Morning Birding Species List | January 6, 2015

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Tuesday, January 6, 2014, 8AM – 11AM
Weather: Sunny, clear
Location: Hallam Lake, Snowmass

Species Identified
Canada Goose Mallard Green-winged Teal Ring-necked Duck Lesser Scaup Bufflehead Common Goldeneye Hooded Merganser (pictured above) Belted Kingfisher		Steller’s Jay Black-billed Magpie American Crow Black-capped Chickadee Mountain Chickadee American Dipper Song Sparrow House Finch

Comments: Winter birding outings are always special, offering glimpses of bird behaviors that are fascinating to watch, and the gratification of seeing birds active and thriving during this frosty, crisp, beautiful season. A kingfisher at Hallam Lake gave us a great show as it scouted from key perches, diving once successfully, and then perching with the fish in its bill long enough for the group to observe it before swallowing its catch. The clear, warmer morning seemed to bring on a little birdsong: song sparrows, chickadees and American dippers sang around Hallam Lake.

Our field trip to Snowmass Sanitation’s water treatment pond yielded an excellent waterfowl study. Winter is a choice time to see water birds in breeding plumage, and certain species that only over-winter in this area. We were able to study field marks of both males and females of most species present on the treatment pond. We had good practice looking for key field marks on ducks that were roosting with heads tucked, preening, and actively diving. Today’s mini-lesson covered irruptions, incursions of birds that don’t normally occur in a given area, particularly in winter.

Join us for the next Birding with ACES outing on February 3! 

~ Rebecca Weiss, ACES Bird Guide