ACES Morning Birding at Rock Bottom Ranch 9/26/23

Birds were abundant in pockets of food-rich habitat, and we were fortunate to happen upon a few of these. We found mixed flocks of sparrows and had opportunities to compare their field marks and foraging behaviors, especially between song and Lincoln’s Sparrows. In other areas, Cedar Waxwings flocked in tree tops and hawked insects out of the air, Evening Grosbeaks zoomed around in flocks, and Red-winged Blackbirds gathered into the largest flocks we’ve seen yet this season. A few Clark’s Nutcrackers were in the area, vocalizing and crossing the valley’s wide expanses. Lewis’s Woodpeckers were still flying to food storage trees carrying acorns and hammering them into place; we wondered how much food they will be stashing for winter, having seen this work going on for the past six weeks. Our final highlight was a Sora foraging out in the open on the pond by the bird blind along with a dozen Green-winged Teal. Join us next Tuesday for Morning Birding at Hallam Lake!