Recent birding in NE CO

[Steven Mlodinow]

Greetings All

Sorry for my absence. Life has been simply to distracting....

I've been out a lot this month, and there have been several trends that have impressed

There seems to be lingering birds all over the place, even with the current cold snap; For example, yesterday, David Dowell and I had a Northern Mockingbird at Jackson State Park and 3 Virginia Rail just outside of Orchard. 

Within the last week in Logan County I also had an OC Warbler (west coast, Lutescent variety), Red-headed Woodpecker, Field Sparrow, Gray Catbird, and multiple Hermit Thrushes (one of which appears to be of the "Taiga" or eastern subspecies group). Just before that, there was a Brown Thrasher at Union (oddly, my first Brown Thrasher for that location was in mid-November!), 5 Common Grackles in La Salle (Weld), and dozens at Stewarts' Pond (just south of La Salle). 

For photos, see the grackles at https://www.flickr.com/photos/36088296@N08/23009236470 and then look at the next 10 photos or so

A few finches have wandered out onto the plains with a scattering of Cassin's Finches (2 yesterday at Jackson) and Red Crossbills (recorded type 3s at Holyoke and Eaton).

Waterbirds have been very spotty. I have yet to find a scoter, swan, or LT Duck this fall. Loons have been better distributed, including the much celebrated bird at Terry L and a one-day wonder at Union Res. RN Grebes seem especially common. However, in general, very few places seem to have had concentrations of waterbirds compared with other years. Most lakes seem just empty. A few are hopping (e.g. Windsor Reservoir, and to a lesser extent, L Latham Reservoir in Weld. Most other Weld lakes - even before any freezing - have been a real yawn. Same is true with the Longmont/Boulder reservoirs, again with one or two exceptions).

Geese have just really arrived in numbers during the last week or so.

Gull numbers are just building, as is the norm. 

And that is what I've been up to.

Good Birding

Steve Mlodinow