Morning Birding at Rock Bottom Ranch 9/20/22

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Tuesday, September 20, 2022, 7:30am-10:30am
Weather: Cloudy, then clearing to mostly sunny
Location: Rock Bottom Ranch, Basalt, CO

 

Fall migration continues to serve up some exciting species, and today’s unexpected find was a Nashville warbler, distinguished by its complete white eye-ring, gray head, lack of wingbars, and yellow underparts. Nashville Warblers are considered rare during fall migration within the Roaring Fork Valley. Other highlights included an incredibly long look at a foraging black-chinned hummingbird at close range, a couple of Wilson’s warblers, a Wilson’s snipe, and a late-lingering western kingbird. We had to work hard for the birds today, as there was low general activity and many of those that we did see were furtive among the foliage. It was a wonderful outing capped by seeing the Nashville warbler, underscoring the importance of getting out in the field – there’s always something wonderful with every outing! Join us on Thursday for more fall migration birding at the Marolt Open Space!

 

Black-chinned hummingbird at Rock Bottom Ranch, Basalt, CO. Photo by Mark Fuller.

 

Cooper’s hawk at Rock Bottom Ranch, Basalt, CO. Photo by Mark Fuller.

 

 

Black-chinned hummingbird at Rock Bottom Ranch, Basalt, CO. Photo by Mark Fuller.

 

 

Nashville warbler at Rock Bottom Ranch, Basalt, CO. Photo by Mark Fuller.

 

Species List: 

Canada goose
Mallard
Wild turkey
Rock pigeon
Eurasian collared dove
Black-chinned hummingbird
Wilson’s snipe
Turkey vulture
Cooper’s hawk
Red-tailed hawk
Belted kingfisher
Lewis’s woodpecker
Northern flicker
Western wood pewee
Western kingbird
Steller’s jay
Woodhouse’s scrub jay
Black-billed magpie
American crow
Black-capped chickadee
White-breasted nuthatch
European starling
Gray catbird
American robin
Cedar waxwing
American goldfinch
Song sparrow
Spotted towhee
Red-winged blackbird
Nashville warbler
Wilson’s warbler

~ Rebecca Weiss, ACES Bird Guide

Featured photo: Nashville warbler. Photo by Mark Fuller.