ACES Morning Birding at Hallam Lake 06/02/26

The sun and warmer morning air provided for a birdy morning! We had several exciting moments with some great birds and mammals at Hallam Lake, providing memorable learning experiences. Lewis’s woodpeckers chattering up in the cottonwoods at the top of the driveway kicked off our morning. A belted kingfisher dove into the lake, fishing for breakfast, and we had great views of both violet-green and tree swallows, giving us a spontaneous swallow study for great comparisons. A bull moose browsed in the willows and oak around the lake alongside a few mule deer, a few great sightings of fur friends. Northern yellow warblers, Lincoln’s sparrows, and red-winged blackbirds sang throughout the preserve, and a MacGillivray’s warbler flitted in the dense foliage, only giving us a glimpse while it sang. Spotted sandpipers foraged along the lake shore, and a great blue heron silently stalked its prey along the bank. We watched two female broad-tailed hummingbirds flying around with spiderweb silk on their beaks, fly that strong, soft nesting material to towards their nests. This was a particularly “birdy” morning at a great time of year when most migratory birds are back and higher elevation breeding birds are around before they move up to their nesting habitats. Join us on June 9 for Tuesday Morning birding at Rock Bottom Ranch!