For the past couple of days, only the usual suspects have been showing up at my feeder and in my yard - with one exception.
Kestrels Banded Kingfisher Blue Jays Mourning Doves Downey Woodpecker Northern Flickers, A large flock of white-Crowned Sparrows are still here and the flock is growing in size. Robins Starlings, Red-Winged Black birds (haven't seen any Yellow Heads yet) House Sparrows (rather large flock of these) House Finches House Wren A few Barn Swallows are back now. They usually nest in our old boxcar but no signs of nesting yet. And one unidentified bird - http://hollyhockfarms.multiply.com/photos/album/23 I'm still waiting to see the Goldfinches, although they are usually swarming my currant bush and feeder by now. I've seen a few over the past few months, but none recently. Also the Chickadees seem suspiciously absent. Lots of singing birds in my yard. A hawk or falcon has been swooping down and catching a few of the Mourning doves. I've caught a glance of him/her twice now but not sure what it is. Medium steel gray head, black and wings, light under parts. No barring that I could see in the gray. It is a med. size bird, a little larger that the Peregrines that occasionally come through, and not as blue. Also not black on the head. It always flies away from me and fast, so I haven't been able to get a good look at the lighter under parts. Closest I can find in the field guide is a Northern Harrier. On the lake, the Double-Crested Cormorants are still here. My neighbor on the north shore says that a few stay around all summer, although on my end (south shore) I haven't seen them during the summer. Western Grebes are still here as well, with two Clark's Grebes mixed in with them. Fewer now than there were last week though, I counted only six pairs. There could have been more as they were along the western shore line near the trees and brush. Canada Geese - of course, and I spotted a pair of Cinnamon Teals yesterday evening along the east shore. Mallards and then there were a pair that looked somewhat like mallards only a little larger and the male had a similar green head and a reddish patch on his chest, but also had what looked like a shaggy crest on the back of his head. A pair of Red-tailed Hawks are the ones with the large nest on the north shore that I noted a few days ago. Also several Great-Horned Owls nests. I disturbed what appeared to be a Barn Owl in our barn yesterday, but it flew out too fast for me to get a really good look. It could have been a Great Horned. Pauli Smith Highlandlake Community near Mead, on Highland Lake. Weld County. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Join us at the 2009 Convention in Alamosa: http://cfo-link.org/convention/index.php You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.as/group/cobirds?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
