Ken Caryl Birds in the last 24 hours

[David Suddjian]

I was out walking in the dark early this morning. It was kind of like the Patsy Cline song about walking after midnight in that there was a bright moon for me, too. It helped to light my way up the trails near my Ken Caryl Valley home, as I made it up into the forests of Massey Draw in the private Ken Caryl Ranch open space, where my headlamp had to fill in for the moon under the trees. I saw a small owl flush ahead of me as I was going up the steep canyon trail and I was able to find it later perched on a broken limb near the main trunk of a Douglas-fir - an adult Saw-whet Owl! They are not so easy to find now, in my experience, so I was pleased with the surprise.

Further towards dawn, and now down along open foothill slopes, I heard a Common Poorwill. We are right near the end of their warm-season stay here; my latest in the area was Sept 29. 

Birding after sunrise produced a Tennessee Warbler seen nicely with an Orange-crowned.  

A Merlin flew by near my home last evening after sunset. I only seldom see one at Ken Caryl.

David Suddjian

Ken Caryl Valley

Littleton, CO