Getting very excited.....

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:

White Ranch Open Space

Last Saturday morning I had a chance to do a bit of hiking at White Ranch Open Space with my roommate and his dog. It was a bit late for ideal birding, but it was a fun morning and there were even a few good birds to boot. The Mountain Bluebird above was hanging out in the meadow near the parking area when we started.


A bit later Blizzard (the dog) flushed what appeared to be a House Wren, I tried to catch a shot, missed it, but was happy to find a Green-tailed Towhee peaking out at me from the same patch of brush.


The small mammals were putting on a show for me, this Pine Squirrel checked me out from behind a tree before retreating a bit and giving us an earful. A few feet further on and again right at eye level I met a Least Chipmunk. It was working its way across a canopy of bushes, and decided to freeze when our party moved past. It didn't need to worry though, I just wanted a couple of pictures, and the dog was oblivious.


The return portion of the loop took us through more meadow, and I tracked a flying Stellar's Jay as it approached from a distance. It was interesting that the first thing I noticed was the jay flight pattern, and the next were the white eye-brows and other facial markings. The brilliant blue of this species just disappears on a cloudless day.


Unfortunately, the great morning was followed by an embarrassing football display by my alma mater, the Colorado Buffaloes. They had their first match up with future division opponent Cal, and made an impression by not even being competitive on the field.

Birds once again came through, as 4 of us sat on the deck contemplating the depths our school's program had sunk to; a Common Nighthawk flew directly over my backyard! Even if none of the others appreciated the addition to my yard list it went a long way towards brightening my spirits.....at least until the Bronco game the next day - sigh. Perhaps there will be more time for birding this fall.

A few leftovers from the CFO convention trips before I begin to try to catch up this current week. It is so good to have too many birds to share!

While up in the high country meadows on our Red Feather Lakes trip, we were unsuccessful in our attempts to track down a Williamson's Sapsucker, we had a very cooperative Lincoln's Sparrow. It was perched in front of a willow thicket, and sat as an entire birding crew got long looks at it. I tried to move around it to get a bit better angle in the mid-day glare, and was somewhat successful.


The trip to Phantom Canyon was not one that was well suited to photography, but I did get a slightly closer shot of a Green-tailed Towhee to share. My previous post didn't have the same camo pattern of shadows going on, but what this one sacrifices in face detail it does regain by showing a bit more of the tail color.

Finally, there was that last life bird that I added on the impromptu stop returning from Wyoming. Just as we were reaching our turnaround point our trip leader heard a bird calling from the bushes, and I was fortunate to get this shot of a female American Redstart.

Once again I would like to express my gratitude to the CFO board for coordinating the event, the trip leaders who got us out to the primo sites, and to all my fellow birders on the trips who shared their experience and enthusiasm to make sure that everyone was getting on the good birds. I arrived as a mostly anonymous individual, and am sure that next year if I am able to attend I will be seeing more familiar faces, and generally more familiar with the whole event.

I find that in life there are certain situations that you only get to experience as 'firsts' once. This was one of those events. I know that any future bird trips or conventions I attend will be different, because I will have this one to compare them to. My slate is no longer blank, but I couldn't have picked a better event to fill it on. Watch out birding world and CFO, my bar has been set high!

Getting Just Desserts

Proud American Robin says, "I can hold my head high, 'cause I did the right thing when no one was looking"

On one of my very first birding walks in the fall of '08 I bumped into a local birder named Eric. We have crossed paths several times since then, but on that early trip he was one of the first active members of the birding community that I had met. As we checked the habitat around Plaster Reservoir in Broomfield his ability to locate and identify birds began to shed light on just how little I knew, and how much there was out there that I had not been experiencing. The most memorable such case was his asking if I had seen the Green-tailed Towhee in the Russian Olives we were scanning. I replied that I had, added it to my list, and on we went. Later when I was at home and reviewing some of my pictures I checked through the only guide I had at the time, "Peterson's Guide to the Birds of Western North America". As I flipped through I came to the entry for the Green-tailed Towhee, and I was instantly sure that I hadn't seen that bird. At the time I had in all good conscience thought that I knew which bird he was talking about, and that it was a Green-tailed Towhee. After I realized my mistake I adjusted my list, already knowing that marking off a bird I wasn't sure of would take away some of the reward when I actually did see and identify it at some later point.
A year and a half later the bird and I finally crossed paths once again; the species not the individual - of course.

This time I spotted it as I stood on the deck looking out behind the Beaver Visitor Center at Rocky Mountain National Park. I was looking through my camera's eyepiece - I didn't have my bins in the visitor center - but even at a distance I was confident that this was one of my long sought after targets. I honestly don't know how I missed it for all of last year. They are fairly common, at least for others, but this was my first. Let me confirm that the wait was completely worthwhile.

On a side note, if you are a local, or ever happen to visit RMNP be sure not to overlook the deck off the back of the visitor center. The wrap-around walkway raises you up into the Ponderosas and seems to keep the birds in the area comfortable as humans watch their activity.

One of the best way's to observe wildlife is in the company of children. The large herds of Elk that had descended into town with the snow were all fascinating to the eyes of a three year old.

At least pawing through snow must not be too bad when there is new sprouting grass and vegetation below.

To a child, referring to such a beast as "Antler" rather than Elk just makes sense I guess. To an adult, getting to watch a couple of males meander down the sidewalk as you crawl along shooting out the window of a vehicle was pretty cool as well.