May started slowly in west Arapahoe Co., perhaps because of the 11-12 inches of snow April left with us. I struggled, over the first week, to pick up any new arrivals. But, since Friday, the area has gotten birdier.
Highlights include: On Friday (5/5), I had my FOS Green-tailed Towhee in my west Centennial yard. Saturday (5/6) brought a single, male Western Tanager (my FOS) to Marjorie Perry Nature Preserve in Greenwood Village. There were also a few Brewer's Sparrows and a single Clay-colored Sparrow (both FOS) at the preserve. Saturday evening, while pruning a tree, I spotted a vireo in my yard. I ran inside to get my binoculars and camera, fully intending to turn the drab bird into a yellow-soaked Philadelphia Vireo. Though the drabness resisted my efforts, this is was my FOS Warbling Vireo and a new yard bird. Sunday (5/7) brought a Bullock's Oriole (my FOS) to Marjorie Perry NP. I had my first Blue-gray Gnatcatchers there, though I've found them around the area since the last weekend of April. (Last year, I had only one spring encounter with a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher in west Arapahoe, a ten second visit of one to my yard. This year, I've seen them at Willow Spring Open Space, deKoevend, and Marjorie Perry. I'm not sure if they're coming through in greater numbers or if I'm just lucking into finding them this year.) My FOS Yellow & Common Yellowthroat Warblers were also at the preserve. I think I heard my FOS Sora, calling from the marsh at the preserve. I would've liked to ID the distant Western / Cassin's Kingbird, hunting from a barbed-wire perch on private property. Though likely a Western, it was too far for me to see any of the field marks. I woke on Monday (5/8) to find two male, Western Tanager's visiting my suet feeders. I took an AM walk with my dog around deKoevend and heard a Yellow Warbler and saw another male Western Tanager, but there didn't seem to be much else going on there. As soon as we arrived home, however, I spotted a MacGillivray's Warbler in my yard. Last year, my first at this house, I had a three day visit from a MacGilllivray's (5/17-5/19). Though I can't prove it, I suspect this is the same bird, as I'm not sure how and why another one of these birds would find itself in the thin layer of brush and trees that separates my yard from my neighbor's. Unfortunately, my dog, in pursuit of a rabbit, drove the warbler over to my neighbor's side of things. Hopefully, it sticks around for a few days like last year's. - Jared Del Rosso Centennial, CO -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/2addfe6c-e084-41c2-8aec-b27a5f0f0bd6%40googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
