DaveA's Birding Blog

SOPA/PIPA and update

2012-01-18T19:00:00.000-08:00

Hi there!

Daveabirding here to get a personal message up about myself and this whole SOPA/PIPA whirlwind that is going around.

Update on Daveabirding:
After a long silence, aside from the one UK trip update last weekend, I owe anyone who has dropped by an explanation. No, Daveabirding did not swear off technology and go to live in a hut somewhere to contemplate the phases of Jupiter on plant growth. No, I didn't decide to rebrand as Daveacastling, although after the next few UK recaps to be posted you may think so. I also didn't have technical issues, and there was no intentional abandonment of blogging.

Instead Daveabirding has gone bionic! That's right, they rebuilt me - better than I was before. While I can't jump notably higher that before, and I can't lift staggering weights - I do have a shiny new screw in my toe! The down and dirty is that after years of dealing with a bad toenail I went into have them do the thing where they make the ingrown part stop growing. While I was there I mentioned that periodically I was getting a very brief, intense pain in the joint of my big toe. It was happening more and more often, and had become a nuisance when hiking or running, and I wondered if the nail was an issue for that. Was it.....of course not. I had the proud diagnosis of Hallux Limitus a toe joint issue that has one joint out of place, causing the next one down the line to degrade over time. The fix was surgery - which I underwent on the 22nd December. That meant that a Christmas visit to Minnesota got moved up a week - preventing me from participating in the Boulder Christmas Bird Count, or any others for that matter. It also meant that December was a whirlwind of all the pre-holiday craziness, with a week less time to get it all done. Christmas was a blur of pain medication and icing, followed by decreasing pain and bowl games through the new year. I'm now a few weeks back into regular work days in the office, and getting around decently, however I am stuck in an open, Velcro, surgical shoe that forces me to heel walk. So, for at least the next week I am still effectively hobbled. While I did take a cleansing break from most things bird, I have been keeping my eyes open, occasionally seeing the Snow Geese return to the local field, and spotting one potential Ferruginous Hawk on an evening drive home from work.
Unfortunately, when I returned to my email I found 800 messages, describing all the CBCs, great local rarities that had come and gone, and the largest irruption of Snowy Owls in 40-50 years. What a bummer. Oh well, hiking, photography and longer days will all be back soon enough, and in the meantime I do hope to get a few more UK recaps up.

Now the SOPA/PIPA take, from me a random blogger;

Odds are, if you've found your way to this site you have already seen much larger, more prominent sites that are/were on shutdown on 1/18 - protesting the devastating impact that SOPA/PIPA could have on their ability to offer the services they have provided to this point. Well, since I have no ability to shut down blogger.com, and am frankly surprised that Google has it operating today. I would like to share what I perceive to be the impact of these bills on my simple, not for profit (much less income), birding site.

For starters, it would be very unlikely that blogger.com, a free blogging offering driven by Google would be available moving forward. Unless they could ensure that all content posted by all users was original and unique, they, in addition to the users could be held liable for facilitating that content. This has already been widely publicized in the media when describing photo hosting and sharing sites. So to keep daveabirding alive I would have to start by hosting and serving my content myself, at the cost of a server, domain registration, and uptime, etc.

Now that wouldn't be all bad, but it is not the entire picture either. If I took over hosting of daveabirding I would take over the civil and criminal liability for all content, and all linked to content on my site. Again, that shouldn't be a problem for a blogger that only posts his own images and short recaps of hikes etc, right? Unfortunately, no.

First off, all links to any other sites would have to go, why.....because I can't afford to be responsible for the originality of their content.

Next, reduced look and feel. Locally hosted sites are generally more simple, because building, testing and maintaining features take time. Not to mention that freeware html templates would likely become a thing of the past. So things like comments and keywords would be lost.

Content. While I would be able to, and in some way would continue to post my own content - many of the tools that I use would be gone. Google searching images is a fast and easy way to cross check my identifications - unless they were able to confirm the authenticity of all, Google Image search is gone. Listserves such as CObirds would have to look at what they allow posters to contribute. As above, linkbacks to photos, site maps, and other resources could not be included. I would imagine Birds of North America would continue unchanged, but I am unsure how Ebird would fare under SOPA. Blog list and ranking sites would be history, places like Nature Blog Network and Fatbirder would be in jeopardy, and forum sites like Birdforum.net and Surfbirds.com would lose much of their ability to promote the sharing of interest in and knowledge of birds and nature. Other sites that seem to be at risk are xeno-cantu.org, a database of recorded bird sounds from around the world and naturephotographers.net, a forum for critique of some outstanding images.

Sadly, on a personal side I think I would have never developed my interest in birds or photography had it not been for the interconnected network of bloggers, experts, photographers and enthusiasts who share their work freely for the enjoyment of others. I, like many others, strongly support the ability of artists to protect their work by copyright from infringement or piracy. Even as I take thousands of sub-par shots I hope that someday I could have enough good ones to think that someone may want to licence an image for exclusive use.

I am not going to rant on first amendment rights, big bad government, or larger issues that these bills bring to light. They are important, and they should be discussed, but this isn't the place. If you read this hopefully the implications for a one-man, little to no consequence blog are enough to make you wonder what the larger implications may be. If it does, go check out one of the big boys like Google or Wikipedia and learn more. Consider asking your Senator or Representative to do the same.

Adventures in the United Kingdom - the Recap Part 6 - Wildlife along the Thames in Windsor, October 14th

2012-01-13T19:20:00.000-08:00

October 14th, I had a morning in Windsor to spend before meeting with my parents to begin the family portion of my trip. I wandered down to the river, and crossed over to walk around Eton College. The river was great that morning. Sun was breaking through the clouds, and a diving Great Crested Grebe was surfacing between dives.

I headed off to wander through the historic college, before returning to the river banks. My lucky timing continued, I arrived at the pier just in time to hop on a scenic river cruise. Boats make great mobile blinds, and I had a great view of a Gray Heron on the bank.

The Gray Heron is similar to our Great Blue Herons in size and overall coloring, but the lack of rust color and spotting are a few key differences.

On the return I got one perched shot of a Great Cormorant. Cormorants through and through, they act very similar to our Double-crested Cormorants, often perching and stretching their wings for long periods of time.

My cruise complete, I heade back to the hotel, met my folks a bit later and headed north to stay the night in Rugby. Yes, the home of the game of the same name. While wandering in the town before dinner we even visited the field with a small sign indicating that it was here where William Webb Ellis "first picked up the ball and ran with it". He became the father of Rugby, which in turn likely had a strong influence on American Football. Pretty cool place to visit, which was followed-up by a great dinner of mutton, and wrapped up the day nicely with a good pint or two.

Snow Geese

2011-11-17T16:07:00.000-08:00

This morning I was running early on my way to work. Mainly because there was no frost on my windows. Then, in an incredible struck of luck, I spotted two immature Snow Geese in the field outside my neighborhood. This field has a near constant flock of Canada Geese in the fall, winter and spring, and despite my constant scanning - they always remain Canada Geese - unless of course there are a smattering of Rock Pigeons thrown in for good measure or spite.

Not today though - real, live, Snow Geese! Two of them! Why did the Snow Geese pick this morning to appear? Because this morning, @#$%, I had left my camera bag at home!

"Don't leave Geese!" I thought to myself as I made the split decision to correct that oversight.

I find it amazing that anxiety can reach such levels in moments it took me to turn back into my neighborhood, navigate safely to my house, retrieve my gear, drive back to the edge of the neighborhood, park, cross the divided two lane street on foot, and then, (having confirmed the birds had not been chased off by a happily walked dog), walk along the field to a position where I was not shooting into the sun.

Needless to say, I was happy they hadn't picked those few minutes to leave! Both birds, the second is visible in the top picture - facing away and feeding (AKA the moon shot) - are first year birds, and are trading out their dark plumage for the snowy white feathers they will show for the rest of their lives.

In addition to switching to their 'snow' white plumage, the birds' bare parts, (bills and feet), will turn mostly pink, except for the grin patch on the bill which will remain dark. Check my previous Snow Geese posts for adults in traditional and 'Blue' phases. This bird was nice enough to stretch, showing off the dark primary feathers on its wing, which will remain dark, but are generally hidden when it is standing or swimming and the wing is folded. These were my first juvenile Snow Geese, first of the year Snow Geese, and the first time I had seen more than one at a time in my home county. Not a bad way to spend a few extra minutes before work.

On the topic of good sightings, John Vanderpoel, a Colorado birder, is really tearing it up on his Big Year bid, if you haven't seen his blog yet be sure to check it out in the next six weeks. I have a feeling it is going to be a wild ride down to the end of 2011!

Seasonal Change

2011-11-11T12:29:00.000-08:00

Growing up in Minnesota you learned to anticipate the seasonal changes. Living without four distinct seasons would feel like a major loss to me, I find joy in each one, and the transitions between. In Minnesota the change of seasons could be fast, or measured and gradual. No matter what though, there was always a movement from one to the next, you rarely went backwards.

In Colorado the seasons jump all around, and with or without a bit of driving you may find yourself catching a feel of all of them in a single day. One day you may get an early taste of winter, and the next may be reminiscent of summer. Here on the Front Range we have already had several significant snows, and a cold start to the week has progressed back to mild temperatures and the potential for a nice weekend.

I guess one of the aspects of Colorado that I am most fond of is that here you can find the unexpected in nature to reflect thoughts or feelings. For instance, Wednesday's lunch visit to Standley Lake Park found me admiring a Song Sparrow against a backdrop of the warm colors of fall. This morning, while unimpressed by a group of Ring-billed Gulls at Lower Church Lake, I did find frosty beauty in a puddle with a partial skin of ice, reflecting an otherwise unnoticed clump of grass against a cloudy sunrise.

No matter if you are in a place where fall is hanging on, or winter is establishing an early grip, I hope nature finds a way to make the commonplace reflect the beauty of the season. Have a great weekend everyone, and Go Buffs! (It's basketball season - time for a win!). BTW, for anyone who followed my England posts, expect a bit of a lag. I have plenty more pictures, but I need to grind out some more processing before I will be ready to add more posts.

Adventures in the United Kingdom - the Recap Part 5 - Wildlife in Windsor Great Park October 13th

2011-11-10T23:30:00.000-08:00

Having walked directly down the Great Walk to Snow Hill and the Copper Horse I quickly deviated from the paved walkway, exploring a good sized woodlot to the west of the statue. I was able to get bad, but identifiable shots of Great Spotted Woodpecker and Spotted Thrush. One of the real highlights of that area was a group of young Pheasants that were passing me as I descended the hillside. They kept their distance, but our directions were generally merging, and it was a nice few minutes of watching stealthy birds try to move more slowly than my notice. The ground wasn't the only source of interest though. Birds were also in the trees, this Great Tit for instance.

All the while Pheasants lurking.....I thought this shot really highlighted the adaptation of their plumage for camouflage. What are feathers and what are fern leaves? In all honesty, at the time I wasn't sure what these birds were. It was my first experience with this age of Pheasant, and I wondered if they weren't some form of grouse. Going to a place where the majority of birds are unknown kept me guessing. I also noticed that I had a much more difficult time picking birds out of the canopy. In past posts I have noted my repeated experience of finally spotting a long sought bird, and then refinding the species several times over the following days. One of my impressions from this trip is that the same brain function seems to happen on a larger scale as well. My visual cortex didn't seem to be dialed in on the patterns and shapes of unknown birds. I could hear them, and even spot motion, but until I had really picked a species out they would remain hidden far longer than I would have expected were I birding on familiar territory.

On the flip side, once I 'got to know' a species I would pick them up far more readily. Granted, the Blue Tit below was fairly obvious against a bare trunk, but they became frequent sights over the course of the trip.

I left the wooded hillside, and headed north across open fields, keeping the Long Walk in sight off my right shoulder. I was heading generally closer to where the Red Deer had been on my visit the day before. I spotted this lone bull, and gave it plenty of space as I walked past at an angle.

Despite my distance and passing route the deer eventually decided he had enough of my presence and camera and wandered off.

Meanwhile, I had arrived at a small pond I had noticed the previous evening. With clear skies and a sinking sun I had much better light for this visit. Common Moorhens are colorful sights on the water. Their red and yellow bills are very impressive against a mostly black body.

I don't think Egyptian Geese are going to be mistaken for classic beauties often. I will give them high marks for having a striking appearance though. They are certainly well suited to picking up the colors of fall.

I had just moved beyond the pond, when I suddenly found myself in an uncomfortable situation. A different male deer had crested a small rise, and I found myself too close for assured comfort, with a lake directly behind me. The male was 'roaring', and headed towards the walk, and the herds I knew to be beyond it. I didn't stick around for the 'killer' shot, opting for the middle ground of a short move to show him I was not a challenge, and then see what I could get for a photo. Unfortunately, (or fortunately), he moved off and didn't give me another direct look. Even in passing the shot is good enough to show the velvet shedding from his antlers. Definitely a memorable experience.

Having determined that he was not going to charge me, I settled back to the geese, getting another Egyptian Goose to pose on land.

Once again the sun was getting low, Windsor and London sit at roughly the same latitude as Calgary. That gave extended periods of soft light, and I took the opportunity to get a slightly different view of the castle towers.

Even though the day was winding down, and I was heading back towards a welcome seat at a pub, I still had one more memorable interaction in store.

Red Kite!

I was just at the point of leaving the deer enclosure fence along the long walk, when I spotted this bird working on a kill farther down the clipped lawn. It gave me a few looks, but I had sat down against a tree and was willing to watch as long as the bird remained.

It did just that, allowing me many shots, and a memory card swap, before a walker on the path behind it finally set it to flight. I believe it had finished its meal at that point, and was just waiting for a bit of motivation before moving to a perch to roost and digest.

A great sight, and a wonderful conclusion to a long and memorable day in Windsor. The remainder of my walk was highlighted by views of the castle, and anticipation of a good pint when I reached town.

The following day, Friday the 14th, I would meet my parents when they arrived in the early afternoon, but the question was how I would spend my morning...

Adventures in the United Kingdom - the Recap Part 4 - Snow Hill

2011-11-10T22:46:00.000-08:00

After leaving Windsor Castle I did head down the Long Walk into the Windsor Great Park. Rather the detouring on my way out I went straight to the end of the walk, and climbed up to the statue of the George the Third at its summit. The statue was impressive, so was the view back to the castle and town.

By this time the weather had turned wonderful. It made for a great day of walking.

Both statue and walk are symbols, ways that their creators shaped the world to their perceptions of order and style.

Like so many other tributes, these cast their vision through an idealized mask. An artificially structured walkway, applies an unnatural order to nature. A British monarch, cast as a classical Roman conqueror.

A four story horse atop a hill might seem gaudy or outlandish, Denver residents and visitors may consider a certain blue horse outside the airport, but in this setting they just seem to fit.

Adventures in the United Kingdom - the Recap Part 3 - Windsor Castle

2011-11-10T20:18:00.000-08:00

My morning walking had lead me up to the castle entrance just before eleven o-clock. I had planned to spend the middle hours of the day at the castle, getting my tourist and history fix while the wildlife was least active. It turned out to be a great plan. As I arrived I noticed that people were lining both sides of the road. I grabbed a likely spot, and soon had my suspicions confirmed when a tour guide explained to his group that they would soon be seeing the changing of the guard.

I was lucky to have arrived when I did. The guard 'changes' every 48 hours, rotating the soldiers that will guard the castle from the barracks in town, to the castle and back, via a parade march. It is very ceremonial, and a great photo opportunity, but best not to forget that these are armed soldiers performing the legitimate duty of guarding the royal family when in residence and some of the treasures of the nation.

