[cobirds] Winter Wren at Sinton Pond, El Paso County

[David Tønnessen]

Hey,
I saw a Winter Wren this morning on the 1st day of February, on the east side 
of Sinton Pond in the seepage area, a place used heavily by Song Sparrows. This 
Wren is probably the same bird I reported via eBird on January 12, so a 
lingering bird. There are also several Ruby-crowned Kinglets wintering in the 
open space and nearby vicinity.

David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs

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[cobirds] Mew Gull in Adams County, August 30th

[David Tønnessen]

CO Birders,
A Mew Gull was photographed at Barr Lake, Adams County, on August 30th, but 
only posted onto an online forum and identified yesterday. I believe there 
have only been a couple other summer records of the species in Colorado. 
Here is the photo (not mine) on 
flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/127653321@N02/29482641872/
Although this is 10 days late, I thought some might be interested. Who 
knows, maybe it's still sticking around!

Best, 
David Tonnessen


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[cobirds] Migration Movement

[David Tønnessen]

Birders in CO,
This morning in El Paso County I hit Sondermann Park for three hours. 
Birding was slow until about 10:00, when I noticed a few empids, some 
flocks of Wilson's Warblers, and a nice sized flock of Orange-crowned 
Warblers. An adult *Tennessee Warbler* was gleaning the willows in with the 
OCWAs. On my way back from Sondermann, I stopped at the Colorado Springs 
Xeriscape Gardens and Utilities area, and noticed flyovers *American Pipit *and 
*Broad-winged Hawk*. Hanging around the inner parking lot were two female 
Broad-tailed and a Black-chinned Hummingbird, as well as about 4 *Dusky 
Flycatchers* and an adult male *Williamson's Sapsucker. *I was surprised to 
have so much migration activity between 10:00 and 12:00.

Go Birding,
David Tonnessen

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[cobirds] Gulls, El Paso County

[David Tønnessen]

Hey all,

I stopped by Big Johnson Reservoir this evening after 4:00, and was 
immediately surprised to see gulls numbering in the thousands, which I 
don't think I've seen here before. I didn't pick out anything other than 
Ring-billed until after dark (only had 10 or 15 minutes of sunlight) when I 
managed to separate 3 California Gulls, an adult Herring Gull, and four 
Lesser Black-backed Gulls swimming together near the far shore. Since most 
of the gulls were at the far shore (both on land and in water) and it was 
dark most of the time I was observing, I'm confident I missed at least a 
few other light-backed gulls (probably a few more Cals and Herrings). I 
think it would be worth checking tomorrow if the gulls stay.

Aside from gulls, 3 merganser species were present as well as many Common 
Goldeneyes, a Cackling Goose, and two late American White Pelicans.


David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs

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[cobirds] Re: Eastern Bluebirds El Paso County

[David Tønnessen]

Yes Chris, that is indeed the male of the pair I reported yesterday! Glad 
you saw them.


David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs

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[cobirds] Eastern Bluebirds El Paso County

[David Tønnessen]

Currently a pair of Eastern Bluebirds hanging around the dirt parking lot at 
Rock Ledge Ranch, El Paso County.

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[cobirds] Re: Ketring Park today (empid ID help wanted)

[David Tønnessen]

Ben S, 

I find myself wanting to call the first bird a Dusky due to the long tail 
and not so very stunningly long primary projection. Head shape, bill color, 
eye-ring, etc are often similar in Dusky and Hammond's.
For your second bird I am agreeing with Gray Flycatcher.

On Sunday, April 30, 2017 at 5:36:52 PM UTC-6, Ben S wrote:
>
> Went to Ketring Park this afternoon. Noteworthy species included a male 
> Ring-necked Duck, Swainson's Hawk, possible Broad-winged Hawk (only seen 
> briefly from a distance), likely nesting pair of House Wrens, and two 
> Myrtle's Yellow-rumped Warblers, and two empidonax flycatchers. I would 
> greatly appreciate help on the ID soon, thanks to all commentors in advance.
>
>
> One (pictured below) individual I think I have identified as a Hammond's 
> Flycatcher. The grayish-green tinge on the back, squarish head shape, long 
> primary projection, almost all dark bill.
>
>
> 
>  
>
> The other individual (pictured below) I am leaning towards Gray 
> Flycatcher. I say this because of the gray back with only a slight brownish 
> tinge, definite rounded head, not especially long primary projection, 
> obvious round light eye ring, and relativly long bill with almost the 
> bottom half orange and top blackish. I did NOT see it do the commonly cited 
> phoebe-like tail wagging, but I didn't observe it for too long. Thoughts?
>
>
>
> 
>
>
> 
>
> Ben Sampson
> Centennial, Co
>

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[cobirds] Yellow-billed Cuckoo, El Paso 5/21

[David Tønnessen]

At 5:40 I found a Yellow-billed Cuckoo in the taller green ash trees on the 
east side of the south end of warbler alley in Fountain Creek Regional 
Park. The continuing Bay-breasted Warbler that has been cooperative for 
many throughout the day I last observed at about 5:30. At 5:50 I left the 
area.

Good Birding,
David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs

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[cobirds] Common Redpolls present El Paso County

[David Tønnessen]

Hi all,

This chilly morning of 11/18, a vocal redpoll flew over me while I was 
birding the El Paso county section of Chico Basin Ranch, adding to other 
reports of the species in the state and supporting the notion that this 
winter could be a good one for the species. Other birds of note in the El 
Paso section of the ranch included a late Lincoln's Sparrow, a late 
Chestnut-collared Longspur flying over, and plenty of Lapland Longspurs in 
the area (as flyovers).
I stopped at Memorial Park and Prospect Lake on my way home and discovered 
that a Snow Goose youngster as well as a Ross's X Cackling Goose hybrid are 
continuing with the many Cackling Geese.

On Thursday there was a Winter Wren at Fountain Creek Regional Park in the 
beaver dam on Rice's pond.

Good birding,

David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs, CO

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[cobirds] Buff-breasted Sandpiper Kiowa County

[David Tønnessen]

Birders,

Due to poor reception I was not able to send this out sooner, but Jim Merritt 
and I had a Buff-breasted Sandpiper (photographed) on the south side of 
Neenoshe Reservoir at around 3 pm today 5/22 after having nabbed the 
Golden-crowned Warbler at Mitchek Ranch. 1-2 hrs later when we returned we were 
not able to relocate the bird, but it may have just flown off to a different 
part of the reservoir.
Also present were 60+ Stilt Sandpipers, 60+ White-rumped Sandpipers, Black 
Terns and Forster's Terns.

David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs

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[cobirds] Re: What kind of flycatcher is this?

[David Tønnessen]

Hi Bill,

There were a good number of vocal Least Flycatchers flitting around Mitchek 
Ranch today, and this looks like one of them.

David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs, CO

On Tuesday, May 22, 2018 at 7:19:25 PM UTC-6, kickback wrote:
>
> Saw this guy at the Golden-crowned warbler site   (in addition to the 
> warbler!)
>
> http://www.avoapples.com/birds/1Z7A4147_cr.jpg
>
>
> Thanks
>
> Bill Kosar
>
> Colorado Springs, El Paso county
>
> bill_...@msn.com 
>

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[cobirds] Black and Chimney Swifts, Montezuma

[David Tønnessen]

Hello from the west slope,

This evening at Bauer Reservoir I found myself amidst a spectacular display of 
feeding swallows (over 100), promptly joined by Black Swifts, which hurled in 
and out like boomerangs on the strong breeze. Amidst the swifts was a single 
Chimney, which I took as a surprise in this part of the state and documented 
it. I observed the sort of "feeding frenzy" for over two hours from my position 
on the "Creek 41" road, and noted that the swifts would periodically leave all 
at once and head east up into the hills (likely breeding nearby!), returning 
after maybe 10 minutes. Just after 7:15 pm is when the huge swarm of, well, 
everything suddenly disappeared and failed to reappear for the rest of my stay 
there. A pair of Purple Martins was another noteable species that composed this 
flock. eBird does not show previous records of either Black Swift or Chimney 
Swift for Montezuma County.
My eBird account of this event:
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S46429731

Happy Summer,
David Tonnessen
La Plata Co for now

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[cobirds] Migrant fallouts through the Front Range

[David Tønnessen]

Hey Birders,

Large movement on radar last night combined with the rainy conditions with 
low clouds throughout much of the Front Range today provide excellent 
conditions for grounding migrants. Get out if you can!

Good luck,
David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs

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Re: [cobirds] Migrant fallouts through the Front Range

[David Tønnessen]

Excellent info and resources, Bryan! Thank you.

David

On Wed, May 2, 2018, 10:40 AM Bryan Guarente <bryan.guare...@gmail.com>
wrote:

> This is a great observation David!
>
> To keep an eye on the possible "fallout" locations, check out the surface
> observations here:
>
> http://weather.rap.ucar.edu/surface/displaySfc.php?region=den=20180502=-1=0
>
> In this image, you will see real meteorological observations from many
> towns across Colorado and into the surrounding states.  The stick coming
> out of the dot is the important part for today.  That indicates the
> direction the winds are coming from.  For more information about this, you
> can go here: http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/maps/sfcobs/wnd.rxml
>
> On that map linked above, look for areas in Eastern Colorado (away from
> the mountains) where the wind barbs are collectively pointing toward each
> other, that is where you may want to go birding.  If you watch this map
> throughout the day, that location will change and may go away.  If it stays
> in place for many hours at a time, this would be a great place to go
> looking.
>
> As of right now, the convergence of the wind barbs is pointing to a line
> from about Chatfield Reservoir through Last Chance (and maybe farther
> east).
>
> Get out and do some searching.  There are probably plenty of birds out
> there to find in all locations, but if you wanted the biggest bang for your
> buck, going to this convergence line would likely be best.
>
> Bryan
>
> Bryan Guarente
> Meteorologist/Instructional Designer
> UCAR/The COMET Program
> Boulder, CO
>
> On Wed, May 2, 2018 at 9:24 AM, David Tønnessen <davidtonness...@gmail.com
> > wrote:
>
>> Hey Birders,
>>
>> Large movement on radar last night combined with the rainy conditions
>> with low clouds throughout much of the Front Range today provide excellent
>> conditions for grounding migrants. Get out if you can!
>>
>> Good luck,
>> David Tonnessen
>> Colorado Springs
>>
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>
>

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[cobirds] White-winged Crossbill Pueblo County

[David Tønnessen]

Hi all,

I found a White-winged Crossbill in Mountain View Cemetery, Pueblo today, 
apparently a first for the county. The western part of this cemetery is quite 
literally a forest of large spruce trees with a bounty of cones, so the bird 
could potentially stay for a while. 7+ birders have already observed the bird 
well since I sent word.


Good birding,
David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs

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[cobirds] RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER, El Paso County

[David Tønnessen]

Ok CObirders, it is now official.
Yesterday, 21 December, I found a Red-breasted Sapsucker along Mirada Rd in 
southern Colorado Springs, El Paso County. The bird appears to be very much 
pure, and of the northern subspecies (ruber) which shows even less white in 
the face/malar than does the southern ssp.

