Boulder County varia, Feb. 22-26

[Ted Floyd]

Hey, folks. A few odds and ends from around Boulder County these past 5 days:

Today, Tues., Feb. 26, at Erie Reservoir, a fresh definitive alternate California gull.

Yesterday, Mon. Feb. 25, at Sombrero Marsh, at least 8 recently returned northern pintails.

Sun., Feb. 24, at Hecla Pond, an extreme hooded merganser.

Sat., Feb. 23, along Boulder Creek in downtown Boulder, absolutely fantastic studies of American dippers. Like this bird, which was singing, dipping, diving, feeding, and flashing its freaky white eyelids all at the same time. Anyhow, if you want to get great studies of dippers, the time is right now, I would say, with singing birds (both males and female!) on creeks and rivers all up and down the Front Range. The closer to the base of the foothills, the better.

Fri., Feb. 22, at Erie Reservoir, adult and first-cycle Thayer gulls, an interesting large gull that flew off before I could get a picture, and all three mergansers.

Over at Greenlee Preserve, songsters these past several days have included northern flickers, spotted towhees, and American bushtits.

Ted Floyd

Lafayette, Boulder County