Chatfield Banding Station, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies 5-16-26

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Meredith McBurney

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May 16, 2026, 7:52:35 PM (20 hours ago) May 16

to Colorado Birds

The morning started fast - our first 2 American Redstarts of the season didn't even give us time to get the first net on the river fully open before getting caught. The male was banded last year, the female new; so neither are among the older ones that we have been catching the past few years. Hope for more soon. About 15 minutes later we caught a Cooper's Hawk, the first and probably only hawk of the season.

Things settled down after that, and we had a day pretty similar to the last few - a mix of the usual suspects for this time of year, wondering where the flycatchers are.......

28 new birds and 3 returns of 14 species:

Cooper's Hawk 1, young male
Northern House Wren 1
Swainson's Thrush 1
Hermit Thrush 1
Gray Catbird 7 new, 1 banded 2025
Yellow Warbler 3 new, 1 banded 2025
American Redstart 1 new, 1 banded 2025
MacGillivray's Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 1
Yellow-breasted Chat 3
Spotted Towhee 2
Song Sparrow 2
Lincoln's Sparrow 3
American Goldfinch 1

We are banding Tuesday through Sunday (closed Mondays) through May 31, weather permitting. There are opportunities for the public to visit on weekends and early mornings most weekdays. Reservations are required and can be made through the Denver Audubon website. (Many/most sessions are already sold out, so sign up now if you are interested!)