Here's a shot of 698 BOWAs, which I estimated to be 1/3 to 1/4 of the total flock.  I counted each bird by digitally dotting them, changing color every 100 birds to help visualize the magnitude of the flock.Enjoy- Bill Schmoker, Boulder CBC Compilerp.s.  My BOWA count so far this winter is... 0!  :-(On Sun, Jan 29, 2023 at 5:24 PM Jared Del Rosso  wrote:I'd love to hear from long-time birders about their experiences with Bohemian Waxwings prior to this year! While eBird tells part of the story, I'd love to hear more about these past encounters -- including but not limited to where, how many, when, what the birds were up to, and anything else that stood out. I think it would help those of us who are newer to the state and/or birding (like me) appreciate the encounters we're having this winter. Here's my contribution, which isn't my contribution.W. H. Bergtold, who I wrote about for the October 2022 issue of DFO's The Lark Bunting, reported Bohemian Waxwings "all over [Denver] in great numbers, from February 22 to April 8, 1917, when the last two were seen in Cheesman
 Park." This brief account appears in The Wilson Bulletin in Bergtold's 1917 list of Denver birds. Oddly, Bergtold has a single account of a Cedar Waxwing listed in the same essay: "Cedar Waxwing. Seen in Berkeley,
 February, 1906." Might Denver's birders have once chased that Cedar as we've been out looking for Bohemians?Finally, I'll note Joe Roller's eBird report of Bohemian Waxwings in his S. Yates home in 1991. Joe had told me that he'd had large flocks of Bohemian Waxwings in his yard, but I couldn't find it on the eBird map, thinking his home was closer to Wash Park and the encounter more recent. (Perhaps this is a previous home?) In any case, his brief note on the historical checklist tells us that 1991 was an invasion year for Bohemians: "Had large flocks throughout winter, lingering into spring. Larger than nearby Cedar Waxwings, rusty under tail coverts; 'mean' looking facies." I suspect "facies" is a typo, but with Joe I can't be sure. It's also apparently a medical term! I'll also admit to not realizing that Bohemians appear mean, though I indeed think that of Mountain Chickadees.I checked DFO's newsletter archives, and Bohemians were reported on DFO trips from November 1990 (Barr Lake, three in total) through mid-April of 1991 (150+ in Lakewood). Briefly -- occasional sightings of a female/immature type Cassin's Finch and a White-throated Sparrow in my Centennial yard. Yesterday encountered a flock of robins and a small number of Bohemian Waxwings as they descended on an errant Buckthorn in a neighborhood yard near University and Orchard. I stopped briefly and made everyone in my car ooh and aah. - Jared Del RossoCentennial, 

[cobirds] Bohemian Waxwing history

['Andrews Robert' via Colorado Birds]

Hello all,




In response to Jared Del Rosso’s request for historical information on Bohemian 
Waxwings, here is my contribution.




During the 1960s into the 1980s, there were large to moderate numbers about 
every two or three years. Most of my observations, especially of large numbers, 
have been from mid-November to mid-March, with less frequent observations of 
smaller numbers later in March into April. Most of my observations were in 
southeast Denver, in the Virginia Village area between Holly and Monaco, north 
of Florida, and the adjacent Cherry Creek. Some observations in the late 70s 
and 80s were from Boulder, mostly the CU campus.




This is a summary of my observations.

Winter 1964-1965: large numbers in southeast Denver. This was just at the 
beginning of my birding, so I have no specific dates. I remember seeing large 
flocks roaming our neighborhood and descending on crab apple trees in our yard 
in January. I did see the rufous under tail coverts and the white and yellow 
marks on the wings, so they were definitely Bohemians. I think Bailey and 
Niedrach’s book (which I don’t have with me here) gives some detail on this 
invasion, and as I recall birds were seen into April.




Winter 1966-1967: I saw birds from December 30 to March 21, with up to 500-600 
seen on some days.




Winter 1968-1969: I saw birds from November 16 to January 5, with the highest 
day count 412 on December 24.




Winter 1972-1973: small numbers (up to 30) seen from December 16 to February 3, 
and one on April 20.




Winter 1973-1974: just a single observation of 75 on January 26.


Winter 1976-1977: many observations from December 14 to April 12, with up to 
400-500 on some days in mid-March, and 25-60 on two dates in April.




Winter 1978-1979: modest numbers (35-75) from February 28 to April 6. The birds 
on April 6 were observed along Cherry Creek between Holly and Monaco. They were 
actively fly-catching, and were dispersed along the creek individually rather 
than in a tight flock as is normal in the winter.




Winter 1981-1982: a single observation of 12 on April 22.




Winter 1984-1985: two observations of 100-300 on January 11-12.




Winter 1986-1987: 150 on February 23 and 100 on April 21.




Winter 1990-1991: I was out very little that winter so I missed most of that 
invasion, but I observed 115 on January 26.




>From 1992 to 2008 I was living out of Colorado (mostly in Africa), so if there 
>were any invasions those years, I would not have any record of it.




>From late 2008 to early 2012 I was in Colorado year-round, but I have no 
>observations in any of those winters.




>From 2012 until now I have been Africa most of the year, except from late May 
>to early August, so I would not have seen any Bohemian Waxwings even if there 
>was an invasion.




Since I arrived back in Colorado on January 13, I have been out eight times, 
but have seen Bohemian Waxwings only once (thanks to Dave Hill and Cynthia 
Madsen). I am hoping to find some more and see them closer and in better light.




Bob Andrews

Yekepa, Liberia, West Africa

Currently taking a one-semester sabbatical and staying in Centennial

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[cobirds] Historical perspective on Bohemians?

[Jared Del Rosso]

I'd love to hear from long-time birders about their experiences with 
Bohemian Waxwings prior to this year! While eBird tells part of the 
story, I'd love to hear more about these past encounters -- including but 
not limited to where, how many, when, what the birds were up to, and 
anything else that stood out. I think it would help those of us who are 
newer to the state and/or birding (like me) appreciate the encounters we're 
having this winter. 

Here's my contribution, which isn't my contribution.

W. H. Bergtold, who I wrote about for the October 2022 issue 
 of 
DFO's *The Lark Bunting*, reported Bohemian Waxwings "all over [Denver] in 
great numbers, from February 22 to April 8, 1917, when the last two were 
seen in Cheesman Park." This brief account appears in *The Wilson Bulletin 
 *in Bergtold's 1917 list of Denver 
birds. 

Oddly, Bergtold has a single account of a Cedar Waxwing listed in the same 
essay: "Cedar Waxwing. Seen in Berkeley, February, 1906." Might Denver's 
birders have once chased that Cedar as we've been out looking for Bohemians?

Finally, I'll note Joe Roller's eBird report of Bohemian Waxwings in his S. 
Yates home in 1991. Joe had told me that he'd had large flocks of Bohemian 
Waxwings in his yard, but I couldn't find it on the eBird map, thinking his 
home was closer to Wash Park and the encounter more recent. (Perhaps this 
is a previous home?) In any case, his brief note on the historical 
checklist tells us that 1991 was an invasion year for Bohemians: "Had large 
flocks throughout winter, lingering into spring. Larger than nearby Cedar 
Waxwings, rusty under tail coverts; 'mean' looking facies." I suspect 
"facies" is a typo, but with Joe I can't be sure. It's also apparently a 
medical term! I'll also admit to not realizing that Bohemians appear mean, 
though I indeed think that of Mountain Chickadees.

I checked DFO's newsletter archives, and Bohemians were reported on DFO 
trips from November 1990 (Barr Lake, three in total) through mid-April of 
1991 (150+ in Lakewood). 

Briefly -- occasional sightings of a female/immature type Cassin's Finch 
and a White-throated Sparrow in my Centennial yard. Yesterday encountered a 
flock of robins and a small number of Bohemian Waxwings as they descended 
on an errant Buckthorn in a neighborhood yard near University and Orchard. 
I stopped briefly and made everyone in my car ooh and aah. 

- Jared Del Rosso
Centennial, CO
lonesomewhippoorwill.com

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Re: [cobirds] Fwd: Bohemian/cedar waxwings, Arapahoe city

['DuWayne Worthington' via Colorado Birds]

On Fri, Jan 27, 2023 at 3:28 PM 'Deborah Carstensen' via Colorado Birds <
cobirds@googlegroups.com> wrote:

>
> I forgot to mention that I was with Chris Koff at the time that I saw the
> Bohemian waxwings.
> Deb Carstensen, Arapahoe county
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> 
Influence Through Excellence
DuWayne
 Worthington
Instructional Faculty - Science
303.471.3278|duwayne.worthing...@valorchristian.com
3775 Grace Blvd. Highlands Ranch, CO 80126
Valor Christian High School
Begin forwarded message:
> A flock of 300 Bohemian waxwings mixed with robins are at Kipling and Fair
> street.  Just south of Bowles ave.  Amazing!
>
> *From:* Deborah Carstensen 
> *Date:* January 27, 2023 at 3:19:49 PM MST
> *To:* Cobirds 
> *Subject:* *Bohemian/cedar waxwings, Arapahoe city*
>
> There were just about 200 waxwings at Davies and Windemere by Ashbaugh
> Park. There currently are still waxwings in a tall Cottonwood on the east
> side of the street in the park but the large flock was on the west side of
> Windemere. They were going back-and-forth to an ornamental cherry (?) tree
> at the SW corner. There was also a a fair number of robins. There was also
> a great blue heron fly out which was nice to see
> Super great.
>
> Deb Carstensen, Arapahoe county
> Sent from my iPhone
>
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> .
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Re: [cobirds] And...they're at Greenlee Preserve & vicinity! (Bohemian Waxwings, Boulder Co., 1/28/23)

[Karen Coupland]

We saw these Waneka Lake area Bohemian Waxwings at about 2:30 today at
Caria Dr & Cypress Circle when a huge flock landed in some trees in front
of us while we were driving to the main Waneka Park entrance.  They stayed
less than five minutes before taking off toward the south.  FINALLY we had
good views of BOWAs!

Karen Coupland
Longmont, Boulder Cty

On Sat, Jan 28, 2023 at 10:09 AM Ted Floyd  wrote:

> Hey, all.
>
> Got a call this morning from Hannah Floyd about a huge cloud of *Bohemian
> waxwings,* so rushed out to see them. (Apologies to the neighbors who saw
> the dude scampering about in his bathrobe and slippers; I'm sure it's all
> over NextDoor by now.)
>
> I got there as the flock was dispersing--or perhaps I should say *being
> dispersed*...by a most excellent *prairie falcon.* This all went down in
> the strip of meadow known as Waneka Landing just west of the new pickleball
> courts. The birds were last seen in the vicinity of Sandpiper Dr.
>
> Anyhow, they're in the "Greater Greenlee Ecosystem," Lafayette, Boulder
> Co., and all is right in the world.
>
> Ted Floyd
> Lafayette, Boulder Co.
>
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> .
>

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