Mirada is a public road that cuts between a Broadmoor-owned golf course on 
the west side, residential land on the east side, and is wide enough to 
have cars parked along the side. However, the bird itself is hanging out in 
a stand of Austrian Pines that is on someone's property, though viewable 
from the road. For directions, look for a number 13 marked in white on the 
curb on the residential side, which is the address of that property. Three 
large, evenly spaced trees to the south of this, there should be a reddish 
flag at the base of a few bushes. From here, look straight out, or due east 
for a stand of 3 large pine trees (Austrian) and a large cottonwood, with 
smaller conifers (a few small scotts and Austrian). Focus on the 3 large 
Austrian Pines. The tree in the back appears to be the most heavily used by 
the sapsucker, and is precisely where the bird has been the majority of the 
time while I was there to see it, both yesterday around 1:00 pm and today 
around 9:20 am. Given that the vantage points are west of the sapsucker's 
tree, better lighting was around 1:00, and I would imagine most of the 
afternoon should have the sun hitting that part of the tree for nice 
views/photos (given the bird is on the right side of the tree). It might 
take a while of scanning and getting various angles, but do focus your 
attention on the tree in the back of the tri-stand. I suspect this is a 
wintering individual that has been here since at least November and will 
likely continue through at least February, given the shear amount of fresh 
wells that were covering its favored tree.

Finally, my last note of caution: Please do not venture onto the property 
in order to get closer to the sapsucker. The bird is perfectly viewable 
from the road as long as you know which trees to look in and  allow 
yourself ample time of scanning with binoculars around the trunk. I 
revealed the location of this new state bird trusting that others would act 
responsibly and utilize common sense in how they decide to tick this bird, 
while allowing future birders the same opportunity. Even as it is, the 
activity of many birders on this otherwise empty road could result in 
suspicion from neighbors or passers by, as well as the homeowner whom I 
have not been able to contact yet likely due to my being at the location at 
midday during the week.

Attached below, respectively, are proof of the Red-breasted Sapsucker, then 
a photo shot while facing east from the vantage point, showing the reddish 
flag at the base of some bushes, and behind that, the stand of Austrian 
Pines to the right of a large cottonwood, then a photo of the base of the 3 
Austrian Pines, the back tree being the middle one, and lastly, a photo 
facing west taken through a chain link fence, showing a land mark Scotts 
Pine on the golf course (you should park on the golf course side right next 
to this).

Good birding, and good luck.
David Tønnessen
Colorado Springs, CO

<https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MMB_-Iw-HDY/Wj1o6Qx7HsI/Ejc/iXKcEOY9zuMXV-3qgiT2LmClXnQeA1IcgCLcBGAs/s1600/RBSA%2Bproof.jpg>

<https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eqP8deyIPDo/Wj1pDXyGWGI/Ejg/6YiS98PN8Okr9JhQma9NZf2q9qnfNqzJwCLcBGAs/s1600/RBSA%2Blocation.jpg>

<https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-a_2r-4LvTRk/Wj1pJD2dE8I/Ejk/iSqJqfUhrfkrycrEmhQp0ypy83V5lsI2gCLcBGAs/s1600/Austrian%2BPines.jpg>

<https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QO3_DBqkCZ0/Wj1pPnM0dGI/Ejo/W0PEw2KqdkwBtgA3oVKtgd7LK9HPTZHHgCLcBGAs/s1600/Scott%2527s%2BPine%2Bgolf%2Bcourse.jpg>


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[cobirds] Peculiar Scaup Pairing

[David Tønnessen]

Hello Colorado birders and Ornithologists,

Here is a post I should have composed weeks ago. On June 11th of this month, at 
Antero Reservoir in Park County, I spent over 20 minutes observing a male 
Greater Scaup (unusual in Colorado in summer) paired with a female Lesser Scaup 
swimming around the small island on the far south corner of the reservoir. 
Occasionally they would participate in diving sessions that lasted a few 
minutes at a time, before becoming stagnant again at the surface for around the 
same period of time. Towards the end of my observation while I was profusely 
concentrated on training my phone at just the right angle so as to obtain 
successful "phone-scope" shots, the male scaup appeared to push the female 
mostly below the surface of the water so that her head was barely submerged, in 
what I assumed to be an event of copulation. I captured this with my phone but 
unfortunately it is very hard to make out.

As far as I'm aware, a pairing of this species combo or a hybrid between the 
two has never actually been documented (almost certainly as a result of the 
already quite challenging identification aspect). I would presume that any 
hybrid Greater x Lesser Scaup could not be safely IDed as such without 
requiring a capture or DNA analysis unless a parent of both species was 
observed present. That is why this particular pair is so significant.


While I obtained very poor quality phone-scope shots of the two ducks (focusing 
mainly on the male Greater since that is a very unusual species in Colorado in 
the middle of summer) it would be nice if someone with a larger lens than mine 
could venture out for more discernible documentation. So please consider 
fitting in an Antero Reservoir stop if you happen to be headed in that 
direction on Park County at some point in the next month. Photographs of the 
remiges in flight and head profiles would be best for ID.

Here is the eBird checklist from the observation with the best phone-scoped 
shots I was able to get: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S46480214
Perhaps this peculiar pair will result in hybrid ducklings in the next few 
weeks(!)


Other notable birds present on Antero during my presence included a female 
Red-breasted Merganser and a Caspian Tern.

Good birding,
David Tonnessen

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[cobirds] White Ibis?

[David Tønnessen]

Anyone know if the White Ibis in Bent County has been seen in the last two 
days?

Thanks, 
David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs

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[cobirds] El Paso Eastern Wood-Pewee

[David Tønnessen]

Greetings,

Around 9:40 this morning in Memorial Park, downtown Colorado Springs I IDed an 
Eastern Wood-Pewee on the basis of relatively bright wingbars and almost 
entirely orange lower mandible. eBird checklist and further details can be 
found here. https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S48368333
This bird and most of the passerine activity was occurring around the Veterans 
Memorial and YMCA parking lot while I was present. Other noteables were 
Cassin's Vireos and a female Lark Bunting, not common this  close to the 
foothills. My time was limited, so there could be other fun passerines around.


Happy migration,
David Tonnessen 
Colorado Springs, CO

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[cobirds] Lucy's Warbler El Paso

[David Tønnessen]

I've got a Lucy's Warbler right now here at Sinton Pond on southeast side of 
pond along the creek. El Paso County 4/14/2018.


David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs

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[cobirds] Lucy's Warbler Present

[David Tønnessen]

5 of us just saw a bright male Nashville Warbler 15 mins ago. This one was a 
different individual than the female I had this morning.

David Tonnessen

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[cobirds] Lucy's Warbler Present

[David Tønnessen]

Refound the Lucy's on the east side of the pond about 30 min ago. Sinton Pond, 
El Paso.

David Tonnessen

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[cobirds] Nashville Warbler Sinton Pond El Paso

[David Tønnessen]

I had a female (western ssp) Nashville Warbler in with the Yellow-rumped 
and Orange-crowned Warbler flock at Sinton Pond about an hour ago today 
4/21. The bird looks and behaves similar to the Orange-crowned Warblers at 
first glance, but look for a grayer head and bold complete eye-ring with no 
eyestripe. There was only one warbler flock all seeming to stick together, 
and making rounds from the northwest side of the pond, down to the creek 
and around the east side (and perhaps back to the northwest side again). I 
did not detect the Lucy's Warbler in this flock today.

Good birding,
David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs

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Re: [cobirds] Lucy's Warbler El Paso

[David Tønnessen]

Yes, I received word that the warbler was seen again this morning just a little 
upstream from its original location.

David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs

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[cobirds] Vermilion Flycatcher YES

[David Tønnessen]

Hi CObirders
I'm pleased to inform that the El Paso Vermilion Flycatcher continues at the 
Hanover Fire Station today 4/3 as of 9:10 this morning. I was actually rather 
astonished to find it still present, given the strong north winds.


Good birding,
David Tonnessen

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[cobirds] Kiowa County, 10/20

[David Tønnessen]

Evening folks,

Apologies for a late posting, but yesterday David Dowell and I birded Kiowa 
county's larger reservoirs and discovered much activity. Starting pre-dawn 
at Neenoshe Reservoir, we amassed large numbers of waterfowl of good 
diversity from the south peninsula. Most notable waterbirds here proved to 
be 2 *Common Loons* and 11 *White-winged Scoters* that Dowell spotted 
amongst a raft of Aythya ducks, the largest single group of this species 
that either of us had encountered in Colorado. Shorebirds were present in 
small numbers at the main reservoir, and we found much larger numbers at 
the disjunct southeast pond. An apparent *Short-billed Dowitcher* called 
its high 3-note "tu-tu-tu" around dawn at the south peninsula of the main 
reservoir, and other shorebirds present included *Greater* and *Lesser 
Yellowlegs*, *Long-billed Dowitchers* in the hundreds, over a hundred *Stilt 
Sandpipers*, 2 very late *Wilson's Phalaropes*, *Least Sandpipers*, *Pectoral 
Sandpipers* and a *Baird's Sandpiper*. However, the highlight of our visit 
to this reservoir was surely the sheer numbers of sparrows present; highly 
vocal *White-crowned Sparrows* had invaded almost every patch of brush 
between the peninsula and the southwest parking lot, and it would not 
surprise me if a few thousand were present around this body of water total. 
Mixed in we found multitudes of *Lincon's* and *Song Sparrows*, plus 3 *Swamp 
Sparrows*, 9 *White-throated Sparrows*, and 6 *Harris's Sparrows*, and 2 *Field 
Sparrows* the most of any of these species I have personally ever 
encountered at once in the state. Non-sparrows of note while in the woods 
and brush included fly-by *Eastern* and *Mountain Bluebirds*, a *Winter 
Wren*, a *Rock Wren*, *Orange-crowned*, *Myrtle* and *Audubon's Warblers*, 
and a beautiful iridescent *Rusty Blackbird*. Small groups of *Snow Geese* 
including a single *Ross's* were flying over calling throughout, as were 
longspurs composed mainly of *Chestnut-collared* but also a few *McCown's* 
and a *Lapland *or two. They forage in the post-agricultural fields to the 
south heavily.

We birded Neegronda and the two Queens Reservoirs briefly, and found 
nothing quite as extraordinary. A *Lesser Black-backed Gull* was on Upper 
Queens, but to be fair, there is always a Lesser Black-backed Gull at Upper 
Queens no matter the season (or so it seems).

Because time was allowing, Dave Dowell and I also drove out to Adobe Creek 
Reservoir and found some interesting presence there. An extremely late *Piping 
Plover* (eBird says latest by a month) and *Snowy Plover *stood together 
indolently on the east side of the res, just barely in Kiowa County. A 
*Red-throated 
Loon* and 4 *Red-breasted Mergansers *were also notable birds on the Kiowa 
County side. South of here, in the Bent County portion of the reservoir, 3 
*Black-bellied 
Plovers* and a *Sanderling* among Baird's Sandpipers added to the list of 
slightly peculiars.

Good Fork-tailed Flycatcher-chasing,
David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs, CO

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[cobirds] Kiowa County 10/20

[David Tønnessen]

Evening folks,

Apologies for a late posting, but yesterday David Dowell and I birded Kiowa 
county's larger reservoirs and discovered much activity. The entire day was 
cloudless and temperatures started in the 30s but rose swiftly into the low 
70s Fahrenheit. Starting pre-dawn at Neenoshe Reservoir, we amassed large 
numbers of waterfowl of good diversity from the south peninsula. Most 
notable waterbirds here proved to be 2 *Common Loons* and 11 *White-winged 
Scoters* that Dowell spotted amongst a raft of Aythya ducks, the largest 
single group of this species that either of us had encountered in Colorado. 
Shorebirds were present in small numbers at the main reservoir, and we 
found much larger numbers at the disjunct southeast pond. An apparent 
*Short-billed 
Dowitcher* called its high 3-note "tu-tu-tu" around dawn at the south 
peninsula of the main reservoir, and other shorebirds present included 
*Greater* and *Lesser Yellowlegs*, *Long-billed Dowitchers* in the 
hundreds, over a hundred *Stilt Sandpipers*, 2 very late *Wilson's 
Phalaropes*, *Least Sandpipers*, *Pectoral Sandpipers* and a *Baird's 
Sandpiper*. However, the highlight of our visit to this reservoir was 
surely the sheer numbers of sparrows present; highly vocal *White-crowned 
Sparrows* had invaded almost every patch of brush between the peninsula and 
the southwest parking lot, and it would not surprise me if a few thousand 
were present around this body of water total. Mixed in we found multitudes 
of *Lincon's* and *Song Sparrows*, plus 3 *Swamp Sparrows*, 9 *White-throated 
Sparrows*, 6 *Harris's Sparrows*, and 2 *Field Sparrows,* the most of any 
of these species I have personally ever encountered at once in the state. 
Non-sparrows of note while in the woods and brush included fly-by *Eastern*
 and *Mountain Bluebirds*, a *Winter Wren*, a *Rock Wren*, *Orange-crowned*
, *Myrtle* and *Audubon's Warblers*, and a beautiful iridescent *Rusty 
Blackbird*. Small groups of *Snow Geese* including a single *Ross's* were 
flying over calling throughout, as were longspurs composed mainly of 
*Chestnut-collared* but also a few *McCown's* and a *Lapland *or two. They 
forage in the post-agricultural fields to the south heavily.

We birded Neegronda and the two Queens Reservoirs briefly, and found 
nothing quite as extraordinary. A *Lesser Black-backed Gull* was on Upper 
Queens, but to be fair, there is always a Lesser Black-backed Gull at Upper 
Queens no matter the season (or so it seems).

Because time was allowing, Dave Dowell and I also drove out to Adobe Creek 
Reservoir and found some interesting presence there. An extremely late *Piping 
Plover* (eBird says latest by a month) and *Snowy Plover *stood together 
indolently on the east side of the res, just barely in Kiowa County. A 
*Red-throated 
Loon* and 4 *Red-breasted Mergansers *were also notable birds on the Kiowa 
County side. South of here, in the Bent County portion of the reservoir, 3 
*Black-bellied 
Plovers* and a *Sanderling* among Baird's Sandpipers added to the list of 
slight peculiars.


Good Fork-tailed Flycatcher-chasing,
David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs, CO

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[cobirds] Fork-tailed Flycatcher still present 2:00 pm

[David Tønnessen]

Bird still being viewed by a few of us behind oil tanks just north of Prince 
Lake #2. We're standing meters northwest of the tanks and looking at it a bit 
to the west and northwest. We had to walk along 111th street (being constructed 
with bulldozers and all).


Good luck,
David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs, CO

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[cobirds] Memorial Park, El Paso

[David Tønnessen]

Hi birders,

There is currently an apparent hybrid Cackling x Greater White-fronted Goose 
among some hundreds of Cackling and Canada Geese, and two pure juvenile Greater 
White-fronted Geese on Memorial Park right now. Also present is a Common Loon, 
Herring Gull, Bonaparte's Gulls, and good duck numbers.


David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs, CO
11/7

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[cobirds] Sedge Wren Pueblo County

[David Tønnessen]

Birders,
There is currently a Sedge Wren below the dam on the Southeast side of Rose 
Pond in the Pueblo portion of Chico Basin Ranch (today 9/21). It has been 
silent for a few minutes now but for a while was actively chipping and popped 
up for views a few times. It likes the dense Russian thistle and sedges 
clustered there.


Good Birding,
David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs 

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Re: [cobirds] Re: Mexican Duck marina at Cherry Creek SP (Arapahoe county(

[David Tønnessen]

Gary,

You start a hybrid lifelist.

;)


David Tonnessen



On Tuesday, January 15, 2019 at 5:19:27 PM UTC-7, Gary Brower wrote:
>
> All,
>
> Several questions, then, for those who know about (or consider) these 
> things . . . .
>
> 1) Was Mexican Duck made a separate species in the last go-around? I 
> can’t remember.  If so, then it’s Life Bird for me — I’ll head to CCSP 
> tomorrow.
> 2) If it’s a Mottled Duck, it’s a Life Bird for me — I’ll head to CCSP 
> tomorrow.
> 3) If it’s a Mottled x Mexican hybrid . . . . how does one “count” that?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Gary Brower
> Unincorporated Arapahoe County
> (Next door to CCSP)
>

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[cobirds] PFGO Yes

[David Tønnessen]

Being seen at edge of ice in huge CACG flock near the road.

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[cobirds] PFGO Yes

[David Tønnessen]

Just flew off with a CACG group due south at 8:21 am.

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[cobirds] Lens cap at Pink-footed Goose location

[David Tønnessen]

Please contact me if you lost a lens cap along Weld county road 7 this morning 
as it is now in my possession. 

David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs

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[cobirds] Lens Hood at Pink-footed Goose location

[David Tønnessen]

Please contact me if you lost a Nikon lens hood along Weld County Rd 7 this 
morning, as it is now in my possession.

David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs

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[cobirds] El Paso Screech-owl

[David Tønnessen]

Birders,

I took the liberty of clearing up this Screech-owl conundrum once and for all 
this morning, as I think I've now received alerts of excess of 15 reports of it 
being either species (Western and Eastern). At around 6:20 am, the bird 
responded to an Eastern Screech-owl whinny on tape by letting out a slow 
bouncing ball song, and then in response to Western Screech-owl tape it flew 
behind me and made single, soft hoots of the same quality as those found in the 
bouncing ball song.

In conclusion, this Bear Creek Dog Park Screech-owl which according to locals 
has been here since Thanksgiving, is a Western.


Happy birding and Happy Holidays,
David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs, CO

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Re: [cobirds] Re: ID help requested - Spatula hybrid - Cottonwood Hollow (Larimer)

[David Tønnessen]

I'm curious, are there any good sources or studies saying that CITE x NOSH 
combo can show a white crescent identical to that of BWTE and what causes that 
gene expression? If not, I'm not sure what leads away from a BWTE x NOSH ID. 


Just my thoughts.

David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs

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Re: [cobirds] Re: ID help requested - Spatula hybrid - Cottonwood Hollow (Larimer)

[David Tønnessen]

Intriguing, nice investigation Sean.

A search on eBird's Macaulay Library also shows nearly all male Northern 
Shoveler x Cinnamon Teal hybrids with a white crescent and rufous breast 
area (a more understandable trait) like this bird. 
https://ebird.org/media/catalog?taxonCode=x00630=Cinnamon%20Teal%20x%20Northern%20Shoveler%20(hybrid)%20-%20Spatula%20cyanoptera%20x%20clypeata

I suppose this could mean one of the two parent species (Northern Shoveler 
or Cinnamon Teal) has a repressed version (unexpressed gene) of a 
Blue-winged Teal's white crescent somewhere in its genome, while the other 
parent species contribute's some transcription factor that initiates that 
gene's expression. Fascinating.


David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs

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[cobirds] Eurasian Wigeon

[David Tønnessen]

Was still present at Orlando Reservoir (Huerfano County) as of 9:45 this 
morning, observed by Mark Peterson, Jim Merritt, and I.


David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs

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[cobirds] Larimer Gyrfalcon

[David Tønnessen]

Meant to say dirt part of Trilby. Bird flew off to the southeast 4 minutes ago 
now.

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[cobirds] Larimer Gyrfalcon

[David Tønnessen]

Gyrfalcon is on large posts along dirt road South of landfill right now

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[cobirds] Jeffco Golden-crowned Sparrow?

[David Tønnessen]

Has anyone seen the Jefferson County Golden-crowned Sparrow lately, or for that 
matter, tried for it unsuccessfully? 

Thank you,
David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs, CO

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[cobirds] Empid ID Help

[David Tønnessen]

Reed,

The very narrow, round eye-ring, uncontrasting gray throughout, nicely rounded 
head and long thin bill give it a Gray Flycatcher feel to me. Neither traill's 
flycatcher fits your bird's structure or color.


David Tonnessen

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[cobirds] Re: Chaetura swift, Waneka Lake, Boulder County, Apr. 21

[David Tønnessen]

In addition to Ted and Andy's reports of possible Vaux's Swifts, I have 
received two other alerts from eBird of Chaetura swifts in the last two 
days. The low clouds that smothered much of the front range today are 
supposed to linger into the early-mid morning tomorrow in at least Denver 
and south, maybe forcing flight-feeding birds like swallows and swifts to 
feed close to the ground. Might be worth keeping an eye out around buggy 
bodies of water for those who are able to!


David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs, CO


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[cobirds] Chatfield SP Douglas Co

[David Tønnessen]

Piping and Semipalmated Plovers are still at the Plum Creek area as well as 
Baird's, Least, and a Western Sandpiper. Northern Waterthrush nearby in the 
willows. Two Caspian Terns with the gull flock at the marina.


David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs, CO

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[cobirds] Douglas County Mountain birds

[David Tønnessen]

Douglas County listers (and others interested),

The last couple days I've had some apparently good birds for Douglas County 
while working in Pike National Forest. Today there were two Canada Jays mocking 
a whiny juvenile Northern Goshawk at 39.1570471, -105.0301307 before flying 
south and disappearing. I heard Canada Jays again around 39.1558720, 
-105.0329973 walking further west along that same road, but whether they're the 
same individuals I'm not sure.

Yesterday I had a White-winged Crossbill fly over me at the pull-off at 
39.1299029, -105.0293509 heading northeastish around 7 am but I wasn't able to 
locate any since. Later in the day a Pine Grosbeak pair flew over (going west) 
at 39.1273705, -105.0206890 (just barely outside Douglas in El Paso). 

This entire area is some nice Lodgepole Pine forest with scattered spruces and 
the occasional Douglas-fir. Flocks of type 5 and type 2 Red Crossbills are 
using it moderately.


Good luck and happy birding,

David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs, CO

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[cobirds] Re: Hawk Identification help please

[David Tønnessen]

This is no Mississippi Kite, and the more slender-chested build and clean 
white throat point away from a young Northern Goshawk, which would be quite 
the find for Weld County this time of year anyway. This is a Cooper's Hawk.


David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs, CO



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Re: [cobirds] Ani is upstream, not downstream

[David Tønnessen]

Last observed around 1:30 about 150-200 m east of Westerly Creek Bridge.


David Tonnessen

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[cobirds] Situation at Prewitt Reservoir

[David Tønnessen]

Birders,

I stopped by Prewitt for a couple hours this morning and figured people might 
want to know that the water levels are low and excellent for shorebirds in the 
southwestern cove/inlet area, if they didn't know already. Among the 15 species 
of shorebirds I observed were 40+ Stilt Sandpipers, 50+ Baird's Sandpipers, 6 
Pectorals, and a Buff-breasted Sandpiper. Common Terns were also present, 
numbering in the mid 20s (as well as two Blacks and a single Forster's).



Happy weekend,

David Tonnessen
in Northeast CO

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[cobirds] Pueblo Reservoir 11/8

[David Tønnessen]

CO birders,

Scoping Pueblo Reservoir from the South Marina from 10ish to 2ish today I had 
four Pacific Loons out to the west, probably quite visible from the North 
Marina as well. At least one of them would come quite close to the S Marina 
tires occasionally throughout my visit. A White-winged Scoter was at the tires 
around 10, but flew east to the dam and is probably somewhere on a different 
part of the reservoir (or gone altogether). The first Red-breasted Merganser 
I've seen on Lake Pueblo this season was present as well. Among good numbers of 
4000+ gulls by the tires and on the water were Ring-billed, Herring, 
California, Lesser Black-backed (5) Thayer's Iceland (2), the returned Great 
Black-backed Gull (seen by Brandon) and a single first year bird I am about 95 
percent certain is a Western or Olympic (Western x Glaucous-winged) Gull. I was 
drawn to it initially because of its overall dark, chocolate color with a 
darker head and stouter bill than most Herrings. Wings are very Thayer's like 
with somewhat frosty tips, also somewhat short primaries for a larus. Bird was 
Herring-sized but with a stouter bill of a different pattern, mostly black but 
with pink/yellow at the base of the lower mandible. I decided to leave it at 
unknown for now but I hope someone can come get better confirmation photos of 
the bird. 


Good birding,

David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs

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[cobirds] Golden-crowned Sparrow, El Paso County

[David Tønnessen]

Three other birders were able to join us and see the bird through the morning.

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[cobirds] Golden-crowned Sparrow, El Paso County

[David Tønnessen]

Hey all,

Jim Merritt and I just had an immature Golden-crowned Sparrow at his feeders 
about five minutes ago (10:15) today 10/30. One many of us predicted would be 
the next sparrow to show up at his setup. He is happy hosting birders and is 
located at 222 Crystal Valley Road.


Good birding,
David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs

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[cobirds] Re: Possible Yellow-billed Loon, Cherry Creek State Park

[David Tønnessen]

Hey Cole,

Echoing what Nick said, I would've expected a paler loon overall with a 
heftier bill rather than what looks like stark contrast between dark upper 
parts and pale below, features typical of Common Loon. While not entirely 
invalid, bill color isn't something I find especially helpful for ID of the 
two species in basic plumage at a distance, especially as I've seen Commons 
with yellow-looking bills whether as a result of lighting or just general 
variability. A combination of hefty bill and overall structure, stronger 
scale pattern in the back, and overall pale and low-contrast plumage from 
the top/back of the neck to the underparts I find to be most helpful in 
picking out Yellow-billed.


Good Birding!
David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs, CO

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Re: [cobirds] Prothonotary Warbler at Belmar Park, Jefferson County

[David Tønnessen]

Well part of that canal is dry plus doesn't seem to go all the way through so I 
guess it is technically a peninsula after all.

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Re: [cobirds] Prothonotary Warbler at Belmar Park, Jefferson County

[David Tønnessen]

Still present this am as of 7:45. Being observed at 39.7046245, -105.0889180, 
on the south side of the island (looks like another peninsula but separated by 
a narrow canal) just north of the SW peninsula.

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[cobirds] Hooded Warbler, Teller County

[David Tønnessen]

Sorry for the late post but I found a Hooded Warbler on the north side of 
Manitou Lake along the creek today around 1. Last seen at 39.0923530, 
-105.0974303. Other birds of note; tame  McCown's Longspur on east shore, Swamp 
Sparrow in south marsh, and 5 Long-billed Dowitchers.


David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs, CO

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[cobirds] Hooded Warbler, Teller County

[David Tønnessen]

I posted this because I think the warbler might stick in the vicinity for a few 
days.

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[cobirds] Warren Lake 3/1

[David Tønnessen]

Upon checking Warren Lake today 1-2:30 pm I found an adult Glaucous-winged 
Gull, presumably the same bird Nick Komar had this morning on another lake. The 
1st cycle Glaucous Gull was present at least at the beginning of my stay, and 
the 1st cycle Great Black-backed Gull arrived around 2 but seemed to have 
disappeared shortly after. Among several 1st cycle Thayer's Gulls, one bird 
looked larger and good for a Cook Inlet (Herring x Glaucous-winged) but I did 
not see any young birds that looked like pure Glaucous-winged. I also tallied 7 
Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 6 Thayer's Gulls.


Good birding,
David Tonnessen 
Boulder, CO

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[cobirds] Cautions on Gull Identification

[David Tønnessen]

The last several days have seen my eBird rare bird alerts blown up by 
reports of "Slaty-backed Gull" with photos of anything from Iceland 
Thayer's Gull to the continuing 1st cycle Great Black-backed Gull, or 
accompanied by brief description along the lines of "continuing bird." 
Prompted by this, I felt the urge to issue a word of caution on hasty gull 
identification.

Right now, there seems to be multiple rare Glaucous-winged Gulls and a 
number of confusing gulls of probable Glaucous-winged Gull ancestry at 
Warren Lake, Larimer County that are giving even the most experienced 
gullers some trouble. The candidate for Slaty-backed Gull that Nick Komar 
reported to eBird last week was reviewed by multiple other experienced gull 
watchers, and thus far has been deemed inconclusive. I sent the photos to 
Alvaro Jaramillo, an established gull identification wiz who has found 
multiple Slaty-backed Gulls in California as well as the state's first Kelp 
Gull. His response was "It is not a Slaty-backed Gull. Looks better for 
Herring, but some odd issues that maybe can be explained away, maybe not. 
But it does not look like a Slaty-backed to me." I myself think the bird 
looks within variation of some Herring Gull with Glaucous-winged ancestry 
mixed in.

My understanding is that Nick submitted this report in hopes that others 
would follow up and try to get better photos of an interesting individual, 
not to entice others to flock over with the false hopes of ticking 
Slaty-backed Gull off their lifelist. 

Identifying immature Larus gulls is extremely confusing not only because of 
physical similarities and variation within individuals of the same species, 
but because of the multiple plumages they molt through to reach adulthood *as 
well as* the tendency for several species to hybridize with each other. To 
complicate things further, recently we've grown to realize that references 
to season when describing plumages like "1st winter" and "2nd summer" is 
inaccurate because molt timing varies from individual to individual, thus 
making assessment even more difficult. I would strongly encourage the use 
of "Larus sp" in eBird for any large gulls you aren't 100% confident on, 
and for many of the gulls at Warren Lake, "Herring/Glaucous-winged Gull" 
seems similarly appropriate. Sometimes eBird filters, particularly with 
less experienced or active filter editors, will have the "sp" and "/" 
options flagged when they shouldn't be, so don't be afraid to trip the 
filter with those taxa.


Cordially,

David Tonnessen
Boulder, CO



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[cobirds] Jeffco Pacific Wren yes

[David Tønnessen]

5 of us from the CU Birding club just had the Pacific Wren ~15 m down as you 
turn left  along the creek from Whitetail Parking lot in Jefferson  County.

Good birding,

Tonnessen 

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[cobirds] RE: Gyrfalcon on Trilby Road s of Larimer Landfill on 2/18/2020 (Larimer)

[David Tønnessen]

A nice analysis by Dave Leatherman. I'd also point out that part of what gives 
Prairie Falcons a dark-armpitted look in flight, the contrastingly dark flanks, 
is also quite apparent while perched. This is demonstrated well by Dave's 
images; compare the even streaking/barring through the Gyrfalcon's underparts 
to the Prairie Falcon's denser-streaked flanks.



David Tonnessen 

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[cobirds] Pueblo Birding 2/22

[David Tønnessen]

CO birders,
5 of us from the CU birding club made the 2.5 hour trek to the Pueblo Reservoir 
area from Boulder today. We started at the original Valco Ponds parking lot and 
found the wintering Black Phoebe just west of the lot, and two Marsh Wrens east 
of the lot. After hiking east, we found all three merganser species on several 
of the Valco Ponds, as well as 5 Greater Scaup on the third pond. Later that 
day at the gravel pit pond we had a Long-tailed Duck, the two Dunlin, 
Ring-billed, California, Herring, Lesser Black-backed, Mew (evening only) and 
Thayer's (evening only) gulls, as well as all 3 merganser species, Ruddy Ducks, 
Bufflehead, Common Goldeneyes, Redhead and other common waterfowl. Along the 
river nearby we located at least 4 White-throated Sparrows in their usual 
wintering spot, the hybrid Black-capped x Mountain Chickadee, 30+ Yellow-rumped 
Warblers, and the wintering female Western Tanager (!!) that Brandon Percival 
first found in January (last seen in the middle of that month). 
At the South Shore Marina the Red-throated Loon was putting on a good show 
close to the tires, although few gulls were present throughout the day with the 
only notable one being the resident Great Black-backed. The total numbers of 
grebes, particularly Eared and Horned is much lower than it has been earlier 
this winter, upon checking a few other spots along the north side of the 
reservoir. Other birders today also had the Pacific Loon and 3 Common Loons on 
other parts of the reservoir.

Other special birds seen for Boulder birders included Bewick's Wren, Canyon 
Towhee, Curve-billed Thrasher, and Ladder-backed Woodpecker.

We considered all this to be a success.


Good birding, 
David Tonnessen & the CU birding club
Boulder

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[cobirds] Upper Williams Canyon, no wrens, and Prairie not Peregrine

[David Tønnessen]

Thanks for the update on this, Joe.

Tonnessen

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[cobirds] Why the Cassin's Finch invasion?

[David Tønnessen]

Building off of that, Ponderosa cones around Boulder are also stocked right 
now, but they may have become so at a later time than those further south, 
hence the masses of Cassin's Finches passing it by settling for the cones down 
here--until now.

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[cobirds] Why the Cassin's Finch invasion?

[David Tønnessen]

Cassin's Finches invaded central Colorado's Ponderosa mountains west of the 
Springs last fall and were still around here just a few weeks ago in huge 
numbers. I was birding Ponderosa Pine forests near Boulder a couple months ago 
and didn't have any Cassin's Finches, so I wonder if the recent invasion into 
Boulder is due to finally depleting most of the Ponderosa Pine crop down here.


David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs, CO

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Re: [cobirds] Gray Flycatcher ID

[David Tønnessen]

I agree with most everything Christian said. I have also witnessed birders call 
empids Gray Flycatchers based on a downward tail flicking, but I think the 
confusion is inexperience with empids and the lack of clarification when this 
field mark is being taught. All empids flick their tails downward, only Gray is 
special for dipping its tail BEFORE flicking it upwards. It can be a hard 
judgement call since this is a fast movement and other species like Dusky will 
flick upwards only slightly before a more significant and noticeable downward 
movement. In further agreement, there are other marks that should used to 
distinguish Gray as well; pale gray appearance, smooth round/flat head shape, 
long thin bill with bright lower mandible, very faint eye-ring. If you're not 
confident using a combination of these marks, leave the flycatcher at empid sp.



David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs

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[cobirds] Cottonwood Marsh (Boulder Co) ibis

[David Tønnessen]

Hey Charles,

Yes, the bird looks like a normal White-faced Ibis that hasn't fully molted 
into alternate (breeding) plumage yet. The legs are very deep red and the face 
is the pattern of a non-breeding bird.



David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs

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[cobirds] Re: Empid ID Continued (Dusky, Least, Hammond's?) with new photo

[David Tønnessen]

Hey Richard,

Your photos show a Dusky Flycatcher in a pretty typical late hatch-year 
plumage. Exposed gape and bright wash (thought not as bright as Hammond's 
this time of year) point to it being a young of the year. Hammond's appears 
structurally quite different as far as empids go; tiny dark bill, very long 
primaries, large-looking head, and short tail. Least Flycatchers generally 
show stronger contrast (browner upperparts, paler underparts) not to 
mention a shorter tail than this bird.

Empids of any species seem to call more or less frequently presumably 
depending on their level of excitement. The point is, this can't be used as 
an ID mark.


