Varied thrush near Starsmore Nature Center in Colorado Springs (El Paso)
DAVID A LEATHERMAN
On January 14th David Ely and I sought, among other rarities, the beautiful male Varied Thrush near the Starsmore Nature Center nw of the Broadmoor Hotel. I believe this bird was first reported by Deb Carstenson. As shown in many of the photos of this bird and supported by direct observations last Sunday, this bird and all those robins, and no doubt other birds like Spotted Towhees, maybe Woodhouse Scrub-Jays, are depending heavily on the persistent fruits of European Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica). The cathartic properties of these berries probably influence the degree to which all these birds visit the stream for water intake and associated dilution of toxins.
European Buckthorn, the "black eye" of the genus Rhamnus, has been widely planted in Colorado, has proven to be invasive, and is now quite widespread (in large measure due to birds spreading seeds in their droppings) in both urban and "wild" habitats. It was very strange to see this plant making up a large percentage of the woody plant understory along side native Gambel Oaks under a canopy of scattered, tall, native Ponderosa Pines and Douglas-firs.
We saw a lot of wonderful birds during our "binge chase" on Sunday but the Varied Thrush and its situation was my favorite. (Had the Prairie Warbler below Pueblo Res Dam been more cooperative, maybe the thrush would have had to share top honors, but......).
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
steve.getty
Thank you for this information.
I live near the Starsmore Nature Center, have been noting the spread of this plant, but didn't know what it was.
Steve Getty
Colorado Springs