ACES Morning Birding at Rock Bottom Ranch 9/3/24

We were dazzled by amazing bird activity in the pollinator garden where the varied habitats support a great deal of biodiversity. Birds were feeding on abundant insects and fruits here, including many cedar waxwings, yellow warblers, a Virginia warbler, house wrens, gray catbirds, spotted towhees, and more. Lewis’s woodpeckers were present, as were northern flickers and hairy woodpeckers. Another focus today was mallards in eclipse plumage, noting bill color as a way to distinguish males and females. We also saw that many songbirds were in mid-molt, looking unkempt and patchy in color. Migration is an exciting season – join us for more thrilling birds on field trips throughout September and October!