At Grandview Cemetery (west terminus of Mountain Avenue, Fort Collins, Larimer County) about noon today I had a GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER in the extreme southeast corner over the picnic table south of the Shop Building (just north across the ditch from the Pumphouse). This is a rare species for Larimer County. The bird was flycatching yellowjackets and then periodically going down into the Buckthorn (Rhamnus sp.) bushes on the ne corner of the Pumphouse for berries. Myiarchus flycatchers are known to berry-feed during migration and on their wintering grounds. You might recall this is what the Brown-crested Flycatcher at Crow Valley Campground was doing a few years ago in October (feeding on Russian Olive fruits).
Other species seen today not normal for the cemetery, except perhaps during migration: Townsend's Warbler (at least 3), Warbling Vireo, and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. In addition, lots of Western Wood-Pewees and a few Wilson's Warblers worked the deciduous tree crowns (mostly American Elms). At present, yellowjackets and other wasps are the big attraction for these upper-middle food chain members (including darner dragonflies). Various wasps have been feasting on sugar-laden aphids and the honeydew from 1) aphids, 2) various scale insects in the American Elms (European Elm Scale, Cottony Maple Scale, and Fruit Lecanium Scale), and 3) Rough Bullet Galls (made by a type of cynipid wasp) on Bur Oaks. The upper-middle predators (birds and dragonflies) let the blue-collar predators (yellowjackets and other wasps) do the sugar-gathering from the plant feeders (aphids, scales, and gall-making wasps), and then the upper-middles eat the blue-collars. Not too different from human society, really. Dave Leatherman Fort Collins -- 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.
