Morning Birding Species List | May 1, 2018

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Tuesday, May 1, 2018, 7AM – 10AM
Weather: Mostly sunny
Location: Hallam Lake and Aspen Grove Cemetery

Species Identified

Canada Goose Gadwall Mallard Broad-tailed Hummingbird Turkey Vulture Cooper’s Hawk Northern Flicker Steller’s Jay Black-billed Magpie American Crow Black-capped Chickadee Mountain Chickadee White-breasted Nuthatch Pygmy Nuthatch Brown Creeper Ruby-crowned Kinglet American Robin House Finch Song Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird Swallow species, unidentified

Comments: 

Today delivered a lot of birding excitement as the group experienced a few seasonal ‘firsts’ for migratory species just returned to the Aspen area, including Broad-tailed Hummingbird and a flock of swallows flying too high to identify to species. We were able to observe several types of birds while they were singing, helping to reinforce song as an ID aid, including Song Sparrow, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Red-winged Blackbird, the chickadees, and Mountain Chickadee. Lack of foliage makes this a special time for ease of finding and seeing singing birds in breeding plumage. Two recently-hatched, fluffy yellow Canada Goose goslings back-lit by the sun stole the show for a little while in the Hallam Lake preserve. At least one adult Cooper’s Hawk was seen visiting the nest and flying among the trees during our mini-field trip to Aspen Grove Cemetery where a pair of these forest hawks has nested for the past four years. We discussed birding etiquette, especially being sensitive to breeding birds by keeping a discreet distance and moving on if there is any sign of unease. After this morning’s birding session, a few of us lingered in ACES’ driveway and were treated to the discovery of a Brown Creeper nest under construction in a crevice of a large cottonwood. The pair of creepers was gathering nesting material and making back-and-forth flights directly over our heads so close that we could hear their wings. We also observed a Pygmy Nuthatch in the same vicinity, which is unusual for the habitat. As we always say, ‘the best birding is in the parking lot before and after birding class!’ The next Morning Birding session will be held at ACES’ Rock Bottom Ranch on Tuesday, May 22. Join us for more excellent spring birding! We will plan some parking lot birding time there as part of the class!

~ Rebecca Weiss, ACES Bird Guide 

Photo by Dale Armstrong