ACES Morning Birding at Hallam Lake 04/07/26

This season’s historically warm and dry winter is merging into a very early spring, with foliage already leafing out on certain stands of aspens and many shrubs. New, green grass is growing, and certain birds are starting to arrive – some on their usual timing and others a bit early – but overall the vegetation is pretty far ahead of the birds in terms of how early things are switching into spring activity. This outing started off at ACES driveway with a large group, showing that birders, too, are eager to jump into gear on the early side! No gloves, warm hat, or puffy were needed today, a first in the history of ACES’ birding program.

Our first birds included robins, chickadees, and nuthatches, followed by the osprey pair that has returned to the nesting platform overlooking the preserve. Around Hallam Lake, we focused on the songs of the Song Sparrow and the Ruby-crowned Kinglet. We were tantalized by Golden-crowned Kinglets that stayed out of view, and entertained by a couple of muskrats that were active in a waterway in the preserve. Out at the Roaring Fork River, a pair of American Dippers foraged in the river and defended their territory by chasing a visiting dipper upriver with impressive speed. We saw last year’s dipper nest and picked up a river rock to learn about the aquatic insect larvae these birds eat. A Brown Creeper and a Wild Turkey capped off the morning just after we concluded. Join us on May 12th for Morning Birding at Hallam Lake, and check ACES’ website for a variety of great birding field trips coming up throughout the month of May and into the summer!