Birds and Nature

I photographed this Carolina Wren at Hildago Pumphouse (where they used to pump water from the Rio Grande River for many farm fields). South of the McAllen,TX, this location is adjacent to the Rio Grande River and just across the border from Mexico. There were also 2 Black Phoebes on the Hildago Pumphouse grounds. SeEtta

I spotted this Golden-fronted Woodpecker and Northern Cardinal in the Roselawn Cemetery getting a drink from one of the urns that are filled with fresh flowers. This source of drinking water, the first I have observed, adds to the better known amenities such as diversity of trees and minimal disturbance that cemeteries offer to birds. SeEtta

While birding in the Roselawn Cemetery I found this Pine Warbler, I believe a male, foraging in the same area as the Greater Pewee. SeEtta

Just one more pic that helps show off the yellow-orange mandible on it's bi-colored and very large bill on the Greater Pewee. (It's crest, white chin and dark upper bill visible on pics in prior post while plain gray plumage shown on pics in both posts). When I viewed this bird it showed a greenish tinge to some of it's lower parts which hadn't been reported or noted by other 2 birders who viewed it with me. I did find that Birds of North America online states that for birds in Definitive Basic plumage, "Fresh plumage more deeply colored than spring plumage aspect described below, with upperparts more olive, lower parts more strongly suffused with yellowish buff or greenish yellow ." Since this plumage is acquired after pre-Basic molt that occurs in July through September, it's plumage shouldn't be too worn yet. SeEtta

I photographed this Greater Pewee in Roselawn Cemetery in McAllen,Tx. It was located by a gentleman from Idaho. These photos can be enlarged for close-up views by double clicking on them. I thought the bird had a greenish wash on it's underparts but that didn't come through in the photos--has anyone else seen that? SeEtta This cemetery was exceptionally birdy including a female Summer Tanager that only allowed quick looks and no pics.

This is a really fantastic video that shows just how White-winged Crossbills use their distinctive bills to gain access to seeds locked inside of pine cones.  The video is of excellent quality and with great close-up views.  SeEtta

I have found these cloud formations referred to as 'rotor' clouds or wave clouds on some of the meteriological sites I have found. Apparently the specific phenomena that produces these is called the "Kelvin-Helmholtz instability" that is related to wind shear likely related to the nearby Wet Mountains and some strong winds that were on their way into the area today. SeEtta

I was birding just east of Canon City this afternoon when I spotted these cool clouds. For 45 minutes the clouds formed into what looked like ocean waves , fell apart and reformed. More pics in next post. SeEtta

I think this pic shows the white supercilium that is one of the field marks of this species. SeEtta

Soon the juvenile Northern Goshawk was flushed by the bird mobbing it and I caught these pics as it flew past me. Northern Goshawks are noted to use "all types of coniferous forests" during winter according to Colorado Birds by Andrews and Righter. Though the photos lose quality, the eyes can seen by double clicking on the top pic to enlarge eye. SeEtta

As I walked back down the dry gulch where I was looking for sapsucker work, I spotted this juvenile Northern Goshawk perched in a deciduous tree on the top of a ridge several hundred yards away. As I took these pics I saw that a bird was harassing the goshawk. More in next post. SeEtta

This morning I hiked a little over a mile following the dry gulch where I have been following the Williamson's Sapsuckers in the siberian-type elm trees. There were only a few small groves of these invasive elms but I did find trees with what looked to me like recent (not real fresh like they are still being worked but made within the past month or two) sap wells as shown in the top pic. The tree in the top pic is in the small grove in the bottom pic. I did not find any sapsuckers but did see several Juniper Titmouse, some Western Scrub Jays and a lot of Townsend's Solitaires. I was surprised to find 1 young cottonwood with sap wells. These were all surrounded by pinyon-juniper woodlands and though I only looked at only a few dozen of these trees I only saw a few with very old sap wells. SeEtta

The lower pic shows about 40-50 crows in the larger flock that are taking advantage of the water in the Arkansas River. Others perched in nearby trees, shaking water from their feathers and grooming while others flew between the river and the trees. SeEtta

These American Crows were part of a large flock of about 125-150 that I found just east of Canon City, CO today. Many of them were on a gravel bar in the Arkansas River where they could get a long drink of water and a refreshing bath--both harder to come by in this area due to moderate drought conditions. We don't see such large numbers of crows in this area often and their presence may be due to the drought as they can find more food and more reliable water in lower elevation area than in the Wet Mountain Valley. SeEtta

Today was the first time I have spotted this male Red-naped Sapsucker though it was found this fall in Lion's Park in Florence,CO. Though some of this species have definite red coloring of their nape, this one has just a wash of red in his nape area. I was unable to find the female Williamson's Sapsucker I found there several weeks ago. SeEtta

I photographed this female Common Goldeneye today at Brush Hollow Reservoir northeast of Canon City, CO. The goldeneye flushed but was not fearful enough to fly off, just to 'patter' across the water (and make short low flights) to the far side of the lake--this method of locomotion looks like the bird is running on top of the water. SeEtta

(Washington, D.C., December 8, 2010) A new, peer-reviewed study report titled, Feral Cats and Their Management from the University of Nebraska—Lincoln, has put the annual economic loss from feral cat predation on birds in the United States at $17 billion. The report analyzes existing research on management of the burgeoning feral cat population – over 60 million and counting -- in the United States, including the controversial practice of Trap, Neuter, Release (TNR). “This report is a must read for any community or government official thinking about what to do about feral cats. It encapsulates the extensive research on this subject and draws conclusions based on that data. Not surprisingly, the report validates everything American Bird Conservancy has been saying about the feral cat issue for many years, namely TNR doesn’t work in controlling feral cat populations,” said Darin Schroeder, Vice President for Conservation Advocacy for American Bird Conservancy, the nation’...

I started off to just do a count of the female Williamson's Sapsuckers today as there are so many birds it seemed like it would be easier to just count the males and females on different days, but shifts in sapsucker locations changed my plan. The first sapsucker I spotted this morning at Centennial Park was a male, the first time I have seen a male at this location this year. Then I realized there were two sapsuckers in that same pine tree, one a male and the other a female. Sapsuckers do not like to share. The male proceeded to behave aggressively towards the female-he raised his crest and moved towards her, and get this--he gave a churr call then what sounded like he hissed at her. I was only 20-25 feet away so I could hear the interaction fairly well and it sounded like a hiss. (Of course, I can't find anything in the literature about such a sound by this species though I did find that young Red-headed Woodpecker nestlings do hiss.) Anyway, this caused the female to retreat...

While continuing my surveys of wintering sapsuckers in the Canon City, CO area I took a few minutes to enjoy a small flock of Cedar Waxings feeding in hackberry tree in Rouse Park. This particular bird had a heck of a itch in it's bill area and spent a lot of time scratching as shown in the bottom two pics. SeEtta

The Juniper Titmice in the previous two posts and the one below are located in trees in the dry gulch near Canon City where I have been following the Williamson's Sapsuckers (that are not feeding in the pines in the urban area of town). They fly in from the surrounding juniper woodlands and flit around in not only the siberian-type (non-native) elms in the gulch but in the tamarisk that are also in the gulch (which is obviously not dry all the time). The titmouse in the top pic has it's bill poked into a sap well. Also feeding at the sap wells drilled by the sapsuckers in these elms are Mountain Chickadees including the one in the middle and bottom pics. Note the whitish object in the mouth of the chickadee in the bottom pic--it looks like a grain of rice but I think it may be a insect larva, possibly a bark beetle larva or eggs? I have also found what appear to be pretty fresh sap wells in some ponderosa pine trees a mile or so from the dry gulch area but have not found...

Juniper Titmouse is listed as a 'species of concern' in Colorado by Colorado Partners In Flight Though this species is usually associated with pinyon-juniper habitat, it appears to be the juniper part that is most important. Birds of North America online states, "Most common where juniper is dominant and where large, mature trees are present to provide natural cavities for nesting." These birds were in a non-native siberian-type elm tree but in a location surrounded by juniper woodland or lowland juniper habitat that is found surrounding much of Canon City,CO. SeEtta

These Juniper Titmice are busy little birds, flitting about, making it a challenge to get a photo that is not blurred by their rapid movements. I caught one of the titmice as it plucked what appears to be a bud off this siberian-type elm tree (this and other non-native elms have many 'buds' still on their branches, possibly due to the unseasonable warm temps we have had in Colorado this fall--including a high of 70 two days ago). My favorite pic is the bottom one which I caught right after the titmouse shook it's feathers, getting them all fluffed up. SeEtta

Another day, another sapsucker--I found this new male Williamson's Sapsucker in a private yard in Canon City today. It is working some pines and is perched next to some sap wells he is enlarging. I have seen these birds making these enlarged and rectangular galleries of sap wells by continuing to drill and probe into the usual smaller and round sap wells they are known to drill. This pic provides a good view of one of these sap well galleries. Interestingly this type of enlargement into rectangles is described for Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers in Birds of North America online but not in the account for Williamson's. SeEtta

I photographed this Western Yellowjacket yesterday in Lion's Park in little Florence, CO as it and a number of other wasps feasted on/at some of the fresh sap wells drilled by the sapsucker(s) working the pine trees here. I have read that this species of wasp does not overwinter (except the queen)so these workers are time-limited. Also read that Western Yellowjackets are responsible for 90% of the stings reported in Colorado-glad these guys were busy sipping sap. SeEtta

I had previously seen fresh sap wells at Lion's Park in Florence,CO but had not had the time to get out there early enough to find the sapsuckers working the pine trees in this fairly small park. Today I found a female Williamson's Sapsucker there but did not get a photo of her. However I also found this male Williamson's in a pine tree near the Florence Municipal Center building. This was such a nice view of it's back plumage I enlarged it to show how the white from the center of it's rump show through the black and white feathers going up the the back. Do double-click on this pic to enlarge it for a great view of details. SeEtta

As if the small grove of eurasian elm trees weren't crowded enough with the 3 female and 1 male Williamson's Sapsuckers located in a dry wash just outside of Canon City, several Mountain Chickadees and these 2 Juniper Titmouse shared the sap well bounty provided by the sapsuckers. Since this area of Colorado is in a 'moderate drought' per NOAA, I imagine that these secondary beneficiaries of the sap (and whatever insects the sap attracts) are very happy that this group of sapsuckers has chosen this location to drill their sap wells. SeEtta