[cobirds] Rosy-Finches, Pikes Peak Highway

2022-02-14 Thread joe...@betterbirdwatching.com 
Along the Pikes Peak Highway today, Feb. 14, there was a large loose flock 
of about 200 Rosy-Finches, appeared to be mostly Gray-crowned, flushed from 
along the surface of the roadway, at about Mile Marker 10.5 at around 
10,000 feet.

Joe LaFleur
Woodland Park, CO

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Re: [cobirds] Pyrrhuloxia diet

2022-02-14 Thread 'Carol Blackard' via Colorado Birds 
It’s still a couple of weeks early for the Quince to be really budding up. When 
I see the bushtits getting interested in it in a couple of weeks or so, I’ll 
check carefully for aphids and scaly stuff. However, last year I was able to 
see actual petals in their beaks on a few occasions, so I did decide they were 
after flower buds.

Carol Blackard
carolblackard.com
Sent from my iPhone

> On Feb 14, 2022, at 8:29 PM, Jennifer Powell  wrote:
> 
> 
> We have some shrubby wild plums that grow around our yard and every spring I 
> see birds, usually house finches, methodically going up and down the stems 
> eating early flower buds one after another.
> 
> Jennifer Powell
> 
> Jeffco, near Standley Lake
> 
> 
> 
> On 2/14/2022 9:27 AM, 'Carol Blackard' via Colorado Birds wrote:
>> Lateral but still birdy shift here: I’ve been watching bushtits picking off 
>> and downing buds from our Flowering Quince bushes in March for years, 
>> sometimes chickadees. At first I thought they might be going for insect 
>> larvae, but I now think it’s the flower buds.
>> 
>> Carol Blackard
>> carolblackard.com
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>>> On Feb 14, 2022, at 9:16 AM, DAVID A LEATHERMAN  
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> 
>>> At least four people have sent me pics or descriptions of house finches at 
>>> or near the pyrrhuloxia yard eating tree parts and have said the 
>>> pyrrhuloxia was associating with the finches for a lengthy period of time, 
>>> maybe doing the same thing.  The "tree parts" are buds.  Trees have two 
>>> primary types of buds: flower buds and leaf buds.  At this time of year the 
>>> flower buds, which are first to open for most types of trees, swell.  As 
>>> such they are nutritional sinks and a valuable source of bird food, 
>>> especially for finches, cardinals and the like.  The tree shown in the pics 
>>> I've received looks like Siberian elm, a tree that has been flowering 
>>> earlier and earlier in my experience.  In recent years I have seen a few 
>>> elm flowers in late February, with March being the peak.  It would be cool 
>>> if somebody could document the pyrrhuloxia eating Siberian elm flower buds. 
>>>  Birds actively consuming large numbers of buds, which is a messy 
>>> operation, often show considerable "debris" on their beaks.  Maybe one of 
>>> you has a photo of the pyrrhuloxia with a messy beak and it could be 
>>> determined if the mess is from sunflower seed or tree buds.  A photo of the 
>>> pyrrhuloxia actually putting its beak down to a twig with swollen dark 
>>> brown buds would be better proof.
>>> 
>>> We all know animals are opportunists.  Studying fox squirrels over the 
>>> years, I have long thought one could pretty accurately predict the order in 
>>> which our urban trees flower and/or leaf out by noting the tree species 
>>> when one sees squirrels chowing down on buds and dropping the worked over 
>>> twigs.  The squirrels favoring one kind of tree this week will most likely 
>>> be in a different type of tree next week.  Keep track of the sequence and I 
>>> think it would be a good match to the flowering/leafing sequence for that 
>>> same set of trees weeks hence.  Somehow, probably related to smell in the 
>>> case of squirrels, they know where to get the biggest bang for the bite.  
>>> The pattern doesn't seem quite as clearcut for birds.  My thought would be 
>>> that birds are going by visual clues (i.e., watching for swelling which 
>>> indicates a recent or on-going investment in the growing points by the 
>>> plant), and that visual assessment might not be as precise as the aromatic 
>>> acuity possessed by squirrels.
>>> 
>>> Memberships in the CSFTEA (Colorado Society For The Easily Amused) are 
>>> free.  Join today.
>>> 
>>> Dave Leatherman
>>> Fort Collins
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>>> bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate
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Fwd: [cobirds] Pyrrhuloxia diet

2022-02-14 Thread Kelly Ambler 
Interesting observations, David.

I have noticed that hackberry trees are some of the earliest native
trees/shrubs to bloom in our area. It would be interesting to verify the
tree identity.

Kelly Ambler


-- Forwarded message -
From: DAVID A LEATHERMAN 
Date: Mon, Feb 14, 2022, 9:16 AM
Subject: [cobirds] Pyrrhuloxia diet
To: COBIRDS 


At least four people have sent me pics or descriptions of house finches at
or near the pyrrhuloxia yard eating tree parts and have said the
pyrrhuloxia was associating with the finches for a lengthy period of time,
maybe doing the same thing.  The "tree parts" are buds.  Trees have two
primary types of buds: flower buds and leaf buds.  At this time of year the
flower buds, which are first to open for most types of trees, swell.  As
such they are nutritional sinks and a valuable source of bird food,
especially for finches, cardinals and the like.  The tree shown in the pics
I've received looks like Siberian elm, a tree that has been flowering
earlier and earlier in my experience.  In recent years I have seen a few
elm flowers in late February, with March being the peak.  It would be cool
if somebody could document the pyrrhuloxia eating Siberian elm flower
buds.  Birds actively consuming large numbers of buds, which is a messy
operation, often show considerable "debris" on their beaks.  Maybe one of
you has a photo of the pyrrhuloxia with a messy beak and it could be
determined if the mess is from sunflower seed or tree buds.  A photo of the
pyrrhuloxia actually putting its beak down to a twig with swollen dark
brown buds would be better proof.

We all know animals are opportunists.  Studying fox squirrels over the
years, I have long thought one could pretty accurately predict the order in
which our urban trees flower and/or leaf out by noting the tree species
when one sees squirrels chowing down on buds and dropping the worked over
twigs.  The squirrels favoring one kind of tree this week will most likely
be in a different type of tree next week.  Keep track of the sequence and I
think it would be a good match to the flowering/leafing sequence for that
same set of trees weeks hence.  Somehow, probably related to smell in the
case of squirrels, they know where to get the biggest bang for the bite.
The pattern doesn't seem quite as clearcut for birds.  My thought would be
that birds are going by visual clues (i.e., watching for swelling which
indicates a recent or on-going investment in the growing points by the
plant), and that visual assessment might not be as precise as the aromatic
acuity possessed by squirrels.

Memberships in the CSFTEA (Colorado Society For The Easily Amused) are
free.  Join today.

Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins

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.

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Re: [cobirds] Pyrrhuloxia diet

2022-02-14 Thread Jennifer Powell 
We have some shrubby wild plums that grow around our yard and every 
spring I see birds, usually house finches, methodically going up and 
down the stems eating early flower buds one after another.


Jennifer Powell

Jeffco, near Standley Lake


On 2/14/2022 9:27 AM, 'Carol Blackard' via Colorado Birds wrote:
Lateral but still birdy shift here: I’ve been watching bushtits 
picking off and downing buds from our Flowering Quince bushes in March 
for years, sometimes chickadees. At first I thought they might be 
going for insect larvae, but I now think it’s the flower buds.


Carol Blackard
carolblackard.com
Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 14, 2022, at 9:16 AM, DAVID A LEATHERMAN 
 wrote:



At least four people have sent me pics or descriptions of house 
finches at or near the pyrrhuloxia yard eating tree parts and have 
said the pyrrhuloxia was associating with the finches for a lengthy 
period of time, maybe doing the same thing.  The "tree parts" are 
buds.  Trees have two primary types of buds: flower buds and leaf 
buds.  At this time of year the flower buds, which are first to open 
for most types of trees, swell.  As such they are nutritional sinks 
and a valuable source of bird food, especially for finches, cardinals 
and the like.  The tree shown in the pics I've received looks like 
Siberian elm, a tree that has been flowering earlier and earlier in 
my experience.  In recent years I have seen a few elm flowers in late 
February, with March being the peak.  It would be cool if somebody 
could document the pyrrhuloxia eating Siberian elm flower buds. Birds 
actively consuming large numbers of buds, which is a messy operation, 
often show considerable "debris" on their beaks.  Maybe one of you 
has a photo of the pyrrhuloxia with a messy beak and it could be 
determined if the mess is from sunflower seed or tree buds.  A photo 
of the pyrrhuloxia actually putting its beak down to a twig with 
swollen dark brown buds would be better proof.


