Mtn birds, Colo Spgs, El Paso Co, Sat.

[Steven Brown]

Hey COBirders,

I’ve been seeing the reports of unusual numbers of mountain species along the Front Range, but hadn’t thought too much about it until this morning.

I closed down banding at Clear Spring Ranch the other day, and have resumed banding backyard juncos at my home in NW Colo Spgs. I usually have a family of Mountain Chickadees around (they sometimes nest in the yard), so it was no big deal to see some at the feeders. But I have caught 11 in the last day, and there are more unbanded ones around. Most have been hatch year birds.

I usually get a Steller’s Jay here a couple of times a winter. They come down from the burn scar area to our yard 1/2 mile away occasionally. But this week I have seen a couple in the yard every day, and this morning, three.

Lastly I only see a few Cassin’s Finch in my yard each winter, and not even every winter (except a couple years ago I banded 90 in my yard in a month!). I banded an adult male CAFI this morning, too. That’s three species of birds I usually get, but not always in the same winter, and never all at the same time!

Have a birdy weekend,

Steve Brown
Colo Spgs, Mountain Shadows neighborhood