Yellow Breasted Chats and MacGillivray's Warblers
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Jeff Parks
Jun 22, 2017, 10:31:55 PM6/22/17
to Colorado Birds
Hey all -
I went out to Eldorado Springs this morning to see if the Lewis's Woodpeckers were back in the trees up on the ridge, but I didn't see them. Maybe they have found another place to nest this year ...
I walked around the back side of the first ridge, and over towards Eldorado State Park. In the trees along the Fowler Trail, after it turns off from the road I saw several birds of interest. There were a few Blue-Grey Gnatcatchers, a few Black-Capped Chickadees, and what I thought were two Yellow-Breasted Chats, based on partial white around the eye, and a yellow breast. The yellow went clear down the belly to the tail, however, which puzzled me for awhile. Closer to the rock cut by the Bastille, I saw another one in the bushes along side the trail, and got a better look. The bird had a grey head, grey extending down towards the breast, and yellow below that, on the belly and down to the tail. Then the light came on, and I realized that they were MacGillivray's Warblers. The quick looks that I had earlier didn't show the head clearly.
Moving on down the trail, I looked into the canyon on the back side of the Bastille, and there were a bunch of White-Throated Swifts flying around up and down the rock faces and over the creek. 30-40 of them. I watched them for about ten minutes, but didn't see much of anything else. Heading back out, close to the rock cut in the first ridge, I looked back towards the higher peaks, and there was a Golden Eagle circling above one of the ridges. A couple of Turkey Vultures were also seen circling to the north above the Mesa Trail area. On the trail back to the car, I saw (and heard) several Spotted Towhees, a Blue Jay, a Mourning Dove, and a few Magpies. And of course, a few Yellow-Breasted Chats, working through the bushes looking for food.
I was disappointed that the Lewis's Woodpeckers weren't around this year, but as usual, there were other birds worth watching along that trail.
Good birding -
Jeff Parks
Boulder
I went out to Eldorado Springs this morning to see if the Lewis's Woodpeckers were back in the trees up on the ridge, but I didn't see them. Maybe they have found another place to nest this year ...
I walked around the back side of the first ridge, and over towards Eldorado State Park. In the trees along the Fowler Trail, after it turns off from the road I saw several birds of interest. There were a few Blue-Grey Gnatcatchers, a few Black-Capped Chickadees, and what I thought were two Yellow-Breasted Chats, based on partial white around the eye, and a yellow breast. The yellow went clear down the belly to the tail, however, which puzzled me for awhile. Closer to the rock cut by the Bastille, I saw another one in the bushes along side the trail, and got a better look. The bird had a grey head, grey extending down towards the breast, and yellow below that, on the belly and down to the tail. Then the light came on, and I realized that they were MacGillivray's Warblers. The quick looks that I had earlier didn't show the head clearly.
Moving on down the trail, I looked into the canyon on the back side of the Bastille, and there were a bunch of White-Throated Swifts flying around up and down the rock faces and over the creek. 30-40 of them. I watched them for about ten minutes, but didn't see much of anything else. Heading back out, close to the rock cut in the first ridge, I looked back towards the higher peaks, and there was a Golden Eagle circling above one of the ridges. A couple of Turkey Vultures were also seen circling to the north above the Mesa Trail area. On the trail back to the car, I saw (and heard) several Spotted Towhees, a Blue Jay, a Mourning Dove, and a few Magpies. And of course, a few Yellow-Breasted Chats, working through the bushes looking for food.
I was disappointed that the Lewis's Woodpeckers weren't around this year, but as usual, there were other birds worth watching along that trail.
Good birding -
Jeff Parks
Boulder
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