We all know animals are opportunists.  Studying fox squirrels over 
the years, I have long thought one could pretty accurately predict 
the order in which our urban trees flower and/or leaf out by noting 
the tree species when one sees squirrels chowing down on buds and 
dropping the worked over twigs.  The squirrels favoring one kind of 
tree this week will most likely be in a different type of tree next 
week.  Keep track of the sequence and I think it would be a good 
match to the flowering/leafing sequence for that same set of trees 
weeks hence.  Somehow, probably related to smell in the case of 
squirrels, they know where to get the biggest bang for the bite.  The 
pattern doesn't seem quite as clearcut for birds.  My thought would 
be that birds are going by visual clues (i.e., watching for swelling 
which indicates a recent or on-going investment in the growing points 
by the plant), and that visual assessment might not be as precise as 
the aromatic acuity possessed by squirrels.


Memberships in the CSFTEA (Colorado Society For The Easily Amused) 
are free.  Join today.


Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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Re: [cobirds] Saw-whet solo KennCaryl, JeffCo

2022-02-14 Thread Ted Floyd 
Well, what did you expect, David?? I mean, it WAS Superb Owl Sunday after
all... :-)

A *northern saw-whet ow*l got in on the action up here in Boulder Co., too:

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/416051941

Ted Floyd
Lafayette, Boulder County

On Sun, Feb 13, 2022 at 8:35 PM David Suddjian  wrote:

> A Saw-whet Owl has been calling for an hour now along Massey Draw near my
> home. It is not their nesting habitat near my home (although they nest in
> forest within a few miles) but there is a pattern of calling birds in the
> hogback area here in late winter. This one is calling real steady with
> little breaks , and it’s a real treat.
>
> David Suddjian
> Ken Caryl Valley
> Littleton CO
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
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>

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[cobirds] Pyrrhuloxia update

2022-02-14 Thread Peter Gent 
All,

Thanks to the 6 people who submitted reports on this bird, it is now well
documented in the CFO database.  One of these was Taylor Smith, who first
alerted the community to its presence.  The about 200 people who have seen
this bird should thank him and his neighbors for putting up with us all
last weekend. Thanks also to the person with the telescope who let many
people view this bird during the hour I was there yesterday just after
noon.  These reports will be sent out to the Records Committee members
soon, and the result will be in a future (hopefully soon) RC report in
Colorado Birds.

Peter Gent,  Boulder.
Interim Chairman, CFO RC.

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[cobirds] Raptor Alley (and an eagle show)/Weld

2022-02-14 Thread 'The Nunn Guy' via Colorado Birds 
Hi all

I led the Colorado State University Field Ornithology group out on our 
annual Raptor Alley trip together on Saturday. ZERO wind again-three 
weekends in a row now! Hoping for a 4th weekend of no wind with Cheyenne 
Audubon group this Saturday. ;-)

Total of 48 raptors for our Saturday efforts:

   - Northern Harrier - 5
   - Ferruginous Hawk - 10 (includes a group of five on the ground 
   positioning themselves over a Prairie Dog kill ... cool! ... including the 
   local dark morph)
   - Bald Eagle - 9 (including all of us bearing witness to one of our 
   local pair "doing the hokey-pokey") :-)
   - Red-tailed Hawk - 8
   - Rough-legged Hawk - 6 (including local dark morph)
   - American Kestrel - 7
   - Prairie Falcon - 2

Some of us got to hear Lapland Longspur flyover treat.

All photos 
here: 
https://www.friendsofthepawneegrassland.org/albums/view/258/raptor-alley-nunn-2-12-22

The "other" Bald Eagle show on Sunday was nine Bald Eagle on the 35th Ave 
west gravel pond ice jockeying for a fresh Canada Goose kill. First six 
photos 
here: 
https://www.friendsofthepawneegrassland.org/albums/view/65/35th-ave-gravel-pit-ponds-nw-greeley

Thanks Gary Lefko, Nunn
http://www.friendsofthepawnessgrassland.org/
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/birds-and-more-of-the-pawnee-national-grassland


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Re: [cobirds] Pyrrhuloxia diet

2022-02-14 Thread 'Carol Blackard' via Colorado Birds 
Lateral but still birdy shift here: I’ve been watching bushtits picking off and 
downing buds from our Flowering Quince bushes in March for years, sometimes 
chickadees. At first I thought they might be going for insect larvae, but I now 
think it’s the flower buds.

