North East Colorado Field Trip

Day Two Highlights:

Sad update on the Hotel Bat: apparently he did not move from his spot at all between yesterday and today...

We began the day at Tamarack (very birdy) with lots of Red-headed Woodpeckers, Orioles and Flycatchers. I now have a slightly better understanding of the term empid.

Western Wood Pewee with Dragonfly

Down the hatch!

Willow Flycatcher

We made our way over to Jumbo Reservoir, stopping for assorted peeps and other shorebirds.

Pectoral Sandpiper

Long-billed Curlew!

and Black-bellied Plover!

We finished the day looking for warblers. While looking we happened upon two Common Nighthawks and a young scruffy-looking Downy Woodpecker:

a few more photos from today:

Personal trip highlights:

Mississippi Kites (juvenile!)

Prairie Rattlesnake

Common Tern

Red-headed Woodpecker

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Black Tern

Townsend's Warbler

Gray Flycatcher

Black-bellied Plover

Long-billed Curlew

It might be a little while before I head that far east again, but I think it was fantastic!

Young Things

and other stuff from the last week or so...
I'm learning that around this time when things are pretty quiet, it's nice to stumble upon young things.


Running Deer:

Yup, it's my buddy....inquisitive young mink.

Also at Running Deer right now: frogs, toads and tons

of dragon flies.

The wrens seem to be making a funny frog-like noise lately....

I don't know if this relates to fledgelings or not (or if

I just never noticed it before.)

I've been watching this Red-winged Blackbird nest for

a few weeks. Looks like someone's hungry.

(double-click photo to enlarge a little)

Young Gulch:

Earlier this summer there were bunches of flycatchers 

at Young Gulch. Now, very fluffy fledglings. 

Here's mom with a snack:

And here's the kids.

This one, a little further down the trail.

Pawnee Grasslands:

A friendly Grasshopper Sparrow

A young Meadowlark,  I think....

I did see a few young burrowing owls, but none

braving posts yet.

Two shots of Mom Lark Sparrow, 'cause I think

she's wonderful...

Maybe one day this little guy will look so pretty!

Didn't find any resting Common Nighthawks 

(well other than the ones I accidentally flushed...), but this one 

briefly flew into the tree above my head.

Riverbend Ponds:

First, a stop near Wellington.

What I think is coolest about the dickcissel, it's song:

A little reminder for me today: When it's a little slow and 

maybe kind of dull the Kingfisher embodies 

everything I've grown to love about birds.

Another enthusiastic wren.

A Young Barn Swallow, I think!!

Three guesses (it's not a kingfisher...)

MORE Photos.....

Mill Creek Today

I (just about literally) ran into some Wild Turkey chicks today on the Mill Creek trail. I unknowingly flushed them from some high grasses....I flushed them before I saw them.... The first one that didn't entirely disappear from view landed in this tree:

Eventually I noticed one had stuck around...

I moved my foot an inch and he took off.

I was a little worried about the one in the tree so I walked 

off for a few minutes and came back to make sure he'd gotten 

down alright. He had - nowhere to be found.

Here's Mom:

Also up at Lory today:

Chipping Sparrow with "stuff"

Blooming thistle

Nuthatches (red-breated and Pygmy)

Bloomin' cacti

Plenty of mystery empids. Here's one.

and another

and one more

and a few cedar waxwings too.

More of the same:

Weld Highlights

I'm finding Lower Latham to be the treasure-trove everyone's told me it would be. I wish it were closer to home; I feel like every moment spent there is worthwhile! Some highlights from the last couple of weeks (along with a few from Fort Collins...)

Oodles of Yellow-Headed Blackbirds

Some looks at a new favorite, Wilson's Phalarope:

Avocet (this one in Fort Collins)

White-Faced Ibis

Marsh Wren Acrobatics...

Mountain Plover

Western Kingbird

and my first House Wren this Spring