Best, 
David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs, CO

On Friday, September 11, 2020 at 3:42:17 PM UTC-6 richardi...@gmail.com 
wrote:

> Hi folks,
>
> Three knowledgeable birders responded to my ID request, making their cases 
> for three different IDs:  Least, Dusky, and Hammond's.  
>
> Here is what respondents have said:
>
> 1) I vote for Hammond's.  Teardrop eyering and darkish bill = Hammonds or 
> Dusky.  Big head, thick neck (Dusky looks smaller headed with a normal 
> thickness to neck).  Hammond's molts before migration so they often look 
> bright: gray head, green back, yellowish below (to my eye, head-back 
> contrast not as obvious with Dusky).  If you have any pics that show the 
> primary projection, I bet it is long.  The long wings make the tail look 
> short (compared to Dusky).  Tail flick means nothing for empids, as they 
> all do it to some degree.  Supposedly Gray flick starts with downward 
> motion, all the rest start with upward motion.  VERY hard to see the 
> initial direction of the flick.
>
> 2) I think this is a Least Flycatcher. It's got an orange lower mandible, 
> white throat, dark wings, round crown, and messy white eye ring.
>
> 3) I would certainly lean strongly to Dusky.  Bill color, head shape and 
> bill proportion, the belly/chest pattern, the eye-ring less distinct all 
> support Dusky.  We have banded over a dozen this past couple of weeks at 
> Barr Lake and he would fit right in with those we handled.   We do measure 
> all Empids to verify our visual ID's as some can be quite confusing 
> including a really small Willow we caught yesterday.
>
> I'm posting an additional photo below, perhaps to make the ID more 
> certain. After 24 years of birding in Colorado, I still lack 
> self-confidence in IDing empids. I don't feel so inadequate now that more 
> knowledgeable birders disagree.  Anybody else like to take a stab?
>
> My experience in the field: the bird seemed to call more frequently than 
> Duskies do, but with a similar "whit." The bird seemed smaller, more 
> compact, and more colorful than Duskies.  It flittled very actively, rarely 
> staying on the same perch for more than 30 seconds. 
>
> Lastly, I should say that, unlike Ted Floyd's mystery posts, this post has 
> no answer key. :-)
>
> Here's the additional photo:
>
> [image: image.png]
>
> And the photo I posted yesterday:
> [image: image.png]
>
> Thanks,
>
> Richard Trinkner
> Boulder
>

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Re: [cobirds] Sharing the Joy of Birds

[David Tønnessen]

Nice work, Caleb. Engaging others in nature and encouraging new birders is
one of the best things we can do if we truly care about birds and the
future of our environment.


Sincerely,
David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs

On Sun, Aug 23, 2020, 4:14 PM Caleb A  wrote:

> Hello CObirds!
>
> Regretfully, I do not have a rare bird to report today, but I do want to
> take a moment to talk about one of my growing favorite parts of birding:
> making newer birders.
> I love to teach, especially when I'm sharing something I love, and birds
> are no exception. I'm a teenager, so there are always the occasional
> awkward side glances when I tell my peers about my hobby, but I've
> discovered (through many conversations) that the majority of people in
> *all* age groups are interested in birds to an extent. Not just that, but
> I was pleasantly surprised to find that a lot of these people would be
> interested in birding, but they just don't know how to start or how any of
> it works.
>
> I am currently guiding several classmates through the beginning phases of
> birding (who are already catching on pretty quickly) and I've noticed that
> my family is recognizing the birds around them more often (my Grandma has a
> wonderful pair of feeders that sported some great activity this past
> month). For those of you who know what Nextdoor is, I've found that there
> is a whole community of nonbirders who want to learn more about birds,
> whether it's identification tips or just how to attract birds to their
> yards to watch. I had the opportunity to show a neighborhood resident a
> beautiful, cooperative Townsend's Warbler on their walk, and yesterday I
> led a bird walk for some local girl scouts (unexpectedly picking up a FOY
> Prairie Falcon along the way).
>
> I'm finding that sharing birds with our friends, peers, and communities is
> just one more fun aspect of birding for me and thought I'd encourage this
> wonderful Colorado birding community to keep making birders! We live in a
> great state for the hobby, after all...
>
> *The birds are happy, and so am I*
> *~Caleb Alons, Larimer County*
>
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> 
> .
>

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[cobirds] Ode to Petrochelidon Caution

[David Tønnessen]

Good afternoon, Colorado birders.

I want to issue a word of caution when identifying swallows of the genus
Petrochelidon (Cliff and Cave Swallow as we know them in English). In June
through at least early September, millions upon millions of young Cliff
Swallows whom have not fully attained adult plumage are migrating south
through the Great Plains, where a sizeable percentage of this species'
total population breeds. Because these young birds sport golden/bronze
forehead and throat patches of the same color and of varying shades
depending on age, they are extremely difficult, if not impossible at times
to distinguish from young or adult Cave Swallows. They also show a stronger
buffy wash in the underparts than adults, and the undertail coverts are
often very weakly marked, two features often incorrectly associated with
just Cave Swallows. Some sources that should demonstrate this well are
Sibley and better yet, eBird's Macaulay library. Over this last week, I
would have given almost anything to have photographed the fencelines upon
fencelines of young, variable Cliff Swallows I observed over the summer, so
I could better demonstrate my point.

So please, when reporting a Cave Swallow in Colorado, provide excellent
photographic or auditory documentation. This post is not meant to disparage
or discredit initial reports of Cave Swallow at John Martin Reservoir.
However, knowing the tendency of swallows, if there was a Cave Swallow at
John Martin at some point, the chances of it sticking around for several
days at the same spot seem slim. All of the photos I've seen reported as
Cave Swallow from the location have either been poor and inconclusive, or
have been nice photos of an immature Cliff Swallow.


Happy finding and documenting rarities, and stay smart and healthy in these
times.


David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs

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Re: [cobirds] Ode to Petrochelidon Caution

[David Tønnessen]

fications of juvenile Cliff and Cave swallows is important.
>
> I interpreted Mr. Tønnessen's wording "depending on age" when apparently
> referring to juvenile Cliff Swallow plumage to mean that their appearance
> was changing in some significant manner, despite that the plumage has
> been worn for only a short time by mid-August and that Cliff Swallows molt
> on the winter grounds. If I read more into that possibly throwaway phrase
> than was intended, then I apologize to David.
>
> David seemed to take an uncited swipe at my above-linked paper on juvenile
> plumages of Cliff and Cave swallows when he suggested that my thesis of
> Cliff Swallows having consistently more and larger dark patches on the
> lateral under-tail coverts than shown by Cave Swallow was not reliable.
> While I discovered that ID character while doing the research for that
> paper, further extensive personal experience with both Cliff and Cave
> swallows in the field in many parts of the US has made me more certain of
> the efficacy of that field-ID character when proper precautions about
> lighting and viewing angle are taken. Are there Cliff Swallows with
> less-noticeable or even absolutely fewer and less-obvious markings on those
> feathers? I have no doubt there are, given the variability inherent in the
> biological process of recombinant DNA that produces organisms like Cliff
> Swallow and Cutthroat Trout and even that epitome of variability known as Homo
> sapiens. As I stated in the swallow paper and in nearly countless other
> ID articles and photo-quiz solutions, relying on a single character is
> problematic, at best, and decidedly problematic in most situations. Mr. 
> Tønnessen
> seems to have missed that point, somehow.
>
> I am also amazed at David's selective knowledge when it comes to records
> of vagrant swallows. While many move on after a short time, quite a few,
> perhaps many, stay put if they find conditions suitable for such. One such
> example of which I have personal experience is the Brown-chested Martin
> in Cape May
> <https://njbirdinghistory.blogspot.com/2006/11/brown-chested-martin.html>,
> NJ, which was found on 6 November 1997 (but may have been present earlier)
> and was present at least until 15 November, when it may very well have
> succumbed to the results of a strong cold snap. There are many other
> instances of vagrant swallows residing at a particularly advantageous
> location/situation. Given the very large number of swallows that have been
> reported from northwestern John Martin Reservoir in recent days, I suggest
> that the situation is particularly advantageous enough to encourage
> individual swallows to stay for extended periods.
>
> It is unfortunate that the situation/location whence the recent Cave
> Swallow (or swallows) reports originate does not enable obtaining
> spectacular photos that permit quick and certain ID. It is equally
> unfortunate that some of the photos show individuals that are certainly
> Cliff Swallows (or, possibly, Cliff x Cave Swallows). However, I have seen
> photos from three photographers that seem to nail the case for the ID of
> Cave Swallow. Yes, they're not perfect, but, in toto, in my opinion, they
> make the case, particularly Nathan Pieplow's extensive selection.
>
> Congratulations to Steve Mlodinow for finding and reporting his second
> Cave Swallow in the state (yes, he found the state's first record, too!)
> and to the birders that put in the time and effort to document this
> occurrence in subsequent days. I'm just sorry that I was not able to manage
> that feat, as my party and I were not able to find the bird or birds on our
> visits.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Tony
>
> Tony Leukering
> currently between residences, but still in CO
>
> P.S. The English pronouns "who" and "whom" are intended to refer solely to
> that epitome of variability, Homo sapiens.
>
>
>
>
> -Original Message-
> To: Digest recipients 
> Sent: Thu, Aug 20, 2020 2:20 am
> Subject: [cobirds] Digest for cobirds@googlegroups.com - 8 updates in 7
> topics
>
> Ode to Petrochelidon Caution
> <http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds/t/6a5259e79ca7cc56?utm_source=digest_medium=email>
> "David Tønnessen" : Aug 19 06:20PM -0600
>
> Good afternoon, Colorado birders.
>
> I want to issue a word of caution when identifying swallows of the genus
> Petrochelidon (Cliff and Cave Swallow as we know them in English). In June
> through at least early September, millions upon millions of young Cliff
> Swallows whom have not fully attained adult plumage are migrating south
> through the Great Plains, where a sizeable percentage of this species'
> total population breeds. Because these young birds s

[cobirds] Re: RIVOLI'S HUMMINGBIRD, El Paso County

[David Tønnessen]

The bird photographed is a Black-chinned Hummingbird.



David Tonnessen
Hot Springs, SD

On Saturday, May 23, 2020 at 7:57:42 PM UTC-6, Randy Vernon wrote:
>
> Cobirders,
>
> A female RIVOLI'S HUMMINGBIRD was at the feeders at the Fountain Creek 
> Nature Center at 11am today, observed by Jeff Hayes, Ron Goerzen and 
> myself. It was feeding next to a Broad-tailed Hummingbird, and the size 
> difference was remarkable--around 5" versus around 3 1/2". Extremely long 
> bill, grayish underparts, streaky throat, white patch behind eye. 
> Unfortunately no photo, because although I had a camera, I was so surprised 
> to see it that I spent the 30 seconds or so of good observation time trying 
> to memorize field marks and completely forgot to take a picture. Duh.
>
> It only made one appearance, although I waited for an hour hoping for 
> another photo opp.
>
> - Randy Vernon
>   Colorado Springs
>

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Re: [cobirds] Re: Mexican Duck ID question (Pleasant View Marsh, Boulder Cty)

[David Tønnessen]

Thomas, Caleb,

Yes, as pointed out in a Facebook discussion earlier today, the bird
appears to be a hybrid (albeit more Mexican looking than your average F1).
The black uppertail coverts, as well as whitish rectrices and curling are
indicative of Mallard genes, and in some photos the tertials appear
gray-tinged as well (another Mallard trait). Pure Mexican Ducks also
typically pop out as pretty dark, which this bird didn't to my eye in
comparison to female Mallards it was photographed with (albeit still
slightly darker). Still, a very cool bird with great discussion to be had.


