Lunch Walk

On Wednesday I was able to get away for a lunch walk, at one of my favorite trails along the Dutch Creek Section of open space in Louisville, CO. Signs that summer is closing fast were apparent, including the ripening wild plums above.

Having not gotten much bird production out of my visit to Louisiana last weekend I was hoping to just see some sign of anything interesting to get me back up to speed for fall migration. The Great Horned Owl I spotted low on a tree through some brush did that nicely. I guess stopping to observe the fake owls in the city earned me some good karma with the real owls as well!

That one was in a horrible position for pictures, shaded on the other side of a fence and creek, while I was out in a bright field shooting into the sun. Trying to move in either direction just put the owl behind more brush, so I gladly took what I could get.

As if to compensate, a Western Wood-Pewee posed on a well lit branch for a bit between rounds of aerobatic, insect chasing flight. I should say to the best of my knowledge a Western Wood-Pewee, it would not accommodate me with a 'Pee-er' call, but otherwise seemed to fit the bill, and clicked with the other more vocal individuals I have seen in the past.

A really great, if too brief outing in the early fall. Soon the leaves will get to changing and forecasts of 100 degrees, (our expected high today in Denver), will be a distant memory. Hopefully if you are reading this you are making plans to enjoy a fun filled weekend, I know I am!

Then again, owls may just prefer to nap.

The Frustrations of being a 9-5er

I count my blessings every day that I have a job, and that the job I have is rewarding, varied, and filled with people, who while not my dearest friends are certainly enjoyable coworkers and good people to spend time with.

That being that, birders can make you frustrated at not already being happily retired at times. I have been reading reports of people who have enjoyed hours of watching a Snowy owl in a subdivision well south of Denver, and here I am fulfilling my obligations and getting in a bit of lunchtime birding on a few occasions. Today I was skunked for photography. At least I walked away with decent contrast on the Slate-colored Junco above.

The Juncos seemed to be working the edge of the receding snowpack for food. This seemed similar to the high alpine behavior I witnessed in Rocky Mountain National Park this summer when birds could be found around the isolated snow drift edges. There they are reportedly catching insects as the emerge from the ice, I would think the same was happening here. Even with that stretch for insight my walk today was beautiful, but quiet.

Despite having an oncall weekend rotation I may try for an early morning look at the reported Red-shouldered Hawk in Weld county. I am going to have to hope that the Snowy is content to hang around for another full week if I want to take my chance with it. Although based on the uproar between pro and anti birder residents, and the same between well behaved and rotten egg birders, and the cumulative effect they are all having on one another I wouldn't blame the owl if it packed its bags and headed back north before then.

Well it will be another weekend of hoping that good luck shines on my limited opportunities, even if it doesn't the trying will be well worth it! Take care all, and if you find yourself out birding please consider the effect your presence may have on the lives around you, both animal and human.

Improving Temps and Targets

Today's lunch excursion was met with high hopes, a cleaned lens, cleared memory card, and many fewer layers. Of course after cleaning the sensor my camera was once again left in 'artsy' mode - aka black and white. Oh well, appreciate the contrast and highlights of the White-breasted Nuthatch!

I got my gear sorted out, and started getting a few captures of Chickadees against the clear blue sky, when I spotted something moving up high in the tree. Could you see it in the picture above?

Here is a tighter crop, a Brown Creeper! One of my better shots of these well camouflaged and always moving acrobats. While this one taught me something about looking for these trunk dwellers at the treetop level I was not surprised to see it hang inverted several times as it spiraled the branch it was on barber pole style. It was also so good as to give me one solid call to reinforce its distinct style as I watched it. All the better as I had heard several on the CBC, but had not gotten more than a passing look that time.

Of course Chickadees were everywhere, and this one happened to catch the light as well as any.

On the way back I followed some old Nordic ski tracks and was rewarded with a good flock of Juncos, most that I saw were Pink-sided, and some House Finches. They were returning to the trees I passed in the open space between visits to a local house with well stocked feeders.

Family Photo from the Wren House

I ended up back at the Wren house yesterday. I really didn't intend to, but sometimes things don't work out quite as expected. I tried to stop off near a nice bend in the creek where there is a good mix of large trees, undergrowth, and willows. I arrived and found a good spot, just as some kids came by with their dogs to start splashing around. Oh well, it had been quiet when I arrived, it was a bit later than usual, and right in the mid-day doldrums.

So, in an effort to make lemonade from my lemons I continued on to the Wren nest, and was happy to get a group picture with one additional nestling. The close up of the lone individual above was nice as well, I wonder how the brothers and sisters at the bottom of the pile felt about helping him/her get a long look at the world.

It was also interesting to spend more time watching the activities of the adults in the area. There were a pair that spent the whole time I watched in a courtship like chase, around a pair of large trees and through some brush. I don't know if House Wrens raise multiple broods in a single season, or if these two had just had a failed attempt early and were looking for another chance. Either way they were fun to watch, and seemed to be having a blast.

Off to the mountains for another weekend. Hopefully more productive in the photography department but even if not I know it will be fun.

What's in that Hole?

Whose sad looking, hungry face is peaking out of the nest cavity?


I headed out at lunch today to get some outdoor time before the afternoon storms and social activities this evening. In an attempt to beat the heat and (for Colorado) humidity, so that my coworkers wouldn't throw a protest when I returned, I headed for a woody stretch of path running through the Dutch Creek Open Space in Louisville. Even so, walking the first bit through a still, open, field before the cloud cover reached me was a bit warmish. I reached the trees and drank in the relative cool of the shade. I was watching Robins and Grackles go about their business when something small and brown whizzed past me at waist level.
Another was just taking flight from a dead stump on the side of the path. There, inches from the bike and foot traffic, and no more than three feet off the ground - on the front side of the stump was an active House Wren nest.

I stepped back to the far side of the path, pre-focused, and waited for the parents to return. This one gave me a look that seemed to say, "If you have time to stand there and point that thing at my kids why don't you grab some food and stick it in those wide open mouths?" There wasn't much time for looking around though -

soon it was back off to the trees to pick up more carryout.

Back again, those mouths stay open.

A quick breather while on the hunt. It was interesting that once I had moved beyond the nest and onto a side trail I saw five house wrens all actively flying to two bare limbs at times. I am not sure if it was a common meeting point for all the parents between area nests, or what. It was the most wrens I had seen congregated though.