Gone West

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

Sam's Lane - Sparrows in Boulder County Open Space

Early last week one of the Boulder area birders reported seeing some Cassin's Kingbirds along a trail he referred to as Sam's Lane. I knew the area but wasn't familiar with the path, and the report indicated some gate jumping was involved - so I decided it was a perfect lunch time destination.

The Kingbirds had moved on, but I had a nice walk, and some good practice sorting out fall sparrows.

The Vesper Sparrow: (note the complete eye-ring and rufous coverts peaking through above the wing-bars)


Brewer's Sparrows were also around, these are really tough to distinguish from Clay-colored Sparrows in the fall, but I am calling this a Brewer's based on the less distinct facial patterns, and by what appears to be more streaking in the nape, (the gray area that constitutes the back of the neck- below the head markings and above the wings and back):


In addition to the Vesper and Brewer's Sparrows there were a large group of Savannah Sparrows that were primarily foraging on the ground. One of them popped up to the fence briefly, stopping to pose before dropping back to cover.


For Savannah Sparrows, I find that in the field the most noticeable traits are the golden lores (area between the eye and bill). In this cloud-shaded picture they don't stand out as clearly as they can in direct sunlight. For me, sparrows still get a lot of scrutiny when I am looking through my pictures after the fact to make sure my initial identification is correct. When looking at a Savannah Sparrow more closely - either through bins in the field or at the picture above I note the eye-line that breaks the white eye-ring. Compare that to the Vesper Sparrow at the top of the page where the eye-ring is complete. One final mark for the Savannah Sparrow is the length of the tail. It is short enough to appear broken, and a good comparison against other known sparrows in the field.

Sparrows and Change

For my lunch break today I decided to head over to a little trailhead on the way to Marshall Mesa where I had some luck finding bluebirds earlier in the spring. This time I was more interested in the two marshy ponds that are full of cattails and were places I considered good possible locations for shorebirds or waterfowl.
I was immediately successful locating Yellow-Headed Blackbirds which were present in the best numbers I have seen yet. They were vocalizing with a click that sounds exactly like a modern driver making good contact with a golf ball. I wonder if they have always done that, or if it gets mimicked from being heard on all the golf courses with marshy wetlands?

There wasn't much variety in the ponds, but as I was watching I saw and photographed one individual in each of the three following Sparrow species. The Vesper Sparrow is above. I noticed the breast spot, but that the bird's colors seemed more faded than a Song Sparrow and started my searching from there. The white eyering really helped to dial this ID in.

This next Sparrow is a Brewer's, the field marks are visible even though the colors were a bit washed out by the direct sun. Here I noted the pale, light-gray underside with no streaking. The white eyering, coupled with the thin moustache and eyelines were good clues as well. Finally I matched the description of mixed black and tan feathering on the top of the head, and confirmed that this was a Brewers.

The last of the Sparrows I had a chance to ID was the Savannah Sparrow above. I had almost dismissed it on an initial look as a female Red-Winged Black Bird, but even through the elements and habitat were right, I knew that was not correct. The breast and flanks of the RWBB are heavily streaked, making the overall color of the bird much darker. Also, the RWBB has dark legs and feet, and just seems larger and thicker than the Savannah. The other possibility here that I checked was the White-Throated Sparrow. I looked there because it also has the yellow forehead markings. The White-Throated was dismissed before I even checked it because of its crisp white and black lines on the head. However, checking the birds that I know share some common field marks is a good first step. It helped me to know why I was eliminating those species, and by checking the similar species listed for the ones I knew I was able to get to a starting place and eventually eliminate all but the Savannah Sparrow.

If you are still reading, sorry for the rambling description. I am working on getting some of these IDs more firmly wired in my brain, and working back through the steps I followed may help for next time.

Finally, while I was looking out across the field to see if there were any visible Burrowing Owls in the area, I had a nice view of an American Kestrel overhead. The translucent bits of the wings really show up well, yet again Kestrels stepping up for a new fun way to be photographed.

Another Great Evening

After my lunchtime reptilian adventure I was ready for another round, so I made the stopoff at Stearn's Lake on my way home last evening. Of course Redwings were everywhere, and at times I can't resist the urge for yet another picture of their gleaming colors.

As a relatively new birder I am just loving this springtime migration season. I guess that starting in October is the way to go, as you get used to dry barren landscapes and 15 species checklists. Now I am able to filter out more of the common residents, and focus on the visitors and new arrivals showing up. I know if I was just starting out I would be in over my head trying to sort out Robins and female Red-Winged Blackbirds from everything else, (yes the female RWBBs still get me occasionally, but I am starting to put size and streaky breasts together more quickly in the field now).

Anyway, one thing that I have noticed a few times is the recurrence of a recently identified species. For instance yesterday afternoon I identified my first Spotted Sandpiper. Last evening I saw a number of additional individuals of the same species and got some much better pictures. It makes me wonder if these occasions are a coincidence of arrivals, or a heightened awareness of the presence of the species - and therefore a trigger in the consciousness to alert on the now recognized shape and pattern. Probably a bit of both, but an interesting phenomena nonetheless.

They are welcome to click with my mind whenever I can get this close!

I also had this Brewer's Sparrow stop on this clear branch with a bit of back lighting. Another lifer, a new species each time out is just fine with me! Will I now have Brewer's showing up each time I head out? Have they been there all along, and this is just the first time one has been gleaming in the sun to catch my attention?

The pair of American Avocets, (summer residents?), were at the same location, the first marshy part of the lake the trail passes. I hope that they remain, as I get a rush each time I see their cool rusty heads.

Back off for more today at lunch, hopefully I will have some new species that I can start seeing around every corner!

2009 Count: 127

Lifetime: 142