I went back to Grandview Cemetery again today, despite being there for several
hours yesterday. Here are the highlights:
White-winged Crossbill - It seems all but certain the female, the same one that
showed up with a male on 22November09, is finishing up a second nesting cycle,
at this point, solo. As has been mentioned, seeing anything of this nesting,
since the nest was under construction in early May, has been exceedingly
difficult. She is going about her business with efficiency and stealth.
Occasionally she calls from the nest tree or nearby, but that's about it.
Others have reported seeing her here and there, briefly. Today I saw her go
into the nest area of her spruce in the southeast corner of Section 1 and could
discern a nestling come out of the nest to greet her and be fed. My anchor
events with this nesting are somewhat shaky but if correct, fledging of how
ever many nestlings are in this nest (1 or 2 would be my guess) could be this
coming Wednesday (June 9). During the other nesting we watched, the nestlings
only started leaving the nest for short distances (a matter of inches) a couple
days before their calculated fledging date.
Things go quickly in the passerine world and it seems not all that long ago
(April 14) we were talking about the possible demise of the 2nd and 3rd
nestlings of the first cycle. Then in early June we were elated and surprised
to see the male feeding the lone surviving offspring of that nest, and the
female constructing a second nest. Whatever happens from here on out, I
nominate this female, Loxy, for "Bird Mother Of The Year". Her tail is frayed
and she looks a little thin. But yesterday she joined many other birds to
hassle a Great Horned Owl juvenile, scolded long and hard a Common Grackle up
to no good near her nest, refused a phone call from the male, made food runs
for offspring, fed herself, cleaned her bill, and kept on keepin' on.
Eastern Wood-Pewee - As Eric reported, this pewee sang his brains out all day,
from all over the cemetery and golf course. He ranges so widely, it would be
easy to think there might be two birds. Josh Bruening and I team-tagged this
issue this afternoon. We think, at least today, there was only one individual,
although we did see it chase what appeared to be a second, silent pewee (a
Western?). There has to be a name for these displaced males who find a piece
of suitable habitat in early summer, sing and sing and sing, and never find a
mate. The Eagles wrote a song about them ("Desperado").
Broad-tailed Hummingbird - At least 3 females are probably nesting in the
cemetery, maybe more. It has been hard to find nests, but they are there.
Chipping Sparrow - It appears two pairs are nesting, perhaps on their second
cycle.
Western Tanager - One didn't-get-the-memo male or one desperado.
Hawk sp. - I only got a glimpse of a hawk that looked like a small Buteo
(Broad-winged?) that passed low thru the tree crowns in mid-afternoon.
Other "mountain" species at Grandview (besides the crossbills, hummingbirds,
tanager, and chippers):
Pine Siskin
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Hairy Woodpecker (mountain form)
Western Wood-Pewee
Lesser Goldfinch
Total of 28 spp. (the other day's Common Nighthawks were species #100 for my
cemetery list for 2010)
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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