Grandview Cemetery, Fort Collins (Larimer) on 10/19

[DAVID A LEATHERMAN]

Just shy of 31 years ago, Fort Collins experienced a winter invasion of Pine Grosbeaks (January 1984).  I had not seen one again down in town until today.  The bird, a "russet" indiviudal first located by call, was just west of Fort Collins' Grandview Cemetery entrance (Section F) in a couple very tall Colorado Blue Spruce trees with a decent crop of cones.  It flew off to the east about 9:30AM. 

Lots of other "action" today at the cemetery, as well.
Over 25 Red-breasted Nuthatches.
At least 10 Brown Creepers.
A big group of maybe 40 Red Crossbills (left the cemetery about 9AM).
My friend Dave Steingraeber spotted a small string of Sandhill Cranes going south along the hogback off to the west.
One Yellow-rumped Warbler.
At least 10 Mountain Chickadees, maybe as many as 20.
One White-crowned Sparrow (immature).
One Black-billed Magpie (fairly unusual in the cemetery).

Flying aphids of at least two species, which resulted in lots of erratic hovering and flycatching by birds of many species.

A large angle-wing katydid (Microcentrum rhombifolium)

Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins

[Ted Floyd]

A large angle-wing katydid (Microcentrum rhombifolium)

These spectacular insects are, in my experience, hard to see. I've seen zero in 2014 and one that I can remember in my life. However, Andrew and I just heard 30 or 40 of them in the course of a 25-minute, 1.5-mile walk from downtown Lafayette, Boulder County, and then around Waneka Lake, and then to our house, this Sunday evening, Oct. 19. Once you know this katydid's song, you realize that it's abundant. It sounds like this:

https://soundcloud.com/ted-floyd/greater-anglewing-1

On a bird note, we heard a Gray Catbird at Greenlee Preserve. Getting a bit late for that species.

Ted Floyd

Lafayette, Boulder County, Colorado

 

Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins