Foothills reservoirs in the cold rain, Boulder Co., Sept. 22

[Ted Floyd]

Hey, all.

When Claire Wayner and I arrived at Boulder Reservoir, Boulder Co., minutes after the moment of the autumnal equinox this Sun. morning, Sept. 22, it was rainy, cool, and dark. But there were birds aplenty at The Rez: 4 marbled godwits, 4 long-billed dowitchers, 1 sanderling, 5 Baird sandpipers, 8 least sandpipers, 1 Sabine gull, 1 American herring gull, 2 Caspian terns, 1 Forster tern, 1 Comintern, 4 American pipits, and 2 lark buntings.

Over at nearby Six Mile Reservoir, there were 36 Franklin gulls and 1 Sabine gull.

And up at Lagerman Reservoir, we were greeted by a biblical plague of American wigeons. Along with 18 red-necked phalaropes, 1 "interesting" phalarope (conditions were trying...), lesser and greater yellowlegses, 25 more Baird sandpipers and 5 more long-billed dowitchers, another least sandpiper, and a beautiful pectoral sandpiper.

Great to bird with Carl Bendorf, Lori Potter, Eric Perryman, and Rob Cassady, too. Cameos by Christian Nunes, Sue Riffe, the mononymous Tucker, Pamela St. Clair, John Salisbury, and Ryan Dibala.

Lots of cool sightings this morning, but for "Best of Show" I'll go with the Caspian terns at The Rez: a hatch-year and an adult migrating together (they do this), alternating between the two most different vocalizations imaginable: the Pteranodon-like retching of the adult and the solicitous whistling of the hatch-year. Here's cellphone audio:

macaulaylibrary.org/asset/624056675

Ted Floyd

Lafayette, Boulder Co.