Barr Lake Sunday

[Dave Cameron]

Slightly late report... On Sunday the 6th, at Barr Lake SP:

A good flock (20 or so) American Tree Sparrows

5,000 or so Common Merganser

Possibly double that many geese, including Canada, Cackling and TWO Ross' Geese

150-200 Am. White Pelicans.  The previously mentioned swan that was associating with them was not seen.

10-15 Bald Eagles

Quite a few Pintails and Mallards, scattered throughout

2 very late Western Meadowlarks

2 Kestrels

2 Pheasant

Dave Cameron

Denver

[Dave Cameron]

Two different people now have asked me whether Western Meadowlark migrates, or if it stays all winter and is simply quieter.

I personally never see them in winter, so I looked it up, and found this:  https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Western_Meadowlark/maps-range#, which basically says that they do, and also that they do not, migrate.  It references birds that migrate off breeding grounds, as well as some who don't; birds at higher elevations that move downhill in winter, etc.  Although this info is not Colorado-specific.  They do show purple on the range map, implying year-round presence, if not necessarily of all of the same birds.  So, yes!  Any insight as to our locals would be enlightening.  

Thanks,

Dave

[Larry Modesitt]

Hi Dave,

I see a few on Christmas Bird Counts, and during the winter. So it appears that the information you received is accurate. Some do and some don’t! 

Or maybe all do, and the ones in our area, Barr Lake for example, had migrated from farther north. 

In any case, they aren’t as likely to be perched on top of a mullein, singing their hearts out, and that will make them more difficult to detect.

Larry Modesitt

Arvada

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[Diana Beatty]

I think two years ago on my area of the Colorado Springs CBC I came across a flock of 14 Western Meadowlarks together in one tree.  I was not used to seeing them all together like that.

Diana Beatty

El Paso County

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[elena]

I have had western meadowlarks in he area of the Barr Lake CBC that I do- the large northern section that is mostly driving. I also have had them near my home on the Longmont CBC in Niwot in an agricultural property. I have also heard them sing, though they also call. 

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I acknowledge that I live in the territory of Hinóno’éí (Arapaho), Cheyenne and Ute Nations, according to the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie, and that Colorado’s Front Range is home to many Native peoples. Reconozco que vivo en el territorio de las naciones Hinóno’éí (Arapaho), Cheyenne y Ute, según el 1851 Tratado de Fort Laramie, y que el estado de Colorado al esté de las Montañas Rocosas es territorio de muchos pueblos indígenas. 

On Dec 8, 2020, at 5:04 PM, Diana Beatty <otowi...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Susan Rosine]

I just saw a flock of them two days ago, in extreme south Weld County. I even got some good pictures of one of them.

They don't seem to sing much after the autumnal equinox, but they are around all year.

Susan Rosine

Brighton

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[Lauren Hyde]

I live outside of Keenesburg on a small acreage. They are around my place all year, although the winter they aren’t as numerous and are very quiet.

Lauren Hyde

Keenesburg, Weld County

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[Patrick O'Driscoll]

Scouting parts of Denver and Aurora south of the airport after Christmas for the Urban Denver CBC on New Year's a couple of years ago, I found a flock of more than 25 Western Meadowlarks in grassy fields next to a big new warehouse complex. 

Patrick O'Driscoll

Denver

 

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[Arthur Bezuidenhout]

I have seen meadowlarks in all months of the year.

I think they do migrate but ours move south and are replaced by birds from the north.

Attached are the summer and winter ebird maps.

Bez Bezuidenhout

Arapahoe County

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[Ira Sanders]

We have meadowlarks year around  at Barr Lake. 

Ira Sanders 

On Tue, Dec 8, 2020, 5:28 PM elena <el...@indra.com> wrote:

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[Andrews Robert]

Hello all,

Based upon many years of birding on the Colorado eastern plains, including around Barr Lake, my conclusion on Western Meadowlarks in winter is that they are definitely a normal part of the winter avifauna, but may seem less common, are definitely less conspicuous, are more localized and with a tendency to occur in loose flocks or groups.

They often seem less common in winter, which may be due to a lower population and/or because they less often sing or sit on conspicuous perches and are therefore less noticeable in winter. I think they are much more localized; I have most often seen them around patches of dense, tall grass and weeds where there is presumably more food and shelter. I have also frequently seen individuals and small groups around horse or cattle corrals where there is probably spilled grain or feed on the ground. 

There is a tendency for meadowlarks to be seen in loose groups in winter. I have often seen groups of 10-20 birds, especially around the localized sites mentioned above, and sometimes 30 or even up to 50. 

In looking through my field notes, along the back roads from Barr Lake northeast to Morgan Co. in December and January (in various years from 1975 to 2012), I have typically counted 30-50 Western Meadowlarks, with a high count of 113 on January 26, 1975. At Barr Lake proper, walking along the east side, I have seen between 0 and 22 on various dates. The variability in numbers may be due to population fluctuations from year to year and/or the patchy distribution of the birds.

The eBird maps show a southward shift in winter. Probably some or many or most of Colorado’s summer birds move south, and breeders from farther north move south into Colorado, augmenting the local resident population. 

Western Meadowlarks are definitely present in good numbers in winter but have different habits in winter than what we see in spring and summer.

Bob Andrews

Yekepa, Liberia, West Africa

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[Chris Petrizzo]

I saw at least 52 near Luna Reservoir in Thornton about a week ago. I saw similar numbers in that area last winter as well. 

Chris Petrizzo

Broomfield

[Gary Bowen (Thornton)]

I have seen a couple dozen meadow larks over the past two weeks along the S Platte River trail between 104th and 120th in Adams County. Also saw a couple at RM Arsenal about three weeks ago.

Gary Bowen, Thornton

On Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 3:39:08 PM UTC-7 Dave Cameron wrote:

[The Nunn Guy]

Hi all

Up here in Nunn we see lots of Western Meadowlark throughout the winter-we have a troupe of 20-30 that visit our backyard for food and water almost daily--on warm days they even sing. I see them also where I travel on CPER or Pawnee NG as well.

Thanks Gary Lefko, Nunn

http://www.friendsofthepawneegrassland.org

https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/birds-and-more-of-the-pawnee-national-grassland

On Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 11:04:12 AM UTC-7 Dave Cameron wrote:

[Charlie Chase]

Over the last 10 years the Barr Lake CBC has between 124-424 Western Meadowlark each count with an average of 272. 

The Denver Urban count has between 1-72 with an average of 41 and many of those from Rocky Mt. Arsenal.

Charlie Chase

Denver

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[bbeat...@gmail.com]

This is not recently, but a few years ago, I saw a Western Meadowlark at Chatfield on the Christmas bird count. 

 

Brenda Beatty

Douglas County

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