Having seen the entrance of the guard I headed on in to the castle, hoping to avoid a percentage of the crowds while the 'change' took place. After entering I approached Edward IV Tower, it is at the front of the visitor apartments. Behind and to the left in the picture above is the Upper Ward. Below, a closer view of Edward IV tower and its gargoyles.

Stonework above St. George's Gate showing a mounted knight slaying a dragon. The gate leads into the Upper Ward, a courtyard surrounded by the Visitor's Apartments, Private Apartments, and State Apartments. This section of the castle is restricted, and is the home of the Queen and Royal Family when they are in residence, the State Apartments which are open to tours seasonally and used for ..... functions of State.

The public access lead away from the gate, and offered this view back including the gardens at the base of the Round Tower, or castle Keep.

While not a peak season for garden color there were still colors to be found as the sun began to break through the clouds.

I had looped around the Round Tower, and toured the State, and Semi-State Apartments. They were incredible, and as such photography was not allowed. Readers may recall that in 1992 there was a fire at Windsor Castle. The fire was in the State and Semi-State Apartments, and while it was extensive and caused major damage to the buildings, the vast majority of the works of art were saved, and have since been returned to the refurbished rooms. There are some incredible highlights there, trophies from the empire, furniture made of sterling silver, St. George's Hall decorated with the coat of arms of every member of the order. Paintings by grand masters, Semi-State Apartments lavishly furnished and just opened to tourists for the season. Outside, a closer view of the upper ward, and perspective on the scale of a guard.

The Round Tower, passing back through to the Lower Ward.

Castle Guard, iconic symbol packing serious heat.

St. George's Chapel. Resting place of multiple monarchs, incredible decorations and a choir adorned with the coat of arms and helm of each current member of the Order of St. George. Which of course meant no photographs allowed!

Don't worry, lots of interiors of castles and churches from future sites. Here is an exterior view looking back across the Lower Ward towards the Round Tower, with St. George's Chapel on the left.

One parting shot, the Round Tower just outside the castle's main entrance. I made my way towards the Long Walk, Snow Hill, and my second trip to see wildlife in the Windsor Great Park.

Don't worry bird fans, the next post will be back to feathers and fur.

Adventures in the United Kingdom - the Recap Part 2 - Birding the Thames, Alexandria Gardens, Bath Island

2011-11-10T18:36:00.000-08:00

My first full day in England dawned overcast. I was undaunted. This was to be my only full day where I had full freedom of schedule. I had a full plan, but complete flexibility to diverge for birds or whatever photographic subject caught my eye. My loose plan was to wander through town to the river Thames, then work my way to Windsor Castle during the middle of the day, and spend the afternoon heading back into the Windsor Great Park.

The overcast skies were less than ideal, but the ducks and swans were cooperative and I was able to find a great variety of Mallard mutts.

I was amazed at the variety shown in what were all more or less Mallards. Centuries of domestication, escape, and interbreeding make finding a 'true' Mallard a bit of a chore.

It wasn't all ducks though, a Grey Heron was looking for breakfast just on the far side of the foot of Bath Island. Bath Island was so named as in years past it was removed from the shore by the channel where the local residents were encouraged to bathe.

I made my way onto the island, which is now a pleasant park where vacationers who are riding the Thames in canal boats can tie up. Here I found Blue Tits,

and Ring-necked Parakeets.

I walked the length of the small island, passing beneath the brick arches of the oldest wrought iron suspension bridge still in use. At the foot of the island I had a look back towards the riverfront area of Windsor, including the castle, and Christopher Wren's house. Wren was the architect who designed many of London's landmark buildings after the Great Fire, including St. Paul's. His house is left of center, on the waterline. It is just to the right of the large tree at the bend of the far bank. Now it houses a cafe. Just another sign of living amid history in England.

I walked back along the island, gradually following my feet uphill, towards the castle. On my way I was visited by this posing European Robin. So different from our American Robin, a thrush, but still immediately recognizable as welcome bird in garden and park.

I followed the river to the base of the bluff where the castle dominated. I was not on a timetable, but was soon to find that I was exactly on time.

Prairie Falcon

2011-11-06T17:44:00.001-08:00

This morning I had grand ambitions. My spontaneous day-trip took me to the mountains via Colorado Springs, in time for sunrise at Elevenmile Reservoir. I then checked in at Spinney and Antero Reservoirs as well, getting all three of the large lakes in Park County. I was hoping to find occasional visiting species, hung up in the mountains during fall migration. Instead I found thousands of Horned Larks and American Coots, and don't expect that my photos will turn up anything I didn't identify on the trip.

I did, however, finally get a postable picture of a Prairie Falcon. The light snow coverage helped to reflect the sunlight, and aside from a bit of overexposure I was happy with the detail. That was a species that had been absent from the blog for too long.

On an unrelated note, I just discovered that John Vanderpoel has a great blog running for his 2011 Big Year. He is a Colorado Birder from the Boulder area, whom I have met on several occasions - but don't know well. Reading about his travels and sightings is really entertaining, especially for anyone having watched the recent movie adaptation of Mark Obmascik's The Big Year.

Adventures in the United Kingdom - the Recap Part 1 - Arrival Afternoon

2011-11-02T06:41:00.000-07:00

Following an overnight flight that had departed Denver at around 9 in the evening, I arrived in London just after noon the following day, (Wednesday). I had two days to my own devices and had decided to stay in Windsor, a ten minute or so drive from the airport - and loaded with both natural and historical sights to see. I dropped my bags at my room, and grabbed camera and bins for an afternoon walk. The weather started in typically English fashion, with overcast skies and cool fall temps - there were hints of drizzle but no real rain. [The shot above was taken at the end of my walk as the clouds lifted and the sun sank below them.]

My plan was to explore the "Long Walk", a footpath that extends from the gates of Windsor Castle south to Snow Hill and the 'Copper Horse' statue of George the Third. It is the long parallel row of trees in the map below, and the view from the castle is shown above.

I headed out, generally looking east, beyond the fence into Home Park, which is private land of the Crown Estate and featured tilled fields. Within there were Eurasian Jackdaws, Carrion Crows, and several hundred Black-headed Gulls. In addition I spotted this colorful bird dropping to forage on the ground from the trees that bordered a parking area. Unfortunately, this was to be my best look at a Eurasian Jay for the trip, but one I was glad to have gotten.

The overcast skies were prohibitive from my catching distant flight shots of the gulls, but did help to show some feather detail on the otherwise drab Carrion Crows.

Eager to see more, I pressed on and crossed the road bisecting the Long Walk, and found a nice group of Red-Legged Partridge scurrying in a field. It was at about this point that the feel of the area began to change over. I had left the majority of the tourists, the casual games of football (soccer), and those parents or nannies with their children behind. The sound of traffic began to fade, and I began to unwind from the flight and travel.

I was now in the Windsor Great Park. This is an 8 square mile area, that has largely been set aside since the 13th century as parkland. Up until the 18th century an area that large was held by the monarch to ensure a vast supply of game animals for sport and table. Perception of the parkland since that time has shifted to recreation, with attitudes of the times reflected in various features. It was right about here that I had my first flyover visit from a Red Kite. There were a pair in the area, and moments later I was able to confirm the species with a local whose golf ball I returned after it had strayed over a fence and into the Long Walk. The Kites are a large readily identifiable bird, so even non-birders knew of them and were happy to know they were being seen.

They were really cool to watch in flight, their swallow shaped tail is used rudder-like, while their wings remain motionless as they soar. Add to that their contrasting red body, black and white wings, and pale eyes, and you have an eye catching bird to shoot a few hundred frames of. The Red Kites I had read about as I prepared for this section of the trip. The following bird was a fun surprise....

Ring-necked Parakeets. [Rose-ringed Parakeets - when I switch my eBird preferences to English US]. I have seen these guys in the guidebooks, and of course there are many kept in captivity as pets everywhere, but it was very unexpected to hear, and then see them out in the wild, in England. It turns out that escaped/released birds have done well in England, and the ones I saw are a part of a growing population. Their loud calls were unknown, like most I heard in the UK, but so distinctive that I quickly came to know them by ear and could then try to locate them in flight. When flying in clear weather their tails almost give them a magpie appearance, but on cloudy days that green really stood out as they flew.

At one point along the walk visitors must pass through the deer fence, there large signs warned humans to give the Red Deer space during the 'rut'. Being familiar with Elk and Moose, I didn't need to be warned twice about what competing male deer could do to a human that was perceived as a threat. I did encounter a large heard of Red Deer, (see below for a male), including multiple harems and some efforts of males to keep their females within their respective groups. At the time the lighting was horrid, and my distance didn't lead to any great shots to share of the groups. Instead, I headed to the first significant woodlot I had encountered. There I unsuccessfully tried to get a Wren to perch in sight in a dark ditch. While that effort wasn't too fruitful, I did get a passing shot of a Treecreeper, [Eurasian Treecreeper]. It was a great add, as they are difficult to pin down and a species I didn't really expect to happen upon while traveling.

Another species ended up being far more difficult to pick out than I would have imagined. The Goldfinches [European Goldfinch], were devils to locate in the tops of large trees. I could hear them and see them as they flew (large dots), but they would disappear when they landed, and I would scan blindly through my bins trying to locate them. Finally I had a few in the viewfinder of my camera and shot away. Amazingly enough, even in the past week while working on the photos I would look at this set and not see the birds. Then I would find one, know the general area where it was perched in the shot, zoom in to see where I would crop - and it would be gone again! For brightly colored birds they are amazingly well camouflaged in fall foliage.

Likely another factor was that by that time it was getting darker, and colder, and I was ready for a pint. I had emerged from the wooded area that looks like an upside down "f" to the left of the walk on the map above. I was short of the hill, but decided to turn back rather than risk getting closed in a park after dark on my first night in a foreign country. Before I left though I had a great look at a Red Deer, 'roaring'. It does not have the ring of Elk bugling, but plays a similar role and is equally impressive to experience.

I hustled back towards the castle and town, and on the way the sun poked through offering better light for the view of the castle I included in my post that evening, and the look back along the Long Walk at the top of this one.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T18:33:00.001-07:00

Hopefully all your ghosts, goblins & ghouls; princesses, power rangers, & puppy dogs; hobos, heroines, and hockey players...

...leave treated, well sugared and happy!

Have a Safe and Happy Halloween!

DaveA's International Adventure with some Birding Thrown In - Number's Summary

2011-10-24T11:25:00.000-07:00

I am a huge fan of international travel. Travel in general really, but due to the financial and time constraints that are real life, international travel is always a special opportunity, and one that I am sure readers will find, gets me firing on all cylinders. For those who don't know, I am the proud son of a naturalized US Citizen, my Dad, who grew up in Loughborough, England. As such, I began my international travels at the ripe age of 2, on a visit to meet the family. Since that early trip my visits have been too far between, but perhaps due to their rarity they have forged strong memories. The places and faces of my family's England are certainly never far out of mind. So perhaps it was fitting, that three years after beginning to document my odd combination of birds, photos, and the rest of my wanderings in the natural world that I should expand the scope of my perspective back to a foreign land that is at the same time so familiar to me.

For those whose eyes are already glazed over, browse on to any more entertaining sites, I recommend Top Gear for any Yanks that aren't familiar with it, or Nature Photographers for a quick juicy photo fix. The pretty pictures are likely to follow at a snails pace - recall that I still have posts from Florida, (May), and Grand Junction, (later May), and New Orleans, (August) in the works, and now many thousands of photos to work through so they will be coming - in their own good time.

Disclaimer aside, if anyone is still reading... this post is primarily wordy, a bit of background on my diverse interests that make traveling a holistic experience, and then the stats on the birds and some impressions that I had specific to birding. My scholastic background is history. Being such, for much of the trip I had a recurring Simpson's quote in my head - "everything here is something", - Marge Simpson. After checking it, I do recall now that it was in the Rio episode, but it completely fits with the amazing way that history permeates all aspects of life in Europe. There will be more to follow on some of the amazing sights I had the chance to see, but those along with family, scenery, food and drink, art, and just generally observing the flow and currents of life in the UK would have left me feeling hopelessly cheated had I dedicated my time and focus to birds alone. For some, birding is passion enough, and focused pursuit of all the unusual species the island has to offer would be reason enough to travel and return. For me though, I took the birds that came, and didn't sweat those that I didn't see. In this visit I barely reached coasts - viewing the Irish Sea for my first time from the car in a gale - a huge no-no for a birding visit, but perfectly fine for my style of travel. I wouldn't have traded all the great memories I made, and the lure of future visits to coastal regions keeps me thinking of the next trip.

So, all that being what it was, I toured, and watched, and took opportunities to place myself where birds may come my way - and for no guides or experience - I had a great time and really enjoyed the species I found. Here's the list, a few familiar names, and a few surprises:

*I see that a few of my checklists somehow didn't make their way into ebird, so there may be an update to species list and totals. I know for one House Sparrow is missing, but that may be it.

Of course many of these will be featured in posts to come, but a few quick impressions and highlights. Least expected bird that I saw in good numbers, Ring-necked Parakeet. Bird that I saw in surprising abundance, Common Pheasant. My first bird outside the US, Common Magpie. Common species that will make you think you have six different species, only to find they are all variations of the same - Mallard. Cool birds I wish I had had better looks at - Great Spotted Woodpecker, Eurasian Jay, Long-tailed Tit, Mandarin Duck.

"My Ebird" as it stands now (subject to updates):

Just as I was wrapping this post up, I checked back to my post from last year on the 20th, it is good to know that some of the ideas I found reinforced in my travels this year are the same that were worthy of note last year as well. I certainly hope that they remain.

2011 Count: 256

Lifetime: 325

Yesterday's Highlight

2011-10-14T23:36:00.000-07:00

...was surprisingly not this eye-popping, Great Crested Grebe. Instead, it was being joined by my parents, whom I had not seen since the Christmas Holidays last year. We have journeyed from Windsor, where I had a great couple of days, and have just spent the night in Rugby, home of the game of the same name. Today we will gather with my extended family to help my Aunt and Uncle celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.

Yesterday I added a Great Cormorant, bringing my trip total to 35, which will provide ample blogging subjects for future posts.

2011 Count: 249

Lifetime: 318

Welcome to Windsor

2011-10-12T22:34:00.000-07:00

After a long, and uneventful journey I arrived in the town of Windsor, just west of London's Heathrow airport. Home of the famous Windsor Castle, sometime residence of the queen, this little town is a popular tourist destination and commuter suburb. Thanks to having been a home to royals since Norman times it is also home to the Great Park, long a hunting preserve and now trust land. The park and castle are connected by the Long Walk, and it was there that I headed to stretch my legs yesterday.

I made it almost to the far end of the walk, but great birds and fading light had me turned back before then. I haven't even had chance to scan through all my photos from yesterday, but will share the above Red Kite shot. There were several of these Kites about, and they were great fun to watch and attempt to photograph. Hopefully more time will reveal even better shots, but for now there are strange songs coming from the growing light outside my window, a castle to explore, and many more new birds to see.

"I'm Leavin' on a Jet Plane..."

2011-10-11T08:27:00.000-07:00

As teased in a previous post back in August, this birder and as a direct result this blog are going international! For the first time in over five years I am getting back to England, the birthplace of my Dad and home to all of his side of my family. I am under 12 hours from catching my flight, and am very much looking forward to being on my way. On a relevant side note, I want to wish my Mom a very happy birthday! She and my Dad will be leaving Minnesota in a few days, and we will all get to meet up over in England and make a whirlwind trip through the country together. More on that in a moment, but first a few shots from a frosty stop before work yesterday.

Since having seen the Krider's Hawk a few days back while on my way to Denver I had been thinking of light Red-tailed Hawks. Then, while rushing from work to complete a couple of errands last week I passed the resident leucistic Red-tail on a power pole, and didn't have time to stop. So, yesterday morning I stopped off on my way to the office and attempted to find the bird in the reliable spot along the Middle Hyland Creek Open Space. Before really getting down to look through the trees I had to stop for yet another shot of Long's Peak at sunrise. One silver lining of these shortening days is the accessibility of sunrises!

As the sun cleared the horizon behind me my target became immediately obvious. I had been scanning through those trees fairly carefully earlier, and had either missed him in plain sight prior to the light hitting, or he had popped up to greet the rising sun and warm up a bit from the coldest night of the season so far. Such a cool bird to see. I had taken an angled line across the field to get a better direction with the light, and as I approached the cattails at the bottom of the draw I got another creature moving as well.

Unfortunately, my camera had been set for the hawk in the treetop, and the lighting was far from ideal. Still, it is always fun to be mere feet from a coyote, when it is moving the other way.

So here is my impression of a three year old mapping my upcoming route through England. I will spend two days in Windsor, with plans to visit Windsor Castle, Eton College, and do some dedicated walking and birding in the Great Park. My folks will arrive Friday, and we will head north, up the middle of the country, stopping at Rugby, then Maltby where we will join my extended family to celebrate my Aunt and Uncle's 50th wedding anniversary. Then it is off to the Lake District via a stop at Ripon. The return will feature stops in Ludlow and Chippenham. While this is not a dedicated 'birding' trip, (what of my trips are?), I do hope to have some new species to share on the blog in the days and weeks to come. I am so glad that Ebird has been rolled out globally - it will definitely help in identifying and recording what species I find over there.

All credit being due, I grabbed this map from a Google image search that led me to this nice site, and then scribbled all over it. Thanks and sorry, PicturesofEngland.com.

Sunrise from the Coalton Trail

2011-10-07T14:25:00.001-07:00

My post from late last Tuesday about my visit to the Coalton Trail west of Superior, Colorado had me thinking of the area. So, when I was woken up by a page well before sunrise on Wednesday morning I decided to roll with it and go see if I could have any more luck finding birds in the A.M. than I had in the P.M. Just as I hit the trail I was greeted by beautiful colors and silhouettes. The morning was cool, and I moved quickly down the slope of the highland towards the sunrise. I wanted to get as far along as I could before the the sun broke the horizon, I would then have it at my back as I returned, offering great lighting for all the birds I was sure to see.

I reached roughly the halfway point, where the trail turns hard to the east, and slopes more dramatically downhill into one of the draws before reaching the western edge of residential Superior. I had met the halfway point of my available time as well, and just like the fence-line I had a destination back in the civilized world. Fortunately for me, my route took me back towards the mountains, and I was given a spectacular view of the entrance to Eldorado Canyon, the same canyon that had looked so different in the evening on my previous visit.

This whole area is one that I really enjoy, and I will definitely be back to visit through the seasons. I have a feeling as the weather deteriorates in the coming weeks I will have even more opportunity to enjoy the high plains in their full isolation.

This last Black-eyed Susan bloom was standing sentinel over the passing fall weather. It was well colored in the early light - the birds on the other hand were largely non-existent. There were the usual Western Meadowlarks, who were making up for the lack of diversity by belting out a chorus to welcome the day - but even they kept their distance and didn't appear in pictures as much more than noisy blobs. So instead...more sky.

Lower Church Lake - er...Mudflat

2011-10-06T15:17:00.001-07:00

Monday I stopped by Lower Church Lake at lunch, I hadn't stopped there in a while, and wanted to see if anything was stirring. It turned out that before I could even get to a view of the lake I had disturbed this beautiful dark Rufous-morph Red-tail Hawk from its perch. It gave me a few close passes as it lazily rode a thermal higher. A few moments later a smaller light-morph western Red-tail joined it, and they both headed to the south east and out of view. This bird has been around a bit, either taking a break from migrating or just enjoying what had been beautiful weather. Looking out my office window today I see snow at around 6500-7000 feet, so this bird may have moved on or be thinking that option over seriously this afternoon.

I think the above picture really shows off how well their skulls are shaped as a natural visor. On a clear afternoon like Monday's - the usefulness was apparent.

Below are a few shots of a group of Long-billed Dowitchers I found at the lake-turned mudflat.

Not only are these birds cool to look at for their aptly named long bills, but check out the one going face deep in the soft mud! It is no wonder some of the others are busy preening.

One thing I learned while reading up on Dowitchers was that the white pattern on their backs helps to distinguish them from other similarly sized shorebirds. It won't do much good on a Long-billed Short-billed comparison, but can rule out other species at a distance, and it doesn't look half bad either!

Coalton Trail - outside Superior, Colorado

2011-10-04T13:31:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday evening I had errands to run, but knowing that the sun is sinking earlier and earlier these days, I headed to the high plains of Boulder County in hopes of crossing paths with a late lingering Burrowing Owl or a rare Pipit before I got down to business. I saw lots of Western Meadowlarks, and a bunch of bikers, but otherwise I just had a peaceful, beautiful evening with a view like this mostly to myself.

As the sun dropped I was serenaded by a chorus of Coyotes. A passing biker said he had seen six beyond the next ridge. However, I was on foot, and by the time I Had gotten there the Coyotes had moved on. That's OK, sometimes the things unseen are the most memorable. Then again, sometimes a view and a soft orange sky stick pretty well too.

Fall Colors and Unphotographed Birds

2011-10-03T09:59:00.000-07:00

A fun weekend for me, and hopefully for readers as well. Mine was not all that intensive a birding weekend - as is often the case for me I had too many other activities and obligations, but that didn't mean my eyes weren't on the beautiful clear skies.

First, while waiting for a bus to take me to Denver for the Great American Beer Festival I had a memorable bird pass overhead... Before I get to the bird though I will plug Beerfest, as it is commonly known. If you are a fan of beer, people, or both I definitely recommend adding this event to the bucket list. The world's largest commercial beer convention has been going, and growing for thirty years - this year it featured 3,930 different beers competing for medals in various categories. Just remember to be safe and plan your transportation ahead of time! ...Getting back to the bird though, as I was waiting for my bus I was watching the clear blue sky for any chance migrants passing through. We Coloradans along the Front Range have been spoiled with weeks of practically unbroken beautiful weather, and I found myself scanning the endless blue hoping to catch a flock of Sandhill Cranes in their high altitude flights. Having a half-hour to wait, I was disappointed that I was seeing nothing. I was growing frustrated, all those days stuck in an office spent wishing I just had more time to watch the skies; then there I was with literally nothing to do but watch the skies, and no birds to spot. I kicked a rock, I took a deep breath, I rechecked the bus schedule, I focused on a different patch of sky. Then, out of the north I spotted something white headed straight towards me.... As it grew closer I forced myself to memorize the markings I could see, white head and body, dark primary tips, faint patagial bars, no dark "v" formed by the legs, slight dark markings on the trailing edge of the wing....bird overhead, flying straight as an arrow due south. I spun as I watched it recede, then another red-tail momentarily circled past it and called. It never turned, and I don't believe it responded, it just continued on ever southward. I just stood silently, it was as if the bird had set its course just to show off for a bored birder doing some 'bare naked birding' (birding without binoculars, scope, or camera) while waiting for a bus. I was cautiously optimistic that I knew what I had seen, but waited for the bus to arrive before I started checking web pictures on my phone for confirmation. I am now confident that my bird was a Krider's Red-tail Hawk. What a payoff for a few minutes of impatience! These are Red-tails of the plains, they may pass through during migration, or in the case of a few will settle in to over-winter here. I followed up on this sighting by consulting my trusty copy of Hawks from Every Angle: How to Identify Raptors in Flight written by Jerry Liguri and Bryan Sullivan (highly recommended book); later I came across this great article by the same guys specific to the Krider's Hawks.

Following a fun evening in Denver, Saturday morning got off to a late start (by birding standards) heading out at 7:30 to pick up my truck, stop by the store, and arrive in Boulder around 9:30 for tailgating prior to the University of Colorado football game. As we boiled our brats and set things up while waiting for the crowds to arrive I looked up to see a kettle of Turkey Vultures passing low over the stadium and our heads before catching the same thermals that are so popular with glider pilots over Boulder. I commented that it was probably not the best omen for the game, and much to our dismay the game exceeded our worst fears. The Buffs came close, but managed to allow two unanswered touchdowns in the last 5 minutes, erasing a 10 point lead and devastating thousands who were hoping for a win before an upcoming stretch of 5 brutal games.

Muttering, I headed off for some quality nature time at the Walden Ponds complex in north Boulder at dusk - finding a bit of tranquility, but not much in the way of photographic opportunity.

I believe this weekend reveals a bit of the 'hook' of birding for me. There are plenty of times when dedicated birding at a prime location will, for whatever reason, completely fail to deliver. Then, while out in the routines of life, nature will come along with something remarkable, as if to test our perception - to see if we are paying attention! Are you up to the test?

The photos here are both from a beautiful drive I took last Tuesday evening. I drove up to Golden Gate Canyon State Park, and after limited success birding the Red Barn Picnic area and near the Visitor Center I found a great route, Mountain Base Road to Gap Road stopping at several spots along the way including Panorama Point, before heading back down and joining hwy 72, (Coal Creek Canyon Rd.).

Swamp

2011-09-30T08:51:00.000-07:00

Barataria Preserve; Jean Lafitte National Park, outside New Orleans, Louisiana.

City Park - Denver

2011-09-28T16:30:00.000-07:00

Monday evening; on my calendar, the September meeting of the DFO at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. I had missed the August meeting while I was in New Orleans, so it was good to have a reason to head back down to Denver. As I try to manage when my schedule allows - I headed down early and walked with camera in City Park in the late afternoon. A Ring-billed Gull was enjoying the lakeside in the afternoon light.

Walking further I reached 'Duck Pond', where among a handful of species this Double-crested Cormorant was airing its wings with a few slow beats. Those blue eyes are great when they catch the light. Double click the photo if it doesn't show up in the blog formatting!

I continued my loop, cutting back over to City Park Pond, and spent some time with the Snowy Egrets that remained near the island that hosts their rookery. This one wasn't in the best light, but I really liked the patterns of the water in the background.

I unwittingly timed my walk to complete at the Museum steps just as the sun was sinking beyond Denver. Despite showing my need for a graduated neutral density filter, this picture managed to capture enough of the sky color while preserving the detail of the pond, pavilion, and capital dome. Below, an exposure set up to capture more of the color of the sky.

I am always pleased when nature and events come together to provide a memorable scene. Being at one of the iconic photographic views of Denver, on a mild evening in September, with colors abounding and people out enjoying the evening was just fantastic. Not having my short lens in hand, and not being ready with a filter are just reasons for me to keep trying for improvement!

Stearn's Lake Saturday Morning

2011-09-25T20:30:00.001-07:00

I was out before the sun on Saturday morning, and took the opportunity to visit Stearn's Lake at the southern edge of Boulder county. Readers of this blog will know that this was a spot I visited frequently when my office was located in Louisville and it was a brief turn from my daily drive. On my visit Saturday I stood in the company of a pair of Bald Eagles waiting for the sun to clear a ridge. Turning to the east, a distant post caught my eye...

My interest was peaked, and I did some backtracking to try an approach from another direction. My effort was rewarded, my route took me out of view of the post, and when I had reached a new vantage point it was bare.

To my delight, the bird had relocated to the small tree that had been blocking my view, and had multiplied! I took a few shots, and then dragged myself away to let them settle in for the day.

I looped out to the south, and returned along the edge of a pumpkin field, (they're getting close), as I walked I had some Vesper Sparrows to keep me company, showing off their seasonal colors in the post-dawn light. As I walked I was teased with unphotographed views of at least one Cooper's Hawk. I never got a satisfactory shot of it (them), but did get a nice distant shot of a Northern Harrier skimming the cattails on the far side of the lake. They are so distinctive when seen hunting mere feet above a marsh or field, the white rump, and facial disk were both visible in this shot.

I checked on the owls as I returned to the parking are from a distance and they were still visible. I'll take the opportunity to post one more of their previous shots, they were a real highlight to an enjoyable weekend start.

I hope that yours was just as beautiful, wherever you found yourself yesterday.

Thursday Morning; Standley Lake Park

2011-09-23T09:07:00.000-07:00

I was glad I was able to head out early yesterday morning. There was a hint of frost in the dew on my windshield as I started out, and the day dawned clear and bright. I was hoping for shorebirds or some migrant to come my way, but was happy to settle for some common residents instead.

The Great Blue Heron that was waiting on the shore when I arrived waited patiently as I made a wide circle around 'its' cove.

Between the colors, soft light, and rising mist I was thrilled to have a natural start to my day.

A heron, standing in an orange-mist at the water's edge - felt almost prehistoric.

Then, while I sat silently so as to not disturb the Grebes or Heron, a Mallard swam up to within three feet of me looking for a handout I guess. I suppose my lack of response was a disappointment, and the duck continued along its shoreline route.

Finally, on my way out of the park I stopped at the generally productive trees near the boat parking area, and had a good mix of local birds. Again, nothing unusual, but a fun mix in good light. This time represented by a Western Wood Pewee. Reluctantly I had to drop the truck into gear and head on into the office, but the park will be there the next time I have a chance to get away early.

Baird's Sandpiper

2011-09-21T15:36:00.001-07:00

Last Wednesday I had tried to stop by Lower Church Lake, but strengthening rain chased me off, the poor light and water kept me from being able to make out much of anything out on the water.

The following afternoon I was back, and in addition to getting my first looks at the Wilson's Phalarope pair I also had these two shorebirds mixed in with the many Killdeer.

It took a lot of comparing the fieldmarks I could see with descriptions and images, but I finally was able to identify these birds as Baird's Sandpipers.

I returned the following evening in hopes of getting better shots, but these two had departed. Instead I had to be consoled with Phalaropes, but that was a previous, and perhaps another post!

2011 Count: 221
Lifetime: 290

Random Sights from the Past Few Days

2011-09-21T09:46:00.000-07:00

Vesper Sparrows were the only birds of note at Standley Lake Park when I stopped for a late lunch on Monday. There was a good sized group in the grassy area as I drove towards the lake.

Yesterday morning I stopped for a few minutes at Lower Church Lake, and was rewarded with a flyover juvenile Red-tailed Hawk. I had to use some noise reduction on these shots, but felt these couple warranted a bit of extra processing.

Northern Shoveler

This bird always tripped me up, and I think I fall for the same trap every autumn. This is a Northern Shoveler showing its fall appearance. In the fall it shows the pale area behind the bill, and made me think I was on a hybrid Blue-winged Teal X Northern Shoveler. Just another reason to look closely and double check assumptions.

Still have a few posts that keep sliding behind, I may have one more from Louisiana, and I definitely have a post from Lower Church Lake last week, a new species for me and maybe a few more of the Wilson's Phalaropes - not present yesterday morning.

Hall Creek Morning

2011-09-19T06:39:00.000-07:00

A busy weekend was capped by a quick one-night camping trip to the Hall Valley, this is a nice spot and one I enjoy visiting. As we arrived after a fun day at the Rocky Mountain Showdown college football game the sky looked a bit ominous in the valley as we climbed. Sure enough, as soon as we met with the rest of the group at the site the drizzle turned to snow! Winter camping 2011, check! Actually the weather cleared after an hour or so and the evening was very nice for the late season.

Yesterday morning I woke early and headed off for a walk. Unfortunately the location of this valley has never been good for early morning photography, but it is a nice area for a walk regardless. I failed to relocate the Moose a couple of others had seen the previous evening, but did see Juncos, Mountain Chickadees, and Colorado Chipmunks.

When the sun finally did peak over the ridge the Chipmunks all came out to socialize and bask.

Posing on the edge of a creekside meadow this Chipmunk shows that the colors are beginning to change, and soon will be in full fall mode.

Even so, some remnants of summer are hanging on, like this Pleated Gentian(?). There is still a new species I have to update from last week, and perhaps a few more Wilson's Phalarope pictures from Friday, which I haven't had a chance to look through closely yet.

Wilson's Phalarope

2011-09-16T21:21:00.001-07:00

A few good shots this afternoon at Lower Church Lake on my way home from work. In a bit of a rush, and little chance for PC time in the next couple of days. Fall migration is heating up, so keep your eyes open for short term visitors.

Fall Counting at Barr Lake State Park (2011 Style)

2011-09-12T17:28:00.000-07:00

Highlight life bird of the day - Barn Owl

I'll ask the reader's forgiveness in advance for a long-worded post, but yesterday was a highlight day of birding. For the second time I was a part of the Fall Count at Barr Lake State Park, my previous count in 2009 was blogged here, and here. I am a big fan and proponent of the organized counts that are largely a function of the Audubon Society. Most birders and a good chunk of the general public are aware of the Christmas Bird Counts - and I have had a great time over the past few years joining in as many of those counts as I am able to in that busy season. Fall counts are more limited, but offer another group birding opportunity, with the added bonuses of good weather and the possibility of migrants.
When I stumbled into the fall count at Barr Lake in 2009, I was a year into birding, had a bit of experience, and had the very good fortune to arrive on a day when our largest group of counters was three, and dropped to two in marginal weather. On that day we counted 46 species. This year, with better weather we had a group of seven counters, and our species count ended at 76, (I believe), when added with the species totals from counters in other areas of the park and the bird banding station we were confident that total would climb to over 80 for the day. My personal list reached 65, and included three new species for me.

Cassin's Vireo

Our group on Sunday had a good mix of birding ability, including a couple of great 'ear' birders - who were able to let the rest of us know what we should be looking for before any of us saw the bird. While my ears aren't that well attuned, being quick with a camera can produce results in its own right. While scanning a few trees on my own I spotted the bird above and got four pictures before it was gone. The spectacles gave me a right first guess of vireo, but I was so caught up in warbler ids that I dismissed it and immediately had the group look at the image on my camera for help. A worse picture showed the olive back noted in the first linked post above, and I had my second ever Cassin's Vireo - on my second ever Barr Lake Fall Count. We spent a long while in the area trying to get the rest of the group on the bird, but it was long gone. Fortunately there were lots of other birds in the area and we tallied some good species while we watched.

Common Yellowthroat

This Common Yellowthroat was just one of the many species we saw in that area. We were having good luck in the area below the dam, but we had to head on. Dedicated counts help to keep you moving when birding. You want to avoid recounting the same individuals, and the idea is not to stake out an area in hopes of getting great photos. So before long we were off, hearing a Virginia Rail before reaching the far end of the dam, where we had cars waiting to ferry us back to the far side of the lake. Before we reached our destination, we had one of those non-bird moments of amazement that so often happen while out to see birds. We were passing one of the spillways, and there was some pooling in the creek bed, where recent flows had apparently been cut off and were now receding. In a harsh view of nature we saw many fish that were struggling in the remaining pools. Rainbow and Brown Trout were all stranded, along with a lone Carp. I'll save those images, as they are a bit grim, but beautiful fish nonetheless - and instead share an ugly fellow that was living large in the shallows.

Cayfish - species unknown

The small pool had some fascinating wildlife to observe, the large fish mentioned above, hundreds of minnows, water skimmers and other insects galore, and crayfish. This one and several others could have passed for small lobsters at some restaurants. It was a testament to the diverse natural interests of birders that we stopped for as long as we did, but eventually we were off to find more species. Leaving didn't stop us from wondering what opportunistic predator(s) would find an easy meal before the day was over though.

Semipalmated Plover

We were off to find more birds, and to that end we weren't disappointed. Passing the group of banders who were leaving their station as we approached, we learned that they had recaptured a Magnolia Warbler in their nets that morning. Hoping to somehow relocate the bird, a longshot at best, we headed out across the extended shoreline following the track between nets. While scanning the lake for gulls one sharp-eyed member of our group spotted this Semipalmated Plover with several killdeer on the mudflats. While its markings could possibly be confused with those of a Killdeer, its size is revealing.

Semipalmated Plover and Killdeer

Getting a life bird, and having it pose for size comparison shots is almost too much to hope for. It seemed tiny while foraging with the Killdeer. I lingered, getting shots of the two species and just enjoying the opportunity to get to know a shorebird before hurrying to catch the rest of the group.

Townsend's Warbler

It was good that I didn't fall too far behind. Before long we came across more fall warblers, this time including a Townsend's Warbler, my second life bird of the day. We actually had two individuals on the day, this was the second, and the only one that I was able to get a picture of. Like all warblers it was there, and then gone - vanished beyond the leaves and branches. Pressing on, we completed our last leg, reaching more staged vehicles and returning to the nature center where we could consolidate our totals and make sure nothing was missed. As we approached a picnic table one group member spotted a large bird departing the tree overhead. We all turned, and had different impressions as the large bird glided across a canal. Popular opinion was Great Horned Owl, and others thought maybe it was an immature Black-crowned Night Heron. It turned out we were all wrong.

Barn Owl

The bird first perched with its back to us, and was a bit to far for good looks with bins. My first few frames were inconclusive, it looked like a rusty Great Horned Owl to me. Then I shot a few more frames and zoomed in again on my camera's LCD. When that white face emerged I was floored. Here it was, my number one most sought after bird. I always kept my eye out for them, but after countless detours to check abandoned hay barns, sheds, and hedgerows they had grown into an elusive target. Finally seeing one in broad daylight in the mid-afternoon was so unexpected I am sure I will never forget that sighting. Almost immediately a scope was on the bird, and it remained perched allowing everyone to get up close views. Absolutely an impressive bird and one that I hope will not remain as long unseen for my second sighting.

If returning readers couldn't tell already, I am really a fan of this specific count trip. I have more conflicts with dates in the fall, but always hope to be able to make this one happen. Check with your local birding organization to see if there are spring and fall count locations in your area. You will be glad you did.

2011 Count: 220
Lifetime: 289

Sherburne WMA Shorebirds

2011-09-09T10:05:00.000-07:00

Wanted to post a sample shot of one of the wider views from my visit to Sherburne. This is just a sample of a much larger area filled with birds, the majority of which in this shot were White Ibis. I was walking along a small levee, separated from the area in sight above by a small watercourse. The birds below were all on the near or far bank of that section, offering views of shorebirds that even I could enjoy!

Solitary Sandpiper

Lesser Yellowlegs

Spotted Sandpiper

Lesser Yellowlegs and Black-necked Stilt

What a location! Right in this area I also had a roost of Black Vultures numbering in the hundreds. I am not sure when my travels will next take me to the Baton Rouge area, but when I am next there getting back to the South Farm at Sherburne will be a priority.

Sunrise, Grand Isle Style

2011-09-08T12:08:00.000-07:00

One of the highlights of my recent trip to Louisiana, or any recent trip for that matter, was my excursion to Grand Isle to catch the sunrise over the Gulf of Mexico. I had to be up at 3:00 to make it, but would do it again in a heartbeat - it was that memorable.

The high humidity and haze over the water allowed the sun to get up fairly high before it began to 'rise'. That offered some interesting colors to form up for silhouetting the Brown Pelicans that were emerging from the darkness.

Soon the sun began to break free though, making smaller birds and other shapes visible.

Occasionally, the inhabitants beneath the surface would pop up for a tantalizing moment, generally not where I was looking, or, as if toying with my intentions, just outside the target light. Finally though...

a fin captured in the golden light. What did those fins belong to? Coastal visitors know of course, but capturing one in an image is tougher.......

Finally! My guess would be Bottlenose Dolphin, but I've lived in Minnesota and Colorado, so what do I know. I do know that I had a blast standing and shooting for an hour as the sun rose and the colors changed on the Pier at Grand Isle State Park. Watching and shooting a full 8Gb card trying to capture Dolphins in the first part of their breaches is a great way to start a day. They weren't the only mammals about though.

The parade of boats heading out and in was entertaining as well. I was shocked at the heavy traffic as I drove towards the coast before 5:00am, but for fishermen and roughnecks that is rush hour.

Only smaller craft had the luxury of cutting through the colored waters of sunrise on that memorable morning.

Big Birds at Sherburne WMA

2011-09-08T09:59:00.000-07:00

Another revisit to some of the bird images from Sherburne WMA outside Baton Rouge, LA. This time focusing on some of the large subjects that frequent the area.

Little Blue Heron

Great Egret

Green Heron

White Ibis - immature

Little Blue Heron - immature

(interesting that the previous two are such negative images of the adult plumage versions of their species)

Cattle Egret

That was quiet a total for the Heron/Egrets in one day, from previous posts I had also counted Great Blue and Tricolored on that day. I was also on the lookout for Roseate Spoonbills, but they eluded me on this trip and remain high on the wish list. Will return for at least one more Sherburne post featuring shorebirds, but may jump ahead to Grand Isle between now and then.

Critters of Louisiana

2011-09-07T17:35:00.000-07:00

American Alligator - star of the show

Monarch Butterfly

Golden Orb Weaver

Gasteracantha cancriformis, Spiny-backed Orb Weaver or Smiley-faced Spider

Five-lined Skink

Great Blue Skimmer

Golden Orb Weaver

Southeastern Lubber Grasshopper 'Devil's Horse'

Green Anole

Crab (anyone know crab species?)

These were just a handful of the non-birds that slinked, sprang, scurried, spun, swooshed or swam their way past me on my adventures in Louisiana. Many of the above photos were taken at the Barataria Preserve section of the Jean Lafitte National Park. That day was incredible, but due to the park opening hour of 9:00 it was already too hot for any good bird activity while I was there. The place was incredible though, and a definitely recommended destination for visitors to New Orleans. I even saw a River Otter, (not pictured) which was a lifer mammal in the wild!

Sherburne WMA Lifers

2011-09-02T13:52:00.000-07:00

Sherburne Wildlife Management Area is spread out over an area just west of Baton Rouge Louisiana. It was well written of on the See Jane Bird list of birding locations, and had generated a few trip reports on eBird and the Louisiana listserve in the weeks leading up to my trip.

I headed out from New Orleans before daylight, and was impressed at the miles of elevated roadway outside the city. I was also impressed by how humid and hot it was in the predawn hour. The vastness of the swampland was something that I academically understood to be fact, but it still hit me as I drove along.

I missed sunrise, and struggled with lens fog the first few minutes after my arrival, but was all set to begin getting shots just after seven. Shortly after the White Ibis became apparent - there were many - I caught this Yellow-crowned Night Heron on the wing. Note the white cheek patch that extends behind the eye.

Next up, an Anhinga. It was busy working on something on a perch above the lilies. I had a good long look at the bird but was a ways distant across the water. I would have liked to get a better look at those feet. Still, another great bird, and so fun to see large sized lifers that were easy to identify.

Just when I was beginning to think it would be difficult to find any other new, large birds at close range to take pictures of.....I walked up on this Tricolored Heron. I was just becoming frustrated by the bright direct sun on this bird's light breast, when I caught movement in the trees beyond.....

There I spotted a Yellow-billed Cuckoo. That is a bird that is uncommon, but readily found across the eastern portion of Colorado. I guess I will just have to look harder here.

The Cuckoo and Tricolored Heron marked my furthest point into the area, (near a machine shed beyond the restrooms), and I turned back as the sun rose. My time in the South Farm area wasn't over, a detour on my return walk yielded many pictures, which included the White Ibis and Black-necked Stilt pictures from the previous post....but more on that later. Skipping ahead, once it had become prohibitively warm and most of the birds had dispersed out for the shade and security of the forest or were just foraging one by one, I headed back for the car. While sweat soaked, it was only mid-morning, and I was still eager for more. Just down the Interstate, a junction with Whiskey Bay Road featured a 17 mile stretch through the larger section of Sherburne, before connecting with a state highway that would loop me back to Baton Rouge.

The road started through a series of riverside cabins, which would make an appealing weekend getaway for the summer months down there. Just as I was getting started I spotted a likely bird on a dead snag above the riverbank. I got a good series of shots, but they were distant and in bright light. Do you know what I had found?

A Mississippi Kite! This is another bird that breeds in Eastern Colorado, but which I have not previously been able to track down. This one moved back and forth between two perches, giving me ample opportunity to get the best shots that circumstances would allow.

After all these great birds, and more (stay tuned), I was ready to complete my loop grab some lunch and get back to the city, my hotel, and bed. I did have one last adventure in store. As I headed down the on ramp to the state highway I found a police cruiser blocking the road, and saw another diverting traffic from the highway off the exit ramp. I looped under the bridge, dug out my map and found another road headed back to the south (Interstate) on the far side of the river. By the time I had my new route I had several other car drivers asking if they could follow me. Somehow we all ended up on the road south, which deteriorated from a nice paved two lane highway... to a nice gravel road... to a split where presumably the oncoming traffic was driving along the top of the levee to our left while we drove along a narrow dirt track at its base.....past someone's full exhaust system lying in the road gulp (Dave to self: "you are driving a rental car, not your 4runner, does this thing have any clearance?")... at this point we have caught other traffic on the detour, and the dust kicked up from both roads is getting thick between the walls of vegetation on either side...to a point where the road turns through some deeepish sand (Dave to self: "this is why driving a truck is always a good idea")....on and on watching taillights ahead and hoping the car behind isn't too close.....(Dave to self: Did I just hear banjo music?!!)...and out to an interstate on ramp and clear visibility travel. Louisiana, wild and full of adventure!

Several more posts to come....stay tuned!

Looks from Louisiana

2011-09-02T09:53:00.000-07:00

Last week I had a chance to pull together a great trip out of a combination of birding and photography, work, and meeting with friends from all over the country for a fantasy football draft. I had three trips out into various habitats in the early part of the week, and then followed it up with some fun in New Orleans when my friends arrived last weekend. This post contains a few of my favorite captures from the trip. Above, a White Ibis from my first day trip to the South Farm section of the Sherburne WMA just west of Baton Rouge.

Next a flight shot of a Black-necked Stilt from the same morning. My arrival flight was planned for an overnight Friday evening, which would lead directly to an early start Saturday. But as they say, "the best laid plans of mice and men..." and that flight was canceled. I actually left at ten a.m. on Saturday, and finally caught up with my bags at the hotel just after midnight on Sunday morning. The drive up to Sherburne and the great birding I experienced were just what I needed to make me forget the travel headaches and immerse myself in all the wildlife that habitat had to offer.

A few days later I took another morning trip, and headed down to Grand Isle for sunrise. More dedicated shots to come from that, but for the moment, a Green Heron perched to give me a sidelong glance while preening.

The second of two lifers from the trip included in this post, a Clapper Rail. The other, the White Ibis at the top of this post was the first of nine I added on the trip.

To close out this first of the trip posts, a Willet who was posing as I exited the Grand Isle State Park on my way back to New Orleans. I really enjoyed my opportunities to get out of the city on this visit to Louisiana. Granted, late August is far from ideal, but if you are willing to wake really early, and accept that by 9:30 or 10:00 am it will be time to head anywhere indoors, then this is a place where incredible experiences abound.

Aside for traveling birders.
I find that one of the great parts of any kind of travel is the advance planning that goes into finding activities that will make a vacation memorable. For this trip an incredibly helpful site was See Jane Bird's site. She has a Birding Around Baton Rouge link that had great information on a number of locations in the area, including habitat, likely species, and access details. There were others as well, but that one knocked it out of the park for a site created by an individual. Nice work Jane!

More to come....stay tuned!

2011 Count: 214
Lifetime: 286

Quick Trip

2011-08-07T20:13:00.000-07:00

After a busy summer, with little focus on photography I wanted to get back in the swing of things before my travel schedule pics up in a few weeks. To that end I loaded up my truck and headed west after work on Friday. I had a vague idea of heading towards Taylor Park, but without having to coordinate plans with a large group I could let my ultimate destination present itself. After making my way 'up the hill' through traffic, and a quick dinner in Leadville I crossed the continental divide and descended into Taylor park after dark.

No problem, having already eaten I inflated my mattress in the back of the 4runner and was reading myself to sleep in minutes. Waking the next morning I drove through Taylor Park and decided to head up to the Pieplant Townsite for breakfast. I had no idea what this particular ghost town would consist of, some are just depressions in the earth, and others are quite complete. This one prominently featured the remains of a stamp mill.

The stonework of the old mill was still well intact, while the wood had largely collapsed. Remains of cabins were also in the area. A forest service worker I passed on my way out commented that he wasn't sure anyone had made money on the proposition other than the man who recruited investors, but that some people just really had an urge to work hard. It may have been a tough life, carting ore from much further up the mountain, to stamp it in the wilderness, and then cart the sorted ore much further - but it certainly was a beautiful place in which to do it.

Now this young bull Moose has the place largely to itself, at least until the ATV riders start making laps. Wanting none of that traffic I headed back out of the park, and retraced my path to the summit of Cottonwood Pass, and the Continental Divide.

Despite being mid-summer, and a period when birds are not conveniently posing for photographs, I did find one White-crowned Sparrow to get a passable bird shot.

With a view like this, though, I wasn't to broken up by the lack of birds to photograph.

Another consolation are the high tundra wildflowers. Rosy Paintbrush.

Dusky Beardtongue.

Then, it was down the home side of the pass. I took my time, using forest roads to cross between Buena Vista and Fairplay, and then crossing Hoosier Pass north into Breckenridge, and taking the back road to Keystone before crossing Loveland Pass on my way back to I70 and home.

It was a great way to spend a night and day in Colorado, and makes me appreciate all that my home has to offer.

Getting very excited.....

2011-08-02T21:05:00.001-07:00

No, I haven't been out doing any more birding than I had two weeks ago - but I will be soon.

For everyone checking back periodically I appreciate your patience, and will hope to reward it with some birding adventure reports in the coming weeks and months. First up, a return to New Orleans in a few weeks to see if I can add a bit more intensity to the birding part of my trip this year. I coordinated with my work to arrange a week long visit this year, and in the midst of doing some real work will have more mornings and some weekend days to get out and about.

Then, this blog is going to get international! Its about time too. I'll save the details for future installments, but a flight has been booked and I can't wait.

For now a couple of pictures from a June trip to Rocky Mountain National Park:

Are there still birds out there?

2011-07-21T14:57:00.001-07:00

Of course there are! I just haven't been out to photograph them in a while. Not an abandonment, just a break. Besides summer is hot, and fairly quiet in a bird's world.

Catching up last Weekend; As I Begin This One

2011-06-03T14:38:00.000-07:00

Before I even start - I know that I now have Florida pictures that have aged almost a month, and CFO Convention pics that are at several weeks, but this is targetting low-hanging fruit in the backlog.

Last weekend didn't offer a significant amount of time for birding. An annual Memorial Day BBQ loomed large on Monday and was going to require some yard, house, and meat prep-time. So early Saturday morning was my window to get out while I could. I had a marginal plan to head up towards Georgetown, and perhaps Guanella Pass for some White-tailed Ptarmigan. After seeing that the road wasn't going to open until late morning, and that the Mount Evans road was open to Summit Lake I quickly changed to that option and headed up above treeline.

I was greeted by wind, and quite a bit of snow. Unfortunately the area surrounding the lake was still deeply buried, and the Ptarmigan were not present, but the American Pipits were.

In the brown grass nearly invisible, but better seen when posing against a snowy backdrop. Even so, nothing stands out above treeline quite like a Yellow-bellied Marmot. (Unless it is later in the year and you get to see larger, critters.)

Skipping ahead a bit, I next ventured out Wednesday at lunch. It was a muggy afternoon, and while the birds weren't exceptional, this Snowy Egret was enjoying the full creek. I really enjoy watching them climb slight inclines, the extended yellow feet are awkwardly entertaining.

The rest of my weekend, when not prepping for, bbqing, or cleaning up was spent contributing to the construction of this fine architectural marvel - a shed!

The marvel is that it is standing! Bah-dum-da! Actually, with the bulk of the planning and management being done by a carpenter/contractor friend the damage that myself and the homeowner could do by 'improvising' was limited. As renter, my contribution conscience is clear and a Saturday of destination birding has a plan forming in my brain.

Have a good weekend everyone, and a very Happy Birthday to my Dad!

Welcome to Colorado - Western Gull

2011-06-01T22:06:00.000-07:00

This evening I had the good fortune to observe and photograph what will be, if accepted, the first recorded Western Gull in the state of Colorado.

Western Gulls (big surprise) live on the Pacific Coast. I tried hard to create one when I traveled to Lake Tahoe this winter, but even on the eastern California border the gull is a rarity. This one seems to be good for the telltale fieldmarks. Note the large bright-yellow bill with a red spot on the lower mandible. A pale eye-ring on an otherwise plain white head, and dull pink legs. The bird has a fairly dark gray back, with black wing tips that show white tips on the primaries. The underside of the far wing, and the flight photos below show the lone white wingtip visible when the bird is above.

Glenn Walbek is the local birder that discovered the bird this morning at Chatfield State Park. By mid-day the confirmations were coming in. Then it was a matter of hoping the bird would remain through the rest of the work day, and a rush hour drive south through the metro area.

When I arrived I was surprised that there were no obvious birders around the marina where the bird had been reported. I walked a bit, and then checked my email - the word was in, the bird had relocated to the west side of the lake. I retraced my drive and shortly had the bird in scope, on the west side of the lake, and notably in Jefferson County.

Three of us kept a vigil for an hour or so, as others came and went. We were hoping for a wing-stretch, or a circling flight to show us the underwing details, but when it came the bird headed out across the lake, and beyond trees that hid it from view. Based on the direction of flight and the sightings from earlier in the day it seemed possible if not likely that the bird had returned to the sand spit where it had been spending the majority of its time. I retraced my route once again, and was rewarded by finding the bird back in its original location - this time in Douglas County. Not bad, a likely state record bird, a lifer for me, and now on two county lists in the same day.

There is a darker side to the excitement of extremely rare bird sightings. Often the birds are far away from their familiar habitat, and it is unclear if this bird will ever find its way back to the Pacific. The bird does seem to be hampered by some injury to its left leg. It is not placing weight on the limb, but was using it to scratch at times. Time will tell if this bird can adapt to its current surroundings.

The reality is that the bird is here for the time being, and that it presents a great opportunity to observe this species close to home. Hopefully many Colorado birders will have the chance to do so in the coming days.

2011 Count: 199
Lifetime: 277

Owl Update & General Birdliness

2011-05-27T09:26:00.000-07:00

This morning I swung by the neighborhood owl nest area, and sure enough the young owls have fledged. I had a couple of minutes and was listening and scanning for other birds in the area when I saw another woman who was obviously looking in the same area. In a quick chat she confirmed that the birds had been around since leaving the nest, and that she had seen them as recently as two days before. I spotted the young bird above shortly after, clicked a few frames and waved the woman back over. As she was approaching I saw the adult I had missed sitting on a branch a couple of feet and directly above the younger bird. A few moments later I found another young bird several trees over in a more exposed spot.

I am aware that these birds are still pulling a lot of human attention. I imagine, but haven't confirmed, that this is a rough time for owls if mobbing by other species occurs so I kept my looks brief and then focused my attention on the reservoir. Since Redhead Ducks and Yellow-headed Blackbirds are self explanatory I'll use the rest of this post to share a handful of my non-photographed recent observations.

On Wednesday evening, heading home from work, I was able to watch the leucistic Red-tailed Hawk (blogged here, and again here,) circling above the intersection I was stopped at. No chance for photos, but an impressive sight nonetheless.

While doing a bit of tuning up the backyard for the annual Memorial Day BBQ/party I have added a couple of birds to my limited yard list. Wednesday evening a flight of three American White Pelicans flew low overhead, and last night while I cleaned up an old brush pile I had one each of both Red-winged Blackbird and Blue Jay. The trees in the neighborhood are continuing to mature, so there is a bit better chance for more diversity this year. I have moved the thistle feeder from the front porch to the back yard, which has made the American Goldfinches more visible this year as well.

Now I just need to rig up a few spots for the Wingscapes cam so I can multi-task my birding! I also need to figure out a good spot for the hummingbird feeder I used in Estes Park last spring but have never hung at home.

The Fun and Frustration of May

2011-05-26T11:42:00.000-07:00

Birders will relate that May is one of the most fun and frustrating times of the year. It flies in the face of the adage, "When you are in a hole, stop digging!". As birders, we head out to see all the goodies that are migrating through to their northern breeding grounds, each day offering new potential arrivals. As a photographer, blogger, skier, camper, hiker, and person who still values the friendships I have with non-birders - those urges to catch migrants passing through can really cut into other activities I enjoy.
Even so I have been heading out on my lunch breaks, further deepening the pile of unprocessed pictures I have, and some developing blog topics that are a bit deeper than my typical, 'I went here and saw these birds today' posts. So, rather than insightful writing, here is some of what I saw when I walked along Big Dry Creek on a cool cloudy afternoon Tuesday. Above is one of two incredibly cooperative Western Wood-Pewees.
I had started the walk with a flyover Snowy Egret, which I snapped a few frames of from my building's parking lot, before realizing I had not yet inserted my memory card back in the camera. I then had distant shots of a yellow-shafted Northern Flicker, Bullock's Oriole (first a male, then later a female which I believe was distinguishable from a female Western Tanager by her yellow tail - correct me if I'm wrong here), and finally this slightly blurry Western Tanager male.

They are such cool looking birds, but somehow I rarely get crisp shots. For a better look check this one. I kept moving on after the Western Tanager had moved back into the trees, and had a Yellow-rumped Warbler eyeing me from some streamside vegetation.

Then I caught site of the Pewee show, and camped out for a bit at the entrance to an underpass.

The two gave a great show, occasionally exploding from their perches in pursuit of unseen insects.

More good stuff from yesterday, no phenomenal pictures that jumped out at me, but some swallow flight shots that are at least good for IDs, a Chipping Sparrow out of the bath, and a Swainson's Hawk eating a snake....so stay tuned!

Updated counts after all CFO trips entered in eBird.

2011 Count: 197
Lifetime 276

Gone West

2011-05-20T21:10:00.000-07:00

The first day of the CFO convention was great, if a bit more wet than anyone would have hoped. Our day started with a good sized group, getting good looks at the Black-throated Sparrow (above) and Lark Sparrow (below).

By then the rain started to get serious, and our group thinned due to muddy roads. A somewhat smaller group pressed on, and got good looks at the Burrowing Owl, and Sandhill Crane below.

Unfortunately the rain that kept us company all morning also caused a fogging issue with my camera, and I missed getting shots of my lifer Long-eared Owls on their nest.

The group contracted again, but six of us pressed on through the heaviest rain, getting to unsuccessfully scan a flock of close to 200 White-faced Ibis for any stray Glossies, (still a great sight). Eventually the weather began to break, just as we were guided to a nice hotspot for Sage Sparrows, (below) and Sage Thrashers (picture not posted - see fogging issue above). Both were great looks at life birds for me.

Life birds aren't the only highlights though, many birds were willing to give us close looks, like this Brewer's Sparrow.

Many thanks to my carpoolers, Nick and Matt, and our awesome west slope guide Kim who braved the weather with us and showed us some great sites.

Hopefully the weather is a bit more cooperative and the birding continues at the same great pace.

2011 Count: 184
Lifetime: 273

Out on a Limb!

2011-05-18T15:54:00.000-07:00

Back for a quick peek at the local owl nest between showers this morning. The family is still around, when seen between the thickening leaves.

Everyone was still hanging out on the nest....or were they?

Nope, this owl at least is out seeing the world! Actually those few feet are a big development. These owls are getting close to becoming airborne.

My guess is that they may well be off before I am back in the area next week. Hopefully they continue to provide interest for the area residents between now and then.

Florida Birding; May 5th, Part 4

2011-05-17T11:37:00.000-07:00

A few odds and ends...

Great Blue Heron

Northern Mockingbird

Barn Swallows

flying

With that Cinco de Mayo is in the books.

Stay tuned though, the following day involved a beach walk in the morning, a trip into the park itself later in the morning, and a brief visit to a wooded park in the mid-afternoon. Lots of pictures to share from that, if I can ever get them processed.

Florida Birding; May 5th, Part 3

2011-05-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

Sanderlings and Willet.

Have at it! I am sure that in this and upcoming posts there will be opportunities to review, critique, and or correct my identification & photography skills. Please feel free to point out any misses on my part, along with reasons why. That way I can learn along with anyone in the audience who cares to get to know their shorebirds a bit better.

So without further ado, Ruddy Turnstone.

Sanderling.

All three species.

One more time, Sanderlings and Willet.

Corrections keep pushing my numbers up....

2011 Count: 160
Lifetime: 269

Florida Birding; May 5th, Part 2

2011-05-17T09:15:00.000-07:00

The Black Skimmer. Of all the birds I had occasion to see in Florida, these were the most surprisingly impressive. As I caught sight of them on that first early morning their over sized and brightly colored bills blew me away.

The first morning I only had the chance to watch a small group of them - later in the following day their were dozens in a group resting on the island.

I swear those bills are dayglo orange, they show up at a distance like construction signs.

On the topic of large, brightly colored birds, here was another common sight:

The Laughing Gull. I had seen these birds before, but not in breeding plumage.

I believe that this one has a young Franklin's Gull for a companion. Franklin's Gulls aren't nearly as common along the Florida Gulf as Laughing Gulls. The Franklin's generally stay to the west, heading north from Texas. However, young gulls are apparently not all that unusual, they will associate with Laughing Gulls, to whom they are close relations. I am basing this distinction on the size difference, and the smaller bill of the Franklin's. If there are any gull experts who are sure of a different ID please feel free to let me know. Identifying a bird that doesn't show up on the eBird list of commonly occurring species at a new location always gives me a reason to double check!

One last shot of formation flying Skimmers in parting, they were so close to completing their flying circle!

Florida Birding; May 5th, Part 1

2011-05-16T11:28:00.000-07:00

May 5th was my first morning in Pensacola Beach, Florida, and my first extensive birding in the area. I started very early in the morning, and walked out to the entrance station for the Ft. Pitkins Park section of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. There was a stiff breeze at my back as I headed out, and with sunrise and my about face, it strengthened into a full-on blow. Even so the birding was surprisingly good. I found myself in the midst of a Least Tern breeding colony coming to life with the increasing light.

From some after the fact reading I have learned that Least Terns have a diet that consists almost entirely of small 'baitfish' caught in the shallows near their colonies. Part of their mating ritual involves the giving of food to a prospective partner. At the time I wasn't sure if the interactions were sharing or thievery, but it seems likely that those exchanges were between pairs.

It was clear that the food source was small fish though, and they seemed to be returning frequently with fresh catches.

Cool birds though, I spent a few afternoons on the beach trying to capture their entertaining dives in still images - but relaxation and general difficulty capturing birds in high speed flight made that a lost cause. So instead an early morning shot of a bird cruising.

While Least Terns were by far the most numerous, there were a handful of other terns mixed in. They were Gull-billed Terns, which were just a bit larger in size, but had notably thicker black bills by comparison.

Stay tuned, more to come shortly from my images on the 5th, and my list of images to process from the 6th is daunting. Plenty to keep me busy through and beyond the CFO convention trip this weekend.

Falling Farther Behind!

2011-05-13T16:32:00.000-07:00

Note to self: If you go on a trip and take thousands of photographs in the beginning of May don't expect to process through them anytime soon.

Note to readers: I now have a list of selected photos from the first two days of my trip to be cropped/processed. Two additional days, and some cropping and I'll be ready to post! In the meantime migration is too good not to be out in, and the images keep piling up. On Wednesday I realized that I would reach my anniversary at work over the weekend, and had a half day of vacation that would have burned, so Thursday morning, was a cold, rainy, snowy day...with some great birds.

A Fox Sparrow seems to have taken the place of some of the unusual wintering sparrows at the Red Rocks Trading Post, so my first stop was to check on the feeders there. I quickly located the Fox Sparrow as it occasionally emerged from the bushes on the far side of the garden. This was a bird I was glad to photograph. I had mis-identified one back in 2009 in the blog (an obvious Song Sparrow). I corrected the entry, but the keyword remained like a scarlet letter on the right side of my page. Ha. Anyways, it is good to actually add the species to the blog.

The Fox Sparrow may have been the main draw, but other birds quickly stole the show. Two Black-headed Grosbeaks mingled with the many Spotted Towhees, showing their similar color schemes.

I also hit the jackpot on Lazuli Buntings. I placed my count from early in the morning at 30. They were everywhere! Eight to ten would feed in a group, while other clusters would circulate into the trees.

Even soaking wet these guys are colorful. The large numbers of birds even attracted a Sharp-shinned Hawk to make a pass. It was unsuccessful, and only captured as an image of a faint dot disappearing in the clouds. Even so, cool to see 50 or sixty birds scatter all at once.

After over an hour at the site I decided I would head uphill and get a bit of my precipitation in solid form (almost 2.5 inches of slow steady rain in the high plains of Colorado was welcome, but tiring - we like our sunshine!). I feel that this Ruby-crowned Kinglet was really trying to show off his color against all that white. It worked! The rest of my visit to Golden Gate Canyon State Park was uneventful, two Mallards, a flicker, and a Lincoln's Sparrow completed my list.

So the backlog remains, but I'll deal with it someday! Next week ends with a trip to Grand Junction for the CFO convention. That should ensure that the backlog carries me well into June! As of now my counts stand at:

2011 Count: 159
Lifetime: 268

Coolest Evening of Birding in a Long Time

2011-05-10T22:11:00.000-07:00

This afternoon work wrapped up a bit early, so I headed to Boulder County to get a visit in to one of the Spring migration hot spots, and just one of the coolest spots to visit in general - Gregory Canyon.

I arrived and was checking out the entrance road when another photographer walked up. He was trying to relocate a Black-throated Gray Warbler he had seen this morning. At the time it was fairly quiet and I had to settle for a Catbird, some Virginia Warblers, and displaying Broad-tailed Hummingbirds.

Around six o'clock I watched a Black-capped Chickadee move past some trees, and then did a double take at the 'reversed' chickadee. It didn't take long to realize that I had found the Black-throated Gray Warbler. Like most warblers it was distant, and the pictures aren't ideal - but I'll take distinguishable any day.

I had another surprise when I checked my email this evening - the following cheesy award was waiting for me:

The meat of it was really cool. Whenever I get through Florida pictures I will introduce Semipalmated Sandpiper JNT. I was amazed that I had been able to pull the code from a photograph of the tag - even more that they could tell me within 24 hours that I had found a bird that was banded back in 2004! How cool is that?

I will get posts up from my trip, but for my own future reference my year and lifetime totals stand at:

2011 Count: 153
Lifetime: 268

When Good Birds Go Bad

2011-05-08T20:43:00.000-07:00

Fishermen watch your bait! Just flipping through few pics after getting back from Florida. I've got lists to update and pictures to process, but will try to get a few posts up along the way.

Greetings from Pensacola Beach

2011-05-06T15:16:00.000-07:00

It's been too long since I have spent time at a beach. The sound of waves crashing outside my room, sky meeting water in the distance, great food, sugary sand between my toes, not much could be better. Then there are the birds.

They have been great! My only knock on the whole trip has been the low signal for my hotel wireless connection, so posting and updating lists has been more miss than hit, but I am filling up memory cards with pictures and should have plenty to post next week.

All my best to friends, family, and readers alike - have fun out there.

Tic-Toc

2011-05-03T08:44:00.000-07:00

In 24 hours I will hopefully be minutes from departure. I am off for adventure with a couple of old school buddies, to explore a new locale and escape the reminders that Colorado keeps throwing out that winter isn't that far gone. So in the meantime a few more shots from Sunday. Nothing new from yesterday, I ran a couple of errands and moved 96Gb of pictures, (the first 1/3 of 2011), to external storage freeing up some space on the ol' laptop. The first shot (above) is a Northern Rough-winged Swallow. Not a particularly well lit shot, but finding one perched as opposed to zooming around above a lake was worth noting. NRWS show that buffy arc across the top of their breast, which can also be a good field mark when looking at rows of swallows on power lines.

While looking for shorebirds at the edge of one pond, a bird decided I had gotten too close and took off across the water.

I just had to head along the bank to make sure the large bird that had just flown quietly away was what I suspected it to have been.

A Great Horned Owl. I backtracked, as I intended to take a different route through the maze of small ponds and having confirmed its identity I was content to leave the owl in peace rather than risking flushing it once again.

A lone Great Egret had set up shop in a pond which I was gradually working my way around. I believe that this was the same bird that had started my morning with a flyover as I parked.

Further along I heard dull tapping coming from a tree. I paused, and quickly realized that it was the sound of a woodpecker excavating a nest cavity. I circled the tree until I found the hole, and then waited....

Northern Flicker, maker of holes.

One of my real highlights from Sunday was this sight, Wood Ducks in the woods. After seeing the Wood Ducks last week in Wheat Ridge I had been hoping to find some roosting, and finally got the chance. They moved deeper into the trees when a nice couple walked up to me with their dog, but I got to follow their progress through two more flights.

Finally, a Great Blue Heron for kicks.

I had a great series of this bird taking off. Unfortunately I was aiming somewhat into the poor light, but fun to see them in their breeding finery.

So now I am back to watching the clock and ready for travel. My hotel will be a few minutes walk from a National Seashore, so I hope to get my bird on in the early part of the day, and my chill-axin' tourist on in the afternoon and evening. I already know the trip will be fun, and my first visit to a shoreline since beginning birding has my mind spinning with the new species I may get to see and photograph.

Heck of a day!

2011-05-02T13:55:00.000-07:00

Sunday's ski plans fell through, so based on my success the day before I decided to head up to the Walden/Sawhill Ponds/Cottonwood Marsh complex in Boulder for the early morning hours. After Saturday's bright skies and bitter winds the calm overcast and quiet of Sunday was most welcome.

When I arrived I had the place to myself. The sun was just rising, but light would remain an issue for the morning due to the low clouds. Light and iffy photography aside I was in for a treat. By the time I left the park I had tallied 47 species, more than likely a new best for a solo bird walk of just a few hours in one location. Tops among everything I saw was this Long-billed Dowitcher, which I saw very early, just as I was crossing the boardwalk going into the complex. The bill shape narrowed down the possibilities, but I had my doubts after scrutinizing the first picture and checking the guidebooks. Shape and structure were great for the Dowitcher, but a Dowitcher in May should have a rusty orange breast in its breeding plumage. I felt better once I made it to this shot.

A longer exposure blurs the detail, but begins to show the coloration on the shaded side of the bird. Yet another example of how photographs can be misleading for identification. Fortunately, a bird with a long bill with a downward pointing tip doesn't have many options here.

A bit later I came across another shorebird to identify, this one I was more confident to guess in the field, and confirmed later as Solitary Sandpiper. The bird's shape, and the fine light specks on its dark back are good fieldmarks to set this sandpiper apart.

I was back home sorting through pics and wrapping up a few to-do items for my trip this week when I decided to check COBirds before running a couple of errands. Much to my delight I saw a message that was less than an hour old indicating a Black-necked Stilt was near Stearn's Lake, and a minute's detour from my route.

So two life birds in one day. One was produced by concentrated birding, looking for migrants at as known hotspot, and then using technology to record and reconfirm my sighting. The other, a word of mouth sighting that was incredibly easy to refind. BI was back home sorting through pics and wrapping up a few to-do items for my trip this week when I decided to check COBirds before running a couple of errands. Much to my delight I saw a message that was less than an hour.

Both were memorable, and filled out a very birdy beginning of May. I have a handful of potentially postable pictures, but may or may not get them listed in the next few nights. Although if the snow showers continue I may be looking for indoor activities to pass the time.

2011 Count: 128
Lifetime: 257

Broad-winged Hawk

2011-04-30T13:55:00.001-07:00

For my second stop this morning I visited Lair O' the Bear park in Bear Creek Canyon. Compared to the feeder station at Red Rocks it was quiet, and my walk was beginning to seem uneventful, when I spotted a raptor perched in a tree just ahead. I had no angle on which to walk to improve my view so I dropped to a knee and shot a few frames in rapid succession. As I looked I thought that the horizontal barring on the breast looked unusual. The bird seemed smallish, but it wasn't right for a Cooper's or Sharpie. It didn't appreciate my having walked on the trail near its tree and was soon off.

I knew I had something as I watched it fly off, but it dropped into the trees before I got a long look. My thoughts turned to Broad-winged Hawk,but having no experience with the species I wasn't sure as I continued around the loop. Poor planning on the bird's part lead him to keep perching in trees along the trail, and I would see it moving off ahead through the trees along the creek. Finally, a Red-tailed Hawk had enough, and used the wind for a bit of dive bombing on the interloper.

The Broad-winged was off, perhaps to continue migrating, or just seeking a more quiet place to perch. Even from a distance this bird is distinctive. Adult birds feature the single prominent white bar on their tails. The black trailing edge on light wings helps to seal the identification.

A long sought raptor on my 'needs' list now seen. I was really excited to find this bird on a non-targeted hike, and to have my best guess for an identity confirmed when I returned to my guide at the parking area.

2011 Count: 123
Lifetime: 255

A Hawk Hour

2011-04-29T15:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Lunch. A strong wind was blowing in a front, and for a bit of shelter I decided to walk , the section of Big Dry Creek trail immediately west of Wadsworth Blvd. Despite the drawbacks of wind, there is a benefit, hawks can easily hang motionless in the air for photographs. A group of three Swainson's Hawks did just that, putting on a show for me and allowing me my first photographs of the season.

A young Red-tailed Hawk was not happy about the display, and voiced its displeasure from a perch in the cottonwoods along the creek. All it was trying to do was mind its own business and figure out what would make suitable prey. This Great Blue Heron was too big, but it did make an unsuccessful pass at a Mallard after the Swainson's had departed.

Returning to a different perch bought some new trouble though. A pair of American Kestrels decided that they didn't like the Red-tail on their turf, so a session of dive bombing commenced. I couldn't capture them, but the Red-tail's reaction tells the story.

Check out that lower left leg though, this bird has been banded! I wasn't able to see any markings on my images, but may see if the bird sticks around for another shot.

The front brought cold and varying amounts of snow to the front range overnight, and clear skies with colder, stronger wind this morning. More on that in later posts, but I will be ready for an out of state (and hopefully much warmer) trip starting the middle of this week. Stay tuned....

It's Friday!

2011-04-29T10:53:00.000-07:00

A mixed bag here. Wood Ducks are awesome! I was able to see three of them yesterday as I birded the Wheatridge Greenbelt along Clear Creek. I was hoping for a pile of migrants, but didn't end up finding many. There were a handful of Audubon and Myrtle Yellow-rumped Warblers late, but otherwise most of what I saw was similar to the past few weeks of birding.

So I had to be consoled by seeing two of the most striking waterfowl species in the area. (Three if you count my distant looks at a Cinnamon Teal preening in good light). These Hooded Mergansers found themselves too close for comfort to my course along the path and were putting distance between us. They were moving a bit too fast for clarity with the camera setting I selected, but were close enough to imagine the scene.

Wood Ducks, with all their color, could keep me captivated for hours. Despite their appearance these brightly colored ducks aren't very comfortable in the spotlight, and offer fleeting looks at best. Daylight faded, and although I found a perched Great Horned Owl that a group of runners had seen further along the trail the lack of light kept it from being photographed well enough for posting here....So, I found myself due for a nest check-in this morning.

Check out that foot! I left the nest after a quick visit this morning thinking I had gotten no greater detail than some less gray colored nestling lumps. Imagine my surprise when on looking at the shots I saw those toes. Anyone care to do some rampant speculating? Do young birds roll around and sleep in weird positions like puppies? Or, is this a more gritty view of the reality that in bird rearing the weak are often literally held down by the strong? If a foot view is any indication it seems that the upside down bird is almost ready to do a bit of killing. Perhaps just a stretch that felt oh so good?

At one point the upright bird did turn its head, (I believe to check on a garbage truck across the busy street), confirming that the foot did belong to at least one other bird. The adult, meanwhile, seemed to have no interest in me glancing my way once and then turning its attention elsewhere for the minute or two I was around.

It will be interesting to see how much longer the nest remains occupied. My novice impression is that the fledging approaches.

2011 Count: 115
Lifetime: 254

Misguided Sparrow, Miscolored Robin

2011-04-27T16:00:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the week unsettled weather was turning up unexpected migrants in all sorts of locations. Tuesday I decided to try for a rarity in Boulder that had been seen for a couple of days in a row. The Black-throated Sparrow was worth the rushed drive to see and photograph. In a family that features brown, stripes and eye-rings as major identification points the Black-throated Sparrow is a welcome standout.

This bird was ground foraging, alternating his time between groups of Vespers, Chipping, and White-crowned Sparrows. In an area with heavy foot traffic there were many occasions when the bird mix was reset, but this bird was a reliable return to the same area every few minutes.

I headed off after seeing the sparrow to see if I could also refind a reported Gray Flycatcher. I didn't find it, but did see this partially leucistic American Robin.

This bird seemed to show the pigments for orange, but all the dark colors had been replaced by white.

One last shot of the Sparrow, great looking bird! These little guys are normally found in southern Arizona, New Mexico and California, and extend northward in Utah and Nevada. They are not normally found this far north east of the Rockies. I wonder if this bird's navigation system will tell it that it needs to head west or south, not north with the other groups of migrants? I hope it finds a summer home that will support it.

2011 Count: 113
Lifetime: 254

At the Rookery - Part 2 - Snowy Egrets

2011-04-27T12:46:00.000-07:00

In addition to the Black-crowneds there were Snowy Egrets, lots of Snowy Egrets. They are fairly common along the Front Range, but I usually see them in one-sy two-sies. My count on Monday reached 56, and that did not really account for all the motion between the trees, water, and ground for these birds.

Some were quietly doing a bit of material selection for nest improvements...

...while others would get downright territorial, chasing one another around the island as they displayed their wispy plumes. -Tough to take a bird seriously as a tough guy with that lacy look, but the most aggressive would occasionally run a Canada Goose off a few feet.

Seeing all those birds in their disheveled breeding getup was a big change. I am accustomed to the lone, sleek bird working a shoreline with purposeful steps - flashing those yellow feet as they proceed.

Here the picture of mass activity and interaction was altogether different, and entertaining. A great way to spend an hour in Denver on a springtime evening.

At the Rookery - Part One - Black-crowned Night-Heron

2011-04-27T08:57:00.000-07:00

Monday evening was the last meeting of the D.F.O. (Denver Field Ornithologists)for the season. So after work I headed to Denver and got a chance to do a bit of birding in City Park before it was time to head inside.

It wasn't so much birding, as watching the activity at the rookery. Of the two rookeries in the area the one I spent my time at on Monday was the smaller and more diverse. It features nests of Black-crowned Night-Herons, Snowy Egrets and a few Double-crested Cormorants. The other, larger, rookery is almost exclusively filled with the nests of hundreds of Double-crested Cormorants. Last year my visits must have preceded any of the nesting activity of the Herons and Egrets, because I had not seen those species at the park in the past.

Getting a chance to watch so many of each was fun. A couple of Night-Herons were grabbing twigs for nest maintenance from the tree above my head. They would move precariously through the limbs and select the perfect stick before returning to their island. After a few minutes of sitting the entire colony seemed to forget my presence and were much more intent on displaying and squabbling, and keeping out of the way of the Canada Geese, and their efforts to establish pairs.

There were well over a hundred Black-crowneds in the nesting colony, but this lone bird in juvenile plumage was a bit of a wonder for me. I presumed, and it seems to be backed up by online reading, that this would be a year old bird. Dates for birds showing their "Formative Plumage" (Birds of North America Online) extend into September of the year following their hatching. I found it odd that there was just a single bird hanging out that was shoeing that plumage. Is it a 'momma's bird' afraid to break out on its own and hang with the others? An overachiever - the Doogie Howser of birds, trying to hang with the adults ahead of time? Or as I had initially thought, but now seems to be unlikely, that it was a lone bird that was late to molt into adult plumage.

Very cool to have so many nesting birds in such an approachable, urban location. If you are in the area I recommend stopping by to check out the activity.

St. Vrain Variety

2011-04-25T05:46:00.000-07:00

Saturday afternoon ended for me at St. Vrain State Park. After wrapping up the DFO trip I decided to check the park to see if the owl nest from last year was still active. I didn't find it, and many of the large trees in the area were down or cleared. However, I'll take a Common Loon as a great replacement. Unfortunately I took these shots from a busy campground, and didn't have much time to try for a large variety of shots.

There was enough time to catch a passing Belted Kingfisher, which just happened to have its catch as it flew.

I moved from the camping grounds, and a walk around one of the lakes yielded all four Teal species, and these Lesser Yellowlegs.

This Song Sparrow was living up to its name.

One of the highlights of the afternoon portion of the field trip was this Loggerhead Shrike. I had mentioned to some of the group earlier in the day that I had been trying to make distant Meadowlarks into Shrike, and then just as we were getting ready to wrap up I found this one down the road on a pasture fence.

Colorado Weather - Ready for Anything

2011-04-24T21:37:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning I headed out early. A DFO trip in the Longmont area was the plan for most of the day, but I stopped off in Boulder to see if I could add a reported Yellow-throated Warbler to my list. I didn't find it, but a Downy Woodpecker tried its best to make up for the missing birds.

45 minutes later, and a dramatic change. The weather actually complimented the birds, Yellow-headed Blackbirds shone in the snowy cattails.

Without strong winds our group was finding birds at every turn. Ruddy Ducks remained distant, but are always a hit.

This season seems to be the one for White-faced Ibis. Our group saw many during the day, and with the groups I had already seen this season I can't believe I haven't noticed them more in the past. I'll welcome all the looks I can get.

At one point I had to backtrack for my scope, and found this Pied-bill Grebe just offshore.

The snow only lasted for our first stop at Jim Hamm Nature Area, but we enjoyed it while it lasted.

A full day with lots of lists completed brought my year list up to 109, and there are a few more pictures to share in future posts.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T21:01:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a great day!

Lunchtime Looks

2011-04-22T13:19:00.001-07:00

Lunchtime yesterday was beautiful, mild and sunny, without too much wind. The area Bald Eagle was out to prove that you can keep the people away from the Eagles, but you can't keep the Eagles away from the people.

The Bald gave me a close look as it made a lazy circle in the sky. It was checking me out as it flew straight overhead. I am sure in my white button down shirt I was quite a sight standing in the middle of a brown grassy field. Just goes to show that you don't have to have special equipment or gear to have random interactions with cool birds. Sometimes sticking out like a sore thumb helps.

It didn't help when a fleeting glance I had at a bird that may have been a Green-tailed Towhee was the only one I got. Shy birds were headed for deep cover when I headed their way.

It wasn't all bad though, I headed to the edge of the dam, and while scanning for shorebirds found a nice group of Vesper Sparrows instead. They were the first I have seen of that species this year. A FOY (first of year) bird on a casual lunch break, not too shabby.

An eye level flyby from a Great Blue Heron is cool, even if it is taken while facing into the sun. A less focused shot had it hanging its tongue out of its mouth a la Michael Jordan, but I'll stick with what I got.

As of yesterday's lunch my counts were:

2011 Count: 91
Lifetime: 252

but there will be more to add after I update my list from last evening...

Happy Earth Day!

2011-04-22T12:26:00.000-07:00

or solemn Good Friday, whichever you are feeling....

A quick walk past the owl nest today showed some growth on the nestlings. Everybody was trying to keep down out of the strong gusty winds though, so my quick look was enough.

They still look to have a while before fledging.

Still hundreds of pictures from yesterday to get through... so stay tuned.

Backside of a Storm

2011-04-21T15:42:00.000-07:00

Tuesday I headed down to Cherry Creek Reservoir. A Neotropic Cormorant has been around, along with all kinds of migrants, and I thought I would pay a visit to see what I could find. Initially I thought I was on the young Neotropic Corm, but it turned out to just be a juvenile Double-crested Cormorant instead.

That was not to say that I regretted the trip. I had several good year birds, including this Black-crowned Night Heron among others. This was an early shot, as the storm was brewing overhead. I wandered around the marina to the edge of the dam, when the sun finally dropped below the clouds and stared reflecting. I hustled back to the fishing pier, and was treated to a great sight as the storm moved west.

A full double rainbow was huge before me, and the lower bow was repeated on itself at least three times. It was so perfectly aligned that it seemed as if I was looking through a tunnel into the distance. Of course a telephoto isn't a tool for that job, so the gull flyby will have to do.

Cherry Creek was full of Western Grebes. I guessed two hundred, but that may have been low. They were everywhere, and even with all that variety I couldn't find a single Clark's among them.

I headed back down last night, similar weather, and still no Neotropic. Lots more pictures to get through, and aspirations fro the weekend, so we'll see what happens and when they get posted.

2011 Count: 90
Lifetime: 252

Shapes and Sky

2011-04-18T19:35:00.000-07:00

While at lunch today I found myself once again at Standley Lake, and once again fighting some tough light. This time a subject presented itself particularly well for some silhouette shots. White-faced Ibis. I saw one last year on a snowy morning in Estes Park, but this was the first time I had seen a large group in migration. A few Franklin's Gulls were moving through the area as well. Last Thursday I saw over a hundred at Lower Church Lake. Today there were only a handful in flight, but a fun species, no matter the number. The Ibis were a real highlight though. Seeing a flight of birds and recognising the shape immediately is a real treat - granted this is a pretty memorable shape. So, here's to shapes in the sky - may they all be as easy to id as these!

Guess Where I Went Before Work this Morning!

2011-04-13T17:32:00.000-07:00

Yep.

I was back to see the owls. Now the story. After last night's tease I set the alarm for well before five, and headed back out before light to see if I could do any better with the owls. I set up a blind, and had the scope dialed in on the nest as I preset the camera and scanned for activity with my bins. This morning the serenade and much more detailed scope view was even better. A returning parent announced a coming arrival with a series of hoots - but then waited for the chicks to perk up before approaching the nest. They started moving a bit and did a bit of stretching before the parent returned. I was mostly obscured in the by the angle of the parent in the blind, but was amazed as I observed the lower feathers spread like a veranda over the nestlings as they fed. Once breakfast (or is it dinner for owls?) was over I broke down my gear and headed back for the truck. As I packed everything up I noticed that there was a bus stop just below the nest on the side of the busy street - one stop down from where I used to wait at times. I made a long loop along the road to see if the view from there was any better. The results tell the tale. A rider was waiting as I grabbed my few shots, he asked what kind of owls are those. I told him and then zoomed in on a couple of the shots to show him the nestling. Hopefully it jump started that guy's day like it did mine!

I'll give them a bit more time as a break, but will try to get back again before they fledge. This owl nest is in a very public and highly trafficked area. I have approached this nest a bit more closely than I normally would - doing so only at the bus stop where humans stand every thirty minutes or so in the mornings. These owls chose the location, and the site has been a successful one for owls and raptors in past seasons. There is a social shortcut trail that cuts almost directly beneath the nest, which I have avoided, but was still being used frequently this morning. These owls are well conditioned to humans, but will still keep an eye on the camera 'eye' when it is aimed at them from such a close range. If anyone decides to try to observe these owls, or similar nests in their area please be considerate of the animals' needs and move on quickly. Or better yet, pull back a ways and view from a scope within a blind. I am thrilled with the images I captured today, but keep reliving the interactions I witnessed through the scope in the hour or so before.

Overcast, but Full of Possibilities

2011-04-13T16:54:00.001-07:00

As I had mentioned in my previous post I was looking for the Avocets, and a reported Great Egret at the small drainage ponds behind the King Soopers in Broomfield. I was 50% on those two species, but on a gray spring evening there was plenty to see.

A Say's Phoebe, a flycatcher that can often be seen on any lone tree or shrub rising up above an open grass area, was back and making a feast of a very active and healthy insect hatch. The overcast allowed me to catch the motion of the flight, but kept the detail to a minimum.

The light was fractionally better as this Killdeer noisily arrived on the near bank. After I had circled the ponds and made sure I hadn't missed any other species of shorebirds I decided to head north past a large open space to McKay Lake, where I thought an Egret may have moved on to. I didn't find an Egret, but did add another grebe for the season, this time a Western Grebe.

I wandered back and forth through the clump of woods on the north side of the lake, hoping to catch an owl getting an early start on the night. After an hour or so I abandoned the plan, and in consolation decided to stop by for a quick peek at my 'neighborhood' owl nest. We had an inch or so of pea sized hail on Saturday night, and I was curious to see if that had any effect on the inhabitants.
When I arrived I was concerned, there was no sign of horns above the outline of the nest. Had it been abandoned? I walked closer with my bins and camera, and checked the trees to see if I could make out a silhouette in the trees against the lighter sky in the distance. Still nothing, but then I began to hear a wonderful duet, both adult owls, one from somewhere in the trees, and the other from atop a lamppost over a busy street began to hoot.
At first I was a bit bummed, if they were hooting I thought their nesting attempt may have failed, and they were reacquainting for another attempt. Then, the owl on the lamppost dove almost straight down to the roadside. After returning to the lamppost, and more hooting I suddenly caught motion again:

Both parents had returned to the nest, and each took turns feeding the hungry nestlings. There were at least two, and maybe three there, and after a few excited minutes watching I left them to their dinner.

I left giddy, the owls were doing well enough to be seen over the top of the nest, and hopefully I would be able to see them again with more preparation.
I had one more fun surprise, the last photo above was taken with ISO and Exposure Compensation dialed way up, as the owl had been perched at the top of the post, with a lighter sky behind. The additional light from the streetlight itself was enough to freeze the owl, while the panning and noise gave the background an impressionistic feel. Gotta love gettin' lucky!

American Avocet - What are you doing?

2011-04-13T15:38:00.000-07:00

I am a big fan of American Avocets! (They are a big, easily distinguished shorebird with cool coloring, what's not to like?) So when I heard that dozens of them had been seen along with a Great Egret in Broomfield yesterday I decided to head over after work. The Avocets didn't disappoint, although the weather did, and the Great Egret was nowhere to be found.

When I arrived there were 15 or so of the birds spread between the three ponds. They were generally paired off, but seemed to still be sorting those associations out among one another. There was plenty of noise and commotion when six or more birds would get close to one another.

These shots had me wondering about this Avocet. American Avocets are ground nesters, and build their nest by first scraping and then lining a nest area on a clear area of shoreline. Or so Birds of North America Online tells me.

This bird seemed a bit early in the process though, and hopefully will give a bit more though to location. I would think that the multitude of predators in the area would make quick work of any eggs left on that bit of shoreline. My reading also indicated that males will do more nest searching early on, and that some of it is ritualized as a part of courtship. He, (if he is a 'he') seemed to be the only one showing off any digging skills. Hopefully his lady was impressed by his bravado, and will let him know that his poorly executed effort was appreciated!

I enjoyed watching these colorful birds, and hope a few of them do find good nesting spots in the area. The American Avocets were great to observe, but they had competition for my attention...

Got Grebe?

2011-04-11T16:34:00.000-07:00

Just when I thought I was back to a routine last week my car battery started acting up. So, quite a few days later I was back at Standley Lake Park checking to see what was about at lunch time. I was fortunate, one of the Horned Grebes was still around. It was fairly close to shore, and in better - if overly bright mid-day sun. I parked and approached along the shore from the west. That gave me better looks than I had gotten when looking directly south from the road. Grebes, for those who don't know, are diving ducks. They submerge for long periods chasing after fish like the one above. While they are underwater is a great time to gradually move along the shore towards them. As I was conducting the 'squat and scurry' routine two geese arrived to confirm that I was not some aggressive predator. I am not a huge fan of the Canadas, but these two, (there were two), swam along shore to where I was standing, emerged and circled me within arms distance. Waited, I guess to see if I would feed them, and then after getting a drink headed back to the water. There are a bunch of fishermen along the shore, so perhaps they are conditioned. These two weren't overly aggressive - they just checked my spot to see if I was at a good feeding spot and then went on their way. A handful of gulls were out as well. All the individuals that I could see were Ring-billed. This picture and one other did raise a good photographic question though. I was panning with the birds, from about 12:00 to 10:00, starting due south. Notice the ghosting? I am curious if that is an effect of the camera's processor computing light and dark regions vs the rate of panning motion. Any ideas or thoughts? Feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an email. *Update - just looked at this on a different monitor and the image looks fine* Gulls and Geese aside, this little Grebe definitely stole the show today!

Standley Lake - a few changes

2011-04-05T15:13:00.000-07:00

There is a nice silver lining to taking a few weeks away from the back of the camera - things change. Specifically, the rookery at Standley Lake Park is now a happening hot spot. Although, April being April, these Great Blue Herons were taking shelter from the wind where they could find it.

Still, the nests are filling up...

...and the strong breeze made capturing some approach flights possible. Despite tough midday lighting it was good to be out.

I even spotted some unusual grebes out on the glittering lake surface.

Tough shots, and from that vanatage I can't determine if those were Horned or Eared Grebes. Maybe I'll try to track them down tomorrow early in the morning, although with a big lake refinding anything is iffy at best.

Quiet

2011-03-25T08:08:00.000-07:00

Around here, no?

