Tuesday Birding at Rock Bottom Ranch 6/13/23

The fledglings of early nesters are out on the wing and nesting activity is in full swing for most of the regular summer breeding species. We saw feeding behaviors today with parent birds carrying food to nestlings, including a Say’s Phoebe, Red-winged Blackbird, Lewis’s Woodpecker, and House Wren. We learned the song of the Bullock’s Oriole while listening to a male singing in a cottonwood tree on Cole Island. This bright orange bird stayed out of sight behind foliage before giving us a glimpse as it flew out of the tree. We enjoyed using the newly constructed trail that links the native birdsong garden area with the bird blind and pond. From this trail, we had excellent views of Northern Rough-winged Swallows foraging over the stream. This species can easily escape notice when mixed with the more common tree and violet-green swallows; we focused on their subtle field marks and distinctive vocalizations. Join us next Tuesday for Morning Birding at Hallam Lake and for birding the burn area on Basalt Mountain on Wednesday June 21st!