Thanks to Rachel Hopper for this brilliant video. Willy, we are jealous! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdTTxTGcFQs&feature=share Tom
On Friday, January 11, 2013 11:51:07 AM UTC-7, Tom Wilberding wrote: > > If you have Hoary Redpoll fever and plan to visit Ft. Collins’ museum > feeders, here is a summary of some of the helpful tips I’ve read on > COBirds, as well as my experience yesterday. (I managed to get a photo of a > pale Redpoll, but neglected to get a key angle--more below.) > > Ft. Collins Museum of Discovery (new building) > 408 Mason Court > Ft. Collins, CO > http://www.fcmod.org/ > > Admission fee: $9.50 adult, $7.00 seniors. > Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. > Parking lot open all the time, as far as I can tell. Parking is free at > the museum, and overflow parking is available along Cherry Street. > The museum is located on Mason Court, at the intersection of Cherry and > Mason Streets, west of N. College Avenue/ Highway 14. Just east of Lee > Martinez Park. > Do you need to go into the museum and pay the admission fee? No, park in > the museum lot and walk down the concrete sidewalk on the west side of the > building. You will see the feeders above you. This is the best view, > looking up at the feeders. Why? To identify a Hoary you need to > see/photograph its undertail coverts. It also helps a lot to > see/photograph it’s upper tail area. That’s where I went wrong. I was > trying for a nice eye-level field guide photo, but you need more. If I > accidentally take a photo of a bird’s butt I delete it. Not with the Hoary! > > Birds on the tube feeder don’t give you a good view of their butts, so pay > special attention to any pale redpoll perched on the chain fence or metal > pole--try to see its butt, above and below, among other things. It ain’t > easy! Bring a scope and/or camera if you have it. > A group of Redpolls fly in and out every hour or so. They stay for about > 15 minutes. Dress warmly--winter boots and two pair of socks and winter > gloves help on the cold concrete. > To thank the museum for all the bird seed they put out, simply go inside > and make a contribution at the front desk or pay for an admission ticket, > and thank them. This is a great new museum with many interesting displays, > especially the hands-on stuff for kids. > > Here are a few great photos on the web from COBirders showing a Hoary at > the museum: > http://www.flickr.com/photos/36088296@N08/8356354766/in/photostream/ > http://www.flickr.com/photos/36088296@N08/8355293187/in/photostream/ > http://www.flickr.com/photos/36088296@N08/8355293319/in/photostream/ > http://www.pbase.com/gwalbek/image/148237402 > > Here is Sibley’s checklist to score a pale Redpoll: > http://www.sibleyguides.com/2008/01/a-character-index-for-redpoll-identification/ > > Thanks to Bill Schmoker, Steve Mlodinow, Cathy Sheeter, Glenn Walbek, Tony > Leukering, and many others for their helpful posts. Don’t be like me, do > some homework before you set out. Watch that butt, and good luck! If you > dip on Hoary you will still probably see lots of Common Redpoll, another > great, rare Colorado bird. > > Tom Wilberding > Boulder, 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]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msg/cobirds/-/JbWI3TG3ojkJ. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
