Morning Birding at Rock Bottom Ranch Species List | July 23, 2019


ACES Staff

July 23, 2019

Morning Birding at Rock Bottom Ranch Species List | July 23, 2019

Tuesday, July 23, 2019, 7AM – 10AM
Weather: Sunny
Location: Rock Bottom Ranch

Species Identified
Canada goose
Mallard
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Wilson’s Snipe
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Belted Kingfisher
Lewis’s Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Western Wood-Pewee
Cordilleran Flycatcher
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Barn Swallow
Chickadee sp.
House Wren
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Cedar Waxwing
Song Sparrow
Brown-headed Cowbird
Red-winged Blackbird
Yellow Warbler
Western Tanager
Black-headed Grosbeak

 

Comments:

Families of birds are out and about at this peak time in the breeding season. We saw families of downy woodpeckers, northern flickers, American kestrels, and Canada geese. Behaviors are pretty simple to notice, such a youngsters begging vigorously for food, sometimes even nearly attacking their parents, and adults stuffing food into fledglings’ bills. This is the most vulnerable stage of life for most birds, as the young of the year learn the ropes of life. It is an important time to keep dogs on leashes and cats indoors. Other highlights were many observations of Lewis’s woodpeckers in various light conditions, and a wonderful view of a belted kingfisher. Non-bird highlights today included a young mink that we watched for a full 5 minutes while it curiously checked into vegetation along the cattail trail, working its way toward our group. We were able to see the mink’s weasel family characteristics including its bounding locomotion as well as its white chin spot. We also saw muskrats, rock squirrels, and voles, including one vole that ended up as prey for the kestrel family we were watching. Join us tomorrow evening at 7PM at Hallam Lake for a free public lecture about birds by Ted Floyd.

~ Rebecca Weiss, ACES Bird Guide 

 

Photo by Dale Armstrong

Related Content

ACES // City of Aspen Open Space Birding: Marolt Open Space 9/5/2024

Learn More

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

Learn More

ACES Birding by Habitat: Snowmass Village 8/28/24

Learn More