Morning Birding at Rock Bottom Ranch Species List

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Tuesday, August 4, 2020, 7:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Weather: Mostly cloudy
Location: Rock Bottom Ranch

Species Identified:

Canada Goose
Mallard
Wild Turkey
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Cooper’s Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Lewis’s Woodpecker
Western Wood-Pewee
Cordilleran Flycatcher
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Violet-green Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Cedar Waxwing
House Finch
Lesser Goldfinch
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Yellow Warbler

 

 

 

Comments:

 

Today’s mini-lesson featured Jennifer Ackerman’s new book The Bird Way and the mid-molt juvenile plumage of Starlings.  Highlights of the outing included an excellent comparison of three swallow species:  northern Rough-winged, barn, and violet-green; up-close looks at a number of female and/or juvenile hummingbirds; many observations of Lewis’s woodpeckers; and an active violet-green swallow nest.  We also checked a Cooper’s hawk nest that had several nestlings two weeks ago, and it was empty.  We saw one juvenile Cooper’s hawk perched in a nearby tree, and we assume the family of fledglings is dispersed in the area and learning to become independent.  One question that arose was whether northern Rough-winged swallows excavate their earthen burrows.  Research shows that most appear to take over abandoned burrows created by other species, including bank swallows, rather than digging new burrows.  It was a fun day in the field, full of interesting experiences and learning.  Join us next Tuesday at Hallam Lake!

 

 

 

~ Rebecca Weiss, ACES Bird Guide

Photo by Dale Armstrong