Greetings All,
Sorry for the late post. I came home late, and joined a field trip led by Ted Floyd starting before 5am today. GLOSSY IBIS: On most atlases, this location is called "Spanish Village." The marsh is on WCR 54 near WCR 55. The bird is an adult in breeding plumage and was with 5 1st year WF Ibis and 2 adults WF Ibis. YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON: Remains at Glenmere Park in Greeley. The bird sat on the nest for nearly the entire time I was there, and thus was often to see. Once it stood up, looked into the nest, jabbed around a bit, moved some sticks about. This behavior was quite different from the Black-crowneds on the island. At least half of those nests had easy-to-see young; only one or two adults sat on a nest for the hour I was there, and no heron of any species behaved in the odd manner of the YCNH. There are also many adorable (yes, adorable) Cattle Egret nestlings and some Snowy Egret younguns as well. WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER: 4 snazzy breeding-plumaged birds (in other words, not half-molted, motley 1st year birds that often constitute late spring migrant shorebirds). On the road that runs along the south side of Lower Latham Res - first marshy pool (sizeable) on the east end. Also 51 Wilson's Phalaropes, all females, and thus almost certainly migrants (or post-breeding wanderers), having left the guys with the kids. I am not certain if Wilson's Phalarope females initiate a directional migration after leaving their families; as with some other arid-country waterbirds, they may disperse (direction somewhat random) before beginning what we'd normally think of as migration. And speaking of such, the Lower Latham pond was full of freshly arrived ducks, not present a week ago, certainly not two weeks ago, in any numbers at all. Best represented were teal, with 30 or so Green-wingeds, 35 or so Cinnamons, and about 25 Blue-wingeds. There were also 15 N Shoveler, mostly newly arrived there. Of note, essentially all were males, doing precisely what the female phalaropes had done. Finally, a very motley, somewhat large-billed (or appearing so), 1st summer Franklin's Gull was present, giving me a Laughing Gull heart-attack for a bit. HOODED MERGANSER: At same pond as Glossy Ibis. A "female" type plumaged bird. This bird (through my bins) looked very crisp and with a small hood, reminding me much of a bird born this year rather than an adult. I'll need to look at my photos to be certain. Cheers Steve Mlodinow Longmont CO -- 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.
