COBirders, Seventeen kids (four female) aged 13-17, from across the U.S. and Canada, many amazingly talented, attended the American Birding Association birders' camp this week. On Thursday, I was invited to show them some of the habitats on Chico Basin Ranch. Michael O'Brien and Louise Zematis, professional bird guides, instructed the group on natural history while Chip Clouse and Elizabeth Wiley kept us on schedule, fed, and watered. We started early in Fountain (El Paso) with Chimney Swifts and a pair of Mississippi Kites. From the shutter noise of digital cameras, thousands of photographs must have been taken of the kites (does every teen birder now own a 300 or 400mm lens?). Some of the highlights, mostly breeding birds, plus a few early migrants from Chico (El Paso and Pueblo), not including the dragonflies, butterflies, and tiger beetles, were: Wilson's Phalarope - 1 female Solitary Sandpiper - 1 Virginia Rail - 1 Ladder-backed Woodpecker - 2 males Black-chinned Hummingbird - 1 female on a nest Burrowing Owl - 1 Swainson's Hawk - 1 carrying a rodent to its nest Say's Phoebe - 2 Ash-throated Flycatcher - 2 Common Nighthawk on perches and flying - ~ 10, all males (females must all be on eggs) - We learned that the triangle formed by the wingtips is the best field mark for separating Common from Lesser Nighthawks. Isosoles in Common and equilateral in Lesser. Northern Mockingbird - lots and they were imitating many bird species including some of the ones we missed Curve-billed Thrasher - two family groups of 4 Chihuahuan Raven - 1 Loggerhead Shrike - 2 Cassin's Sparrow - >20, some still skylarking Lark Sparrow - >20, common breeder Blue Grosbeak - 3 Great-tailed Grackle - 1 male Orchard Oriole- 5 Yellow-headed Blackbird - 1 male (rare here in summer) I didn't think it was possible to bird Chico in shorts and flip-flops without getting injured, but three of the guys proved it is possible, with luck, as no hospital visits resulted from birding in cholla grasslands, stands of thigh-high Canada thistle, and in riparian areas. Bill Maynard Colorado Springs ____________________________________________________________ Free Credit Score A bad credit score is below 598. Click here to see yours for $0. Checking won't affect your score. By Experian® http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/4c2f86355b35c13e59bst06duc
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