Cheers,

David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs, CO

On Sat, Oct 24, 2020 at 9:58 PM Caleb A  wrote:

> Hi Thomas!
> I'll start with a disclaimer: I'm not an expert on Mexican Ducks.
> The reason I'm putting in a word is because I remember learning from a
> waterfowl presentation that Mallard ducks (both sexes) and Northern
> Shovelers are the only dabbling ducks that have white tail feathers. Since
> Mexican Duck is not either Mallard or Northern Shoveler, a pure Mexican
> Duck should *not* have white tail feathers. I do agree that this bird
> looks to have Mexican genes. The bill and head look consistent with
> Mexican, but the tail looks more Mallard to me. I'd suggest this is a
> Mexican x Mallard, although I'm eagerly awaiting the experts to weigh in on
> this one. Great photo!
>
> *The birds are happy, and so am I*
> *~Caleb Alons, Larimer County*
>
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> 
> .
>


-- 
*David Andreas Tonnessen*
Student @ CU Boulder
cell: 719-309-8572

Explore eBird  and iNaturalist
, citizen science databases.

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[cobirds] Re: Archilochus sp. ID

[David Tønnessen]

Hey guys:
Caleb, the lack of any rufous in the rectrices points away from a 
Selasphorus ID.
Scott, while this is certainly a bird I would've liked to see better photos 
of because of what appears to be a relatively short, straight bill for an 
Archilochus, this feature doesn't seem out-of-range for a Black-chinned 
Hummingbird, having personally observed some variation in BCHU bill 
structure. The primary feathers from what I can see also look classically 
BCHU to my eye; broad and curved, like a paddle as I like to think. Some 
may point to how grayish the crown appears here which is typically a useful 
mark for separating adult Black-chinned and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, but 
not so among young birds as juvenile RTHU will also sport extensive crown 
feathers lacking the green iridescence found in adults. Ultimately, I think 
it's a Black-chinned but would feel safest leaving it at the "Archilochus" 
genus level.

Keep birding while following COVID recommendations and maintaining other 
aspects of your health!
Best,

David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs

On Thursday, August 13, 2020 at 8:19:01 PM UTC-6 caleb...@gmail.com wrote:

> Hi Scott!
> I'm not very good with hummers, but this looks like a Broad-tailed 
> youngster to me. Definitely curious to hear what CObirds has to say on this 
> one, though!
> *The birds are happy, and so am I*
>
> *~Caleb Alons, Larimer County*
> On Thursday, August 13, 2020 at 7:46:19 PM UTC-6 Scott Severs wrote:
>
>> Any thoughts on the ID of this juvenile?
>>
>> Thank you,
>>
>> Scott Severs
>> Boulder County 
>>
>>
>>
>> -- 
>> Scott E Severs Longmont scotte...@gmail.com (Note the "E" in the address 
>> above) Sent from Gmail Mobile
>>
>

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[cobirds] Amazing bird song at Waneka Lake, Boulder County; do you know what it is?

[David Tønnessen]

Intriguing sound! It reminds me of one of the many variations in Baltimore 
Orioles, but I don't know you to make quizzes out of a rare birds. So perhaps 
another Icterus or a species that learned the wrong song altogether.  :)


Tonnessen

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[cobirds] Amazing bird song at Waneka Lake, Boulder County; do you know what it is?

[David Tønnessen]

Intriguing sound! It reminds me of one of the many variations in Baltimore 
Orioles, but I don't know you to make quizzes out of rare birds. So perhaps 
another Icterus or a species that learned the wrong song altogether.  :)

Tonnessen

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Re: [cobirds] Joe Roller sad news

[David Tønnessen]

I didn't know Joe personally but it sounds like the birding community and
world lost a great human. I've recieved numerous emails from him (as a
regional hotspot editor for eBird) about new hotspot suggestions usually
with encouraging words of affirmation, and he was always most helpful with
clarifying hotspot qualifications or suggestions for alternative names.


My condolences to his family.


David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs, CO
CU Boulder Student


On Wed, Nov 25, 2020, 4:00 PM Diane Roberts  wrote:

> Joe loved his birding stories and remembered a great deal of Colorado
> County firsts. His devotion to his wife, Maryanne, was heartwarming. I will
> miss his help & love of birding. RIP Joe.
>
> Diane Roberts
> Highlands Ranch, CO
>
> On Wed, Nov 25, 2020 at 3:52 PM linda hodges 
> wrote:
>
>> How heartbreaking; I had no idea he was ill.
>> Larry, you summed up Joe so well. He was always ready with a helping
>> hand, diplomatic response or "teachable moment". His laughter and sense of
>> humor will stay with me a very long while.
>>
>> *Linda Hodges*
>>
>> *Colorado Springs*
>>
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Nov 25, 2020 at 3:48 PM Gary Brower  wrote:
>>
>>> This is very sad.
>>>
>>> I never met Joe, but I received numerous emails from him on questions
>>> I’d raised on CO Birds. Always gracious.
>>>
>>> Gary Brower
>>> Unincorporated Arapahoe County
>>>
>>> On Nov 25, 2020, at 3:45 PM, Larry Modesitt 
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Cobirders,
>>>
>>> The very sad news is that Joe died last night of cancer just after
>>> midnight. His wife Maryanne said that despite his pain, he was still
>>> cracking jokes with the nurses yesterday morning. “He made me laugh every
>>> single day,” she said. Either one of their boys, Dan and Tom, was always
>>> able to be with him for the past month.
>>>
>>> I was out running with my dog when Joe corralled us decades ago. That’s
>>> how I became one of many people Joe introduced to birding. That led to us
>>> birding together all over Colorado and the world. Joe’s love of teaching
>>> folks about birds, almost always with a humorous insight, continued through
>>> his illness. He was a valuable contributor to Denver Field Ornithologists,
>>> Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, Colorado Field Ornithologists, and the
>>> medical community. There has never been anyone like Joe Roller, and he will
>>> be missed greatly.
>>>
>>> We can believe that last night just after midnight, St. Peter laughed
>>> harder than he had all year.
>>>
>>> Larry Modesitt
>>>
>>> Arvada
>>>
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>>> .
>>>
>>>
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>>> .
>>>
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>> 
>> .
>>
> --
> Diane Roberts
>
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> .
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Re: [cobirds] Varied Thrush in El Paso county

[David Tønnessen]

The Varied Thrush continued through this morning (11/17). It has been super 
accommodating.


David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs, CO
University of Colorado-Boulder

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[cobirds] Bay-breasted Warbler, El Paso County

[David Tønnessen]

For those not on Facebook, there is a Bay-breasted Warbler (first initially 
IDed as Pine Warbler) catching bugs at a concrete rectangular sewage pit 
behind a chain link fence just south of the Willow Springs parking lot in 
Fountain Creek Regional Park. It was found by Virginia Maynard this morning 
and has continued through the afternoon. 


Good birding,
David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs, CO

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[cobirds] Bay-breasted Warbler, El Paso County

[David Tønnessen]

For those not on Facebook, there is a Bay-breasted Warbler (initially IDed 
as Pine Warbler) catching bugs at a concrete rectangular sewage pit behind 
a chain link fence just south of the Willow Springs parking lot in Fountain 
Creek Regional Park. It was found by Virginia Maynard this morning and has 
continued through the afternoon. 


Good birding,
David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs, CO

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[cobirds] Re: HUDSONIAN GODWITS, Boulder

[David Tønnessen]

This is truly incredible. eBird's previous high count for the species in 
Colorado was 4, nearly 40 years ago.

David

On Monday, May 3, 2021 at 9:56:00 AM UTC-6 Eric DeFonso wrote:

> Folks, about a dozen are looking at a flock of 15 Hudsonian Godwits 
> Lagerman reservoir. 
>
> Eric DeFonso
> near Lyons, CO
> Sent from the Aether

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[cobirds] Otero County and nearby water report (4/3)

[David Tønnessen]

Hello all,

Yesterday myself and Jim Merritt (fully vaccinated) did some birding in
Otero County and nearby areas. Both Holbrook Reservoir and Horse Creek
Reservoir are very low right now with excellent shorebird habitat, although
Horse Creek is still deep enough it has some diving ducks on it while the
same cannot be said for Holbrook. Lake Cheraw doesn't have good shoreline
but more ducks than I usually see there (most notably a few Greater Scaup).
We checked Adobe Creek Reservoir (Blue Lake) as well, which had more water
than last year and little or no good shorebird habitat.

Holbrook Reservoir contained 3 Snowy Plovers, some Baird's and Least
Sandpipers, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, American Avocets, Black-necked
Stilts, Long-billed Dowitchers and a Wilson's Phalarope. Horse Creek also
had all of the above, plus a Dunlin and Western Sandpiper, both curiously
still in full basic ("winter") plumage. Also notably, I believe these same
individuals were first found by Steven Mlodinow and Dave Ely on March 28,
so have been continuing for almost a week.

Undoubtedly our rarest find yesterday was a Western Kingbird on County Road
BB.25 near Holbrook Reservoir, which is the earliest I've ever seen the
species in Colorado by about 3 weeks. I tried to force it into the Couch's
or Tropical (or any other kingbird) box, but it stubbornly would not fit.


Happy birding and happy Easter to those who celebrate,

David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs, CO

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[cobirds] Re: Short-billed Dowitcher, El Paso County

[David Tønnessen]

I should add since it has since been brought to my attention, that it is 
John Drummond who first found and tentatively identified this individual. 
So thanks to John Drummond's sharp eye for this great El Paso County 
species.


Cheers,
David

On Thursday, April 15, 2021 at 9:54:33 PM UTC-6 David Tønnessen wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> As Ted Floyd just touched on here earlier this evening, the snow and dense 
> low clouds today meant many northbound migrants were grounded in places 
> they otherwise wouldn't stop or spend much time in. My forecasts indicate 
> this could go on through tomorrow morning. 
>
> Anyway, this afternoon myself and a few other local birders photographed 
> an apparent hendersoni (prairie-breeding) Short-billed Dowitcher at 
> Squirrel Creek Reservoir, the first one I have seen in El Paso County. It 
> took some close inspection and consultation with a couple individuals more 
> experienced in visual dowitcher ID than myself including Alvaro Jaramillo, 
> before I felt fully confident about the ID, hence the late posting. I 
> believe the continued snow through tonight and through the morning may keep 
> it in place through the night, however. If you want to learn how we came to 
> the ID, read the next paragraph.
>
> If you disregard the obvious plumage differences which are mainly the 
> result of varying stages of molt, in the first photo below the Short-billed 
> Dowitcher (center) is demonstrably a tad smaller, and clearly 
> flatter-backed as a result of its folded tertial and primary feathers being 
> held straighter than the two surrounding Long-billed Dowitchers. It is also 
> not as front heavy, and the bill on this particular individual was shorter 
> with a slight curve particularly notable when compared directly. As I 
> understand it, the more spotted look to the undertail coverts as a result 
> of thicker, ovate bands is also a good indicator for SBDO, and once this 
> individual advances more fully into its breeding plumage it should show 
> more spots centered at the shafts throughout the rest of the flanks. 
> Long-billed have narrower bands more appropriately designated as barring. 
> These nice photos were taken by Kevin Ash; note they appear very faded in 
> color due to the lighting in the field.
>
> [image: dowitcher-8.jpg][image: dowitcher-2.jpg]
>
> https://ebird.org/checklist/S85619513
>
>
>
> Beyond shorebirds, passerine migration seems to be quite late this year, 
> with only a slow trickle of migrant Yellow-rumped Warblers showing up in 
> the state almost two weeks later than usual. I'd be intrigued to find out 
> what's causing this, and if it has anything to do with the very cold and 
> abnormally south-reaching vortex this last February. Or perhaps Bryan 
> Guarente can enlighten us on other weather conditions happening in the Gulf 
> that might be the cause.
>
>
>
> Happy birding and ornithologizing,
>
> David Tonnessen
> CU Boulder
> Colorado Springs
>
>

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[cobirds] Mexican Ducks?

