Birds and Nature

s Another Christmas Day find in my yard was both the black and the brown White-throated Sparrows. I hadn't seen for awhile but could be the weather and my schedule reduced my watching birds in my backyard. They are not calling like they did before but still going to my birdbath frequently. SeEtta

Some years montane birds that normally reside a higher up in elevation in the foothills or mountains engage in an attitudinal migration and visit lower elevation areas of Colorado. I have had two of another montane species, Red-breasted Nuthatches, visiting my yard for more than a month. I spotted this single female Cassin's Finch on Christmas Day. It has been several years since I have seen a Cassin's Finch in my yard. I didn't see it visit my feeders but I have not had the time to watch lately. While these female Cassin's are just brown and white I think their crisp streaking is attractive. Some females have a more distinct pale eyebrow and submoustachial stripe than this bird though these pale areas do show in a few pics. SeEtta

The scoter 'invasion' into Colorado continues. While we only got a Surf Scoter in Canon City, Colorado Springs with a much larger pond has had all three scoters in the past month. I recently was near Prospect Pond and stopped for a few minutes to see if any of the scoters were still there-I was rewarded with this female White-winged Scoter. SeEtta Moss