[cobirds] Bushtit

[Paula Hansley]

CObirders,
Ted Floyd did not confirm that the Bushtit picture that I posted on CObirds
earlier today was a Melanotis ssp.

Paula

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Petrographic Consultants International, Inc.
Ph:  720-890-2628

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[cobirds] Bushtit question

[Willem van Vliet]

A small flock of bushtits visited our yard yesterday. It was just 5F.  When
not feeding, they huddled closely together to keep warm, at times in
regular head-tail-head-tail order  (https://ebird.org/checklist/S103608720
).

I could not detect if there was a pecking order and wonder if they rotate
through the position on the outside, taking turns. If so, is it the weakest
who are on the outside, losing the competition for the warmest spots on the
inside?  Or is it the strongest on the outside, protecting weaker ones on
the inside? Older birds outcompeting younger ones? Families or pairs in the
center and left-over singles on the outside? Females seemed to be more
often on the outside. Or is it all just random, first come, first served?

Anyone who can shed light on this?

Willem

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[cobirds] Bushtit, Gunbarrel

[Walter M Szeliga]

Dear Cobirds,
Cold NE winds have brought one singing Bushtit to my yard in Gunbarrel. 
 I usually have a hard time tracking this species down in Boulder County, so 
it's nice to have found one so soon in the year!

Cheers,
Walter Szeliga
Boulder, CO

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Visit the CFO Website at: www.cfo-link.org

[cobirds] Bushtit in jail!

[William H Kaempfer]

Cobirders,

This fascinating report came in to the CFO Website today from Ft. Collins, and 
I thought you all would be interested.

Hi, I do not know how common it is to see Bushtits in Colorado and in 
particular, Fort Collins. I had a small flock come through about 5 weeks ago 
and since I did not know exactly who these excited, chattering little birds 
were, I headed for my bird books. Today I looked out and saw a tiny bird 
trapped within my large tube feed that was almost empty. When I took my ladder 
(and more food for refilling the feeder) outside to release this slightly 
panicked prisoner, I had a nice close look at it. And, popping around the 
nearby juniper and tree lilac was the rest of the flock, creating quite a 
flurry of noise and motion. I had no doubt that my feeders and water tray had 
attracted another flock of Bushtits. I birded years ago with Kevin Cook (and 
others) and am acquainted with Dave Leatherman. While I am not actively out 
birding, I treasure unique visitors at my feeders so I thought I would share 
this with you. Thank you, Allison S.

Moral of the story-keep an eye on your feeders or you might end up with a pack 
of angry bushtits trying to spring an imprisoned relation.

Bill Kaempfer
Boulder




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[cobirds] Bushtit [Greeley, Weld]

[The "Nunn Guy"]

Hi all

Secondhand report:  

   - "Saw a flock of 20+ bushtits in Greeley on August 13. Though I know 
   they are not uncommon, I don't see them in northeastern Colorado very 
   often. Seen a few blocks west of Shawsheen Elementary School (4020 West 7th 
   Street).  Diane T/Laramie"

Thanks

Gary Lefko, Nunn
Follow Me  | Colorado Birder 
 | Pix 
 | Mobile Version 


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Re: [cobirds] Bushtit Nests

['mike' via Colorado Birds]

I observed three Bushtit nests along the Audubon Trail and Connected Lakes area 
this spring in Grand Junction.  I look for pairs in late winter establishing 
territories, then try to find their nests as they are building them and the 
leaves are off the trees. They build their nests in March/April and it takes 
some time to complete the long, gourd-shaped sock like nests.  Often the pair 
will complete the nest and then wait before nesting.  Seems to me they wait 
till things leaf out (making the nests very difficult to find) before nesting.

Of the 3 nests I observed this spring, two were in low hanging cottonwood 
branches and one in a large sagebrush.  Two were about 5 feet off the ground 
and one was up about 20-25 feet. 
 
Nest #1 in sagebrush about 5 feet off the ground.  Last date I observed 
activity at the nest was 5-08.  Lots of activity prior to that.
Nest #2 about 25 feet off ground in low hanging cottonwood branch.  Birds left 
nest the morning of 5-16.  I went back that same evening to see if the family 
returned to the nest, and did not see them. Have seen the family flock several 
times since in the general vicinity.
Nest #3 was about 5 feet off the ground in a low hanging cottonwood branch.  
Both birds were seen on May 1 working on nest after a period of time in which I 
had not see them.  This nest suffered predation by a raccoon or another bird on 
May 4 or 5th.  I saw both birds at the nest on the morning of May 4, and 
discovered the destroyed nest mid-day on May 5.

Several years ago I watched Bushtits build their nest in a Box Elder tree in 
Bear Creek Lake Park. As I recall, those birds were finished nesting sometime 
after the first week of May. 

Probably more then you wanted to know, but they are fascinating little birds.  
Brought lots of caterpillars to their nests.

Mike Henwood
Grand Junction


On May 28, 2014, at 9:55 AM, 'Norm Lewis' via Colorado Birds 
 wrote:

> As of just a few years ago, I had a total of one Bushtit sighting in my 
> Lakewood yard.  Now they come around a couple times a week (and probably more 
> that I am not aware of, considering the hit-and-run nature of their visits).  
> My recent visits have been by 2-3 birds (menage a bushtit?) rather than the 
> customary dozen, though I have yet to see any young.  Definite range 
> expansion.  
> 
> Norm Lewis
> Lakewood, CO
> 
> 
> -Original Message-
> From: Ted Floyd 
> To: cobirds 
> Sent: Wed, May 28, 2014 8:58 am
> Subject: [cobirds] Wow. That was fast.
> 
> Hello, Birders.
> 
> Back on January 24, 2014, I saw about 15 Bushtits at Greenlee Preserve, 
> Boulder County. Just a rare wandering flock, I figured. Then 5 Bushtits on 
> March 24, and then only 2 on March 31, which got me thinking: Could this be a 
> pair prospecting for a nest? Since that date, I've observed 1 or 2 adult 
> Bushtits, and never more than 2, on at least 17 dates at Greenlee Preserve. 
> Definitely suggestive of a breeding pair.
> 
> And now the big news. This morning, Wednesday, May 28, I saw and heard at 
> least 6 recently fledged, dependent young at the preserve. They did it! 
> Woohoo!
> 
> Amazing how fast and furious this species has colonized Boulder County in the 
> barely 12 years I've lived here.
> 
> Ted Floyd
> 
> Lafayette, Boulder County, Colorado
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Re: [cobirds] Bushtit question

[Charlie Chase]

Great photo Willem

I have a similar little "gang" here in Denver.  Two of them have distinct
markings so I can discern them from the rest.  The stacking just seems to
be who hits the branch first and facing direction seems to be really
variable.  Similarly when the gang hits my suet feeder, there doesn't seem
to be any pecking order except one who seems to get pushed around by the
others.  Normally they share the feeder with no squabbling. There are six
different holes in a hanging log and they cover them all.

Cheers
Charlie
Denver





On Thu, Feb 24, 2022 at 9:23 AM Willem van Vliet  wrote:

>
> A small flock of bushtits visited our yard yesterday. It was just 5F.
> When not feeding, they huddled closely together to keep warm, at times in
> regular head-tail-head-tail order  (https://ebird.org/checklist/S103608720
> ).
>
> I could not detect if there was a pecking order and wonder if they rotate
> through the position on the outside, taking turns. If so, is it the weakest
> who are on the outside, losing the competition for the warmest spots on the
> inside?  Or is it the strongest on the outside, protecting weaker ones on
> the inside? Older birds outcompeting younger ones? Families or pairs in the
> center and left-over singles on the outside? Females seemed to be more
> often on the outside. Or is it all just random, first come, first served?
>
> Anyone who can shed light on this?
>
> Willem
>
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> .
>

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[cobirds] Bushtit in Wheatridge

[Gary Bowen (Thornton)]

Saw my first little bushtit of the season in Prospect Park, Wheatridge(?) 
on Sunday morning.

Pic and general location:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/109112260

Gary Bowen
Thornton

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[cobirds] Bushtit nest-building (Larimer)

[DAVID A LEATHERMAN]

Ted Floyd reported bushtits nest building at Greenlee Preserve near Boulder 
yesterday.  I can add a report from Fort Collins.  Also yesterday, I was quite 
surprised to see bushtits building a nest from the front door of my apartment.  
I live about a mile east of CSU in an older residential area.  The nest tree is 
actually on the property to the south, which hangs over the boundary fence to 
our complex.  The nest is about 20 feet up on the east side (gets the morning 
sun) of a very large Colorado Blue Spruce.  BNA says nest construction can take 
anywhere from 2-7 weeks to complete and that spider webs are integral to their 
construction.  This nest is well enough along to have the general ball shape of 
a finished nest but is still very well concealed within the spruce needles.  

What the BNA account doesn't reflect very well is the current permanent range 
of this bird.  The range map is what I would call the 1980 range map when 
bushtits were mostly on the far West Slope and regularly along the Front Range 
only south of Colorado Springs.  Definitely a change.  The extent and timing of 
their expansion seems to parallel quite closely that of black-chinned 
hummingbird.  Both birds now extend northward into southern WY.  Will be 
interesting to see what BBA II shows.

As an additional note, we need to figure out the new foods that have allowed 
this expansion to be successful.  I have personally seen them getting Kermes 
scale insects from oaks at Denver Botanic Gardens, various aphids at the PERC 
Gardens at CSU, hackberry gall-making psyllids at Grandview Cemetery in Fort 
Collins, and my friend Doug Swartz here in Fort Collins showed me hawthorns 
full of mealybugs that he has observed often host bushtits.  At LCC in Lamar 
they are often in tamarisk (getting aphids and attendant lacewings?).  In my 
apartment complex they are often in junipers which I know have aphids.  I 
suspect they are also getting boxelder psyllids.

Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
  

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[cobirds] Bushtit Blitz, Denver County

[Brian Johnson]

This morning at work, Hampden Branch of the Denver Public Library, as I 
usually do I was siting in the car in the parking lot listing to the birds 
and watching them. I usualy arrive a bit early so this is what I do to 
decompress from a tough commute. Today a a supper flock of Bushtits came 
flying out of the pine tree into the small chary tree near my car. I 
counted as they flew by, and kept count. I got 31 Bushtits, I have never 
seen so many in a flock before. I got 20 some before but not this many. 
That little line of them, four in a group followed by nothing followed by 
four more, kept going. They were heading south in a hurry.
I usual call a group like this a Bushtit Blitz, mostly because it sound 
cool, and it really is kinda a blitz. Not an unusual sighing but pretty 
good when you are not planing on a major birding trip and just sitting in 
the car.
Brian Johnson,
Engelewood CO

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[cobirds] Bushtit nesting in Fort Collins

[DAVID A LEATHERMAN]

Yesterday, sitting at the computer with my Fort Collins apartment door wide 
open, I noticed the familiar tinkling sound of bushtits in the courtyard.  Last 
year they nested on this property (nest building first noticed on 12March2016) 
about a mile east of CSU and it appears they will do so again.  In fact, they 
are refurbishing the same nest which successfully produced a brood last summer. 
 In the "Birds of North America" account on bushtits by Sarah Sloane, it states 
the following: "In Chiricahua Mtns., se. Arizona, on only 1 occasion was a nest 
reused a second season, and this was late in season by a year-old inexperienced 
male; nest had remained unusually intact through 2 winters due to heavy 
concealment in a clump of mistletoe (SAS). Most nests deteriorate rapidly when 
abandoned."  The nest here is at the end of a lower branch (about 20 feet above 
the ground) on the ene side (catches the morning sun) of a large CO blue 
spruce.  As is typical of the species, the substantial nest "bag" is well 
concealed and woven into the spruce foliage.  Even knowing where it is and 
looking straight up at the nest site, it takes me a minute or so to locate the 
nest material hiding in the needles.


I would also note Coen Dexter mentions in his bushtit account for the Colorado 
Breeding Bird Atlas II book that the earliest recorded nest-building was 
17March.  Thus, nest-refurbishing on 14February is either a freak event 
triggered by hormonal influence on Valentine's Day, preliminary activity 
influenced by both warm weather and the existence of a suitable old structure, 
an indicator things are changing, or most likely, just the early end of 
activity that birders, especially BBA atlasers accustomed to doing most of 
their work in "typical" bird breeding months, have missed.


Anybody else noticing bushtit nesting activity out there?


Dave Leatherman

Fort Collins

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[cobirds] Bushtit nesting, Lafayette, Boulder County

[Ted Floyd]

Hey, folks.

When you see something like this...




...follow the evidence:

http://tinyurl.com/CoBu-nest-building

Documented earlier today, Friday, March 3, at a residence at the west edge 
of the Greenlee/Waneka/Helca complex in Lafayette, Boulder County.

With apologies to Hannah and Andrew, this is more exciting than finding out 
that you're pregnant.

Ted Floyd
Lafayette, Boulder County

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[cobirds] Bushtit -- black-eared Arapahoe Co.

[Mary Kay Waddington]

Had a melanotus (black-eared) bushtit today.  I don't know how rare these
are, but this is the first one I've seen in Colorado.  eBird doesn't have
that listed as a subspecies on its checklists so  it's hard to know how
common they are.  But it was lovely to see.

Mary Kay Waddington

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RE: [cobirds] Bushtit nesting in Fort Collins

[snowy.owlets]

Hi Everyone,
Bushtits are roaming the parking lot at my workplace in Boulder. They have been 
here most days this month. They usually stop flocking and travel separately 
when they're nesting, but I have not seen this yet. Last year a pair nested in 
an ornamental juniper nearby. That pair was busy by early April, but I don't 
have an exact date.
All the neighborhood flickers are getting hormonal and noisy now, so at least 
some birds think spring is here.
Mark Miller Longmont, CO 
Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S® 5 ACTIVE™, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

 Original message 
From: DAVID A LEATHERMAN  
Date: 2/15/17  2:18 PM  (GMT-07:00) 
To: COBIRDS  
Subject: [cobirds] Bushtit nesting in Fort Collins 



Yesterday, sitting at the computer with my Fort Collins apartment door wide 
open, I noticed the familiar tinkling sound of bushtits in the courtyard.  Last 
year they nested on this property (nest building first noticed on 12March2016) 
about a mile
 east of CSU and it appears they will do so again.  In fact, they are 
refurbishing the same nest which successfully produced a brood last summer.  In 
the "Birds of North America" account on bushtits by Sarah Sloane, it states the 
following: "In Chiricahua Mtns.,
 se. Arizona, on only 1 occasion was a nest reused a second season, and this 
was late in season by a year-old inexperienced male; nest had remained 
unusually intact through 2 winters due to heavy concealment in a clump of 
mistletoe (SAS). Most nests deteriorate
 rapidly when abandoned."  The nest here is at the end of a lower branch (about 
20 feet above the ground) on the ene side (catches the morning sun) of a large 
CO blue spruce.  As is typical of the species, the substantial nest "bag" is 
well concealed and woven
 into the spruce foliage.  Even knowing where it is and looking straight up at 
the nest site, it takes me a minute or so to locate the nest material hiding in 
the needles.



I would also note Coen Dexter mentions in his bushtit account for the 
Colorado Breeding Bird Atlas II book that the earliest recorded nest-building 
was 17March.  Thus, nest-refurbishing on 14February is either a freak event 
triggered by hormonal influence on Valentine's Day, preliminary activity 
influenced by both warm weather
 and the existence of a suitable old structure, an indicator things are 
changing, or most likely, just the early end of activity that birders, 
especially BBA atlasers accustomed to doing most of their work in "typical" 
bird breeding months, have missed.





Anybody else noticing bushtit nesting activity out there?





Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins



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Re: [cobirds] Bushtit nesting in Fort Collins

[David Suddjian]

Funny you should ask... Today at home I saw a pair (first time so far this
season I've just seen 2) feeding at one of my suet cages,and then they
moved to visit a cage I hung filled with cattail fluff. They fussed with
the fluff and then both carried some off out of view. I had presumed
carrying nest material, but I could not tell where they went with it.

David Suddjian
Ken Caryl Valley
Littleton, CO

On Wed, Feb 15, 2017 at 2:18 PM, DAVID A LEATHERMAN 
wrote:

> Yesterday, sitting at the computer with my Fort Collins apartment door
> wide open, I noticed the familiar tinkling sound of bushtits in the
> courtyard.  Last year they nested on this property (nest building first
> noticed on 12March2016) about a mile east of CSU and it appears they will
> do so again.  In fact, they are refurbishing the same nest which
> successfully produced a brood last summer.  In the "Birds of North America"
> account on bushtits by Sarah Sloane, it states the following: "In
> Chiricahua Mtns., se. Arizona, on only 1 occasion was a nest reused a
> second season, and this was late in season by a year-old inexperienced
> male; nest had remained unusually intact through 2 winters due to heavy
> concealment in a clump of mistletoe (SAS). Most nests deteriorate rapidly
> when abandoned."  The nest here is at the end of a lower branch (about 20
> feet above the ground) on the ene side (catches the morning sun) of a large
> CO blue spruce.  As is typical of the species, the substantial nest "bag"
> is well concealed and woven into the spruce foliage.  Even knowing where it
> is and looking straight up at the nest site, it takes me a minute or so to
> locate the nest material hiding in the needles.
>
>
> I would also note Coen Dexter mentions in his bushtit account for the *
> Colorado Breeding Bird Atlas II *book that the earliest recorded
> nest-building was 17March.  Thus, nest-refurbishing on 14February is either
> a freak event triggered by hormonal influence on Valentine's Day,
> preliminary activity influenced by both warm weather and the existence of a
> suitable old structure, an indicator things are changing, or most likely,
> just the early end of activity that birders, especially BBA atlasers
> accustomed to doing most of their work in "typical" bird breeding months,
> have missed.
>
>
> Anybody else noticing bushtit nesting activity out there?
>
>
> Dave Leatherman
>
> Fort Collins
>
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Re: [cobirds] Bushtit -- black-eared Arapahoe Co.

[Jeff Percell]

I saw one last fall at Waneka Lake in Boulder County. This link should take
you to the subspecies map in eBird. You likely need to click something like
"search all species" to add it to your list. Looks like there are only a
handful of reports in Boulder County and one near Durango.

https://ebird.org/map/bkebus?neg=true&env.minX=&env.minY=&env.maxX=&env.maxY=&zh=false&gp=false&ev=Z&excludeExX=false&excludeExAll=false&mr=1-12&bmo=1&emo=12&yr=all&byr=1900&eyr=2023

Thanks,
Jeff Percell
Erie, CO

On Sun, Jul 2, 2023, 4:12 PM Mary Kay Waddington 
wrote:

> Had a melanotus (black-eared) bushtit today.  I don't know how rare these
> are, but this is the first one I've seen in Colorado.  eBird doesn't have
> that listed as a subspecies on its checklists so  it's hard to know how
> common they are.  But it was lovely to see.
>
> Mary Kay Waddington
>
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[cobirds] Bushtit Handing Nest in Fort Collins

[Laurie Beth Zuckerman]

We live in Old Town Fort Collins and just discovered a bushtit nest next
door. It would be easy for any birders with a telephoto lens to photograph
as it is right off the alle, and the bushtit couple are very active at the
nest and in our yard. Today one collected a mouthful of feathery material
and we watched it fly to their next.

Please email me for an individual showing of the nest location.

-- 
Laurie Beth Zuckerman
lauriebethzucker...@gmail.com

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