Banding, CSR, El Paso Co, Tuesday

[Steven Brown]

Hey COBirders,

The scene was decidedly Hitchcockian when I arrived at the Clear Spring Ranch banding site this morning. Hundreds of mixed blackbirds, at eye-level, lined my net lanes. But I wasn’t afraid, and managed to only have to extricate a dozen RW Blackbirds throughout the morning - all females. After being flushed, they moved back and forth to the hay stubble field, foraging, then flying in huge numbers to the tops of the cottonwoods and willows, not moving off across the creek until after 11:00. Mixed in with the 500+ RW Blackbirds were over 100 YH Blackbirds, a couple dozen BH Cowbirds, 30 Com Grackles, and a couple Great-tailed Grackles.

Also arriving in larger numbers and foraging in the hayfield today were Mourning Doves (at least 50, most days I see 2-3), and a large sparrow flock at sunrise - with 75+ Chipping Sparrows, and a few Lark, Savannah, Song, and White-crowneds mixed in, including a FOY Mountain White-crowned. They kept me busy, with 60 birds processed this morning (after 60 in 8 days before!)

Also seen:
4 FOY White-faced Ibis
FOY Red-breasted Nuthatch
FOY Bullock’s Oriole male
a pair of Swainson’s Hawks that seen interested n setting up shop in one of the large cottonwoods

and banded:
FOY Yellow Warbler (spanking adult male)
FOY Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Second-year F)
2 Brown Thrashers (Ad, SY)
4 FOY Lark Sparrow
FOY Savannah Sparrow
FOY Mountain White-crowned Sparrow
2 FOY Spotted Towhee (F) - much later than usual

So things are finally looking like May!

Happy Migration
Steve Brown
Colo Spgs