Nighthawk, Flycatchers, Whip-poor-will recordings - Arapahoe

[Jared Del Rosso]

Apparently, all my best friends are insectivores.

From my Centennial yard, I heard my first of the year (in Colorado) Common Nighthawk on the evening of May 28 (around 8:15 PM). I usually spend dusk outside this time of year, waiting to hear and count them.

This morning, I biked the Little Dry Creek Trail and High Line Canal Trail in Centennial to count Western Flycatchers (who were in two locations) and look for the Eastern Phoebe pair (didn't encounter them). Last year, I encountered Westerns in 4 discrete locations along these trails.

Also along the High Line Canal Trail, singing Chipping Sparrows and a Dark-eyed Junco. Juncos may nest in the area, but I've never seen anything other than "late" birds and one very early and half-hearted sign of nest building.

If you're interested in hearing my Eastern Whip-poor-will recordings from my recent trip to Missouri (plus a little of my own interpretation of their call), you can do so in my recent blog post. Soonish, I'll also post about actually seeing the birds and eventually I'll post about watching them be banded.

Best,

- Jared Del Rosso

Centennial, CO

[Jared Del Rosso]

This morning, while listening to a Western Flycatcher (on one side of the High Line Canal Trail in Centennial), I watched one of the Eastern Phoebes hunting moths on the other side. I never saw a second or saw evidence of a phoebe nest, but there are some odd built structures along the Canal in this area where a nest would be viable and out of sight. The phoebe vocalized a bit this morning, too. 

For reference, this is near where the Little Dry Creek bisects the High Line Canal Trail, slightly southwest of the footbridge that goes over the creek.

- Jared Del Rosso

Centennial, CO

lonesomewhippoorwill.com