N. Parula at Grndvw. Cem., FC (Larimer) update 10/1

[DAVID A LEATHERMAN]

The Northern Parula male first reported on 9/26 at Grandview Cemetery in Fort Collins was still present in the top of the same Northern Hackberry in the extreme ne corner of Section 1 over the black "Jensen" headstone, still feasting on adult psyllids, as of 5 this evening on 1 October.  That makes 6 days straight.  Imagine how many 3mm-long psyllids a bird would have to eat just to maintain its metabolism, let alone fatten up before continuing a migration journey to the West Indies.

Many other common species of birds were in that same tree, including a Townsend's Warbler.

Also of interest today, at least to me, was a new species for my cemetery list (#193): a flyover of two adventuresome, stone-silent Clark's Nutcrackers bombing due northeast.  Is there a good cone crop in the isolated population of limber pines near the Pawnee Buttes, the ponderosa pines of the Wildcat Hills in NE, a new batch of microbrew at Odell's or New Belgium?  Only they know where they were headed and why.

Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins