Bald eagles mating, meadowlarks singing, Stearns Lake, Boulder County

[R Carol Cushman]

It’s spring at Stearns Lake! On Saturday morning Scott Severs and I watched the bald eagles copulating near their Stearns Lake nest. The geese were creating their usual wonderful cacophony, and redwing blackbirds joined in with their kongkaree songs. As I drove out along the dirt road, 6 meadowlarks flew across the fields. Just before Dillon Road one meadowlark with bright yellow breast perched on a green gate and sang its full “I am prettier than you” song. I pulled over and listened until it finally flew off after the flock. I heard a meadowlark doing its whisper song on December 21 in the cattail marsh at Stearns; on January 29 I heard one doing an almost full song at Stearns; yesterday--it was loud and clear.

I’ve been missing the chatty reports we used to get on Cobirds about relatively common birds and what they are doing. So I really, really enjoyed the reports on Cobirds Digest this morning from Elena and from Ted.

Carol Cushman, Boulder