Ted wrote: "Other sparrows out there included at least 6 Vesper Sparrows, at least 8 Lark Sparrows, and 1 singing Grasshopper Sparrow. Maybe the Grasshopper Sparrow was a refugee from all the recently mowed Boulder Open Space fields near Cherryvale and South Boulder Road. Christian, can you talk to "your people" about that? ... :-)" Unfortunately, Grasshoppers establish territories right up to the base of the foothills, so it's hard to say if your singer was displaced or not. In 2008, I observed 3 singing males on top of the mesa just west of Doudy Draw, right at the edge of the Ponderosa Pine forest. I thought this was exceptional, and with continued surveys in the area this has turned out to be true. In 2008 we initiated an extensive grassland bird monitoring survey (one result being the discovery of territorial Cassin's Sparrows in Boulder Co.). In the grasslands east of Doudy Draw, south of Eldorado Springs Drive, and west of Hwy 93, we have eleven 200m transects set up. In 2008, 5 of these had Grasshopper Sparrows, with a total of 12 individuals. In 2009, 5 had Grasshopper Sparrows (but not necessarily the same five transects), with a total of 13 individuals. 2010 data has yet to be entered into the database, but from personal observation I know there were GRSP's out there again this year. So I suspect your sighting is of a bird at the edge of the source population. We're working very hard to get the haying of specific fields delayed in order to bolster our hayfield-nesting bird productivity. The City of Boulder recently drafted a comprehensive Grassland Ecosystem Management Plan (http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6772&Itemid=1124). This year, I'm very pleased to see that most of our most productive fields on Cherryvale and nearby have been hayed well after the arbitrary "pretty please wait to cut date," which is July 15th. Grasshoppers generally breed in more upland sites than our hayfields. They are particularly fond of native grasslands on top of the mesas. Other areas with high densities are the grasslands adjacent to South Boulder Creek, like near the Big Bluestem Trail where the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher showed up last summer. They don't prefer the wet hayfields like the popular Bobolink field north of Baseline, but prefer more xeric sites like the Church property which is the huge field east of Cherryvale where it takes a sharp turn to the west at the base of Davidson Mesa. They just started mowing Church a couple days ago. I don't have any data to back this up, but with all the time I spend in these habitats, it's my impression that the Grasshoppers at a place like Church have had plenty of time to complete at least one clutch. I have a few more comments to add. The Golden Eagles successfully fledged two youngun's from a nest on the Secret Crag, above the train tracks at the upper end of Doudy Draw (more appropriately called Bull Gulch at that point). On Friday, I had a single female Type V Red Crossbill with a small group of Type II's up near Walker Ranch. I'm always amazed at how the Virginia's Warblers just vanish after the males stop singing. I know they must be skulking somewhere, and I'll come across an individual here and there in July, but I wonder if there is a more Ted Floydian hypothesis to go along with their post-breeding obscurity. Aside from the single report of an Indigo Bunting near Mt. Sanitas (sorry, I can't remember who reported it), I haven't seen or heard about any others. No hybrids, either. They're never all that common, but with the number of Lazuli Buntings I looked through this year it seems a little strange. Thanks,
Christian Nunes Wildlife Monitoring Technician, City of Boulder OSMP [email protected] [email protected] > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Subject: [cobirds] Spizella flight, Doudy Draw, Boulder County, August 8th > Date: Sun, 8 Aug 2010 13:56:10 -0700 > > > Hello, Birders. > > There was a nice morning flight of Spizella sparrows at Doudy Draw, Boulder > County, earlier today, Sunday, August 8th. I saw at least 24 Brewer's > Sparrows and at least 8 Chipping Sparrows in small flocks (1-5 birds), all > flying south, during the course of 90 minutes after sunrise. The birds were > calling constantly as they passed, as is typical of most species in the genus > Spizella. > > Other sparrows out there included at least 6 Vesper Sparrows, at least 8 Lark > Sparrows, and 1 singing Grasshopper Sparrow. Maybe the Grasshopper Sparrow > was a refugee from all the recently mowed Boulder Open Space fields near > Cherryvale and South Boulder Road. Christian, can you talk to "your people" > about that? ... :-) > > A few other birds at Doudy Draw this morning: 1 Golden Eagle, 4 Eastern > Kingbirds acting migrational, 4 Western Scrub-Jays (including 3 juveniles), 2 > Cedar Waxwings, 1 Virginia's Warbler, 1 Audubon's Warbler (a bit out of > habitat for the date), 7 Yellow-breasted Chats, 1 Western Tanager, 1 > Black-headed Grosbeak, a goodly 14 Blue Grosbeaks, 10 Lazuli Buntings (all > pretty "pure" looking and/or sounding), and 2 Type II Red Crossbills. > > ------------------------------- > > Ted Floyd > Editor, Birding > > Follow Birding magazine on Twitter: http://twitter.com/BirdingMagazine > > ------------------------------- > > -- > 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.com/group/cobirds?hl=en. > -- 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.com/group/cobirds?hl=en.
