Boulder County varia, Jan. 17-25

[Ted Floyd]

Hi, everybody. Just some notes of local interest, all from Boulder County:

Sun., Jan. 17, Boulder Creek downstream from Foothills & Arapahoe, an American dipper that meets David Leatherman's criteria.

Tues., Jan. 19, Erie Reservoir, the continuing ruddy duck, an even 100 canvasbacks, an unnatural gathering of ring-necked ducks (n=736, if anyone's keeping score), a prairie falcon, and an American coot with Tyrannosaurus rex genes.

Thurs., Jan. 21, Lake Park Open Space, Louisville, a western ["Woodhouse's"] scrub-jay at the eastern limit of its range, a vocal common merganser, and a white-breasted ["Nelson's] nuthatch giving the absolutely craziest vocalizations I have ever heard from a nuthatch.

Sat., Jan. 23, Boulder Creek upstream from the 75th Street bridge, a white-winged dove, a ruby-crowned kinglet, and a myrtle warbler.

Sun., Jan. 24, Mesa Trail complex, 14 dark-eyed ["white-winged"] juncos and a common raven giving a vocalization that I have come to think of as "the Boulder meme." I'm curious: Have any of you heard this vocalization away from the northern Front Range metro region?

Mon. Jan. 25, Greenlee Preserve, the continuing gray catbird and, suddenly, three brown creepers.

Ted Floyd

Lafayette, Boulder County, Colorado