Greetings All
Today I started at Fossil Creek, wandered my way up to Ault, down to Beebe Draw, and then back up to the w. edge of Greeley. Highlights included a singing imm male ORCHARD ORIOLE where a pair had bred by the viewing platform at Fossil Creek, >100 Redhead at Timnath and a slew of breeding PB Grebes there, a pair of RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS at the pitiful little spot of bedraggled habitat known as Mitani-Tokuyasu State Wildlife Area just e. of Greeley (see CFO County Birding Website), a HAIRY WOODPECKER (maybe 2) of the Eastern flavor just n of where CO-60 crosses the S. Platte (sw. of Greeley), and Wilson's Phalaropes at two locations in Weld where they did not breed. The Wilson's Phalaropes are likely the season's first "fall" migrants. At least they are quite likely birds that finished breeding (leaving the males to rear the young) and have subsequently dispersed and/or heading south. I have to check if the females do a random post-breeding movement (dispersal) or a directional one (migration) initially. Actually, I think post-breeding dispersal might be officially termed migration as well, just not as we often think of it. The Hairy Woodpecker occurs in an interesting gap from about Fort Morgan to the Front Range foothills wherein there are precious few summer records, and those have rarely been noted as to subspecies. Given the habitat, and being somewhat in the plains, I am not surprised that this bird was an Eastern one, though my only Hairy Woodpecker at Crow Valley (in late August) was of the Montane flavor. Good Birding, Steven Mlodinow -- 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.
