Pueblo birds 6/1

[Brandon]

The first day of the summer season was pretty exciting in Pueblo.  Several birders were out and about.  

Mark Yaeger found a Purple Martin at Runyon Lake, on a telephone wire in the parking lot on the north side.  Four other Pueblo birders were able to see it, before it flew south.  Many photos were taken.  Van Truan and I walked around the lake, after seeing the martin, and saw and heard an Alder Flycatcher on the south side of the lake, by the small pond.

Ed Landi found an adult Yellow-crowned Night-Heron at Pueblo City Park, on the island at Lake Joy.  I believe this bird was seen yesterday as well, so hopefully it will hang around.

Earlier in the morning, I had the singing Red-eyed Vireo on the west side of Pueblo City Park and another one singing in the eastern part of the Osprey Picnic Area, in Rock Canyon, below Pueblo Reservoir dam.  Both of these birds have been around since May.  I scoped the Pueblo West Gravel Pit, there were over 20 White-rumped Sandpipers, 2 breeding plumage Horned Grebes, four Lesser Scaup, and five Hooded Mergansers.

Other migrants that should be in the mountains that were around Pueblo today: Yellow-rumped (Audubon's) Warbler, MacGillivray's Warbler, Western Tanagers, Lincoln's Sparrows, Swainson's Thrush, lots of Violet-green Swallows, among other things.  Singing Willow Flycatchers were around Runyon Lake as well.

Brandon Percival
Pueblo West, CO