Birds and Nature

I found this Black Phoebe and it's apparent mate this morning. As I watched this Black Phoebe pulled a piece of nesting material off what looks like a dried reed in the photo below. It flew with this plant fiber to a nesting area where a pair (likely these) used last year and probably at least one year before. The Black Phoebe in the bottom pic was near the MacKenzie Ave bridge over the Arkansas River. I have seen a second Black Phoebe at that location and these are another apparent pair. This is another site that has been used previously for nesting. SeEtta

Sandhill Cranes are migrating north to their breeding grounds including a population found in the interior West. I first heard (as usual) this flock of around 65 Sandhill Cranes near dusk yesterday when I was checking up on a heronry at Holcim Wetlands in eastern Fremont Co.,CO. SeEtta

Though hybridization between Eastern and Black Phoebes has been discussed for several years, there has been a lack of documentation. I first observed a Black and an Eastern Phoebe attending a common nest more than 5 years ago but was not able to be there when the birds fledged. Since then I have seen several phoebes with intermediate plumage between Black and Eastern that I believe to be hybrids including one, with a Black Phoebe male attending her, that had a failed nesting attempt last month. I think this bird shows the most overlap of plumage between Black and Eastern Phoebes of any I have seen. Unfortunately this bird was more than 75 feet away so even with my 400mm lens I could't get a great photo. It has as whitish underparts like an Eastern but with some black on chin and throat and more black extensive patches black on sides, flanks than found on an Easter Phoebe plus the black extends into breast and belly areas. This bird sang an Eastern Phoebe song several times. ...

Cassin's Finch usually breed in conifer forests in Colorado at high elevation then do migrate to lower elevation foothills and nearby plains in fall and winter. I usually see at least a few at my feeders in Canon City, but I haven't had much interest even by more common feeder birds since I filled my feeders several weeks ago (I don't feed in summer or early fall) let alone any of the mountain species like Cassin's Finch that often visit. So I was delighted today to find a male and several female Cassin's Finch including the one in this pic in the Royal Gorge Park just west of town. I was also delighted to spot a flock of Pinyon Jays. Unfortunately they were on private property in the area and flying away but so I just got to hear their distinctive calls for brief period. I also saw a Canyon Wren, a species that overwinters in this area, near the Royal Gorge canyon (though it was actually flying in and out of a wheel well on a pick-up truck--go figure). Though...