Yard/patch birds - Franktown, Douglas

[Hugh Kingery]

Yesterday and today we saw several species for the first time this year.

    May 3 -- Our yard/patch

Black-headed Grosbeak: showed up below our feeders where we see lots of Spotted Towhees. We heard it sing 2-3 times.                     Showed up again today, same place, same song.

Yellow Warbler: heard singing from the top of a big big cottonwood. Also heard along the Walker Trail today.

Ovenbird: heard singing sporadically -- 5-10 times. This morning, it sang in earnest -- every 30-60 seconds.

   May 4 -- On the Cherry Creek Trail south from Walker Road

Gray Catbird: singing

Yellow-breasted Chat: singing, if you can call it that

Brown Thrasher: singing and trying to stump us as to its identity.

Lark Sparrow: singing in two places.

Others: May 3: a flock of 20-30 Chipping Sparrows; Broad-tailed & Black-chinned Humm.

    May 4: 3 Western Kingbirds; two in a chase.

Hugh Kingery

[Hugh Kingery]

At Lunch today another firstie showed up: a Lesser Goldfinch, black-backed, well marked.

We also saw dozens of butterflies thronging the dandelions (of which we have a bumper crop). They included Painted Ladies & Fritillaries.

Also, a couple of days ago, Urling spotted a House Wren that BCOR banded in our yard two years ago. It seemed drawn to the same nest box it used that year.

Hugh Kingery

[Hugh Kingery]

    And this morning, a striking male Bullock's Oriole. As soon as Urling put out two orange halves, it went directly to them.

    We also saw/heard 2-3 on the Cherry Creek trail, south from Walker Road.

Hugh Kingery