Colorado Birds the Colorado Field Ornithologists’ Quarterly

Vol. 47 No. 4 October 2013 Colorado Birds The Colorado Field Ornithologists’ Quarterly

Piping Plovers in Colorado Water it and They Will Come Hungry Birder: Breckenridge Colorado Field Ornithologists PO Box 643, Boulder, Colorado 80306 www.cfobirds.org

Colorado Birds (USPS 0446-190) (ISSN 1094-0030) is published quarterly by the Colo- rado Field Ornithologists, P.O. Box 643, Boulder, CO 80306. Subscriptions are obtained through annual membership dues. Nonprofit postage paid at Louisville, CO. POST- MASTER: Send address changes to Colorado Birds, P.O. Box 643, Boulder, CO 80306.

Officers and Directors of Colorado Field Ornithologists: Dates indicate end of current term. An asterisk indicates eligibility for re-election. Terms expire 5/31.

Officers: President: Bill Kaempfer, Boulder, 2014; [email protected]; Vice Presi- dent: Christian Nunes, Boulder, 2015*; [email protected]; Secretary: Larry Modesitt, Greenwood Village, 2015; [email protected]; Treasurer: Tom Wilberd- ing, Boulder, 2015*; [email protected]

Directors: Jim Beatty, Durango, 2014; Christy Carello, Golden, 2016*; Lisa Edwards, Falcon, 2014*; Ted Floyd, Lafayette, 2014*; Mike Henwood, Grand Junction, 2015*; Brenda Linfield, Boulder, 2016; Joe Roller, Denver, 2015.

Colorado Bird Records Committee: Dates indicate end of current term. An asterisk indicates eligibility to serve another term. Terms expire 12/31.

Chair: Doug Faulkner, Arvada, 2013*; [email protected]

Secretary: Rachel Hopper, Fort Collins

Committee Members: John Drummond, Monument, 2013*; Bill Maynard, Colorado Springs, 2013; Brandon Percival, Pueblo West, 2016*; Bill Schmoker, Longmont, 2013*; David Silverman, Rye, 2014; Glenn Walbek, Castle Rock, 2015.

Colorado Birds Quarterly:

Editor: Peter Burke, [email protected]

Staff: Christian Nunes (Photo Editor), [email protected]; Hugh Kingery (Field Notes Editor), [email protected]; Tony Leukering (In the Scope Editor), GreatGrayOwl@ aol.com; Ted Floyd (Conversations Editor), [email protected]; Mike Henwood (News from the Field Editor), [email protected]

Annual Membership Dues (renewable quarterly): General $25; Youth (under 18) $12; Institution $30. Membership dues entitle members to a subscription to Colorado Birds, which is published quarterly. Back issues/extra copies may be ordered for $6.00. Send requests for extra copies/back issues, change of address and membership renewals to CFO, P.O. Box 643, Boulder, CO 80306; make checks out to Colorado Field Ornitholo- gists. Contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

226 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 The Colorado Field Ornithologists’ Quarterly Vol. 47 No. 4 October 2013

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE...... 228 Bill Kaempfer

CFO BOARD MEETING MINUTES...... 230 Larry Modesitt

CONVERSATIONS: PETER BURKE...... 232 Ted Floyd (Ed.)

THE STATUS OF PIPING PLOVERS AS A COLORADO NESTING SPECIES, 1990–2013...... 236 Duane Nelson

WATER IT AND THEY WILL COME— LOWER SOUTH PLATTE BIRD DIVERSITY, HISTORY AND OUTLOOK...... 243 Bruce Bosley

FIELD NOTE: NORTHEAST COLORADO...... 246 Bill Kaempfer

CBRC WEBSITE ANNOUNCEMENT...... 248 Doug Faulkner

The 68TH REPORT OF THE CBRC...... 252 Doug Faulkner

NEWS FROM THE FIELD: spring 2013...... 264 Mike Henwood

THE HUNGRY BIRDER: BRECKENRIDGE...... 294 Christy Carello Western Scrub-Jay, Red IN THE SCOPE: Rocks Trading WARM-COLORED MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS...... 297 Post, Jefferson County, 11 Tony Leukering February 2013. Photo THE HUNGRY BIRD: CATERPILLAR TRICKS...... 300 by Peter Burke Dave Leatherman PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

New Year’s Resolutions

Bill Kaempfer So, who’s still on track with their 2013 New Year’s resolutions? I am! I resolved to use eBird this year—all the time, complete lists, no excuses. And I’m still on track. Although eBird is pretty easy to use, it does require some effort, yet using eBird keeps me better organized as a record keeper, on track and current. And using eBird has an enormous payoff beyond just tracking one’s own list. I now use it all the time to see what’s showing up in Colorado and elsewhere, and what’s on the lists of others. I use it for planning my trips, looking at historical records and so forth. As an example of some things I’ve learned using eBird information, the other day (once I had made my goal of 300 species observed for Colorado during 2013) I used eBird to compare Colorado Birding activity to the rest of the country. I discovered just how much birding goes on in our state. Of the 50 states, Colorado ranks 6th for number of species recorded and verified by eBird so far for 2013, ranking behind only Texas, California, Florida, Arizona and New Mexico. As of mid-August there were 11 birders who had managed the 300 year-list level in our state, which ranked third in the country behind birding behemoths Texas and California. My conclusion? Colorado has amazing bird variety and that variety keeps some pretty outstanding birders busy. With all those birds and birders, do we also have a state birding organization that delivers? I certainly think so, and this edition of Colorado Birds will make clear some of the things that the CFO is doing to make birding in Colorado even better. First is Colorado Birds itself, the CFO’s quarterly journal. With this issue we welcome Peter Burke as our new editor after seven plus years of excellent work by previous editor, Nathan Pieplow. In July I thanked Nathan for his outstanding efforts toward putting the state of birds and birding in Colorado in print. To get to know Peter better, you may want to visit Ted Floyd’s blog on the CFO website (http://www.cfobirds.org/business/index.php#Last%20Chance%20-%20First) or see Ted Floyd’s Conversations on page 232. In addition, the CFO has invested in significant changes to its Colorado Birds Records Committee site. An entirely new records submission process took effect in late August that makes submitting a formal record of a rare sighting much easier. Doug Faulkner, chair of the CBRC, explains these changes on page 248. Finally, the major event that defines CFO every year is its con-

