Black Phoebe family refound across from Canon City Riverwalk

[SeEtta Moss]

This morning I went to see if I could refind the family of Black Phoebes I posted about last night that were across the river from the Canon City Riverwalk.  I did refind them and watched them for about 2 hours as the fledgling birds learned to sally after insects and strengthen their flying abilities.  Most of the time they stayed on the other side of the Arkansas River foraging along the river as well as in a alfalfa field that has lots of alfalfa flowers that is drawing butterflies and other insects.  The parent bird did bring the young birds across to the riverwalk side of the river and I was able to photograph one on a branch down the riverbank.  When I was getting ready to leave around noon the parent bird brought the fledglings across and over to the trees lining Sell's Lake where I watched and photographed them for another half hour (and this afforded much closer views).  I got several good photos from this closer location that show not only the rusty  edged/tipped wing bars but also the buffy  tips to feathers on their upperparts (specifically their wing-coverts, primaries, and secondaries) as well as the less rounded tertials found on young birds.  I have uploaded these photos onto my Birds and Nature blog.

SeEtta Moss
Canon City
Personal blog @ http://BirdsAndNature.blogspot.com
Blogging for Birds an Blooms Magazine @ http://BirdsAndBloomsBlog.com