In early June, I was out on US40 heading between Maybell and Dinosaur and encountered a couple massive slicks caused by the cars hitting these critters (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/120944984). I puttered down a county road which had another swarm engaged in crossing and had a pair of Swainson's Hawks hanging out in the area loafing about relatively close to the ground. While I didn't see either take a Mormon Cricket, it seems a logical prey species given their love of grasshoppers and crickets. Perhaps they had enough to eat already.
A gruesome, but interesting scene along the highway. Kathy Mihm Dunning Denver On Thu, Jun 30, 2022 at 9:23 PM Doug Ward <[email protected]> wrote: > Mr. LeAtherman (sorry for the previous typo), > > > > Back in Denver now that my second mortgage came through so I could fill > the tank for the return journey. I knew you would have my back > entomologically, you never cease to amaze. With respect to the “crickets”, > this is as big a year for them up in the northwestern corner of the State > that I can recall. As mentioned in my note last night, there were at least > a few consistently over a +/-30 mile stretch on US 40 west of Maybell, but > today I decided to swing through a back road (MCR 17) that I hadn’t been on > in ages through Axial Basin (Moffat Co.), but ~10-15 miles south of US 40. > Hit the “crickets” again, in higher densities, but this time only over a > 5-10 mile stretch…amazing! Couldn’t quite capture the enormity of this > movement with my phone camera (did get a couple of videos though), but here > are a couple of close ups for those who are unfamiliar with these > interesting katydids (for the record, I do not have “Trump Hands”): > > > > > > So back to the avian nature of this listserve. I don’t recall seeing > anything, birds included, utilizing these guys as a food resource. I > watched a nearby kestrel today as it was hunting, but it did not come up > with a Mormon Cricket though there were certainly thousands upon thousands > around. Is the California Gull story a myth at least as it pertains to the > Mormon Crickets, or was there a coincidental grasshopper outbreak back > then? Now I’ve broached theology so will stop now. > > > > Dave, thanks as always for enlightening all of us with your knowledge of > our arthropods, fascinating as usual. > > > > Cheers, > > Doug > > > > *From:* [email protected] <[email protected]> *On Behalf Of > *DAVID A LEATHERMAN > *Sent:* Thursday, June 30, 2022 1:01 PM > *To:* COBIRDS <[email protected]> > *Cc:* Doug Ward <[email protected]> > *Subject:* Re: [cobirds] Rio Blanco Take 2 > > > > Intended for this go out to everyone and just sent it to Doug Ward. DL > > > ------------------------------ > > *From:* DAVID A LEATHERMAN <[email protected]> > *Sent:* Thursday, June 30, 2022 9:12 AM > *To:* Doug Ward <[email protected]> > *Subject:* Re: [cobirds] Rio Blanco Take 2 > > > > Doug et al, > > We have at least 27 species of cicadas in Colorado, several of which occur > in the habitat types and geographic part of the state where you were. Some > can be locally abundant and quite loud. I suspect the dominant one was in > the genus *Okanagana*. > > > > The Mormon Cricket is actually a type of katydid. They are flightless and > famous for their periodic population explosions and mass movements. They > are forever tied to California gulls in legend because of the big white > birds emanating from Great Salt Lake being credited with saving crops from > the "crickets" in 1848. > > > > To be picky, the tarantulas in southeastern and southwestern CO do not > "migrate". The phenomenon observed in autumn is males out cruising fairly > short distances for females. The females remain at the mouths of their > burrows. In order to find potential mates the males must check out as many > possible sites as possible in their quest to be invited inside. > > > > On a related note, my BBS routes named Villagreen and Ninaview are also > plagued with a mimicry issue, but in the case of these routes it is > mockingbirds imitating pinyon jays. Since pinyon jays DO occasionally > occur, did one hear them or not is always the question? I did not run my > routes this year due to their distance from Fort Collins and gas prices. > > > > Dave Leatherman > > Fort Collins > > > ------------------------------ > > *From:* [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of > Doug Ward <[email protected]> > *Sent:* Wednesday, June 29, 2022 8:47 PM > *To:* 'cobirds' <[email protected]> > *Subject:* [cobirds] Rio Blanco Take 2 > > > > The post I just sent was more of a “Rare Bird Alert” while this one is > simply general interest, particularly for bug lovers – talking to you Dave. > > > > I’ll start with birds, however. This portion is for Scott (Somershoe), > our resident PINYON JAY aficionado, and certainly expert. Scott, I found > some, pert near 200 (!), of the Pinyon Jays you and your extensive crew are > hunting. I hadn’t stumbled on such a large flock in a VERY long time and > immediately thought of you. I