On 6/25 in the early PM, a friend and I tried for the Blue-winged Warbler at
Welchester Tree Grant Park (northeast of Yank and W 8th, Lakewood, Jefferson) .
We ran into three other birders in the process of leaving who reported NOT
seeing the bird. Between 1 and 2PM, we did NOT see or hear the bird, either.
On 6/26 starting about 7:30AM, essentially this same group of people tried
again and the bird WAS, contrastingly, quite cooperative. Per many, many
reports, the center of its
territory seems to be at the far eastern end of the Park, specifically the
grove of small green ash trees just downhill
and to the north of famous russian-olives just e (i.e., the private side) of
the park/private
fence. Open weedy field to the north. Patch of Poison Hemlocks (or whatever
those Umbellaceae plants that look like Queen Ann's Lace are) west of the field
along the fence line. Small running stream/ditch right thru the middle of it
all. Perfect, according to the accounts I've read of their habitat
requirements/ likes. [As an aside, I'm all but certain those abundant,
brilliant blue to blue-purple damselflies
perched within and near the warbler's territory on dirt social
trails/bridge/wooden debris in the stream are
Vivid Dancers, Argia vivida].
My take on this bird is that, like many of these lost male warblers in
the past that stick on the Front Range beyond the peak of spring
migration, it is full of breeding desire but running out of steam. It
tends to sing a lot in the A.M. hours, during which it makes a couple
laps of its breeding territory (which extends about 75 yards to the west
of the ashes described above into the mixed deciduous "jungle"). Sings not at
all, or very seldom in the PM. It reminds me of the Tropical Parula in
Fort Collins years ago, which essentially went silent about the 4th of
July. As many others have reported, it is tough to hear if your hearing is not
good at the upper range. If you do hear it, judging exactly where the sound is
coming from is tougher yet. It mostly stays fairly high and moves very little
while singing (reminds me of a damn Red-eyed Vireo, the way it eludes visual
detection). All I can figure is that these fantastic photos we've been seeing
of this bird involve the use of audio tomfoolery. Not a judgment, just a
statement. Yes, the song is more like the end of typical Golden-winged song.
The bird looks like a field guide model Blue-winged.
This most recent encounter provided no real information on what this bird is
eating, although once I thought I saw it make a frenetic dive for a flushed
miller moth in cottonwood. I have received reports/photos from others (Walt
Knudsen and Mary O'Connor, respectively) that indicate it's diet includes
aphids in cottonwood and green fruitworms in ash.
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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