Birds and Nature

I have found this and another 9 or so male Dickcissel, and at least one male Bobolink, in several locations in the Canon City area. I had found one of each species about a month ago, which was in the usual time frame for them to be breeding in local hayfields, but could not refind any before I left on a 2 week out of state trip from which I returned just a few days ago. . In the past they tended to be in alfalfa hay fields but his year there are mostly grass hay fields in our area. Surprisingly several of these are in hay fields that have already had one cut. Even more surprising is two are in fields that are just tall weeds. The Bobolink and at least 2 Dickcissel are in the field that I have posted about in prior years on MacKenzie Ave halfway from H50 and Grandview Ave. Please be cautious as MacKenzie is a very busy thoroughfare with traffic going 40-50 mph. The safest viewing is possible by going further south on MacKenzie Ave to Adams Ave--turn off to the east on Adams a...

As Canon City is at the western edge of the breeding range for Dickcissel we do not get this species every year. A few did show up and right at the same time as when I had them in 2013. However they have not been cooperative in perching close to the road so I can photograph and video them. The above is the only pic that was reasonable and the video clip below is very short (and shaky as it was breezy)--but Dickcissel are fun to listen to. Dickcissel singing from SeEtta Moss on Vimeo . SeEtta

I recorded the Dickcissel shown in the photos below. And here is a recording made by Colorado birder Nathan Pieplow in Prowers County in a location about 175 miles east of Canon City. The song types that this Dickcissel sings are different from the one I recorded in Canon City. It has been my experience that the Dickcissels in Canon City most commonly sing a song like the one I recorded above and that Dickcissels I have listened to in far eastern Colorado including Prowers County sing different songs than the birds that come to Canon City. That is the reason I have wanted to record a Canon City Dickcissel to show the differences in the sonograms and to hear the differences in the recordings. SeEtta

I recorded the Dickcissel shown in the photos below and finally got it uploaded to Xeno-canto. Below is the player along with a sonogram of that recording. And here is a recording made by Colorado birder Nathan Pieplow in Prowers County in a location about 175 miles east of Canon City. The song types that this Dickcissel sings are different from the one I recorded in Canon City. It has been my experience that the Dickcissels in Canon City most commonly sing a song like the one I recorded above and that Dickcissels I have listened to in far eastern Colorado including Prowers County sing different songs than the birds that come to Canon City. That is the reason I have wanted to record a Canon City Dickcissel to show the differences in the sonograms and to hear the differences in the recordings. SeEtta

I had a meeting this morning so didn't get out to look for the Dickcissel until noontime. It sang a lot from a tree several hundred feet away. I returned this evening after 7 pm and it flew onto the utility line nearby where it sang for a good 5 minutes. We have terrible smoke from wildfires so no blue sky, just gray smoke that eats up photos. SeEtta

I also found at least one male Dickcissel in the same hay field as the Bobolink here in Canon City this week. In fact I heard the Dickcissel as I drove down the road next to this hay field. It has been singing more than the Bobolink but not as continuously as I have heard this species sing when they first arrive and are announcing their availability to females. It had been difficult to see as it was perching on trees on the west side of the field but on the side of the field not the side of road. This morning this one flew in almost right above my head (so close I had to take my camera off the tripod as it was directly above). Have only heard and seen one of these at a time so far also. SeEtta

This photo was so good I was able to crop it for a very close-up view and like the others is tweak-free (no other editing). It is really nice to see the rufous shoulders that are not always seen on these birds. And what a coincidence, today I heard a Dickcissel singing in a farm field in the Canon City, CO area;however it was so distant I was unable to locate it visually. That was a surprise as this is the far edge of their range so they are not always in this area every summer. SeEtta

I drove down to the lower Arkansas Valley a few days ago to look for some special species and I was successful in finding Dickcissel, a species I truly enjoy listening to. I was concerned that they would have a difficult time finding suitable habitat as they use hay fields since we have converted much of the grassland. And this year due to very warm spring the hay fields were high and being cut sooner than usual. In fact I found many hay fields had already been cut but did find 3 or 4 male Dickcissels still singing their hearts out in uncut fields. I had such great mid-afternoon light that these photos came out so nice all I did was crop them to enlarge the birds. SeEtta

I got this photo of one of the 4 Bobolinks I have saw in a hay field in the Canon City area today. I love their bubbly song and this one was singing away when I took his photo. I was quite impressed the the good size feet, and especially long toenails, it had so enlarged the pic to show these. I also heard, then saw (usually occurs in that order) in the same fields-this was the first I have seen of this species here this year. Unfortunately the farmer is mowing his hay fields and started on the field where 3 of the Bobolink have been. So they and the Dickcissel are likely not to be around much longer. SeEtta