Grace's Warbler, Pueblo Mtn Park (Beaulah), 4 June

[Paul Hurtado]

This is a late report, but one was observed in the Pueblo Mountain Park (just south of Beaulah) last week on the 4th:

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S18717190

So there are at least TWO along the eastern edge of the mountains right now. 

If you live near pondarosa pine forests -- especially with some scrub oak / gambel oak in the understory -- then definitely familiarize yourself with these birds and their vocalizations! 

There could very well be more than two lurking in the foothills of the Front Range, Wets and southern Sangres. :-)

Online Grace's Warbler resources:

1. Many recordings at http://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Setophaga-graciae 

2. Some basic information:

http://www.birdzilla.com/birds/Graces-Warbler/bent_life_history.html?Itemid=1044

3. This is behind a paywall (some universities and libraries might provide online access), there is a wealth of information at 
http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/677

Good birding,

Paul Hurtado

[Eric DeFonso]

To piggyback on Paul's suggestion....I've been doing survey transects for RMBO down in the SW corner of the state since mid-May, and having many occasions to bird in the mid-elevation ponderosa pine forests (and pine-oak woodlands) in Montrose, Montezuma, and La Plata counties, as well as in SE Utah in the Abajo Mountains. I've never been to these places before so I don't exactly have a baseline for comparison, but I've been amazed at how these forests seem to be absolutely brimming with Grace's Warblers. In a couple of these locations they are easily the predominant warbler. In light of the recent sightings of Grace's on the eastern slope, I wonder now if they're here just because it's been a banner year for the bird in general and some individuals are, at least this season, striking out further east and north than usual to find available habitat and territories. Just thinking out loud...maybe it's like that every year?

Eric

On Tue, Jun 10, 2014 at 12:12 PM, Paul Hurtado <paul.j....@gmail.com> wrote:

This is a late report, but one was observed in the Pueblo Mountain Park (just south of Beaulah) last week on the 4th:

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S18717190

So there are at least TWO along the eastern edge of the mountains right now. 

If you live near pondarosa pine forests -- especially with some scrub oak / gambel oak in the understory -- then definitely familiarize yourself with these birds and their vocalizations! 

There could very well be more than two lurking in the foothills of the Front Range, Wets and southern Sangres. :-)

--
Eric DeFonso
Boulder, CO