ACES Morning Birding at Hallam Lake 7/2/2024
Phebe Meyers
July 15, 2024
![ACES Morning Birding at Hallam Lake 7/2/2024](https://media.aspennature.org/assets/2023/09/13183535/belted-kingfisher.png)
Tuesday, July 2, 2024, 7:00-10:00am
Weather: Mostly sunny
Location: Hallam Lake, Aspen, CO
Recently fledged great blue herons foraged at the shores of Hallam Lake, one eyeing a flock of ten mallard ducklings as they paddled by with their mother, and the other making strikes at potential prey in the emergent wetland plants across the lake. Both young herons were fascinating to watch as they practiced learning the ways of heron life. At the bridge over the Roaring Fork River on the Rio Grande Trail, two nestling American dippers peered out of the opening to their ball-shaped moss nest on a crosspiece of the bridge’s support timbers. We enjoyed watching the parents make food deliveries to these birds that looked very close to fledging. Other highlights included seeing yellow warblers in excellent light, spotted sandpipers calling and foraging on the lake shore, and a pine marten hunting in the riparian willows. Join us on July 9th for Morning Birding at Rock Bottom Ranch and on July 11th for a birding field trip in Mountain Boy Basin on Independence Pass!
Species List:
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Spotted Sandpiper
Great Blue Heron
Osprey
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
Western Wood-Pewee
Western Flycatcher
Warbling Vireo
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
Violet-green Swallow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
American Dipper
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Yellow Warbler
~ Rebecca Weiss, ACES Bird Guide
Featured photo: Belted Kingfisher
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