potentially interesting mystery bird, Boulder

[Nathan Pieplow]

Hello all,

About 50 minutes ago I was walking on the Boulder Creek Path around the parking lot 169 construction site, just north of the CU Boulder stadium, when a bird flew across the path in front of me, headed north. My first thought was robin, but something seemed off. I got on it in binoculars briefly and was trying to make it into a bluebird or a thrush, but the tail was too long, the colors were wrong, the flight style was wrong. In the afternoon light it looked like it had a pale brown/tan back and yellowish underparts. I lost it as it passed behind (east of) the big white inflated dome on the football practice field. It didn't look like it was going far, but when I ran forward, I couldn't see where it had landed.

I don't know what I saw. But in color, size, shape, and flight style, it looked tantalizingly like a Myiarchus flycatcher. Any Myiarchus is a good bird in Boulder County, and especially at this time of year, when the REALLY good ones (Brown-crested, Dusky-capped, Nutting's) should be carefully ruled out.

I walked around the Newton Court apartments, where it looked like the bird was headed, but I didn't refind it. If you are planning to bird around Boulder tomorrow, it might not hurt to poke around this spot just in case. But it may require some logistical effort -- there is a home football game tomorrow at 1:30 PM. Parking anywhere near this area will be very difficult, especially from late morning through the afternoon. Parking lot 169 may be full of tailgaters in the morning.

Nathan Pieplow

Boulder