I watched this handsome bird there on July 2, appearing to harass a pair of American Avocets, one of which had been sitting in thick green growth on the edge of the pond/playa -- as if nesting or, perhaps, guarding young? The egret spent several minutes poking around intently in that vegetation. The sitting avocet had fled perhaps 50 yards north up the shore. Its mate stood closer, perhaps 10 yards from the egret, apparently alarmed and calling at it. I did not see the egret come up with any avocet chicks or eggs, but when I asked other better birders later about its behavior, they said Cattle Egrets are opportunistic foragers known for going after avian young. I had thought of them primarily as bug-eaters until I looked up photos on Cornell's "Birds of the World" entry for the species. Sure enough, they show Cattle Egrets eating scorpions, geckos, toads, a Barn Swallow, even an Anna's Hummingbird.
I think I saw this same bird several days earlier (June 29) near sunset. It was following a small herd of the refuge's bison out of the livestock gate at 72nd Avenue and Yosemite Street. For anyone unfamiliar, that's the opening in the bison fence at the northwest corner of what was once the Arsenal's short, "loop" route -- the original "Wildlife Drive" before the miles-long route farther north and east was opened 3 years or so ago. You could drive up Havana past Lakes Ladora/Mary, turn west on 72nd down the long avenue of trees with magpie nests, and then turn south again at that livestock gate and go down now-closed Yosemite and back to the visitor center. Anyway, the egret perched atop one of the stout gateposts there as the bison moved across the road to graze south of 72nd. Then it flew, circling before heading south and, I'm guessing, back to what appears to be its favorite pond. Good birding! Patrick O'Driscoll Denver On Sun, Jul 12, 2020 at 3:04 PM Ray, Graham <[email protected]> wrote: > Hey folks- if you missed it before the Cattle Egret is back at the > Arsenal at the tiny pond on the left as you walk out to Havana Pond. It is > still in its colorful breeding plumage. > Graham Ray > Denver > > -- > 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/CY4PR05MB29660B3113890E3876BC0689EC630%40CY4PR05MB2966.namprd05.prod.outlook.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CY4PR05MB29660B3113890E3876BC0689EC630%40CY4PR05MB2966.namprd05.prod.outlook.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- 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/CAMNEzJO2Bc6DHnv0hqzGXKdDRB7zUWvz_Aj7_WZ8Gv0bYZaejg%40mail.gmail.com.
