ACES City of Aspen Open Space Birding, Ute Cemetery 06/11/26

Hummingbirds and tanagers were particularly active as we began our walk through Ute Cemetery. We were able to observe males and females of both species, and we discussed their different nesting behaviors. We saw orange-crowned and yellow warblers, and heard yellow-rumped warblers. Violet-green swallows swooped overhead, while ruby-crowned kinglets and warbling vireos sang from the taller trees. We were surprised by a Cooper’s hawk that swooped over the river before pulling a sharp turn and flying very low to the ground along a wooded pathway. A dipper was active in the river and a mallard hen with two ducklings swam above the new beaver dam that spans the Roaring Fork River. We also focused on historic features such as the Civil War veterans’ monuments, the glacial moraine, and the Wheeler Ditch. Later, with a question about tree identification, we did a lesson in how to distinguish a spruce from a fir. Wrapping up in Ajax Park, we found a mountain chickadee nest in the lower portion of a tree, and spent the remainder of our time watching the parents make food deliveries and carry fecal sacs away from the nest. It was a fun and full morning with so many great birds! Join us for many upcoming birding outings, including a special evening of birding at Windstar Preserve on Thursday June 18th 5-8pm!