Stearn's Lake Saturday Morning

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.

Lunchtime Looks

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...

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.

The Return of the King...

The Western Kingbird of course.


Yesterday morning I got a bit of an early start, just enough time to stop off at Stearn's Lake on my way to work. The one above was actually seen in the afternoon at lunch, but they were certainly back, and engaged in all kinds of territorial and pre-nesting activities.

The award for the most photogenic birds of the morning has to go to the Vesper Sparrows I saw as I left the lake area and headed to work. They put my shots of the morning Kingbirds to shame.

Birds like these are the reason I always leave any morning birding stops with a large cushion of time before I have to be to work. You never know when you will have to stop and shoot a hundred frames or so.

A Vesper Sparrow has plenty to sing about on a late spring morning. I was glad to hear their song, a good way to start the day.

I wonder if the cow hair left on the barbs from a good scratching is alluring to a female Vesper Sparrow? This bird sure was advertising it to the world.

A Few Sights from the Plains

Western Meadowlark

My good fortune with the Scaled Quail on Friday morning exhausted my luck for seeing new life birds, but the next few hours spent driving and hiking the back-roads of Lincoln County weren't a waste.

Great Horned Owl on nest

In Lincoln County the Great Horned Owls build their nests directly over the roadways. Between that and no traffic jams who wouldn't love driving out here?

Wood Duck

The roadside ditches are graced by colorful waterfowl, but if a vehicle stops they aren't going to hang around for long.

Dark-Morph Ferruginous Hawk

The drab landscape is broken by the patterns of washes and the flights of aerial hunters.

Vesper Sparrow

In this setting the unremarkable buff, tan and brown patterns of the sparrows make perfect sense. From above they are just a piece of the prairie carpet.

Swainson's Hawk

If something stands out; it will likely be on the menu for something else.

Pronghorn

Even in a harsh environment there are still signs of levity, such as this Pronghorn making a turn before reaching a Horned Lark. After all, this is the land "where the deer and the antelope play".

Lesser Finch Family and More

Yesterday at lunch I had a quick drive west of Superior to see if I could get some lucky migrants in the heat of the day. The Vesper Sparrow (above) wasn't necessarily a migrant, but it was willing to pose in the sunlight.

I also had a full family of Lesser Goldfinches gathered right along the roadside. Mom is the least distinctive, she would be much more difficult to ID if Dad wasn't nearby as well.

He is still looking fairly bright, soon those colors will be much more washed out looking. Unfortunately he did not offer me an angle that showed off his great colors in the sunlight.

Finally there is the teenage son. He is an awkward mix of adult, molting into the telltale yellow and black with a hint of the black cap visible above the eye, and child, pink legs and light portions of the back. Of course like any teenager, always hungry.

Fast, Fun Getaway

I enjoyed another fun and relaxing weekend camping in the Pike National forest Friday and Saturday nights. Warm enough to enjoy the days, but getting cooler at night - ensuring deep sleep and crisp frosty mornings. The birding was better than I have had on recent camping trips. I didn't add any life birds, but did add one to my Colorado list, and saw a bunch of new species for that area. Vesper Sparrows, like the one above are common around my home, but this one seen just after sunrise really showed off the rufous shoulder patches.

At one point, after a bit of four wheeling, I had my friends drop me off a few miles from camp. That let me cross a boggy creek and cross a ridge on my way back, getting some diverse habitat types into my trip. The willows along the creek, which produced a Moose for fellow campers on a trip in June, were productive for me as well. The Ruby-crowned Kinglet, above, was the first I had seen in Colorado, and the first that I had seen while "out birding" rather than looking through my sister's back window.

Shortly after seeing the Kinglet I was treated to a fairly close Wilson's Warbler. Of course the ten or so shots I had of it perched left its eye squarely behind the branch - oh well. Their color is such fun to see along a willow choked mountain stream.

The Western Wood Pewees were ever vigilant just beyond "our" campsite nestled in an aspen grove.

One of the secret advantages of birding is the motivation it gives for getting up early when camping. For most of my adult life camping has included campfires that are kept burning until deep into the morning, and far more s'mores and belly warming beverages than were absolutely necessary. I'm not against those activities for any reason, and sometimes sitting on a stump staring at the dying embers of a good fire can be just as vital as any daylight exploration. That being said, it is good to have a reason to turn in when the first yawns hit, and even better to have a reason - and plan - for abandoning that warm sleeping bag to brave the frost as the predawn glow begins. The Downy Woodpecker above was a reward for getting up early on Sunday. I watched and enjoyed as he woke and performed his morning preen, getting ready for the busy day ahead.

The early day light and shadow even gave this Chipping Sparrow a distinctive look. I was glad to have the trip, the calendar is getting full for fall, and the next trip may feature heavy coats and multiple mid-layers.

2009 Count: 175

Lifetime: 183

Aww..... Mom!

"All the other Prairie Dog pups are calling me, and I think that guy by the car just took my picture," whined the pup.

"Well if you would learn to drink your milk nicely then maybe I wouldn't have to clean your face after lunch." Responded Mom between licks.

I had no idea that Prairie Dog pups fed standing on their hind legs. I noticed the behavior from a distance while scanning for Burrowing Owls atop Marshall Mesa. By the time I had the camera up and focused it was on to cleanup time.

I also didn't realise just how clearly the rufous wing patches could stand out on Vesper Sparrows.

That is a good looking brown bird, much harder to see when they are not perched on fence posts.

There really wasn't much in the way of photo opportunities on this day's lunch, but I found a cool road where I could swear I am a million miles from nowhere, not five minutes from work. Good stuff.

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.