Morning Birding Species List | October 1, 2013

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Throughout the fall, winter and spring ACES offers monthly Morning Birding classes at our Hallam Lake site in Aspen. Class outings venture to local birding hotspots and the birds never fail to impress. Take a look at the below species list and notes from one of the recent classes and register today for upcoming birding classes!

Tuesday, October 1, 2013, 7:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Weather:  mostly sunny
Locations: Hallam Lake, Little Cloud Trail, James Smith Open Space

Species Identified
Mallard Belted Kingfisher Northern Flicker Steller’s Jay Clark’s Nutcracker Black-billed Magpie American Crow		Black-capped Chickadee (pictured above) Mountain Chickadee Red-breasted Nuthatch American Dipper American Robin Song Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco

Comments: Fascinating fall behavior of birds in groups was observed including: red-breasted nuthatches caching food, Clark’s nutcrackers breaking open Douglas fir cones to feed on the seeds, and a family of dippers vocalizing and foraging boisterously together on the Roaring Fork River.  It was both gratifying and intriguing to see juveniles, either still with family groups or on their own, in the later stages of learning the ropes.

~Rebecca Weiss, ACES Naturalist