ACES Morning Birding at Hallam Lake 08/11/2026

Today’s outing began with a juvenile osprey perched above the parking lot eating a fish while an adult flew around and landed nearby. Juvenile osprey vocalizations punctuated the morning as these birds then moved about, perching in various tall trees above Hallam Lake. Overall bird activity was high, with many fledglings on the wing. There were several exciting highlights: many yellow warblers in the cottonwood canopy, a Clark’s nutcracker flying overhead, a fledgling broad-tailed hummingbird being fed by its mother, and a big black bear foraging quietly in the shrubs across the pond in full view for an amazing look at this spectacular animal. The bear’s fur was lit by the sun and we enjoyed watching it walk to a spring for water and seeing its pink tongue dripping. The moment with the hummingbirds was precious: seeing the newly fledged bird in a begging posture when the adult female landed next to it, and watching the regurgitation process – a delicate glimpse of behavior that is rarely observed away from the nest. Birds’ behaviors and patterns continue to shift as fall rolls along, flocking, dispersing, and moving among a variety of habitats for seasonal foods. Join us next Tuesday for Morning Birding at Rock Bottom Ranch, and the following week for special field trips each morning – a trove of fall migration experience!