Grandview Cemetery, Fort Collins (Larimer) on 20Sept2017

[DAVID A LEATHERMAN]

Highlights from yesterday's visit:

Did NOT see red-phase Eastern Screech-Owl

Red-naped Sapsucker (adult male) FOY at Grandview, in Austrian Pines just out on City Park Nine golf course midway along south edge of cemetery

Pygmy Nuthatch - new group of 6-7 noisy individuals in same set of Austrian Pines as above (also going to spruce and nearby elms), biggest group I have ever seen at the cemetery.  I remember Ted Floyd once wondering out loud if Brown-headed Nuthatch might someday occur in southeastern CO.  Every time I see a Pygmy in an odd location, like here in urban Fort Collins or Lamar, a check of the field guide is always in order.  Main difference would be the hue of brown in the cap (gray-brown in Pygmy vs. warm brown in Brown-headed).

Brown Creeper - major influx, presumably mostly individuals that will winter at this site

Local hatch of hackberry psyllid adults will be late this year, probably occurring next week or in early October.  Due to summer rains in Lamar, oddly the timing of hackberry gall-making psyllid hatch in the southeastern plains will be about the same down there or even later this year, instead of the norm of this particular phenomenon in autumn being 10 days ahead of the north.

Dave Leatherman

Fort Collins