Greetings All,
Today was a day of gulls and hybrids, but not necessarily of hybrid gulls -- which would've been the case in my recent haunts in Washington State. Christian Nunes and I started the day at Red Rocks, where junco numbers were dramatically down from Christmas Day. However, the PINK-SIDED x WHITE-WINGED JUNCO was incredibly confiding, and present for much of our visit around 8-9 am. A PINK-SIDED x GRAY-HEADED JUNCO also stopped in. The GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW (alas, neither hybrid nor gull) made a brief appearance. We then went off to search for Snowy Owls, found a group of birders, and thus a SNOWY OWL, along Harvest Road, as reported by others earlier today. Lovely bird, but neither hybrid nor gull. Off to Broomfield. The Anthem Ranch Pond had a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE and the following list of gulls: 850 RING-BILLED 2 CALIFORNIA 25 HERRING 7 THAYER'S (2 adults, 5 juvs, 1 2nd-cycle) 1 LESSER BLACK-BACKED (3rd winter) 2 GLAUCOUS (1st winter birds, both) We continued on to nearby SIENA POND: To get here, take Lowell Blvd south through the Anthem Ranch development past the Northwest Pkwy Tollroad. Take the first left (4-way stop). Pond obvious on your left. Parking lot about 3/4 way down length of pond. There were 2 apparent ROSS'S x CACKLING GOOSE HYBRIDS there. One, seemingly paired with a Richardson's Cackling Goose, was the size of a Cackling Goose. Its underparts were mostly white, like a Ross's Goose. The back and wings were rather like a Richardson's Goose, as was the tail. Head shape intermediate. Bill mostly like Ross's in color and shape, but a bit longer. The second bird had a body much like Cackling Goose, but with whitish mid-belly. Head and neck mostly white. Head shape intermediate. Bill shape intermediate. Bill color dusky pink. Same size, or even a bit smaller, than nearby Richardson's Cackling Geese. There was also a GLAUCOUS x HERRING GULL present. Overall, much like modestly darkish Glaucous Gull in color and structure. However, wingtips concolorous with remainder of wing. Tail a bit darker than remainder of upperparts. In flight, outer two or so primaries darker than remainder of wing, which was fairly uniform in color. Other gulls at Siena Pond: 1250 RING-BILLED 75 HERRING 2 THAYER'S (1 adult, 1 juv) 2 GLAUCOUS (immature and adult) 1 LESSER BLACK-BACKED (1 nearly in adult plumage) Truly a fabulous day of birding. A great mix of rarities and oddities, good company and reasonable weather. Good Birding, Steven 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.
