Birds and Nature

Yesterday I photographed this Surf Scoter that was found the day before on a small private reservoir called Valco Ponds along with good numbers of common waterfowl and several Grebes. I got this shot without trespassing on this private property by standing on the large cement blocks by the vehicle gate to get a clear view of the bird as it swam past about a hundred feet away.  I have limited experience with scoters, and they are usually far out on a large body of water, but I believe this is an immature as it has a dark brown iris ( Birds of North America online states , "Pale blue gray or yellow white in adult male; usually pale brown (also pale gray or yellow) in female; dark brown in immature.") SeEtta

Rufous-crowned Sparrows were first discovered about 15 years ago at the Tunnel Drive area of Canon City during a Christmas Bird Count by birder Dave Johnson. They have been seen in this area every year (rarely seen during June and July when I speculate they go up into the higher side canyons in this area for nesting) and are the most northern residents of this species in Colorado. believe I saw two of them together yesterday and believe they were likely a pair as Birds of North America online notes that pairs in California "are paired throughout the winter." This is one of the few times I have seen them without Canyon Towhees nearby. I was able to bring them down from the hillside by making squeak noises with my lips so got the best photos of them I have ever been able to get. SeEtta

I have not refound the adult Yellow-bellied Sapsucker I posted about earlier this month and only 1 of the 6 Williamson's Sapsuckers earlier this week but yesterday I found an immature Yellow-bellied and an adult male Red-naped Sapsucker in Canon City. I suspect that the severe Arctic storm that dropped temps here to below freezing for 3 days has impacted the sapsuckers as the bark and possibly inner portions of the trees on which they feed have likely frozen. Though it has warmed here it is still a challenge for them as I have seen the Williamson's feeding on a deciduous tree and low to the ground where the sun was on that part of the and the Yellow-bellied feeding very low on a pine in a portion where they sun was hitting it. Though some Red-naped Sapsuckers show little or no red on their napes, this one did. It also showed an incomplete black frame on it's face. SeEtta

I also found a Northern Shrike in the Williamsburg area. Other birds this morning in this scrub-juniper-cactus habitat included a flock of Mountain Bluebirds and a Northern Flicker feeding on juniper berries (that must have been flash-frozen when the temps dropped 50 degrees from the low 70's Mon afternoon to the low 20's overnight. SeEtta

I found this male Ladder-backed Woodpecker drilling some tree cholla cactus this morning within the large area encompassed by the small town of Williamsburg, less than 15 miles from where I live. After two nights of below zero temps and daytime below freezing for 4 days including today that cactus was at best very cold and likely frozen. As can be seen the woodpecker had it's feathers fluffed to keep warm in the 20 degree F temperature. Ladder-backed Woodpeckers are uncommon residents in my county (Fremont) as well as nearby Pueblo and El Paso Counties. SeEtta

I spotted 5 Yellow-rumped Warblers foraging at The Abbey in Canon City today. With the temperature about 12º F there were clearly not a lot of insects about for them to feed on. While I watched the warblers flew under a large branch that appeared to provide shelter and the possibility of warming up by fluffing up their feathers where they were protected from the wind. In the pics just above and below three of the five Yellow-rumped are perched in the shelter of the large limb with their feathers fluffed up to warm them. After perching all fluffed up for several minutes these warblers groomed their feathers for a minute or two as can be seen in this brief video clip below: YRWarblers-12 d F,TheAbbey from SeEtta Moss on Vimeo . The bottom two pics show one of the warblers perching briefly in the shelter of a building where it had been foraging against the wall for insects (a good place to get them usually). Note all photos were taken with high zoom (near or at 100X ...

It has been awhile since I have seen a Red-tailed Hawk that was not the usual light morph seen in this area. Today I spotted this Rufous morph (Western) Red-tailed Hawk perched off the road in a difficult to see location. Had to turn around and go back to refind and photograph it. Not easily seen is the whitish (could be light gray) underside of it's tail. Though I was a good hundred feet away and stayed in my car, the hawk likely heard the sounds of my camera and flushed. As it flew off I could see the reddish coloration of the uppertail feathers. SeEtta