actually didn’t pick them up during BBS > working hours, but on the return as I was hoping to confirm a couple of > Clark’s Nutcrackers I *thought* I heard during the survey proper. This > is where it gets weird. I went back to the area, listened for a while for > the Nutcrackers, nothing, then the flock of Pinyon Jays took to the air at > once giving their typical “laugh”, silent and undetected until then, before > settling back down. During this foray, thought I heard a Nutcracker again > and searched through the flock to see if they were toting one along – > nope. I then heard emanating from the group while settled and feeding a > Magpie, a Scrub Jay, another Nutcracker, then a fairly respectable > Steller’s Jay – WTF?!? I have never heard nor read about corvids mimicking > each other, just typically raptors, so the question for you Scott, what > were these Pinyons doing? Not only this, I thought I heard a Scrub-Jay > earlier in the morning during the survey where I had a couple of Pinyons, > but couldn’t confirm (hadn’t had a Scrub in that area before), so now I’m > thinking it was actually the Pinyons! Very weird. > > > > Now on to bugs Dave (Letherman). I had another first for me on the West > Slope and it probably cost me some BBS data. Was at a spot with extensive > scrubby serviceberry, mountain mahogany, and scattered small > pinyon/juniper. Got out to start my 3 minutes, heard a slight buzzing off > in the distance, then all of a sudden a wave of sound rolled through the > brush and engulfed the entire hill. Cicadas, at least that’s what I think! > It got so loud I couldn’t hear the birds well at all. Having lived over > here (running another BBS in the morning), I never recall cicadas being a > thing other than a few in the city parks (Craig, Steamboat, and Meeker). > So Dave, what gives??? > > > > The last bug thing is Mormon Crickets. Fortunately, it seems to have been > relatively wet over here this year. While I wouldn’t call it recovered, > soil and vegetation health seems far better than at the same time last > year. With this rebound has come a bumper crop of Mormon Crickets. I have > not had the chance to Google the taxonomy of these big, interesting > “crickets”, but I don’t think they are actually crickets at all – again, > Dave please bale me out. Over a roughly 30 mile stretch of HW 40 west of > Maybell (Moffat Co.) the density of migrating crickets across the road was > ~ 5-10/sq meter for much of the way, with a couple of patches so thick the > dead bugs created a black slick ~ 50-100m wide!! (actually hazardous). So > for those of you who have not been indoctrinated into this Great Basin > phenomenon, this year seems to be one to head West. If you don’t get too > creeped out by this event, then down to southeast Colorado with you for the > tarantula migration. > > > > That’s it. Always something fun whenever we get out. Please let ,me know > if you’d like any other directions or information. > > > > Good BBSing (Take 2), > > Doug > > > > PS – Joey, did my part in getting a couple of beautiful Great Basin Gopher > Snakes off the road, one of which didn’t seem too grateful, hissing, and > striking, and all. > > -- > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "Colorado Birds" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en > * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include > bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate > * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ > --- > 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/00da01d88c2b%24b3612480%241a236d80%24%40frontier.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/00da01d88c2b%24b3612480%241a236d80%24%40frontier.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > > -- > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "Colorado Birds" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en > * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include > bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate > * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ > --- > 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/MW4PR13MB5864D830926C45A92DE5EABFC1BA9%40MW4PR13MB5864.namprd13.prod.outlook.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/MW4PR13MB5864D830926C45A92DE5EABFC1BA9%40MW4PR13MB5864.namprd13.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 post to this group, send email to [email protected] > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en > * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include > bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate > * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ > --- > 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/00d701d88cf9%24ee0ca0e0%24ca25e2a0%24%40frontier.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/00d701d88cf9%24ee0ca0e0%24ca25e2a0%24%40frontier.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ --- 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/CADLK-OL4bgCF6QZn_6AGfHiD6axw6uf9%3Dzf4F42a%3DRm_qShBAA%40mail.gmail.com.