[David Tønnessen]

Hello all, 

I'm generally slow to get invested in local identification challenges and 
only do so if there is an ongoing situation and/or questionable validations 
in eBird that are brought to my attention. In essence, it is with some 
hesitation that I bring bad news to Colorado listing, partially echoing 
what Steve Mlodinow said in a post yesterday. My post is concerning the 
duck at Cherry Creek recently, as well as the Louisville duck, past Mexican 
Ducks reported in the Louisville area, and in summation a general caution 
on IDing female Mexican Ducks.

It looks like reviewers have the current situation at Cherry Creek State 
Park under control, but I was asked to point out that the purported Mexican 
Duck there is actually quite pale for a pure bird and more than likely has 
some Mallard in it. I was told a couple photos that have since been taken 
down showed flecks of green in the head as well.

On to female ducks. Below are some female ducks confirmed as Mexican Duck 
from the Louisville area since 2019:
https://ebird.org/checklist/S56765918
https://ebird.org/checklist/S57343772
https://ebird.org/checklist/S61280748
https://ebird.org/checklist/S63807127
https://ebird.org/checklist/S56818169
https://ebird.org/checklist/S56566242


Now, I would like to direct your attention to a quick search of female 
Mallards, from New York, Virginia, and Washington state. Being recently 
hatched (retaining juvenile characteristics) will cause dull uncontrasting 
coloration in the bill, brown tails, and darker than normal throats/heads 
due to heavier streaking. Older female Mallards also gain dull olive bills 
as a result of aging and as part of what we refer to as the "intersex" 
plumage (they take on some male characteristics). Clearly however, these 
features can also be found in adult females mature enough to raise young, 
as witnessed below.
https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/66302751#_ga=2.162978044.1312677016.1613790084-1314321843.1580152271
https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/113732861#_ga=2.167089278.1312677016.1613790084-1314321843.1580152271
https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/179080051#_ga=2.167089278.1312677016.1613790084-1314321843.1580152271
https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/212821981#_ga=2.167632254.1312677016.1613790084-1314321843.1580152271
https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/254287161#_ga=2.58578410.1312677016.1613790084-1314321843.1580152271
https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/246278181#_ga=2.58578410.1312677016.1613790084-1314321843.1580152271
https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/268176821#_ga=2.167663998.1312677016.1613790084-1314321843.1580152271
https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/59252921#_ga=2.63272303.1312677016.1613790084-1314321843.1580152271
https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/170046261#_ga=2.192204906.1312677016.1613790084-1314321843.1580152271
https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/61882151#_ga=2.159176826.1312677016.1613790084-1314321843.1580152271

Finding these examples was easy, and I knew it would be so because I have 
studied a number of Mallard family groups and fully grown immature birds 
over the last few summers, and witnessed those kinds of features (brown 
tail and vent, and dull smudged bill) exist in Mallards well throughout the 
year. Now, with the very small rate of nicely plumaged male Mexican Ducks 
that show up in Colorado, I don't think it would make any sense for there 
to be the rate of weird darkish female ducks that I have seen throughout 
the year if they were all female Mexican Ducks. I encourage you all to look 
through female and immature Mallards in eBird's Macaulay library and in the 
field, to see what I am talking about.

What I'm saying is, none of the birds in the checklists from the Louisville 
area I linked above show proof of being Mexican Ducks, and likely don't 
even show evidence of being hybrids. In fact, almost half of those 
checklists show very average-looking female Mallard rear-ends; pale tails, 
whitish streaked undertail coverts, and a general lack of dark warm feather 
edging.

There is much to learn still about the plumage overlap between Mallards and 
Mexican Ducks, and this topic thus far is very poorly studied, likely as a 
result of Mexican Duck only being recognized as a full species very 
recently. But one thing we do know is that there is a lot of hybridization 
going on, and especially in females, there is a LOT of overlap. The general 
rule of thumb in ornithology when recording observations of individuals of 
any species outside their normal range is to definitively rule out a more 
common, similar looking species by process of finding characteristics 
outside the variation of that species. With this in mind, for the sake of 
eBird's data and science, I think we should put IDing female Mexican Ducks 
in Colorado on hold for a while until we know exactly what to look for in 
order to eliminate the possibility of a Mallard or hybrid. 



Have a wonderful rest of your weekend, and happy birding.


*David Andreas Tonnessen*
EBIO department, CU 

[cobirds] CFO Shorebird Field Trip Report Bent County

[David Tønnessen]

Hello birders,

This is a late post due to my schedule but over the weekend of 8/28 - 8/29,
five of us were out on each day birding John Martin Reservoir and
surrounding area thanks to the Colorado Field Ornithologists initiating
field trips as part of their ongoing shorebird theme. The mission here
ended in outstanding success.

On Saturday, we started scoping on the cliffs at 38.0746409, -103.0133372
at around 7 am, which overlooks a large portion of the mudflat-turned
northwest shore and even features a sizeable puddle directly below the
cliffs where many of the shorebirds would cycle through. Highlights from
this vantage point included:
Black Tern - 6
Black-necked Stilt - 2
American Avocet - 240+
Semipalmated Plover - 2
Piping Plover - 1
Killdeer - 18
Marbled Godwit - 9
RED KNOT - 1
Stilt Sandpiper - 45
Sanderling - 6
Baird's Sandpiper - 1700+
Least Sandpiper - 13
BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER - 1
Pectoral Sandpiper - 35
Semipalmated Sandpiper - 2
Western Sandpiper - 13
SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER - 2
Wilson's Phalarope - 1300+
Red-necked Phalarope - 15
Spotted Sandpiper - 1
Solitary Sandpiper - 1
Greater Yellowlegs - 3
Lesser Yellowlegs - 800+

After this we headed toward the west side of the reservoir, stopping at the
wooded area (cottonwoods and tamarisks) at 38.086403,-103.009328 where we
found a Great Horned Owl, a Barn Owl, 2 BELL'S VIREOS (rare in Bent), a
Dickcissel, several Willow Flycatchers, and some other passerine migrants.

Below the dam at Lake Hasty we found a total of 56 Black Terns and an
oversummering Ring-necked Duck. In the campground we located a BALTIMORE
ORIOLE, a BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER, a Virginia's Warbler, an Olive-sided
Flycatcher, 3 Yellow-billed Cuckoos and some other passerine migrants.

Our two eBird lists from the day can be found below:
https://ebird.org/checklist/S93860957
https://ebird.org/checklist/S93859084


On day 2, Sunday, the initial plan was to bird other reservoirs in
southeastern Colorado but the nearly once-in-a-lifetime situation at John
Martin Reservoir provided that we bird the same area again. We followed
almost exactly the same route but spent more time checking eastern parts of
John Martin Reservoir that we hadn't checked the day before. This produced
Forster's Terns and a single Least Tern in its winter form, species we
didn't see the day before. For shorebirds, we had:
American Avocet - 250+
Snowy Plover - 1
Semipalmated Plover - 6
Piping Plover - 2
Killdeer - 22
Upland Sandpiper - 1 (flyover)
Marbled Godwit - 14
RED KNOT - 1
Stilt Sandpiper - 200+
Sanderling - 7
Baird's Sandpiper - 1700+
Least Sandpiper - 19
Pectoral Sandpiper - 35
Semipalmated Sandpiper - 2
Western Sandpiper - 20
SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER - 2
Wilson's Phalarope - 1000+
Red-necked Phalarope - 15
Solitary Sandpiper - 1
Willet - 5
Lesser Yellowlegs - 1100+

eBird checklists: https://ebird.org/checklist/S93936483
https://ebird.org/checklist/S93923552
https://ebird.org/checklist/S93923488

As you can see, despite a powerful cold front that moved through most of
the state the night of Saturday-Sunday, many of the shorebirds we had on
Saturday continued on Sunday, including the Red Knot and Short-billed
Dowitchers. The front seemed to have pushed many migrating passerines on
without replacing them however, as we had almost none in places we had many
the day before.

On both days we witnessed incredible shorebird diversity and numbers, with
species such as Red-necked Phalaropes, Wilson's Phalaropes, Lesser
Yellowlegs, Baird's Sandpipers, and occasionally others feeding almost
directly below our feet from the cliffs at the aforementioned position, and
displays of synchronous flocks being scattered through the air as the three
present Peregrine Falcons would test their hand (or talon) at sandpiper
breakfast. Our shorebird diversity consisted of 22 species on Saturday and
22 species on Sunday, making a grand total of 25 species over both days. We
had 30 total species in the order Charadriiformes, including Least Tern,
Black Tern, Forster's Tern, Ring-billed Gull and California Gull.


- David Tonnessen, Joan and Tim Grant, Cinnamon Bergamon, Helen Butts, and
Edward Landi


David Tonnessen
Boulder, CO

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Re: [cobirds] Gull ID help request: Chatfield Marina Sandspit

[David Tønnessen]

Hey Max,

Indeed it appears you found two Lesser Black-backed Gulls; a near adult 4th
cycle bird (notice the fleck of black in the bill for age) and a 2nd cycle.
Lesser Black-backed Gulls have contrasting dark wings compared to the rest
of their plumage even in younger plumages, and get a pale eye after their
first year. Like you said, the structure here is another great thing to
look at; long wings and heftier than a Ring-billed Gull with sharper bill
angles, but more petite than a Herring Gull.

This species has been increasing in this continent with occaisonal
oversummering birds having been found as far south as Central America.


Best,

David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs, CO

El sáb., 14 ago. 2021 8:46 a. m., Max Miller 
escribió:

> Good morning everyone,
>
> I did not expect to be sorting gulls so seriously this morning at the
> Chatfield Marina Sandspit, but here we are.
>
> As I was scanning the flock of Ring-billed Gulls to sort out any
> California Gulls (which were there, too), I noticed two birds that stuck
> out further, an adult and a juvenile next to each other in a smaller group
> of Ring-billeds maybe 30 feet from the greater flock.
>
> Both were noticeably bigger than the nearby Ring-billeds, but not hugely
> so. The adult was quite a bit darker backed than any of the other gulls,
> had a yellow eye, a red spot on its bill, and legs I would describe as
> perhaps yellowish, but pretty drab though the light could play a role here.
> The best I can come up with is Lesser Black-backed, but my experience with
> that species is limited.
>
> The juvenile was about the same size and seemed associated with the adult.
> It's eye seemed paler as I could make out a pupil. Again, light may play a
> role here. It had a unique shape I thought, but of course my gull ID guides
> are all at home so I hesitate to put any sort of ID on it in my mind.
>
> Any input is most welcome - I took a number of digiscoped photos that are
> uploaded to my ebird checklist at the link below. Thanks to any larophiles
> here who might be able to validate or negate my observations on the adult,
> and provide any further clues for the juvenile.
>
>
> https://ebird.org/checklist/S93202724
>
> Good birding!
>
> Max Miller
> Denver, CO
>
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Re: [cobirds] Re: Brown-headed Nuthatch in western KS

[David Tønnessen]

I believe it was determined that all the birds reintroduced in Missouri
were banded, and this one isn't. But I suppose it could be an offspring to
them if those birds successfully bred and the young weren't banded.


