>From 9am to 4:30pm I walked on the west side of the Poudre River from the
>north end of Sharp Point Drive (jct with Prospect) past the feedlot thru
>Prospect Ponds Natural Area (PPNA) to an area perhaps 100 yards southeast of
>the Northern CO Environmental Learning Center (NCELC) parking lot (that is, a
>wooded area along the west side of the river southeast of the vacant Raptor
>Center rehab facilities).
Total of 54 species of birds.
However, the main goal was to document insects inhabiting boxelder trees in
this area. The other day I posted how I was noticing considerable migrant use
of this tree and how I thought the primary attraction was probably the Boxelder
Leafroller caterpillar. I am still thinking this insect is a good food item
when found, but that other things are just as attractive and probably more
abundant. Those insects are: an unidentified caterpillar which folds the
leaflet over like the Boxelder Leafroller but which has a pale head capsule and
is smaller (Boxelder Leafroller head capsule is dark). I saw zillions of these
by keying in on what birds key in on - that is, holes in leaves nearby and/or
folded leaf margins tied down with silk. Also present were psyllid nymphs, a
few "inquilines" (things like small spiders or predators inside the folds made
by the caterpillars - in other words, an inquiline is a "squatter" living in a
"house" made by some other creature), aphids, assassin bug nymphs in the genus
Zelus, some type of fly which causes the leaflets to pucker up tight and get
thick (species unknown), a mite which caused oval bumps to form on the upper
surface of the leaf and a white erineum (maybe look this term up?) to form on
the bottom surface), and Boxelder Bugs (which I do not think are eaten by birds
with their wits about them - taste nasty according to a chicken I offered one
to years ago).
Bird highlights:
American Redstart (1 gorgeous male) working low coyote willows along the
northeast corner of the PPNA southernmost pond
Chipping Sparrows (several) getting abundant leafhopper nymphs from among the
leaves, small branch stems, and flowers of coyote willow
Olive-sided Flycatcher (1) e of where redstart was, good side by side
comparison with pewee
Summer Tanager (1 molting male, mostly reddish about the head, mostly lime
green on back and belly) just north of the northwest corner of the NCELC
parking lot, mostly east of the river (another way to describe this would be
just south of the east end of the Suspension Bridge). This bird was mostly
staying low flycatching for March Flies and Honey Bees, the latter mostly
visiting the flowers of Leafy Spurge. A guy was walking around spraying the
spurge, one of our worst noxious weeds, but even bad plants provide some
"environmental services".
Indigo X Lazuli Bunting (1 male) this bird was denim blue with a white belly,
no wing-bars, scattered rusty feathers across the chest. It sang to my ear
like an Indigo.
Willow Flycatcher (1, my FOY) seen on the return trip, near where the redstart
was, foraging out from, what else? Willows.
Also seen were a few Dusky Flycatchers, one Least Flycatcher, a few Swainson's
Thrushes (one of which seemed a bit redder backed than a typical "Olive-backed"
Thrush), two Lazuli Buntings, one female Common Merganser flying around in the
trees as if looking for a cavity big enough to nest in, a few Yellow-rumped
Warblers (all Audubon's), and one female Black-headed Grosbeak.
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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