Morning Birding at Rock Bottom Ranch Species List 8/17

---

Tuesday, August 17, 2021 7:30am-10:30am
Weather: Sunny
Location: Rock Bottom Ranch

Birds were very active today in pockets of habitat with concentrations of food. From the parking lot, we watched northern rough-winged swallows foraging overhead, pewees and yellow warblers in the trees, and chickadees in the willows. Walking across the dirt road to the Rio Grande Trail, we enjoyed lots of activity in the shrubland habitat on the hillside. Highlights included many Lewis’s woodpeckers, turkeys, a Cooper’s hawk, many warblers, and a variety of passerines, but the most exciting highlight of the morning was a great horned owl that we were lucky to see in flight and then continue to watch while it preened and dozed in the oaks. We were able to observe the owl through scopes for excellent views of its field marks and behavior. After taking time to enjoy the owl (from a discreet distance and ensuring that our presence was not having an impact; the owl appeared relaxed and content), we walked into the RBR property and found Eurasian collared- and mourning doves to compare, hummingbirds, more Lewis’s woodpeckers, a red-tailed hawk, and a Clark’s nutcracker. This outing was late summer birding at its best–many birds on the food-rich landscape.

Species List: 

Canada Goose
Wild Turkey
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Great Horned Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Lewis’s Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Western Wood-Pewee
Cordillera Flycatcher
Warbling Vireo
Woodhouse-s Scrub-Jay
Clark’s Nutcracker
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Common Raven
Violet-green Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Western Tanager
 

~ Rebecca Weiss, ACES Bird Guide

 

Today’s Mini Lesson: Why Choose Bird Friendly Coffee?

Today’s mini lesson focused on the many migratory birds that are preparing to leave and/or passing through our area. One of the most effective actions one can do to help these birds, is making “bird friendly coffee” your coffee choice. This level of certification ensures that the native forest overstory these birds depend on for wintering habitat is preserved, while coffee grows sustainably in the understory. Watch this video from Cornell Lab to get informed about the avian and broad ecological benefits of bird friendly coffee. Giving bird friendly coffee as holiday and special occasion gifts can be a fun way to help spread the word and help your friends and family become aware of this important conservation action.