Morning Birding Species List | August 13, 2019

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Tuesday, August 13, 2019, 7:30AM – 10:30AM
Weather: Mostly sunny
Location: Hallam Lake & James Smith Open Space

Species Identified

Mallard Canada Goose Broad-tailed Hummingbird Spotted Sandpiper Great Blue Heron Red-tailed Hawk Red-naped Sapsucker American Crow Black-capped Chickadee Mountain Chickadee Tree Swallow Violet-green Swallow House Wren American Robin Cedar Waxwing Evening Grosbeak Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Green-tailed Towhee Yellow Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s) Black-headed Grosbeak Western Tanager

 

Comments:

Behaviors and young birds were especially interesting on this morning’s outing. Our mini-lesson focused on the importance of keeping cats indoors, and provided a resource from National Audubon Society with statistics and research information. Fledgling season is a particularly important time to keep cats indoors while young, inexperienced birds are abundant. Hallam Lake was particularly busy with birds, with spotted sandpipers (most likely juvenile birds) foraging along the lake shore, cedar waxwings in small flocks, a couple of evening grosbeaks calling, and a black-headed grosbeak active among the fruiting shrubs. We were able to study a juvenile great blue heron and learn its specific field marks used to age this species (coarsely spotted neck, dull gray crown, and undeveloped head and neck plumes). Mallard ducklings were feeding across the main lake, seemingly fine as they were widely spread out without an obviously attending hen nearby. At the James Smith Property, we saw a female western tanager and glimpses of a green-tailed towhee in the willows. Violet-green and tree swallows were feeding actively over the landscape, and many adults and juveniles perched in a cottonwood tree where we were able to study them and discern the field marks of young birds versus adult birds of both species. Another highlight was watching several cedar waxwings feeding on ripe serviceberries. Join us next Tuesday for Morning Birding at Rock Bottom Ranch!

~ Rebecca Weiss, ACES Bird Guide 

 

Photo by Dale Armstrong