Birds of the Plains

Bill and I headed east to find another RC car track. We didn't have any luck with the track so we detoured onto some side roads to see what we could see.

We drove right past this Scaled Quail perched on a fence post and Bill had to back up so I could get a picture.

This Horned Lark seems to be advertising his wares. We have lots of these birds just east of the city and they have a beautiful song.

Another lark and another beautiful singer - a Western Meadowlark with what looks like lunch in his mouth.

In the grasses they are much harder to see.

The Western Kingbirds are easy to find. They perch on the fences along the roads.

Yes, this picture was really taken yesterday - May 30. This is not snow - it is hail!

This is a white-tailed jackrabbit also known as a prairie hare.

Check out those ears!!

Isn't this hawk beautiful? It is a Swainson's Hawk and we saw quite a few on our ride. They were all perched high on telephone poles.

They must have had quite a hail storm out here. It looked like this in an area about a mile square. The storm was the previous afternoon and I took this picture around noon the next day.

We also checked out a new birding spot here in the city - Stinson's Pond. I'm hoping this is an Olive-sided Flycatcher.

And I believe this is a Western Wood Pewee. I'm not positive on either of these identifications.

I do know this one - it's a Spotted Towhee!

Back in our yard, we continue to see the Western Tanagers - but not in the numbers we saw earlier in the month.

One of our faithful American Robins.

Just as I sat down for one of Bill's fabulous dinners, this female Black-headed Grosbeak landed on the feeders. I should have gone outside for a better picture - but dinner was too good to leave. Bill made a to-die-for broccoli salad. He used local honey instead of white sugar in the dressing. YUM!

I'm still working on my Amish With a Twist project. It's a good thing I bought this as a kit with the material included because I would NEVER put these colors together. I'm not sure yet whether I like it. It actually looks better in the picture.

Colorado Field Ornithologist (CFO) Convention in Sterling Colorado

Bill and I attended our first CFO Convention over the Labor Day weekend in Sterling, Colorado. We gathered with 175 other birders and the mayor of Sterling for the welcome barbecue on Thursday evening followed by 3 days of field trips, a Saturday night banquet, talks and impromptu "chases" to see specific birds.  

A Black-billed Magpie along the route to Sterling.

After the welcome BBQ, several of us went out to search for Western Screech Owls. The leader lead a car parade to a remote spot and called in the owls. It was quite dark when I took this shot and I'm amazed I got anything - but it's a picture, so it counts - a lifer for both Bill and me.

Our first field trip took us to a private wildlife area in Fort Morgan. We saw lots of Towhees - this one is a juvenile Spotted Towhee.

There was a lot of discussion about the identity of this sparrow but the leader finally decided it was a Song Sparrow.

Western Wood Peewees were the default bird of the trip - we saw dozens.

A Red-shafted Flicker.

Swainson's Hawk

I've only seen Wilson's Warblers in the high country before this trip.

 

Another Life Bird for us - a juvenile Mississippi Kite. There were a lot flying high over one of the city parks, but Bill and I waited until dusk when they began to land in the trees.

Not a great picture as it was so dark - but a real thrill for me to see one up close.

Our birding group (the slackers) on Saturday at Columbine Park. Our leader is Ted Floyd - a wealth of fabulous information!

 This has been the year of the Cedar Waxwings! There were dozens in one of the trees - both adults and juveniles.

This time of year, I don't see the red on their wings.

A Red-breasted Nuthatch looking for insects.

Our Sunday trip took us to Tamarak SWA where I saw this Bullock's Oriole. We counted a total of 58 species - not bad. It was a great weekend and we are already looking forward to next year!

Prairie Life - Mobbing and Mating

You don't have to go very far east of Colorado Springs to see the landscape change dramatically - from mountain foothills with trees, bushes and flowers to wide open prairie with sagebrush and tumbleweed.

This is hawk habitat! On a recent drive near Peyton, CO we saw lots of tumbleweed and lots of hawks. This one is a Swainson's Hawk.

Last time I posted a picture of a Swainson's in flight someone commented that he had pretty armpits. Yes they are, Lisa!

A Loggerhead Shrike is often described as a songbird that acts like a hawk.

This is a pair of Lark Sparrows. We watched them for sometime. The male mounted the female over and over and over again.

Here they are resting between bouts.

Finally she had had enough and flew away.

Pictured is an activity called "mobbing" where a smaller bird goes after a larger bird - usually a predator - to drive it away from its territory, food source or nesting area. The smaller bird is a Northern Mockingbird and the larger bird is a Swainson's Hawk.

The Mockingbird kept pecking the hawk - over and over.

Here he comes again!

It almost looks like they are trying to mate.

We still have at least one pair of Cedar Waxwings that come into the yard to feed. I'm hoping we'll see babies in the future!

Just a Couple More Waxwings (I Promise!)

Yes, the Cedar Waxwings are still here and in as many numbers as before. I swear they are not going to leave a single bud on our bushes.

We still see an occasional Black-headed Grosbeak.

But the Waxwings are the stars of the yard.

I love the Robins.

This picture shows the red waxy projections at the end of the feathers that give them their name.

Over the weekend we went to La Junta, Colorado to watch some baseball. Naturally, we went the long way and did a little birding. The next three pictures are of a Swainson's Hawk being pursued by a Western Kingbird. That nasty kingbird would not leave him alone!

We stopped at a pond where we saw this Lark Sparrow.

Another Western Kingbird.

 It was quite a surprise to see Black-crowned Night Herons. There were about a dozen in the trees on the other side of the pond.

One more shot of the Lark Sparrow.

During the break between baseball games we visited the Comanche National Grasslands just south of La Junta.

This was very cool - what remains of a stage coach route through the area.

On our way back to Colorado Springs, we heard that there were terrible storms in town. This was the view from east of town.