Birds and Nature

I returned to do more birding at Red Canyon Park north of Canon City. I saw a number of Juniper Titmice and even had a singing Bewick's Wren. The above pic is an enlargement from the middle pic. These Juniper Titmice are found primarily in pinyon-juniper and juniper habitat. BTW, I took these photos from inside my car. I stopped when I heard these birds calling then made some squeaky noises that drew them near for these 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

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