228 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 vention. At the 2013 convention in Cortez, we an- nounced our plans to host the 2014 convention in Sterling—as far from Cor- tez as we could get! I’d like to confirm this and pass on the additional news that the CFO Board has decided to take the plunge and have the 2014 convention August 28-31. An August convention in North- east Colorado gives CFO members the best possible opportunity to explore the spectacular post-breeding shorebird migration that comes across the high plains. With extensive mudflats exposed after summer water draw-downs at the five large reservoirs An example of the many tools available to birders along the South Platte through eBird. (Jumbo, North Sterling, Prewitt, Jackson and Riverside—yes we hope to include trips there, too) thousands of shorebirds, including some rarities, often show up. In August 2013, I led a CFO field trip to the Sterling area, so check my trip report on page 246 for a preview of what to expect at the August 2014 convention. I’m also proud to announce that our featured speaker will be none other than Jon L. Dunn! One of the preeminent field ornithologists of his time, Jon has been Chief Consultant on the National Geographic Field Guide since the first publishing in 1983. His Field Guide to Warblers of North America (Peterson series, 1997 and co-authored with Kimball Garrett) is perhaps the finest and most complete work on that subject. Finally, Jon collaborated with our own John Vanderpoel to create The Advanced Birding Video Series that includes Humming- birds of North America, The Large Gulls of North America and The Small Gulls of North America. So mark your calendars and join us next fall in Sterling!

Bill Kaempfer, [email protected]

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 229 CFO BOARD MEETING MINUTES

10 August 2013 Mountain Research Station, Boulder County, CO

Larry Modesitt President Bill Kaempfer called the August quarterly meeting to order at 11:30 a.m. (after a CFO Board bird walk on Niwot Ridge where we saw a family of Dusky Grouse and a Say’s Phoebe at 11,500’, among other expected species). Other officers present were Vice President Christian Nunes, Secretary Larry Modesitt, and Treasurer Tom Wilberding. Directors Jim Beatty, Peter Burke, Christy Carello, Lisa Edwards, Mike Henwood, Brenda Linfield, Joe Roller and Ted Floyd were present. Director Doug Faulkner sent his regrets. New board members Mike Henwood, Christy Carello, and Peter Burke were greeted and welcomed by all.

Secretary’s Report—Larry Mode- in Colorado Birds in such a way as to sitt. Directors approved the minutes be of broad interest to birders in Colo- of the 13 April 2013 board meeting rado. He also affirmed the importance and the 18 May Annual Meeting, of balancing scientific contributions with minor corrections. and more “popular” content like the “The Hungry Birder” and CFO mem- Treasurer’s Report—Tom Wil- ber profiles. With Bill Kaempfer’s berding’s report was approved. suggestion, Peter is forming, and will oversee, an editorial board consisting Membership Report—Lisa Ed- of Christy Carello (science), Doug wards reported 499 subscriptions for Faulkner (CBRC), Mike Henwood the April issue. Membership is in- (News from the Field), Christian creasing slightly. Nunes (Photo Editor) and Bill. 2. Planning for the 2014 CFO Items of Business from the Presi- Convention. We thoroughly re- dent—Bill Kaempfer viewed comments and survey results 1. Introduction of new editor of regarding timing of a fall convention, Colorado Birds. President Kaempfer as having a convention in the fall is a welcomed Peter Burke to his first major change. Pending confirmation meeting, and also expressed thanks to regarding costs, conflicts and avail- Nathan Pieplow for his long-serving ability, the board will approve that its and excellent editorship of Colorado next convention be held in August Birds. Peter expressed his hope that 2014 in Sterling. Convening later CFO members feel free to speak with than August conflicts with hunting him about submitting articles. Ted season. Many good birding locations Floyd emphasized the importance of exist in northeast Colorado and west- publishing original scientific research ern Nebraska, and late summer is a

230 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 great time to visit. Moreover, identi- however, involves minimal cost and fication workshops for fall shorebirds little extra work for the Treasurer, and ducks could be popular. The and it could allay fears that such an 2015 convention will revert to spring incident could wipe out our funds. timing. We also will secure space for Consequently, the board authorized exhibitors that could not be accom- Tom to take steps to be bonded. Tom modated at the last convention in also will put our insurance out for bid, Cortez. as it has been five years since we last 3. Colorado Bird Records Com- tested the market. mittee (CBRC) website overhaul— 2. Committee Structure and Di- Bill Kaempfer in Doug Faulkner’s rector Roles—Tom Wilberding had absence. Development is progressing discussed previously that the commit- well, and we are targeting a Septem- tees existing currently do not conform ber 1 date for public usage. See details to CFO bylaws. Bill Kaempfer recom- elsewhere in this edition of Colorado mended changing the bylaws, which Birds. requires a 2/3 vote for approval, to 4. CFO Website. Board mem- reflect the following standing com- bers will review our site quarterly mittees: Membership, Convention, and recommend improvements. Communications, CBRC, Awards & AJEndeavors, the contractor for the Nominations, Projects & Scholar- CBRC website re-design, has sug- ships, and Field Trips. The board rec- gested adding a re-programming of ognized that this reflects the reality of the county birding website, linking it its ongoing activities and approved to the CBRC website and making it the required motion. Smartphone friendly. County infor- 3. The board approved sponsor- mation could be updated more easily ship of a CFO booth at the Rocky and would be more timely. The con- Mountain Bird Observatory annual sensus of the group is to approve the picnic on October 5 for $250. approach, subject to more specifically described features. The next board meeting date is November 16 at the CINC in Boul- CFO Structural Business Matters der. 1. Tom Wilberding proposed bonding the Treasurer for $50,000 at President Kaempfer adjourned the a cost of $100 per year. We believe meeting at 3:30 p.m. it is extremely unlikely that a Trea- surer would abscond with CFO funds. Respectfully submitted, Fulfilling the bonding requirements, Larry Modesitt, Secretary

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 231 CONVERSATIONS

A Conversation with Peter Burke

Ed. Ted Floyd With this issue of Colorado Birds, Peter Burke takes the reins as editor of the Centennial State’s quarterly journal of ornithological record. Peter brings to the position extensive experience in journal- ism, public relations, and feature writing—not to mention a degree in English from the University of Colorado. He is the Director of Marketing and Communications for the University of Colorado- Boulder Alumni Association, and he lives in Boulder with his wife, Susan, and daughters Sophie and Winnie. In this installment of “Conversations,” we get acquainted with one of the key players in the Colorado birding community. As Pe- ter Burke explains in this interview, Colorado Birds is a community endeavor. Please be in touch with Peter, please share your thoughts about the journal with him, and please consider contributing a note or article to Colorado Birds.—Ted Floyd

Colorado Birds: Let’s start off on a fun note! People who know you say you have a lot of fun while you’re out birding. What makes birding so fun for you? Peter Burke: It’s the birds. Through it all, it has always been a fascination with these beautiful, feathered creatures that come in so many sizes, shapes and colors—with amazing adaptations for survival. Twenty-some years ago, my sister gave me a life list journal for Christ- mas. Suddenly I realized that there were 600+ species of birds in the ABA area I’d never seen before. So I set out to complete my list, thinking I might eventually see them all. While I still hope to accomplish that goal, listing has given way to other challenges over the years. Improving field ID skills... Learning about behaviors, ranges, different plumages, feeding strategies, songs, calls, chips... I also appreciate spending time outdoors with other birders. It’s fun to get outside, and searching for birds tends to bring us to beautiful and remote locations. Lastly, it’s great to spend time with other birders who have similarly stuffed brains. While the rest of the world sleeps, we get to see the sun rise, catching just a glimpse of wing flash and then sorting through terabytes of ridiculously memorized data to arrive at an ID in seconds. What could be more thrilling?

CB: All right, let’s get down to business now. That Nathan Pieplow...big shoes to fill, eh? Tell us about the great journal you’ve inherited from Pieplow.

232 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 PB: It’s still too early for me to appreciate all that Nathan has done for Colorado Birds. Nathan’s work has been so seamless, you might think the journal pretty much produces itself, but of course that is far from the truth. Nathan’s legacy is both a consistent, high-quality scientific journal and a terrific team that includes regular contributions from writers like Ted Floyd, Doug Faulkner, Dave Leather- man and Tony Leukering. Other essential contributors are Photo Editor Christian Nunes, Graphic Designer Debbie Marshall, Membership Chair Lisa Edwards and Printer Judy Robin- son. Colorado Birds enjoys an excellent reputation among birders both in state and beyond, so big shoes to fill indeed! Peter Burke, “Colorado Birds” editor. CB: Nathan Pieplow has left a Photo by Susan Burke wonderful legacy, but it is expected that Colorado Birds will change and evolve, as it always has, in the years to come. Going forward, what are some of your ideas for content in upcoming issues of Colorado Birds? PB: At this stage I’m more interested to learn what other CFO members think about Colorado Birds. It’s my intention to survey our membership and solicit feedback on what they like most about the journal, and what, if anything, they would like to see added, brought back or revved up. I encourage readers to share their thoughts with me. Please send email to [email protected]. Your comments will be kept confidential, so please take a moment to share!

CB: It’s a cliche, but the internet has changed everything. Or, if it hasn’t, it soon will! How will the internet affect Colorado Birds in the years ahead? PB: For many reasons, I can’t see us doing away with the print edition of Colorado Birds, at least not in the foreseeable future. How- ever, depending on resources, it could be interesting to publish an electronic version at some time. The benefits of online publishing include virtually unlimited space, full color photos and video, seamless integration with social media, links to outside resources and the ability to reach audiences anywhere there is a connection. I would

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 233 be very interested to learn how many of our current members would prefer an electronic version that would work on an iPad, Kindle, or mobile phone platform.

CB: In addition to being the editor of Colorado Birds, you serve on the board of directors of CFO. What are some current challenges and opportunities for CFO? PB: Having attended just one CFO board meeting, I’m hardly qualified to speak to challenges and opportunities. What I can say is that I was very impressed with the passion and dedication of the members currently serving. I sense a desire on the part of the board for CFO to actively participate in the birding community to increase our visibility, but also to fulfill our mission of field study, conservation and promoting the joy of birding to a new generation of birders. I’m very much looking forward to engaging with birders throughout Colorado as a board member, as editor and especially as a birder!

CB: As you gaze into your crystal ball, where do you see CFO a quarter century from now? PB: I think Colorado remains an under-appreciated state for birding. With nearly 500 species, sixth most in America, and tremendous diversity of habitats and landscapes, Colorado should enjoy a reputation as a birding haven. In the past year, I have met several ranch owners who are both proud of, and extremely knowledgeable about, the birds that move through their lands. Not the stereotype I had in my head... I’ve also had the privilege of birding with some truly outstanding individuals who have been more than willing to share their experiences and local knowledge with me. What brings all this together is CFO. Long before I moved back to Colorado, I had al- ready found the county birding website, and often browsed sightings reported on COBirds. These sources, together with the annual convention, sponsored birding trips, and yes, Colorado Birds, ensure that new generations of birders will be actively involved in the field study of Colorado’s stunning diversity of birds. So to answer your question, I think that 25 years from now, CFO will be right where it is today: at the forefront of birding.

CB: Let’s wrap up in the here and now. You’ve sure taken the plunge into Boulder County birding! Tell us about your ongoing big year. What’s your favorite memory thus far? What are you looking forward to in the remainder of the year? PB: I’ve had such a blast in the year that I’ve been back in Colo- rado! And yes, I’ve been sucked into a raging Boulder County listing

234 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 thing, but that has only made it more interesting. Instead of going out seeking new life birds, I’ve found myself looking for every bird I can find in the county—even a Northern Cardinal!—a year-round yard bird for me in New Jersey. But it has been a terrific way for me to learn the local birds, find the nearby birding hotspots and get to know the county, that stretches from the eastern plains to the heights of Rocky Mountain National Park. Boulder county alone boasts a species list of 400, more than some states! Memories. In April, a series of spring snow storms caused epic knock-downs that left tens of thousands of Horned Lark, thousands of McCown’s Longspurs, hundreds of Chestnut-collared Longspurs, scores of Lapland Longspurs and more along the plowed edges of the eastern county roads. Cars would pass sending up clouds of hungry, disoriented birds. A lot of county lists grew thanks to those storms! Other memories: watching hundreds of pink-breasted Franklin’s Gulls descend to a small mudflat at Boulder Reservoir in the setting sunlight, only to erupt as a juvenile Bald Eagle made a mock straf- ing run; watching not one, but two pairs of Lewis’s Woodpeckers go about the business of selecting just the right nest cavity near Eldo- rado Springs. The female would land on each dead tree followed by the male who would shoot up above her and then descend, flexing his feathers to catch the sun just right to show off those metallic green hues. Reading report after report after bloody report of casual sightings of multiple Dusky Grouse and my missing every one of them! [Editor’s note: I finally found my nemesis Dusky Grouse on a morning hike just prior to the August 10 CFO Board meeting. Of course, I misidentified the young cheeper—that’s the correct term for a baby grouse—as a...female Northern Bobwhite. C’mon Peter, you’re above 10,000 feet!...but there you go.]

Ed. Ted Floyd, 2009 South Fork Drive, Lafayette, CO 80026, [email protected]

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 235 NESTING AT SOUTHERN RESERVOIRS

The Status of Piping Plovers as a Colorado Nesting Species, 1990–2013 Duane Nelson A historic nesting record at Prewitt Reservoir in Washington County in 1949 confirmed the status of Piping Plovers as a Colorado nesting bird species (Bailey and Niedrach, 1965). After a forty-year absence, the presence of dependent young with attending adults at Neenoshe Reservoir in Kiowa County re-established Piping Plovers as a Colorado nesting species in 1989 (Carter 1990). Intensive breeding season studies of Piping Plovers began in Colo- rado in 1990. This article attempts to provide a comprehensive, but brief, summary of the status of Piping Plovers in Colorado (Table 1). Table 2 gives annotated data on all Colorado nest sites dating back to 1990. It is important to correlate habitat conditions with nesting productivity. Variables like water levels, predator presence and vegetative encroachment have a tremendous impact on where birds nest and how successful they are. When annual field studies began in 1990, water levels were high, and the size of the Great Plains Reservoirs in Kiowa County (Neenoshe, Neegronda and Neeskah) meant that simple annual evaporation produced abundant, barren habitat annually at multiple locations. Piping Plovers utilized all of these bodies of water. By 1994, water levels were perilously low at the Great Plains Reservoirs, and birds colonized John Martin Reservoir (Bent County) and Adobe Creek Reservoir (Kiowa/Bent Counties). With the first successful nest at John Martin Reservoir, nesting shifted to the west. A dry period continued through 1999, although there was always suitable habitat at one of the five major Colorado lakes used by the birds. In 2002, a wet period began that resulted in all area reservoirs filling to capacity. The surge in Piping Plover productivity in the early 2000s was due to abundant habitat exposed as the water level in lakes began to recede, producing island habitat (free of terrestrial predators) that allowed unprecedented nest success. The lakes continued to recede in 2003, initiating the current drought cycle that has made management far more complex. It is no longer enough to post signs, close beaches and allow nature to take it’s own course. In 1991, 1993 and 1995, no nest sites successfully fledged young statewide. The cause was attributed to the presence of predators on

236 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 Table 1. Annual nesting data of Piping Plovers in Colorado, 1990–2013

Year # birds # of # of # of # hatched % hatched # fledged % fledged # fledged/ pairs nests eggs pair 1990 8 8 25 12 48% 8 32% 1.00 1991 2 2 8 0 0% 0 0% 0.00 1992 4 7 23 11 48% 6 26% 1.50 1993 13 9 18 64 8 13% 0 0% 0.00 1994 9 16 56 21 38% 13 23% 1.44 1995 5 8 25 0 0% 0 0% 0.00 1996 13 1 3 11 3 27% 3 27% 3.00 1997 14 3 3 12 12 100% 3 25% 1.00 1998 11 1 3 9 0 0% 0 0% 0.00 1999 10 2 4 14 4 29% 4 29% 2.00 2000 13 4 4 16 12 75% 5 31% 1.25 2001 13 5 6 24 9 38% 7 29% 1.40 2002 20 9 9 34 22 65% 16 47% 1.78 2003 25 6 8 32 21 66% 20 63% 3.33 2004 27 9 15 52 22 42% 10 19% 1.11 2005 24 8 9 34 18 53% 9 26% 1.13 2006 20 8 8 32 25 78% 11 34% 1.38 2007 24 8 12 41 19 46% 7 17% 0.88 2008 20 8 14 49 12 24% 4 8% 0.50 2009 20 8 19 63 4 6% 1 2% 0.13 2010 12 6 12 37 7 19% 7 19% 1.17 2011 19 9 10 38 22 58% 15 39% 1.67 2012 16 8 10 35 18 51% 15 43% 1.88 2013 21 8 10 35 15 43% 13 37% 1.63 TOTAL 148 218 769 297 177 AVERAGE 6.17 9.08 3.20 12.38 38% 7.38 23% 1.20

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 237 Table 2. Piping Plover nest productivity in Colorado 1990–2013

Year Location # of nests # fledged * 1990 Neenoshe 6 Low water level Neegronda Low water level 1991 Neenoshe Low water, depredation Neegronda Low water, depredation 1992 Neenoshe Very low water level Neegronda John Martin First documented nest here 1993 Adobe Creek First documented nest here Neenoshe All nests depredated Neeskah All nests depredated 1994 Neegronda Neenoshe full, plovers move here Neeskah Lake very low John Martin 1995 John Martin 2 nesting females killed by hail Neegronda Neeskah Other 1996 John Martin 3 3 3 1997 John Martin 1 3 3 Neenoshe 2 nesting females killed by hail 1998 Verhoeff Nest depredated by coyotes John Martin Gulls depredate island nests 1999 John Martin Successful nest by female recruit 2000 John Martin 4 5 4 2001 John Martin 5 6 Neenoshe nesting female banded in Sask. Can. 2002 John Martin 7 10 7 Adobe Creek 2 6 6 2003 John Martin 6 14 14 Adobe Creek Field fence allows nest to hatch Neenoshe 1 3 3 2004 John Martin 14 8 8 Adobe Creek Field fence allows nest to hatch

238 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 Table 2 (continued). Piping Plover nest productivity in Colorado 1990–2013

2005 John Martin 7 8 8 Adobe Creek Field fence allows nest to hatch 2006 John Martin 6 5 5 Neegronda 1 2 2 Adobe Creek Field and electric fence protect nest 2007 John Martin 8 4 3 Neegronda 3 Narrow beaches, abundant predators Lake Cheraw First documented nest here 2008 John Martin 13 4 2 Neegronda Field fence allows nest to hatch 2009 John Martin 13 1 1

Neegronda Rodent depredation unstoppable 2010 John Martin 10 7 4

Neegronda Predators claim 1st nest, flooding second nest 2011 John Martin 9 12 12 Adobe Creek First Piping Plover nest on Long Island 012 John Martin 7 12 12 Adobe Creek 3 3 3 2013 John Martin 9 10 10 Adobe Creek 1 3 0 TOTAL 218 177

*Denotes Nest Productivity from Cleared or Man-made Habitat

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 239 nesting beaches. Faced with an absence of protected island habitat, predator exclosures were placed around all nests (Fig. 1). Woven wire cages deterred all predators larger than the two-inch by two- inch openings. The cages worked tremendously well where rodents (especially Spotted Ground-squirrels and Ord’s Kangaroo Rats) and snakes (especially Bullsnakes) were absent. However, at the sites where these predators were present, most nests, even when caged, failed. This presented one of the most difficult management challenges faced in recent Colorado recovery efforts. Rodent control efforts implemented for the past 10 years have made a huge difference in nest success, with the added benefit of diminishing the number of Coyotes, the primary nest and young predator in Colorado, attracted to nesting beaches by the abundant rodent prey near concentrated Piping Plover nest sites. A second conservation technique has been the construction of nesting islands at John Martin Reservoir and Adobe Creek Reservoir. When exposed, these islands have hosted multiple successful nests of Piping Plovers. However, the current drought has left most of these islands far above the water line, no longer suitable for nesting and waiting for the next flood event that may or may not arrive. The most intensive management strategy that has been implemented since 2004 has been the maintenance of essential Piping Plo- ver nesting habitat through chemical and manual vegetation control. The chemicals used have been Garlon IV (Imazapyr) and Rodeo (Glyphosate). The essential points and islands utilized by the Plovers during the current low-water cycle would otherwise be populated by tall cottonwood trees and impenetrable saltcedar jungles without these actions. All points that used to have sand and gravel beaches at John Martin Reservoir and Adobe Creek Reservoir have been colonized by cockleburs, saltgrass, wild licorice and dozens of invasive species. Manual vegetative control augments the chemical work. Table 2 documents the fate of nests, comparing the productivity of traditional, undisturbed nest sites with those that were created, managed or maintained. Since 1996, most successful Piping Plover nests in Colorado can be directly traced to active management efforts intended to benefit the species. Since 1990, 176 Piping Plovers have fledged in Colorado. Of these, 112 (64%) have fledged from nest sites that have either been cleared or created. The use of protective cages around most nest sites has enhanced productivity. It could be argued that Piping Plovers continue to nest in Colorado in large part due to these management actions taken on their behalf. Weather is a wild card in recovery efforts. In 1997, the Piping Plo- ver population rebounded from one nesting pair statewide, to three

240 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 Adult Piping Plover on territory, John Martin Reservoir, April 2013. Photo by Duane Nelson

Fig. 1. Predator-Resistant Exclosure Cage Used to Exclude Predators, John Martin Reservoir, 2013. Note that nest was placed between vehicle tracks on point that was closed to human access after a pair was discovered on territory. Many threats facing Piping Plovers are evident: Low water levels, loss of habitat, invasion of vegetation and the threat of disturbance due to human impact. Photo by Duane Nelson

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 241 nesting pairs. A single violent hailstorm killed both females at Nee- noshe Reservoir (presumably birds that had fledged from the single successful 1996 nesting at John Martin Reservoir) nearly wiping out the Colorado nesting population. A similar hail event at John Martin Reservoir on 11 June 2009 claimed three nests: one brood of four young, and two incubating adults, during what was poised to be a most productive year. There are multiple models of Piping Plover fledgling rates necessary to maintain population stability. At the 2011 International Pip- ing Plover Conference held in Omaha, NE, Anne Hecht (USFWS) presented a Piping Plover population stability model. Piping Plovers need to produce 1.24 chicks per pair to maintain population stability, and 1.5 chicks per pair to reach recovery. The South Dakota Man- agement Plan is similar, proposing 1.5 fledglings per pair per year over a 10-year average, then a 1.25 fledgling per pair per year when the population reaches equilibrium (Aron 2005). An older population model, long the standard for recovery, estimates that Piping Plover pairs need to produce a minimum of 1.13 young annually to maintain population stability (Ryan et al 1993). Colorado’s Piping Plovers have approached all thresholds, impressive considering the multiple years when storms set the reset button, as well as the current difficult situation posed by loss of habitat during this historic drought.

Literature Cited Aron, C. 2005. South Dakota International Least Tern (Sterna antillarum athalassos) and Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) Management Plan. South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks, Pierre, Wildlife Di- vision Report No. 2005: 02, 76 pp. Bailey, A.M. and R.J. Niedrach. 1965. Birds of Colorado. Denver Museum of Natural History. 2 vols. 895 pp. Carter, M. 1990. Status of Least Terns and Piping Plovers in Colorado. C.F.O. Journal24:115-116 (abstract only). Ryan, M., B.G. Root and P.M. Mayer. 1993. Status of Piping Plovers in the Great Plains of North America: A demographic simulation model. Con- servation Biology Vol.7, No 3, Sept. 1993: 581-585.

Duane Nelson, Biological Contractor, US Army Corps of Engineers, Albu- querque District and Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 342 E. 6th St, Las Ani- mas, CO 81054

242 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 WATER AND THE EASTERN PRAIRIES

Water it and They Will Come – lower South Platte bird diversity, history and outlook Bruce Bosley, Colorado State Extension Agent and lifelong birder Native Prairie bird species are adapted to the treeless grasslands of Colorado’s high plains region. Most of these species don’t occupy cul- tivated fields and treed woodlands. However, an abundance of non- native but important bird species now occupy, or migrate through, the woodlands, wetlands, ponds and reservoirs and urban forests now present along river basins and towns in eastern Colorado, habitats formed with the introduction of irrigation. Christmas Bird Count (CBC) data is useful in documenting shifts in North American avifauna. I host the Weldona/Fort Mor- gan (COWF) CBC and follow the records from previous years (72 counts from 1922 through 2012). Birds such as Horned Lark, Prairie Falcon, Ferruginous Hawk and Western Meadowlark were the pre- dominant prairie species for the first few years of this count. As farm- ers increasingly adopted irrigation techniques, wetland, riparian and agricultural habitats arose on the prairies. By 1922, Wilson’s Snipe, Mallard, Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Pheasant, Northern Bob- white, Great Blue Heron, Black-capped Chickadee, American Robin, Red-winged Blackbird and House Finch were seen in numbers. Bird species composition has changed over the years for the Fort Morgan CBC. Ring-necked Pheasant sightings dropped from regular and numerous to infrequent and few in the years between 1942 and 1959. Canada Geese, once infrequent and sporadic, became numerous by the mid 1970s and are now ubiquitous. Bald Eagles too became regular in the mid 1970s for this and other Colorado counts. Recent species additions include Eurasian Collared-Dove (2002), Great- tailed Grackle (2003) and White-winged Dove (2010). Breeding season specialties include Dickcissel and Mississippi Kite. Three hummingbird species are now regular in yards and at feeders in late summer whereas just 10 years ago, hummingbirds were a relatively rare sighting. Peter Walker, Morgan County’s premier birder, has listed nearly 300 breeding, wintering and migrating species in this county. Colonel Stephen H. Long, reporting on his 1819-20 expedition of the region wrote: “The Plains from Nebraska to Oklahoma were unfit for cultivation and … agriculture.” He called the area a “Great Desert,” and his expedition found the area east of the Rockies nearly

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 243 treeless, with little standing or running water except for the spring mountain snowmelt. Historically, the South Platte and Arkansas rivers east of the Rockies ran full, shallow and wide with the spring snowmelt, becoming dry, or nearly so, by mid-summer and through the remainder of the year. Spring-fed streams arising in the high plains were and still are an intermittent source of water, with occasional runs caused by heavy summer rains. Settlers of European ancestry came to Colorado in the early1860s and introduced irrigation on the lands bordering these two rivers. The advent of irrigation literally changed the nature of Colorado’s prairies. Not only did it affect the rivers themselves, it wrought changes on the plant communities in proximity to them, and corresponding changes in the species and abundance of bird life. Irrigation is inherently inefficient, especially so with ditch and open flood irrigation methods. Irrigating fields invariably results in some degree of water movement into the soil below crop roots. In addition, seepage losses occur from unlined irrigation ditches and reservoirs. Inefficiency also occurs when excess water leaves the bottom of fields, which is counted as runoff (water that has crossed over a field and leaves the field bottom unused.) This water is then called return flow (returning to streams and rivers, and suitable for downstream reuse.) Importantly, non-farmed riparian and wetland vegetation benefits when the water table rises above the average historical levels. Shallow rooted trees, shrubs and forbs can become established when groundwater is high enough to sustain them during the dry months of the year. Historically, groundwater levels were too low in the South Platte and Arkansas River Basins to sustain trees. The inefficiencies of irrigation in farms and urban landscapes and by industrial water use have caused water table levels to rise in river basins. Native range plants green and grow with rains and snowmelt but go dormant when the soil moisture dries. Trees and wetland plants that are favored by non-prairie bird species need a constant source of water from late winter through late fall. The rise in the water table caused by irrigation changed the microclimate conditions next to the South Platte and Arkansas rivers. This change made it possible for forest and wetland species to flourish and out-compete the native prairie plant species. Furthermore, ponds and wetlands have formed as groundwater levels have risen above the soil surface. The development of trees and shrubs in riparian areas and wetland vegetation was slow to arrive along the South Platte Basin, with few trees along the South Platte River through the 1920s. Forests of trees along these rivers developed later, in the 1930s through the 1950s,