David

El dom., 24 de octubre de 2021 10:03 a. m., Dave Cameron 
escribió:

> Brown-headed Nuthatch was re-introduced last year in the Ozarks in
> Missouri.  Possibly this is a wandering member of that population.
>
> Dave Cameron
> Denver
>
> On Friday, October 22, 2021 at 10:03:06 AM UTC-6 Brandon wrote:
>
>> Colorado birders should be on the lookout for this species.  One is in
>> Garden City, Kansas, only 70 miles from the Colorado border.  A few
>> Colorado birders got to see it yesterday morning.  Since Pygmy Nuthatches
>> aren't really wandering around this fall, if you see one in eastern
>> Colorado, be sure it isn't a Brown-headed Nuthatch and let us know.
>> Colorado hasn't had this species so far.  The bird in Garden City, is the
>> furthest west one to be found ever.
>>
>> Brandon Percival
>> Pueblo West, CO
>>
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[cobirds] Glaucous-winged Gull, Pueblo Reservoir

[David Tønnessen]

Hi all,

Edward Landi and I have been looking at a 2nd cycle Glaucous-winged Gull
here at Pueblo Reservoir's South Shore Marina. It's been flying around
aggressively chasing other gulls and occasionally landing briefly. Look for
a massive gull with pale uncontrasting wingtips and a smudgy black bill.
Pale and off-white overall.

Other cool birds here include a first cycle Nelson's Gull (Glaucous x
Herring Gull hybrid), the resident Great Black-backed Gull, and more common
gulls of other flavors. Also Pacific and Common Loons, and resumably a
Red-throated Loon still around somewhere.


Good birding,
David Tonnessen
Pueblo County at the moment

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[cobirds] Anna's Hummingbird in Boulder

[David Tønnessen]

Birders,

It appears an Anna's Hummingbird was reported in Boulder County yesterday,
as a Ruby-throated Hummingbird. See the description from the list:

https://ebird.org/checklist/S98074548


Best,
David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs

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[cobirds] Re: Anna's Hummingbird in Boulder

[David Tønnessen]

I was asked to explain why this bird is an Anna's Hummingbird. I'm going
off of two general things; structure, and plumage pattern. Structurally,
it's chunky for a hummingbird. By plumage, first note that the dark
feathers in the throat are colored iridescent feathers (a gorget). The
pattern fits for a female Anna's Hummingbird over young male Archilochus
hummingbirds. Also notice how the GRAY underparts transition gradually to
greenish flanks and back. The pale areas of the throat are also grayish. In
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, these areas (throat and chest) would be very
white, contrasting more with the rest of the bird. The same would be true
for Costa's Hummingbird. Anna's Hummingbirds lack a bright white chest that
most other hummingbirds in the US show. Another thing pointing away from
Costa's Hummingbird is how far down the throat the iridescent pattern
reaches.

In the third photo, one of the iridescent throat feathers is angled right
to show color. Pink, like in Anna's Hummingbird.


Best,
David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs/Boulder

El vie., 26 de noviembre de 2021 7:19 a. m., David Tønnessen <
davidtonness...@gmail.com> escribió:

> Birders,
>
> It appears an Anna's Hummingbird was reported in Boulder County yesterday,
> as a Ruby-throated Hummingbird. See the description from the list:
>
> https://ebird.org/checklist/S98074548
>
>
> Best,
> David Tonnessen
> Colorado Springs
>

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[cobirds] Arctic Tern, Larimer County

[David Tønnessen]

Hi all,

I was asked to post here that the bird thus far being reported as a Common
Tern at Horseshoe Lake in Larimer County is in fact a (hatch-year) Arctic
Tern. I am not the first to ID it as such, and I believe (correct if wrong)
Josh Bruening is the original finder.

Here is a list with pics.
https://ebird.org/checklist/S96693524?view=photos



Best,

David Tonnessen

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[cobirds] Female/immature hummingbird photos

[David Tønnessen]

Greetings Colorado Birders,

I am requesting good images of immature/female hummingbirds of the 
following species:
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Calliope Hummingbird
Black-chinned Hummingbird

The photos will be used in a field identification article in Colorado 
Birds. Photographers will of course be credited and contributions much 
appreciated.


Thank you, and happy spring!

David Tonnessen

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[cobirds] Re: potential YELLOW RAIL, Monte Vista NWR, Rio Grande County

[David Tønnessen]

Extremely exciting news, Eric. I imagine that area is exactly the place for 
the species to potentially breed in the state (hey, they have exclaves in 
Oregon and sometimes California, so why not Colorado?)


Greetings,
David Tonnessen
On Tuesday, July 12, 2022 at 8:24:51 AM UTC-7 Eric DeFonso wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> This morning I had an audio encounter with what I'm pretty sure is a 
> YELLOW RAIL, at the Monte Vista NWR between about 645-730 this morning. I 
> made several sound recordings and shared them with Nathan Pieplow, who 
> agrees that this sounds like the real deal.
>
> I personally have no prior experience with this species but the ticking 
> sounds in the recordings I made are just like those that I've listened to 
> over the years in a number of commercial collections showcasing them.
>
> Below is the exact lat/lon where I was when I first encountered the bird. 
> It was amidst the thick bulrushes initially, probably only 5-10 yards away. 
> From that point it slowly made its way westward and southward deeper into 
> the marsh. When I left the area around 730 it was still audible, but 
> becoming fainter. My guess (or hope) is that it was "doing the rounds" so 
> may come back around to the parking area where I first detected it at some 
> point.
>
> (37.487640, -106.136866)
>
> Nathan suggests that a crepuscular or nocturnal visit to the refuge may be 
> more successful in detecting the species in general, although as I 
> mentioned I heard it in the 7am timeframe. Lots of other marsh birds in the 
> area of course making listening a little challenging, like Marsh Wrens, 
> Wilson's Snipes, American Coots, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Common 
> Yellowthroats. Also Sora and Virginia Rails calling occasionally.
>
> I know of only one previous record for this species in Colorado, from July 
> 1906 at Barr Lake. I don't know if that was a specimen or not.
>
> I will be in the Monte Vista area a few more hours before I have to leave. 
> Feel free to contact me for more info, but hopefully this message helps.
>
> Good birding,
> Eric
>
> ---
> Eric DeFonso
> near Lyons, Boulder County, CO
>

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[cobirds] Wyoming King Eiders

[David Tønnessen]

Hey Colorado Birders,

It's worth noting that there are currently two KING EIDERS at Lake Hattie
near Laramie, Wyoming, a first state record found by Jonathan Lautenbach.
This is only about 20 miles from Colorado as the crow (or eider) flies, and
would be a new species for Colorado's list as well. Who knows what
direction these birds will decide to take on their next flight.



Cheers and Happy Birding,


David Tonnessen
Chiapas, MX

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[cobirds] Re: Laughing Gull -- Adams County

[David Tønnessen]

CO birders,

According to eBird, there has only been 1 other Laughing Gull found in 
Colorado in the last 5 years! 

Checklist comments by the finder George Ho say that the Merlin Photo ID 
function made the identification, and while the app does not have 100% 
accuracy and should not be relied upon by itself in identification, this is 
an example of Merlin accurately picking out a rarity! In the photos, notice 
how the outer half of the primary feathers (or roughy outer 1/3 of the 
wing) are almost solidly black, whereas the similar and more common 
Franklin's Gull would show only a small band of black near the wingtips, 
bordered by white. Folded, the primaries appear entirely black, whereas in 
Franklin's you would see large white primary tips.

See photos in the checklist below:
https://ebird.org/checklist/S133512612


Cheers,

David Tonnessen
Currently Colorado Springs


On Wednesday, April 12, 2023 at 1:31:28 PM UTC-6 Brandon wrote:

> The Laughing Gull is at Lake Lanora at Rocky Mountain Arsenal.
>
> Brandon K. Percival
> Pueblo West,  CO
>

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[cobirds] Re: Laughing Gull -- Adams County

[David Tønnessen]

CO birders,

According to eBird, there has only been 1 other Laughing Gull found in 
Colorado in the last 5 years! 

Checklist comments by the finder George Ho say that the Merlin Photo ID 
function made the identification, and while the app does not have 100% and 
should not be relied upon by itself in identification, this is an example 
of Merlin accurately picking out a rarity! In the photos, notice how the 
outer half of the primary feathers (or roughy outer 1/3 of the wing) are 
almost solidly black, whereas the similar and more common Franklin's Gull 
would show only a small band of black near the wingtips, bordered by white. 
Folded, the primaries appear entirely black, whereas in Franklin's you 
would see large white primary tips.

See photos in the checklist below:
https://ebird.org/checklist/S133512612


Cheers,

David Tonnessen
Currently Colorado Springs


On Wednesday, April 12, 2023 at 1:31:28 PM UTC-6 Brandon wrote:

> The Laughing Gull is at Lake Lanora at Rocky Mountain Arsenal.
>
> Brandon K. Percival
> Pueblo West,  CO
>

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[cobirds] Sabine's Gull, El Paso County

[David Tønnessen]

Birders,

Excuse the late post as I had to get home and make some mother's day
breakfast, but in the hour I had outside this morning I enjoyed a gorgeous
breeding plumaged adult Sabine's Gull foraging near the parking lots at Big
Johnson Reservoir in El Paso County. There are only a handful (4?) of other
records for this species in Colorado in May, per eBird. Also present were
Franklin's Gulls, Forester's Terns, a good number of Black Terns, and crazy
numbers of swallows put down by the low stormy clouds.



Happy Mother's Day and Happy May Birding!


David Tonnessen
Colorado Springs

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[cobirds] BRAMBLING, Colorado Springs, El Paso County

[David Tønnessen]

Hi CO birders,

On December 27th, David Resch photographed a Brambling in a Colorado
Springs suburb, and submitted it to eBird on December 29th. Thanks to Mark
Peterson for calling me and alerting me to this, I then went out to give
the neighborhood a check the following morning, fully not expecting to find
anything. However, at 9:32 I lucked into the bird feeding on berries with a
flock of juncos and House Finches at 38.907514,-104.858815 in a red berried
ornamental; then followed it as it flew to 38.908563,-104.859306 in
cottonwoods and below some feeders, still associating strongly with junco
flocks. I was viewing the bird from Pinon Valley Rd throughout. At approx.
9:47 am I lost track of the bird while chatting with a dog-walker. But my
guess is it kept going north to visit another yard with a good food source
in the area. There are several houses with feeder setups in the
neighborhood, currently.

This morning, 4 of us looked in the same spots without luck. David Resch
has also not seen the bird since photographing it on the 27th.

Thus far, homeowners have been friendly. But if you find this bird, and pin
down a spot where it seems to be potentially reliable, please make sure
with the homeowners who reside there that alerting birders to the location
would be ok.

If you look for this bird, I recommend parking at the US Post Office
at 5001 Centennial Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80919, or at the plaza across
the street from there, and walking up Pinon Valley Rd towards the Brambling
area. While there is some street parking along these roads, please be
careful not to crowd the streets where locals reside.

People will be curious, and be prepared to be stopped and questioned about
what you are doing if you have large optics visible. Enthusiasm on the
subject of birding and explaining the rarity of the target bird while
showing them pictures (I like to use Merlin) always helps. Be respectful
and courteous, and do not walk onto lawns or yards unless explicitly given
permission.

To me, this individual looked like a male in basic plumage. Very bright for
a winter Brambling, and it's dazzling orange is what caught me eye
initially, along with its size (slightly larger than a junco or House
Finch). This species does not typically fly to the very tops of trees,
unlike many of the local finch species, but stays at mid-level or just
below the crown. They feed on the ground more than other finch species, too


Good luck, and Happy New Year's Eve!

~ David Tonnessen

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