Birders, Dave wrote that birds, "are definitely expanding eastward and northward, respectively, on the CO plains. Drought, extensive fires, climate change?" One factor that I think we must not forget is that last year's breeding season was very wet, and could have been a very successful breeding season for many of these species. So equate large numbers of previous year's birds and poor conditions on the breeding grounds right now, and I think the result is this faculatative infiltration of new, likely sub-par, breeding sites. I went out on a hike in the Shanahan Ridge area of Boulder yesterday looking for the singing Gray Flycatcher I detected back on the 5th of June. In its place was a CASSIN'S KINGBIRD. Another Pinyon-Juniper/grassland species in an odd place at an odd date. Cheers, Christian Nunes Boulder, CO pajaro...@hotmail.com
From: daleather...@msn.com To: cobirds@googlegroups.com Subject: [cobirds] Cassin's Sparrows, etc. Date: Sat, 18 Jun 2011 12:44:15 -0600 It is always dangerous to make too much out of an odd bird report here and there. But it seems to me something is definitely going on with Cassin's Sparrows and maybe other southern species. Populations of birds, particularly grassland species, expand and contract dramatically from year to year, heavily influenced by habitat condition. Lark Buntings are classic in this regard, as are Cassin's Sparrows. But the current situation seems bigger. I have received an email from a friend (Charles Mills) of a friend (Bill Lisowsky), who reports finding the 1st State Record Cassin's Sparrow in Arkansas about a month ago. My friend Ken Ecton just shared a blog from Ohio about that state finding its 1st State Record Cassin's Sparrow. I wonder if somebody with a high-limit gas credit card could drive next week to Missouri, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky and find breeding Cassin's Sparrows? How many of these would be 1st State or at least 1st-Breeding Records? COBIRDS of late seems to have reports of this bird from "special" places almost weekly, including Joey's birds at Cherry Creek. Black-chinned Sparrows now may be regular in Colorado for the foreseeable future. I know of two Painted Bunting reports in the Lamar area in the last week. A Wood Thrush was also in Lamar in the last few days. Summer Tanagers were almost in the FC ("fairly common") category this spring. A 1st State Record Lesser Nighthawk was found dead at the Hereford Ranch in Cheyenne, WY over Memorial Day weekend. When will WY gets its first Black Phoebe? Lesser Goldfinches and Black-chinned Hummingbirds are definitely expanding eastward and northward, respectively, on the CO plains. Drought, extensive fires, climate change? Could be all of these. And it could be a strange, keep-your-eyes-open summer in Colorado. 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 cobirds@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. 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 cobirds@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en.