FOY's Clear Spring Ranch, El Paso Co

[Steven Brown]

Hey COBirders,

I have been banding for a week at CSR this spring, but numbers here, as everywhere else, are staying way below average for this time of the season.

A “good day” of banding for me will be 20 birds caught. Today was my first 20+ day - with 25, many of which were unbanded Red-winged Blackbirds that are busy chasing right now.

BUT… today, on this dark threatening morning, several FOY (firsts of the year) showed up! Still not big numbers, and there was movement in the brief periods of sun atetr each round of black clouds rolling through.

Banded today :
Brown Thrasher
FOY Yellow-breasted Chat (SYM - second-year male)
Gambel’s White-crowned Sparrow (8)
FOY Mountain White-crowned Sparrow (AD)
FOY Northern Waterthrush - pretty much right on schedule
Orange-crowned Warbler (3) - first female, after 9 males so far
Yellow Warbler (2) - my first two of the season yesterday were males banded here last fall - great site fidelity!
and 6 RW Blackbirds caught - released.

Also seen notables:
Continuing Swainson’s Hawk on a nest by the railroad tracks
Continuing pair of AM Kestrels
Continuing Great Horned Owl perched
A bunch of Audubon’s Yellow-rumped Warblers staying high above the nets, moving around between dark sky cycles
Continuing strings of Blue Jays migrating up the creek

FOY Barn Swallow
FOY Black-headed Grosbeak (M)
FOY Western Kingbirds (2) along the access road

It IS getting better!

Happy Migration,
Steve Brown
Colo Spgs