Birds and Nature

I stopped by the Canon City Valco Ponds which were teaming with migrating Franklin's Gulls fishing and calling. I spotted a first of the year Yellow-rumped Warbler working a Russian Olive-we usually have these overwinter but it was unusually cold at times haven't heard of anyone spotting any for a few months. I also heard a Black Phoebe calling from some vegetated area along a bar ditch just a little north of the parking lot-they are starting to move through here, find mates and then nesting spots. As I looked at the action from my car in the parking lot (fyi, this is private property so going behind the area where there is a gate is trespassing and the owner is angry about trespassing birders) I spotted this is rare species in southern Colorado and very rare in my county. I have never seen one here and none are listed in ebird. Unfortunately I watched it fly off going out of sight along the Arkansas River before I left. SeEtta

I started chemotherapy for my breast cancer but did not anticipate how hard it (and the meds I took to counteract the side effects of the chemo) would be. I am finishing my second round of chemo, with some adjustment of meds, and getting better at dealing with it (at least after the worst of the side effects are over). I will continue my blogging though not as often as before as this is still quite a difficult time and I am not able to do a lot of birding. SeEtta