Leatherman rides again

[Ted Floyd]

Hey, everybody.

ICYMI, here's a cool interview with Dave Leatherman at The American Birding Podcast:

https://www.aba.org/08-25-the-importance-of-insects-with-david-leatherman/

Meanwhile, here at COBirds, Dave recently mentioned Cassin sparrows at the Pawnee National Grassland, Weld Co. That's cool. Back on Sat., June 1, Hannah Floyd and Claire Wayner and Grant Kirchhoff and I counted 16 skylarking along the two-track just north of stop 1 on the main auto loop at the Pawnee. Also a white-rumped sandpiper, a barred tiger salamander, and a greater short-horned lizard there. When worlds collide, or something.

 

Left: white-rumped sandpiper. Right: greater short-horned lizard. Both Sat., June 1, 2024. A (long) stone's throw from one another at Pawnee National Grassland, Weld Co. Photos by © Ted Floyd.

Another wondrous place for Cassin sparrows this summer, and considerably closer to home for many of us, is the Bluestem Loop Trail at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, Adams Co., just north of the Denver city line. On Sat., June 22, Kieran Schnitzspahn and I saw and heard 6 skylarking essentially from the parking area. Okay, and a bit of a walk therefrom. But not much of one at all. And they're elsewhere at the refuge: along the auto loop and even at the entrance gate.

 
Left: moonset from the entrance gate, Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, Adams Co., Sat. June 22. Moonset that day was with a minute or two of sunrise. How cool is that? Three Cassin sparrows were singing from this spot, by the way. Right: extreme hail damage along the auto loop at The Arsenal, also Sat., June 22. Photos by © Ted Floyd.

Oh, and the obligatory nod to blessèd Boulder Co. Please join us for the monthly installment of "Lafayette Birds!" this coming Sun., July 7. As usual: Start at Greenlee Wildlife Preserve at 1pm; no RSVP necessary, no experience necessary, children and cellphones welcome. And Sat.–Sun., July 13–14, please join the American Birding Association for a "Community Weekend" based out of Boulder. It's free & open to the public, but digital RSVP mandatory, here:

https://www.aba.org/2024-aba-community-weekend-in-boulder-co/

Ted Floyd
Lafayette, Boulder Co.