ACES Morning Birding at Hallam Lake 05/07/24


Rebecca Weiss

May 9, 2024

ACES Morning Birding at Hallam Lake 05/07/24

Tuesday, May 7, 2024, 7:00-10:00am
Weather: Snowing and cold
Location: Hallam Lake, Aspen, CO

The second day in a row of winter weather, where heavy snowfall characterized most of the morning. Despite these daunting conditions, an intrepid group of birders showed up ready to see what the morning would bring. It’s not unusual for weather to deliver bouts of winter during the month of May, and we were all curious if there would be any birds to see or if they would be keeping to protective shelter and out of view. Activity was definitely low, but to our delight, we found plenty of birds and had some excellent moments. Highlights included several Spotted sandpipers that flew toward us as they moved from shore to shore, an Osprey eating a fish, Great blue herons switching roles at the nest, singing Cassin’s finches, and a Ruby-crowned kinglet at close range with great views of its red crest. We shared many fun stories and had great discussions about bird name changes, hummingbird strategies for surviving cold/snowy weather, and habitat restoration at Hallam Lake. It was a memorable morning! Join us on May 21st for Morning Birding at Rock Bottom Ranch!

Species List:

Canada Goose
Mallard
Pied-billed Grebe
Spotted Sandpiper
Great Blue Heron
Osprey
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Steller’s Jay
Black-capped Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
Cassin’s Finch
Pine Siskin
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird

~ Rebecca Weiss, ACES Bird Guide

Featured photo: Dark-eyed junco.

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