Carol Blackard
carolblackard.com
Sent from my iPhone

> On Feb 14, 2022, at 9:16 AM, DAVID A LEATHERMAN  wrote:
> 
> 
> At least four people have sent me pics or descriptions of house finches at or 
> near the pyrrhuloxia yard eating tree parts and have said the pyrrhuloxia was 
> associating with the finches for a lengthy period of time, maybe doing the 
> same thing.  The "tree parts" are buds.  Trees have two primary types of 
> buds: flower buds and leaf buds.  At this time of year the flower buds, which 
> are first to open for most types of trees, swell.  As such they are 
> nutritional sinks and a valuable source of bird food, especially for finches, 
> cardinals and the like.  The tree shown in the pics I've received looks like 
> Siberian elm, a tree that has been flowering earlier and earlier in my 
> experience.  In recent years I have seen a few elm flowers in late February, 
> with March being the peak.  It would be cool if somebody could document the 
> pyrrhuloxia eating Siberian elm flower buds.  Birds actively consuming large 
> numbers of buds, which is a messy operation, often show considerable "debris" 
> on their beaks.  Maybe one of you has a photo of the pyrrhuloxia with a messy 
> beak and it could be determined if the mess is from sunflower seed or tree 
> buds.  A photo of the pyrrhuloxia actually putting its beak down to a twig 
> with swollen dark brown buds would be better proof.
> 
> We all know animals are opportunists.  Studying fox squirrels over the years, 
> I have long thought one could pretty accurately predict the order in which 
> our urban trees flower and/or leaf out by noting the tree species when one 
> sees squirrels chowing down on buds and dropping the worked over twigs.  The 
> squirrels favoring one kind of tree this week will most likely be in a 
> different type of tree next week.  Keep track of the sequence and I think it 
> would be a good match to the flowering/leafing sequence for that same set of 
> trees weeks hence.  Somehow, probably related to smell in the case of 
> squirrels, they know where to get the biggest bang for the bite.  The pattern 
> doesn't seem quite as clearcut for birds.  My thought would be that birds are 
> going by visual clues (i.e., watching for swelling which indicates a recent 
> or on-going investment in the growing points by the plant), and that visual 
> assessment might not be as precise as the aromatic acuity possessed by 
> squirrels.
> 
> Memberships in the CSFTEA (Colorado Society For The Easily Amused) are free.  
> Join today.
> 
> Dave Leatherman
> Fort Collins
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[cobirds] Pyrrhuloxia diet

2022-02-14 Thread DAVID A LEATHERMAN 
At least four people have sent me pics or descriptions of house finches at or 
near the pyrrhuloxia yard eating tree parts and have said the pyrrhuloxia was 
associating with the finches for a lengthy period of time, maybe doing the same 
thing.  The "tree parts" are buds.  Trees have two primary types of buds: 
flower buds and leaf buds.  At this time of year the flower buds, which are 
first to open for most types of trees, swell.  As such they are nutritional 
sinks and a valuable source of bird food, especially for finches, cardinals and 
the like.  The tree shown in the pics I've received looks like Siberian elm, a 
tree that has been flowering earlier and earlier in my experience.  In recent 
years I have seen a few elm flowers in late February, with March being the 
peak.  It would be cool if somebody could document the pyrrhuloxia eating 
Siberian elm flower buds.  Birds actively consuming large numbers of buds, 
which is a messy operation, often show considerable "debris" on their beaks.  
Maybe one of you has a photo of the pyrrhuloxia with a messy beak and it could 
be determined if the mess is from sunflower seed or tree buds.  A photo of the 
pyrrhuloxia actually putting its beak down to a twig with swollen dark brown 
buds would be better proof.

We all know animals are opportunists.  Studying fox squirrels over the years, I 
have long thought one could pretty accurately predict the order in which our 
urban trees flower and/or leaf out by noting the tree species when one sees 
squirrels chowing down on buds and dropping the worked over twigs.  The 
squirrels favoring one kind of tree this week will most likely be in a 
different type of tree next week.  Keep track of the sequence and I think it 
would be a good match to the flowering/leafing sequence for that same set of 
trees weeks hence.  Somehow, probably related to smell in the case of 
squirrels, they know where to get the biggest bang for the bite.  The pattern 
doesn't seem quite as clearcut for birds.  My thought would be that birds are 
going by visual clues (i.e., watching for swelling which indicates a recent or 
on-going investment in the growing points by the plant), and that visual 
assessment might not be as precise as the aromatic acuity possessed by 
squirrels.

Memberships in the CSFTEA (Colorado Society For The Easily Amused) are free.  
Join today.

Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins

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[cobirds] Common Redpolls at Kit Carson Cheyenne Co

2022-02-14 Thread David Suddjian 
Flock of about 35 Common Redpolls at CR 22 just north of Big Sandy Creek at Kit 
Carson. In sunflowers. The species is not listed on the county eBird filter…

David Suddjian
Littleton CO

Sent from my iPhone

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Re: [cobirds] Pyrrhuloxia diet

2022-02-14 Thread Jeff Percell 
Here is my checklist from yesterday afternoon. There is a photo of a House 
Finch who was in the same tree (someone had mentioned it was a hackberry 
though I'm terrible at tree ID, only slightly better at birds :D). As seen 
in the photo, the finch was at the top of the tree, eating the organic 
material of the tree - not sure if it is new budding material or old 
material from last year that is being pushed out. The Pyrrhuloxia stayed in 
the same spot the 20 minutes I was there, visible, but back in the branches 
a bit. It appeared to be resting, closing its eyes briefly off and on. It 
did one good stretch which is also captured in the photos.

You can also see from the photos that the Canada Goose has perhaps a more 
diverse diet.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S102603933

Thanks,
Jeff Percell
Erie, CO

On Sunday, February 13, 2022 at 9:44:39 PM UTC-7 Carol wrote:

> Thank you, David for the dietary information on the pyrrhuloxia. 
> Interesting as always.
>
> Carol Blackard
> carolblackard.com
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Feb 13, 2022, at 9:29 PM, DAVID A LEATHERMAN  wrote:
>
>  
>
> Carol, Linda and anyone else interested, I have cut and pasted below the 
> section on pyrrhuloxia diet from the "Birds of the World" account by Robert 
> Tweit and Christopher Thompson.
>
> Photos I have seen of the current Colorado bird show it at a black oil 
> sunflower feeder.  The fruits of hackberry are technically called drupes.  
> At this time of year the reddish pulp of each fruit is mostly 
> eroded/withered and what remains is a hard pit dangling from a thin stalk 
> (or resting on the ground).  I see more birds eating the fresh fruits in 
> late summer/autumn, probably for their pulp mostly, with the pits being 
> excreted.  However, I have seen a few birds like juncos and house finches 
> eating the fruits of hackberry in winter when they must be crunching the 
> rock-hard seeds.  Pyrrhuloxias certainly appear to have the beak to handle 
> hard seeds, so perhaps the association with hackberry is more than just 
> positioning for a feeder visit.  Verification welcome.
>
> Dave Leatherman
> Fort Collins
>
> Diet 
> Major Food Items 
>
> In Texas, wide variety of seeds, including bristle grass (*Setaria* spp.), 
> doveweed (*Croton texensis*), sandbur (*Cenchrus* spp.), panicum (
> *Panicum* spp.), sorghum, and pigweed (*Chenopodium album*), and fruits 
> of cactus (*Opuntia* spp.) and nightshade (*Solanum* spp.), as well as 
> grasshoppers, caterpillars (Lepidoptera), beetles (Coleoptera), stinkbugs 
> (Pentatomidae), and cicadas (Cicadidae). McAtee (McAtee 1908a 
> ) 
> suggested that Pyrrhuloxia prefers grasshoppers to caterpillars to beetles 
> and eats much less fruit than Northern Cardinal does.
>
> In s. Arizona, prefers sunflower (*Helianthus* spp.) seeds and “peanut 
> butter suet” at feeders, although also eats other seeds and household 
> scraps (Anderson 1968 
> ).
> Quantitative Analysis 
>
> From McAtee 1908a 
>  . 
> In Aug and Sep, stomachs collected in Texas contained 71.2% vegetable 
> matter and 28.8% animal matter. Most of the vegetable matter (53.1% of 
> total) was “grass seeds,” primarily yellow foxtail (*Chaetecholoa glauca*) 
> and bur grass (*Cenchrus tribuloides*), which provide 43.6% of total 
> food. Other weed seeds included crabgrass (*Syntherisma* spp.), joint 
> grass (*Paspalum* spp.), and wire grass (*Eleusine indica*). Seeds of a 
> spurge (*Croton* sp.) made up 9.8% of diet. Of the remaining seeds, only 
> sorghum made measurable contribution (2.0%). Animal matter made up of 
> beetles (4.7%) (mainly weevils [3.4%], including cotton boll weevil 
> [*Anthononus 
> grandis*]), caterpillars (10.3%, including cotton worm [*Alabama 
> argillacea*]), and cotton cutworm (*Prodenia ornithogalli*). Grasshoppers 
> made up 11.5% and true bugs (Hemiptera) 1.5%.
>
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