Skyler Bol and his mother Cree called this morning about trying for the Prothonotary Warbler found by Bruce Baker on the 17th at the south end of Dixon Reservoir, Pineridge Natural Area, west side of Fort Collins, south of the CSU football stadium, and refound yesterday the 18th by Nick Komar and others on the east side. When I met Skyler and Cree at 10:30am, they had just witnessed an adult swan fly over northbound, which apparently had a yellow patch at the base of the bill (apparently Tundra). Cree then located a second swan, a juvenile swimming on Dixon Reservoir. Identification of this swan is still pending. I got OK photographs and the four of us who saw/heard it (the fourth person being Janet Hardin) are leaning toward Trumpeter (neck mostly held unkinked and erect; shape of lower forehead/bill interface more a "V" than rounded, shallower "U"; extensive black at bill base (mostly pinkish terminally); "swollen" upper bill silhouette; eye not overly isolated from the upper, inner margin of the bill; and voice (deep "groan", single syllable)). The voice is perhaps the most compelling evidence toward an ID of Trumpeter. Tom and Mary France also saw and photographed this bird well.
We left around 12:30, with the bird swimming mostly in the north half of the reservoir. 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.
