Lamar area (Prowers and Bent) on 11May2016

[DAVID A LEATHERMAN]

A rather cool (high in the low 70s) and calm day in Lamar.

Willow Valley Subdivision (private)
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (2 adult males)  eating flea weevil larvae (*) from Siberian elm leafmines and millet/safflower at feeders
Lazuli Bunting (molting male)
Swainson's Thrush (at least 3)
Northern Cardinal (1 male) eating green mulberries
Black-chinned Hummingbird (1 male)
White-winged Dove (at least 4) at feeders
Pine Siskin (40) at feeders and eating flea weevil larvae in Siberian elm leafmines
White-crowned Sparrow (Gambel's thinning out, a few dark-lored individuals present and singing (presumably our "mountain" form and not the nearly identical "eastern" subspecies)

Lamar Community College
Swainson's Thrush (at least 30, major influx since yesterday)
Warbling Vireo (sounded "Eastern", 2)
Mississippi Kite (a few including pair building nest in cottonwood right over the "No Parking" sign at the north end of the drive behind the college
American Redstart (1 male, at the very north end where the path goes down the hill, present for last few days, sings quietly on occasion)
Broad-winged Hawk (1 light phase adult, north end, best located when perched in trees by robin and starling alarm calls)
Red-bellied Woodpecker (1 female at nest hole in bottom of dead cottonwood branch just east of the parking lot about 100 yards south of the north end)
Black-chinned Hummingbirds (heard at various locations within the woods, presumably nesting or about to)

Pond on US287 just north of Highway 50 nw of town
Canvasback (1)  first one since I got here prior to the CFO Convention
Forster's Tern (1)

Wiley Cemetery (along Prowers36/Bent1 w of Wiley)
Least Flycatcher (2)
Clay-colored Sparrow (several)
Blue Grosbeak (heard)

Tempel Grove
Gray Catbird (FOY for me)
Yellow-breasted Chat (FOY for me)
Northern Waterthrush (1)
Ovenbird (1)
Least Flycatcher (2-3)
Wilson's Warbler (1f)
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (1m)
Black-headed Grosbeak (1m)
Pine Siskin (15+, eating flea weevil larvae from Siberian elm leafmines)

* Orchestes alni, an introduced weevil, rather recent arrival in Colorado (around the year 2000), same insect the Golden-winged Warbler was after in the elms at the Stulp's yard during the CFO Convention last week, obtained by warblers by extraction from the mines, obtained by finches by simple biting of the brown, mined area of the leaf (i.e. salad with protein morsel inside)


Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins