At 7:15, as I was watching the nesting female during a brief time off the nest and foraging, the Common Nighthawk burst off of its hidden perch and headed northward. A single call alerted me to it.
- Jared Del Rosso Centennial, CO On Friday, June 5, 2020 at 4:28:00 PM UTC-6, Jared Del Rosso wrote: > > The nesting Spotted Towhee continues on its nest along the edge of my > neighbor's yard in Centennial, CO. It's amazing how the female disappears > into the shadows. That black head and back is almost undetectable, but > those white dots and dashes on the back, as well as the burning red eyes, > give the bird away. If I didn't know the nest was there, though, I don't > think I'd know the nest was there... > > I think there are two pairs of towhees in my yard. One male and female > seem to stick to the west of my yard. Another male and female, with a > recent fledgling, are regularly in the thicket on the east side. I'm not > confident of this -- but I'm pretty sure I saw at least three adults, > simultaneously, today. The fledgling, meanwhile, has recently gained > flight. I've heard it, calling from the bushes, most often. But today, it > took some flights out onto a fence post. It seemed too brazen for its > wobbly flight. According to *Birds of the World*, the short flights would > make the bird around 15-17 days old (at least). Going back to my initial > post here about the fledgling, I first noticed the fledgling sixteen days > ago. > > Also today, twice now so far I've heard a calling Common Nighthawk, > seeming to come from a neighbor's yard. I scanned tree branches for the > bird, but haven't yet found it. These were midday calls. The first time, I > doubted myself, as unusual as it is to hear a calling nighthawk midday in > Centennial, particularly from within and not above the neighborhood. The > second time was a welcome confirmation. > > Also, Red-breasted Nuthatches are visiting frequently. Robins, chickadees, > and goldfinches (Lesser, I think) are around a lot too. I think there's a > good number of caterpillars, as well as Elm Leafminer larvae, available for > food. > > - 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 view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/ad2f809f-488b-4bd0-821d-56852013ad8bo%40googlegroups.com.
