A New Year

As my first year of birding comes to a close soon (in February), I look forward to continuing my education about birds; how to identify them and were to find them. Highlighs include my first CBC where two new birds were added to the 20-year old list and both were found in my yard!

Other highlights include discovering the Pink Butts; all three Rosy-finches at my feeders, discovering the fact that immature White-crowned Sparrows can have brown, checkerboard heads, teaching myself to discern the difference in three little red birds; House Finches, Cassin’s Finch and Purple Finches…by watching them for long periods of time as each fed outside my window.

In my yard I observed Turkey Vultures who came to roost and Wild Turkey tracks in my front yard; Red-tailed, Swainson’s, Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned Hawks who came to dine and several Great Horned Owls who seemed to come to just watch. I also discovered it is folly to feed blackbirds, pretty as they are.

I discovered a bird I’d never even heard of, and celebrated when I identified it as an American Redstart…which I’d never seen anywhere else. Once, I posted a photograph of a very tiny little female hummingbird and set of a Rare-bird Alert throughout the community when ‘Anonymous’ insisted it was a female Calloipe Hummingbird in Colorado…very early in May! I quickly learned the network of birders.

I discovered and got pictures of Lazuli Buntings; Evening, Black-headed and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks; Western Tangiers and Bullock’s Orioles raised families near here, I watched them bring fledglings to the feeders along with White-breasted Nuthatches and both Downey and Hairy Woodpeckers; youngsters that fluttered and begged to ever patient parents.

I learned the Lesser Goldfinch with its dark-black head and black is not at all ‘lesser’ than the American Goldfinch; its a stunning and exotic-looking little bird. I remembered the cackling, calling sound I heard only once before and looked up to see a bunch of Sand-hill Cranes flying high over my home. I tracked a bird-call for days to finally discover what was most likely a Western Wood-pewee. I watched nestlings and their parents at the local golf course.


Most recently, I discovered a White-winged Dove amongst the Eurasian- piggies…I mean collared Doves. While the bird is expanding its range…it is still fairly uncommon yet and some folks were tickled to add the bird to their lists. I also got a photo of a somewhat difficult to find bird right in my own front yard! With the help of a friend we got it identified as a Hermit Thrush. I was tickled pink.

And (!) I was invited to contribute to I and the Bird! Neat! Best of all I’ve gotten to know a whole bunch of really neat people both on the trail and on line, I've gone out and seen even more awesome birds around Colorado and I’ve learned a lot. Blogging just sets it in stone, so to speak. LOL

December Yard Birds included: American Robin, White-breasted Nuthatch, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Northern Flicker - Red-shafted, White-winged Dove, European Starling, Common Raven, Mountain Chickadee, Gray-crowned Rosy-finch, American Crow, Chipping Sparrow, Red-tailed Hawk, Red-winged Blackbird, Hairy Woodpecker, Song Sparrow, Downy Woodpecker, Dark-eyed Junco - Oregon, Pink-sided, Slate and Gray-headed, Pine Siskin, Blue Jay, American Goldfinch, Eurasian Collared-Dove, House Finch - red, yellow and orange variants, Black-billed Magpie, House Sparrow.

All photos are mine. LOL...can you tell?
Someday I'll have a decent lens.