Morning Birding Species List | August 28, 2018


ACES Staff

August 29, 2018

Morning Birding Species List | August 28, 2018

Tuesday, August 28, 2018, 7:30AM – 10:30AM
Weather: Sunny
Location: Hallam Lake and Aspen Community Garden/Marolt Open Space

Species Identified

Canada Goose
Mallard
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Western Wood Pewee
Flycatcher (species)
Warbling Vireo
Steller’s Jay
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
House Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Finch
Pine Siskin
Lesser Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
Green-tailed  Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln’s Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
MacGillivray’s Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Wilson’s Warbler
Lazuli Bunting


Comments:

Today’s mini lesson was about an unusual call that American Robins make, a very high-pitched, even seeeee, that is an alarm call specifically indicating an aerial predator such as a hawk. This information comes from Birds of North America Online (Cornell Lab of Ornithology) and What the Robin Knows by Jon Young. Learning about such vocalizations and their meanings can enrich birders’ experiences with a deeper understanding of bird behavior. Outside, the theme of the day was fall flocking and feeding! More than 100 Cedar Waxwings were active in a number of loose flocks in treetops around Hallam Lake where they were feeding on aerial insects using hawking techniques. We were able to observe the plumage differences that identify adults and juveniles.  Fruit-bearing shrubs and seed heads of giant angelica, thistle, and other flowering plants were alive with foraging Pine Siskins, chickadees, warblers, sparrows, and Warbling Vireos. A Belted Kingfisher fished in Hallam Lake and gave us excellent opportunities to observe its flight style, field marks, and flight calls. At the Marolt Open Space and community garden, a species of mystery sparrow continued to stump us (we will figure it out – stay tuned to future blog entries!), three species of hummingbirds were present (mainly females and/or hatch-year birds), four species of warblers foraged in dense vegetation, and both species of goldfinches focused on seedheads. A female Lazuli Bunting was fun to study for her subtle field marks, and it was interesting to note that House Wrens have not yet migrated. Next week Morning Birding shifts to a new time for the month of September: 8AM – 11AM. See you then!

~ Rebecca Weiss, ACES Bird Guide 

 

Photo by Dale Armstrong

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