I continue to visit Grandview Cemetery at the west terminus of Mountain Avenue
in Fort Collins, regardless of it being a rather lackluster autumn migration
for unusual species so far. Of course, the cemetery only has water in the form
of a now-turned-off irrigation ditch and the focus is always landbirds.
Red Crossbills have been the dominant birds of interest over the last several
weeks. They have come to the lowlands apparently for both sunflower and spruce
seeds. Initially at Grandview (late August) they numbered in the several
dozens and, as best I could tell, were almost all striped juveniles. Numbers
at present are down to a dozen or two and either the formerly striped birds are
now unstriped, or the current set of individuals is mostly adults. Two call
types have been, and currently are, apparent. I believe they are 4s
("Douglas-fir", "quid, quid" as if they have a mouthful of oatmeal) and 2s
("Ponderosa Pine". "kip, kip"). Analyses of recordings by others seem to agree
with my guesses. It is great fun to watch them go from spruce to deciduous
trees and ultimately down to the ground for seeds/grit and the ditch to drink.
While in deciduous trees I have not been able to figure out what they are doing
but it seems to be a combination of scraping pitch off mandibles by rubbing on
bare branches, investigating dry leaf clusters for arthropods, and gleaning
insects like scales from bark surfaces. John Shenot and I even saw one go
after what we think were red spider mites (or red velvet mites) in a bur oak!
Gene Simmons of KISS would envy crossbill tongues.
I was in Lamar for the last two weeks of September (where the migration was
also lackluster), so can't report on what was seen at Grandview during that
time. There are probably eBird reports by E. J. Raynor and others.
Dark-eyed Juncos are starting to show up. All individuals I've seen well have
been "pink-sided" types (except for one "Oregon"). A dark-lored White-crowned
Sparrow adult, accompanied by a Gambel's pale-lored immature, was on the
swimming pool boardwalk at nearby Sheldon Lake in City Park on October 5th.
The first lowland Townsend's Solitaire for me was on October 4th at Grandview
along the ditch. A Brewer's Sparrow was skulking under bushes (acted much like
a Lincoln's) on October 4th and 6th. Only my second Common Poorwill ever at
Grandview flushed from the ground in the central part of the cemetery on
October 6th. I have only seen three Townsend's Warblers this fall at Gramdview
(the historical norm being at least 10), the last one being a female on October
5th. The hackberry psyllid adults are emerging from nipplegalls and
blistergalls on leaves and are attracting the paltry number of pass-thru
migrants present (mostly Yellow-rumped Warblers and a couple Ruby-crowned
Kinglets). It has been a pathetic fall for small flycatchers, unusual warblers,
vireos and thrushes. So far, not a single Hermit or Swainson's Thrush.
October can be a good time for odd corvids, but so far only today's
Black-billed Magpie in the very top of a spruce. There have been a few
Red-naped Sapsuckers. Pine Siskins are present in small numbers. At least
three groups of Sandhill Cranes passed over in the last week.
The center of the cemetery (Section S) has a very different feel since the
recent removal of four 120+ year-old Colorado blue spruce trees (planted when
William McKinley was US President). These trees succumbed to attack by blue
spruce ips beetles (Ips hunteri). Those of you who came to see the nesting
White-winged Crossbills in the winter of 2009-2010 might remember their chosen
nest tree in the extreme southeastern corner of the cemetery by the Pump House.
Well, that spruce (planted when FDR was President) also died of beetles and is
now reduced to a stump. Makes me sad but that's life in the jungle. The
removals were done by City Forestry in timely fashion prior to emergence of the
beetles to reduce the threat to nearby trees. The stumps of the Section S
trees were ground. In a year or two, there will be no sign of these
magnificent giants that hosted a lot of great birds over the years. The Pump
House spruce stump will probably be left as is so its roots can hold the ditch
bank until they decay in several years.
A flamingo stands on one leg in a backyard just east of the cemetery. Relax.
It has not moved in years, so is neither the Kansas bird nor countable.
Birds to look for, hope for, at Grandview Cemetery during the rest of October:
Golden-crowned Kinglet; late warblers; White-winged Crossbill; odd corvids like
shrub-jay or nutcracker; thrushes including Varied; White-throated Sparrow;
Swamp Sparrow; Lincoln's Sparrow; Brown Creeper; Cassin's Finch; Winter Wren;
Pygmy Nuthatch; Williamson's Sapsucker; Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Merlin.
A friend gave me a delightful book by J. Drew Lanham. In the back is a section
titled "How To Adore Birds". Way #5: "Every bird is a life bird. Every time.
The first time or the thousandth time. If you're breathing when you see the
bird, it's a lifer."
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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