(since no one else has mentioned it today...) I went by Cottonwood Hollow Natural Area in Fort Collins this morning, my first real opportunity to look for the Least Bittern found by Nick Komar several days ago. After about 45 minutes of fruitless searching, I saw it fly into the small, cattail-encircled pond just east and on the other side of the dike from the main "Artist's Point" pond. Once it flew in there I was not able to see it again, as the reeds are too tall for me and there's no vantage point from which to view beyond them.
My view of the bird was limited to about 3-4 seconds in flight through binos, and in my excitement I was not able to discern gender- or age-specific plumage, although my impression was of a bird without strong plumage contrast, but still lightly colored. Although this was only my second-ever sighting of a LEBI, it definitely had to be the bird, as it was smaller than any heron I've ever seen, yet clearly had a heron profile. Other herons seen this morning at this location include 3 Black-crowned Night-Herons, a Great Blue Heron, a Great Egret, a Snowy Egret, and a Green Heron. I don't know where the bird flew in from, but it was on a trajectory from the very SE corner of Artist's Point pond, which I understand is where the bird has been found or has been seen flying from on previous occasions. -- Eric DeFonso Fort Collins, CO --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Colorado County Birding: http://www.coloradocountybirding.com/ 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