Bird blogging has taken a back seat in the last two weeks, and probably will continue through much of next week as well.

The unexpected success of the Colorado Buffaloes BasketBall teams has kept me busy being a fan. Last weekend I did get to hike at the Cottonwood Marsh, Walden Ponds area, but was there at a poor time for photos. I also had a great ski day at Vail, but did not tote the camera - so no pictures of Gray Jays to share. Then, just as there was some down time coming before the final games of the NIT, I got an unexpected handoff desk for my room at home, and that one thing has thrown my living space into chaos.

The new desk meant that an old Sante Fe style behemoth entertainment center had to go, along with a particle board desk that I had been using. The entertainment center doubled as a bookcase, and now I am trying to match something to the discontinued nice bookcase I already have. So I am living at the moment like I am in the midst of a move, and spending spare time looking at furniture (torture) and trying to find a flat panel tv in the size and with the features I want. Anyone in the Denver/Boulder area need an entertainment center - and have a truck?

Once all that is stabilized I get to do taxes!!!!!

So it is going to be a fun weekend. Never fear though, my eyes are still on the skies, and I am looking forward to some more nature(y) activities in the not too distant future. This morning I saw a full bright pair of sundogs as I walked into work. I see those in the mountains in mid-winter occasionally, but have never noticed them down here before. Anyone aware of wildfire smoke creating that effect?

Getting Ahead of Myself

2011-03-10T11:21:00.000-08:00

I have a handful of shots I would like to post from the other evening just after work, but captured these images this morning and wanted to share.

First, the Great Horned Owls are still in place. This was the only check in over a week, lasted roughly 20 seconds, and since I know they are around that will be enough for a while. If I am on it I will try once next week after the time change to see if I can catch either one returning.

I had left early this morning, and was trying to decide if I should revisit Lower Church Lake, (it was frozen yesterday), when I spotted a large hawk silhouetted against the rising sun at the corner of 120th and Sheridan in Westminster.

It took a bit of walking to get the right angle for these photos, but I had finally relocated the local leucistic Red-Tail Hawk.

I had been keeping an eye out for the bird, but heavy traffic and just dumb luck had kept me from spotting it on those days when I pass near its known hangout. It was good to see the bird and know that it is still around.

Reports of this bird, or its relatives, that I have tracked down take it back nearly ten years. It looks like the pair are settled in, and at least spent this morning near the established nest.

As I stated in my previous post, I will hope to capture some better pictures of this unique bird in the near future and share them as well - but then I did state that in my previous post as well! Either way, it was a great start to the day to know that this cool bird is still around. Now I will know that my stolen glances at treetops as I drive by are not just wishful thinking.

Clear Creek

2011-03-08T15:51:00.000-08:00

Saturday's walk wasn't all goofy Mallards. I had headed over, hoping to add a couple more species to my list for the year. After some of the goodies found in the area last year I thought it would be a good place to start. My plan was to check to the west, where Rusty Blackbirds had been seen last year, and then turn back to check the ponds to the east of I70. It didn't take long for me to hear, and then see a pair of Killdeer.

But there was another species that I had seen in the same spot before, and was hoping to relocate last weekend. I find it entertaining that the last post on this bird was from the same spot, posted exactly one year ago. I wonder if the bird was thinking - oh boy there is that human watching me hunt with that big eye looking thing again!

As the number of pictures and my previous posts can attest, I get a huge kick out of American Dippers.

They make their living in rushing water that would push us downstream with ease. As my cloudy day shots can attest, they are well suited to blending with rock and water. But, what could otherwise be an easily overlooked bird is actually fascinating to watch. Not only do they swim in the torrent, they also emerge and submerge body parts in all sorts of comical ways!

Not only that, but when out of the water they are constantly bobbing up and down on their legs. They totally remind me of old Disney cartoon characters dancing.

Dippers also seem to do a lot more wing stretches. Not sure if it is more because they get worked under water more, or if it is just so cold in there that they try to warm them up every chance they get!

Their activity makes them really fun to watch, but as the temps warm up and trees leaf out they get harder and harder to watch or photograph. This spot is a bit unusual because the bird is basically out in suburbia. They are normally associated with mountain streams, but this one is a good seven miles from the foothills.

I really like that this bird has made itself such a convenient stretch of creek for its territory, hopefully it won't be another year before I get to watch again.

Maybe the reason it was stretching above was because this species is always mixing eating and swimming - didn't its momma ever tell it to wait thirty minutes?

The mostly-cloudy skies didn't lend themselves to great photos, so I just kept walking west rather than turning back to the ponds.

I finished my walk passing the miles of Coors Brewing campus before reaching Golden. Any brewery that has their own working yard locomotive to move around train cards of supplies has my respect!

With that, Mr. Ring-necked Duck says farewell. The beginning of this week featured freezing rain, sleet, light snow and fog - so photography has been minimal. Hopefully the beautiful if cool evening last night will be a sign of things to come.

A Duck of a Different Color

2011-03-07T12:47:00.001-08:00

Saturday morning I had a nice walk along Clear Creek. I headed west from I70, and eventually ended up in Golden. More on the walk itself later, for a moment though I am focused on this specific duck. It caught my eye because it stood out from all the others, recognise why?

This Mallard was different from the many others around because it was predominantly brown on its back and lower sides. In March, male Mallards have gray backs and undersides. Also, this Mallard seems to have an incomplete neck ring.

Almost fittingly, there have been a few discussions of Mallard hybrids running on the COBirds mailing list over the past week. I began to wonder if this bird may have a bit of something else in it. After a bit of searching online and in field guides I am leaning away from it, but would welcome input from anyone who has seen similar coloration in Mallard drakes.

Beyond the obvious difference I see some very strong Mallard features in this bird. The tail coverts have the Mallard curl, and in flight are offset by the white tail feathers. The speculum (the colored patch seen on a Mallard's outstretched wing), of a Mallard can range from green to violet depending on the light, and more specifically for identification is bordered on both the leading and trailing edges by a relatively broad white band. This bird clearly shows the correct pattern for a Mallard.

After reading and looking at other images out there in Internet-land I am fairly certain that this is a Mallard who for some reason or other either did not complete or prematurely began a molt. I don't have anything at hand to cite, but believe that if birds are confronted with a hardship while molting, their molt process may stop mid-stream. It would then pick back up on the next cycle to get them back to their correct appearance. This bird also may be a sub-adult, although some features like the head seem very complete for an adult.

I have reached out to others to confirm or contradict my conclusion, and welcome any comments to that effect here. Finding the "one of these things is not like the others" in nature is always interesting. Learning what may have caused that one to be different is even more rewarding.

Of course, any consensus or update will be added to the post.

Good Morning!

2011-03-04T15:52:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I checked back in on the nest this morning. I approached from within the neighborhood across the street and was able to get these shots from a distance, and without having to approach the nest in the open any more than from a ways down the street. Even so, I'll be leaving them to it for a while now. There will be plenty of activity around that site, and I'll keep from aiming a big lens at them for a bit.

Besides, there are more signs of spring showing up at Lower Church Lake each morning. Today it was a pair of Cinnamon Teal.

They were mostly keeping to the far side, and a cloud bank had blocked the direct sun by that time, so prettier shots of Mallards and Red-winged Blackbirds were kept to a minimum. I find the Cinnamon Teal absolutely gorgeous. It was too bad the sun wasn't shining brightly today, I doubt this pair will remain there through to Monday. Even so, seeing this pair on the fourth is roughly five weeks ahead of when I spotted my first Cinnamon Teal last year! That means a lot more chances to find them again and get more shots to share. I checked eBird to see what the bar charts had to show for Cinnamon Teal presence in Jefferson County, and sure enough, the first week of March is what came back for a first week in the spring - so it looks like the first arrivals are right on time.

On the other hand, here is a bird that seems really early to me:

I have seen this bird twice, once on the 23rd, and again this morning. My shots on the 23rd were worse, the tail was in line with the body and gave no impression of size. That day however the bird was vocalizing, and didn't sound anything like a Common Grackle. It had a staccato type sound to it.

This time the bird was quiet, but was perched in the same tree before it lifted off for this flight. Both sightings have made me think Great-tailed Grackle on the site, but I always labor over those judgements after the fact.

For this one eBird is a little less helpful, in a bar chart comparison between Common and Great-tailed Grackles for Jefferson County, the chart shows Common Grackle sightings beginning in March, and Great-taileds picking up in April.

To get a bigger sample I expanded the charts to pull from Adams, Boulder, Weld, and Jefferson Counties. With that change Common Grackles show about the same arrival pattern, but for Great-taileds a new pattern emerges, they have a lower frequency, but it expands and becomes almost stable throughout the year.

My counties made me nervous though, Weld County is large, and it runs well out to the east from the eastern edges of Boulder and Broomfield Counties. So, just to see if it would make a difference I then swapped Weld for Broomfield County.

A slight difference, but the pattern seems to hold up.

Moral of the story....I have no idea. I do know that I had been concerned that my instinct was completely wrong. I certainly have more experience with Common Grackles than Great-taileds, but was fairly confident after seeing the bird a second time that it was a Great-tailed. My narrow view of just the Jefferson County birds last week had led me to believe that I was pulling out a bird that really shouldn't be around. With a species that is tough to distinguish in the field I tend to the conservative choice, or just let it go as a bird that couldn't be ID'd. This one had bugged me though. Birds can be out of place, if they weren't the Ross's Gull that visited Colorado this fall would have never been here. Even so, when I check a bird and find that there are no other records of the species in the county for another month I question myself first.

The explanation....I don't know, but Lower Church Lake lies about as close to the eastern edge of Jefferson County as possible. My best guess is that because Jefferson County extends to the south, (developed) and west, (higher - eventually reaching well up into the foothills), it is not ideal Great-tailed habitat. I recall reading that the species is slowly extending its range. Perhaps these sightings will become more common over time. Either way, I feel better knowing that at least a few of these birds are being found in the surrounding counties on a regular, if infrequent, basis.

2011 Count: 73
Lifetime: 252

Evenings

2011-03-03T20:59:00.000-08:00

Wednesday evening was beautiful, and rather than heading right off from work I walked the trail towards highway 36. I got an improved look at the local Belted Kingfishers. Fortunately they seem to be hanging around, and I'll keep trying to get a clear look. Why do I think they'll hang around....well one was doing some house hunting at dusk.

That might just be a bank to keep an eye on! For that moment though, the bird was keeping on the move. There are several similar holes in the bank, and from what I could tell some serious courting, Kingfisher style. I'll have to do a bit of reading on their nesting and mating practices to see if that was courtship or setting up shop.

As already stated, today became very windy. I returned from my lunchtime drive and found a young Redtail Hawk taking shelter in a tree behind our building.

It moved on to the next tree in the row, and I followed. I guess misery loves company!

Actually I am not sure what drew them together, but there was something below that really had their attention. Or, perhaps they were just ducking out of the gusts.

I ended up near home this evening, and Red-winged Blackbirds wanted to make sure everyone knew that evening was just as good as morning for showing off.

This evening was supposed to have been errand night, but as I drove past my neighborhood something caught my eye. I parked, and with camera in hand returned to get a confirming look at what I had seen.

Tufts on a nest! That makes two within a few miles of home. This one is sandwiched between a busy street and a high traffic walking path. I kept well back, and with the wind never saw the bird turn my way.

The owls had pulled me in, and the Red-winged Blackbird kept me company when I had withdrawn to a small pond. I headed off to look for coyotes, and found an adult Red-tail instead, but it had grown fairly dark. As I returned towards the parking lot I heard a single hoot. I modified my route, and returned along the road instead of the path. As I passed, stealing looks out of the corner of my eye while walking at a steady pace I spotted the male. He was well below, and was turned away from me.

I hope the pair maintain their nest. It is busy there, bikers, joggers, fisherfolk, and dog walkers all frequent the area, and the roadside where I walked has a bus stop just below them. I'll be keeping my distance, but may walk the scope over a few times to see how things progress.

Nice Morning at Lower Church Lake

2011-03-03T14:37:00.000-08:00

In a tease of what is to come this spring the weather set up one of those wacky days today. This morning temps were in the 40s, I know plenty of folks that would take that for a high and be happy. I was fine with the chance to get out in the mild weather before work, and made the local stop at Lower Church Lake. Mr. and Mrs. Northern Pintail were soaking it up as well. I have a feeling frequent visitors to the site are going the be reading that regularly.

It was a good chance to just enjoy the morning, in anticipation of good things to come. Red-winged Blackbirds are tuning up and trying out their poses to impress the ladies. Better them singing than me...that's for sure.

At least for the coming week the lake is set up perfectly for the morning sun. After the time change that may all be thrown out the window, but for now Mallards landing are a good challenge. I still don't quiet have a balance of frozen motion, glare prevention, and noise all worked out. I think trying to improve my shots will be enjoyable though.

One thing I forget over the winter is the work that goes into waterfowl shots. I make a conscious effort to hold my camera level, but panning to follow a moving bird sends that right out the window. Ripples and reflections on the water reveal all, so these shots got a touch of rotation before cropping. Practice, practice, practice.

In addition to its convenience, this site has the bonus of lying just beyond a curved railroad bed. Without passing beyond it I can remain out of the perceived threat range of these birds. They give me a bit of a look, but don't seem too bothered. The airplanes that fly directly overhead on their way to Rocky Mountain Regional Airport do seem to get their attention though. The Pintails did an about face when a larger jet made a low approach while I was shooting. I guess if one of your concerns in life is an eagle coming to snack on you, a giant flying thing headed your way is worthy of note.

40 degree temps to start the day were nice, but by lunch they were accompanied by fierce wind, making photos at lunch a near impossibility. I did drive over to the south side of Standley Lake, and the winds had pushed what was left of the ice into a large pile at the eastern end of the lake. Weather forecasts heading into the weekend are poor, but hopefully the open water will attract some goodies down to Standley. As I was driving I passed under a Bald Eagle and a Double-crested Cormorant both fighting the wind in the same location, but well separated as one was there on my way out, and one on the return. The Double-crested Cormorant was a first of season bird for me, and hopefully was headed for the rookery at Standley Lake.

Images from Ketner Reservoir

2011-03-02T15:49:00.000-08:00

During today's lunch I walked for my second time at Ketner Reservoir. It is a smallish lake in the middle of a neighborhood, but one that I hope will prove to be a good little patch to check on every once in a while. Today I didn't see anything exceptional, but did get a few good shots of more common birds, thanks to playing with Exposure Compensation.

The Northern Flicker above was foraging on the ground beneath some mature trees. The bird itself was shaded a bit, but the patch of grass just behind was bright enough to trick my camera's sensor into thinking the scene was well lit. Knowing from a wealth of underexposed subject shots that this bird would lose detail, I set the exposure compensation up a third of a stop. That was enough to bring out the texture and colors on the Flicker, making a fun shot.

This Black-capped Chickadee had such great expressions as it evaluated me from a small tree. To get detail on a bird that is isolated against a bright sky I had to use the same principle as above, but really push it this time. I pushed the exposure up two full stops, and was able to capture the Chickadee's dark face.

As I passed the lake, I spotted a bunch of Redhead Ducks lifting off from the water. While waiting for them to clear a group of trees I took the time to pull the exposure back down to a negative third. That helped to keep the light bodies of the ducks from being blown out where they were in direct sunlight.

I received a practical lesson on exposure compensation last year at the CFO convention on a photography field trip. In the year since I have been practicing... It doesn't always work out, but is a good tool to have in the bag when shooting in the ever changing light conditions that are nature. Needless to say that trip is one I have signed up for again this year.