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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

My Northern Colorado List (1 Viewer)

Laura G. Young

Well-known member
So I'm new to formally listing, and I missed the first couple months of the year, but better late than never!

Starting yesterday at Watson Lake:

1. Golden eagle (2)
2. Bald eagle (immature, chasing ducks)
3. Red-tailed hawk (3)
4. American kestrel (male)
5. Prairie falcon
6. Black-billed magpie
7. Common goldeneye (flock)
8. Canada goose (flock)
9. Common merganser (flock)
10. Mallard (various pairs)
11. Ring-billed gull
12. American robin
13. Black-billed magpie
14. Ruby-crowned kinglet (2)
15. Northern flicker (2)
16. Downy woodpecker
17. Killdeer

Also heard a song sparrow, an American dipper, and saw evidence of a great horned owl (molted feathers).

In the backyard this morning:

18. Black-eyed junco (various varieties)
19. Collared dove (1)
20. Black-capped chickadee
21. Mourning dove (2)
22. House sparrow (2)
23. House finch (4)
24. American goldfinch (2)


Off to find some more....
 
In the backyard:

30. Blue Jay (2)
31. Sharp-shinned hawk (first-year, possibly male? Very small in size.)

At Fossil Creek Reservoir:

32. Blue Heron (2-3)
33. Horned Grebe (3-5) Note: plumage was exactly between winter and breeding.
34. Double-crested cormorant (small flock hunkering down before a storm)
 
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In the neighborhood:

39. Rock Dove (flock)



At canal near the CSU Education Center:

40. American Wigeon (pair)



At Riverbend Ponds:

41. Song Sparrow (singing its heart out)

42. Northern Harrier (adult male)



...
 
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At Lory State Park:

43. Mountain Bluebird (numerous)


At Rocky Mountain National Park:

44. Steller's Jay

45. Gray Jay

46. Mountain Chickadee

47. Pygmy Nuthatch

48. Cassin's Finch (large, noisy flock near the visitor's center)
 
In the backyard/garden:

49. Common Grackle

(Forgot to add to list. First one of the season on April 4th. This week his friends showed up.)


In the neighborhood:

50. Swainson's Hawk

(April 15th. First confirmed sighting of the season for me)


Also sighted yesterday ahead of an approaching storm: a flock of unidentified gulls, a minor murmuration of starlings, and a white pelican with a prominent breeding crest or "horn" on the bill.
 
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At Fossil Creek reservoir:

51. American Coot (several flocks)

52. Say's Phoebe

53. Franklin's Gull (enormous flock, hovering constantly over the water)

54. Lesser Scaup

55. Gadwall

56. Clarke's Grebe (pair)

57. Ruddy Duck (small flock)

58. Snowy Egret (pair)


At Nix Farm:

59. Turkey Vulture (flying overhead)

60. Osprey (4/22 first of the year for me; awesome bird!)


...
 
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For my own reference:


Birds by the Numbers *

Of the 9700+ bird species in the world....

• 800+ species in North America

• 480+ have occurred in Colorado

• 375+ species on the Fort Collins/Larimer County checklist

• 250+ species breed in Colorado

• 100+ spp. could be found in an average Fort Collins yard over a period of years with diligence.

• Probably about 200 species present today somewhere in Larimer County.



(*From local birding expert David Leatherman's lecture: http://www.fcgov.com/naturalareas/mn-res-pdf/birds-in-fortcollins-by-dleatherman.pdf )


I am aiming for at least 200 birds this year. Can it be done? We shall see...
 
An overview of the birds so far:


1. Golden eagle
2. Bald eagle
3. Red-tailed hawk
4. American kestrel
5. Prairie falcon
6. Black-billed magpie
7. Common goldeneye
8. Canada goose
9. Common merganser
10. Mallard
11. Ring-billed gull
12. American robin
13. Black-billed magpie
14. Ruby-crowned kinglet
15. Northern flicker
16. Downy woodpecker
17. Killdeer
18. Black-eyed junco
19. Collared dove
20. Black-capped chickadee
21. Mourning dove
22. House sparrow
23. House finch
24. American goldfinch
25. Red-winged blackbird
26. Western meadowlark
27. Northern shoveler
28. Starling
29. American crow
30. Blue jay
31. Sharp-shinned hawk
32. Blue heron
33. Horned grebe
34. Double-crested cormorant
35. Common raven
36. Hooded merganser
37. Western scrub jay
38. American white pelican
39. Rock dove
40. American wigeon
41. Song sparrow
42. Northern harrier
43. Mountain bluebird
44. Steller's jay
45. Gray jay
46. Mountain chickadee
47. Pygmy nuthatch
48. Cassin's finch
49. Common grackle
50. Swainson's hawk
51. American coot
52. Say's phoebe
53. Franklin's gull
54. Lesser scaup
55. Gadwall
56. Clarke's grebe
57. Ruddy duck
58. Snowy egret
59. Turkey vulture
60. Osprey
 
Finally a new face:


61. Green-tailed towhee


A first for the backyard/garden! He was so beautiful, bouncing around and warily feeding on the ground. Gorgeous bird.

I need to get out more and work less so I can add more birds to the list. Stay tuned...


...
 
Another first for the backyard:


62. Chipping sparrow


There were at least two of them, going after the dandelion puffs that I'd not managed to pull yet. Thanks, guys! ;)


...
 
63. Lark sparrow

A lovely little pair of lark sparrows over at Fossil Creek reservoir this morning. Also some egrets, but didn't have the time to investigate what sort.
 
64. Hermit thrush

65. Red-naped sapsucker

66. Brown-headed cowbird


#64 and #65 were up at Colorado State Forest State Park, #66 at Horsetooth Reservoir.
 
Somehow, I've forgotten to list on here for several weeks. It's been a busy summer! Might've missed a few, but here's the ones I can recall:

67. Broad-tailed hummingbird (all summer in the mountains)

68. Rufous hummingbird (tons in the yard this year! And migrating early....?)

69. House wren (an entire family, in a 9,000 ft. high mountain meadow.)

70. Catbird (fledgling)

71. Savannah sparrow (found recently deceased, seemingly from a "hit and run" on a bicycle trail.) :(

72. Wood duck (immature male)


Also saw some eclipse phase mallards today. Autumn is right around the corner....



--L
 
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