244 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 caused by the stable level of water tables high enough to support them. This is good news for birders as there is high value in these treed oases scattered over the high plains. Great species diversity can be found in places such as Last Chance and Crow Valley Campground, particularly during spring and fall as these new farmsteads and creek bottoms have become important feeding and resting locations for migrating birds. To gauge the future of the lower South Platte Basin we need only look as far as the Arkansas River Basin, with its pattern of annual water reductions and the impact of rising salinity on the plants and other life it supports. Increasingly, the water that had irrigated prairie farmland is being purchased by upstream buyers for urban and industrial uses. In addition, legal challenges have reduced the vol- ume of water allotted for agricultural use. In 2004 alone, more than 2000 water wells serving both agriculture and city communities were forced to stop pumping by State Supreme Court decree, and it is very likely these wells will remain dormant for the foreseeable future. The Politics governing interstate water compacts were the primary reason for draining Bonny Reservoir on the Republican River. So what would this future hold for birders? The increased number and diversity of bird species that we’ve experienced in the High Plains is the result of new and diverse habitats that themselves are the product of irrigation. Remove that water and the cycle will re- verse, with declining habitat diversity leading to reductions in avifauna diversity followed by…you guessed it, fewer birds. Drought years have seen faster drops in reservoir water, and have also increased prairie fires as was seen in the record heat and drought of 2012. Other than the permanent draining of Bonny, I’ve not seen major changes in the richness of bird species in Morgan and Logan Counties - yet - and I hope that I won’t see them for a long time here either.

Bruce Bosley, 508 South 10th Avenue, Sterling, CO 80751

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 245 FIELD NOTE

Northeast Colorado

Bill Kaempfer In addition to being a hotbed of succession sentiment, northeast Colorado is home to a string of large reservoirs in the South Platte River drainage that offer some remarkable birding opportunities. Late summer in particular is the time to head out to enjoy the shorebirds, local breeders and early migrants that can be found in this area. On August 24th and 25th of this year, CFO sponsored a field trip to Morgan, Logan, Washington and Sedgwick Counties, in part to get a feel for the birding opportunities that we might enjoy at next year’s fall CFO convention. A small group headed east from the metro area making a first stop at Andrick State Wildlife Area north of Orchard and then continuing on to Jackson Lake State Park. There were a few migrant song- birds present, but the big attraction was the shorebirding. As a group, we were able to find, study and discuss such common birds as Baird’s Sandpiper, Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs, Wilson’s and Red-necked Phalaropes and Long-billed Dowitcher as well as the less common Stilt and Pectoral Sandpipers. Best of all was the good look we were all afforded of Buff-breasted Sandpiper. From Jackson, we continued to Prewitt Reservoir where we split our time between the woods of the inlet canal and the mudflats created by the late summer drawdown of water in the reservoir. Wood- land birds included a quick look at a Great-crested Flycatcher, longer study of a cooperative Cassin’s Vireo and a calling Eastern Screech Owl that went through its entire vocabulary. On the mud there were up to two thousand shorebirds present—mainly Baird’s Sandpipers with a few other peeps included. American Avocet, Marbled Godwit and a Semi-palmated Plover all helped to up the shorebird list, plus both Common Tern and Bald Eagle flew in. When we came off the mud flats and out of the hot sun, it was time to move on to Sterling where Cheairs Park reliably produced Mississippi Kites. North Sterling State Park hosted more shorebirds including our only Long-billed Curlew of the trip, but only a few songbird migrants. Back in Sterling, encroaching dusk brought Chimney Swifts and Common Nighthawks to the skies. On Sunday morning we left Sterling and headed out I-76 to the eastern edge of Tamarack SWA. After not seeing much for the first few miles of Logan County Road 93, we came upon a large mixed flock of sparrows near the first ranch south of the interstate. As we patiently worked our way through the flock, our diligence was re-

246 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 warded by a group of Greater Prairie Chickens that crossed the road in front of us. We never figured out why. Pushing on to Julesburg, we found a few straggling hummingbirds by the elementary school that was devoid of students and teachers on a Sunday morning. (I would discourage visiting the school on a weekday.) Two American Redstarts and a Baltimore Oriole helped to make Julesburg the top migrant stop on the trip, especially when the second Cassin’s Vireo of the trip at the Lions Rest Stop is added in. We made our last stops in the Jumbo Reservoir area where, again, there was a big concentration of shorebirds at the west end of the lake. An adult Black-bellied Plover captured our attention because of an unusually brown cast to the back, however, white vents and black axillaries clinched the call. Finally, we traipsed down to a grove of trees below the Little Jumbo dam where Bell’s Vireo remained singing on territory. Overall the group tallied 114 species over the two-day trip— slightly below average in my experience at this time of year. How- ever, finding 22 different shorebird species was a real highlight.

Bill Kaempfer, [email protected]

CFO Field Trip: North Metro Reservoirs Join CFO Directors Joe Roller, Larry Modesitt, Peter Burke and Bill Kaempfer for this exploration of reservoirs, lakes and wetlands in the North Metro area. The trip will start at 7:30 a.m. from the Frederick Recreation Area parking lot on Colorado Blvd. (Take the CO 52 exit off I-25, go two miles east to CO 52 then 2.25 miles north to the parking area directly across Colorado Blvd. from the Frederick Safeway.) We will visit various waterfowl hotspots in the area including Milavec Reservoir (aka Frederick Recreation Area), Dacono Gravel Pits, St. Vrain State Park, Union Reservoir, Ish Reservoir, McIntosh Lake, Golden Ponds, Panama Reservoir, LUNA reservoir, etc. Bring a lunch (leftover turkey is on the menu), dress appropriately and be prepared to carpool to minimize parking issues. A State Park Pass will be necessary at St. Vrain State Park. We will return to Frederick by 3:00 p.m. Expect geese, swans, ducks, grebes, gulls and late migrants. Contact Bill Kaempfer by email at [email protected] if you are interested in participating.

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 247 WEBSITE

New CBRC Website Now Online

Ann Johnson – AJEndeavors, LLC Doug Faulkner – CBRC Chair, Arvada, CO A new Colorado Birds Records Committee (CBRC) reporting system is now online at www.coloradobirdrecords.org. This new website is a significant upgrade from the previous version developed in 2004. While the old system was limited in many aspects of the reporting process, the new site has addressed those shortcomings and added new features, some of which are reviewed in this article. The most significant change is that the entire CBRC database of accepted records is now available to the public online.

Functional Changes What To Report When one encounters a less-than-common species, it’s not always clear to decide if the observation merits a CBRC documentation or not. The new site makes this a bit easier for birders. First, the review list has been simplified, and the counties for which documentation is required are readily accessible. Also, basic validation information is now at the very beginning of the documentation process. This will save time for many people. If the species is within its expected range and during the expected dates, a message will indicate that CBRC documentation is not required. Report the sighting to COBirds, submit it to eBird, etc. but save yourself some time by not documenting the bird. You do, of course, have the option to continue, but your report will probably appear in the list of those not reviewed.

Uploading Supporting Files The new system has a few changes that will hopefully make it easier to upload photos, audio files or even copies of field notes scanned to PDF. Accepted audio for- mats are .wav, .mp3 (preferred), and mp4. Photos up to 10MB in size (.jpg, .jpeg, .png, .gif) can be uploaded, and a new image manipulation tool al-

248 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 lows one to crop the photo by dragging the mouse over the image. This helps the committee view the most detail possible on the bird rather than the foliage or other distracting aspects of the image.

Reports Although many of the site updates were designed to help reporters submit information, and the CBRC conduct its business efficiently, the most obvious enhancement has been to make available many public reports. Anyone interested in rare bird records from Colorado will now be able to find a wealth of information since all accepted records (40+ years) have now been included in the data, and there are a number of reports that provide the means to look at records in different ways.

Create Your Own Query This report is the most interactive and lets you formulate the questions and get the answers. Here I want to know what reports were submitted in 2011 for any species in any county for Faulkner. I now have a nice list with photos available. Hovering over the “More info” link provides even more details such as other reporters of this record, age, sex, etc.

Annual CBRC Reports This simple report looks at CBRC activity in a given year. CFO members and other interested persons may see at a glance what records are under review, and for those where a final disposition has been reached, the result of the review. Results are posted in real time by the committee chair following the vote for each record.

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 249 Reports By Species There are two ways to look at species level data: one is visual while the other offers more detail. Species mapping gives a quick visual of where a particular species has been recorded, with colored balloons that indicate the relative age of the record. Clicking on the balloon will provide a few additional details. Records by species provides all of the accepted records for a cho- sen species in Colorado. The interactive table includes a dropdown menu allowing one to select the number of records to show, or use the page- through feature by clicking the arrow in the lower right. Click the plus sign to the left of each record to see more details. For species that have many records, filters are available to narrow the search.

Records By Year By selecting a year from the dropdown menu, a map will appear along with a list of all accepted records for the year. This list also has plus signs for more detail and filtering en- abled for large lists.

Not Accepted Records All reports to the CBRC are archived for future reference. Although a report may not meet the standard of evidence for acceptance today, committees sometimes reopen

250 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 records when more evidence becomes available. This report lists all not accepted records by species. Note in the example that photos are available for view- ing by clicking on the camera icon. As time allows, comments from the CBRC will be en- tered on these records to help readers better understand the reason- ing for not accepting the record.

Records Not Reviewed When reports are received of species not on the Colorado review list, the chair accepts these into the archives but has discretion on whether or not they require full committee review. If not, they are marked as “Not Reviewed” and archived as is. This report simply provides a list of these records along with any photos or audio files that were included.

Conclusion The conceptual design of this new CBRC website has been in development for several years, but as a “living website” it will not remain static. As the CBRC makes decisions on documented reports, those decisions are added to the CBRC database and immediately become publicly available through the functions described above. The site was designed to allow for easier updating and other improvements in the future as new functionality is desired. We expect the site to evolve with technological improvements and with input from the birding community. If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact the CBRC Chair.

Ann Johnson, ajendeavors.com Doug Faulkner, 6035 Parfet St., Arvada, CO 80004, [email protected]

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 251 CBRC REPORT

The 68th Report of the Colorado Bird Records Committee

Doug Faulkner Chair, Colorado Bird Records Committee

Introduction This 68th report of the Colorado Bird Records Committee (here- after CBRC or Committee) presents the results of deliberations of the CBRC involving 90 reports submitted by 35 observers and documenting 53 occurrences of 41 species (or recognizable forms) from the period July 2005 to June 2013. Per CBRC bylaws, all accepted records received a final 7-0 or 6-1 vote to accept. Each report that was not accepted received five or fewer votes to accept. Highlights of this report include first state records of Sandwich Tern, Great Kiskadee, and Hoary Redpoll; Colorado’s sixth Yellow- bellied Flycatcher, fourth Smith’s Longspur, fifth Nelson’s Sparrow, third Brambling, the first San Luis Valley record of Laughing Gull and first county records for Neotropic Cormorant, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Band-tailed Pigeon, Black Phoebe, Carolina Wren, McCown’s Longspur, Cape May Warbler, Canyon Towhee, Scarlet Tanager and Northern Cardinal. With publication of this report, the state list is now 496 species. Committee members voting on these reports were John Drum- mond, Doug Faulkner, Bill Maynard, Brandon Percival, Bill Schmok- er, David Silverman, and Glenn Walbek.

Committee Functions The Committee solicits documentation of reports in Colorado for all species published in its Main Review List (http://www.coloradobirdrecords.org/ReviewList.aspx), species with no prior accepted record in Colorado, and sightings of regularly occurring species that are considered out-of-range or out-of-season. Documentary materials should be submitted online at the CBRC website (http://www.coloradobirdrecords.org). Alternatively, one can fill out the form printed on the inside dust jacket of this journal and mail it to the CBRC Chair, or request an electronic Word document from the Chair or Secretary (see this journal’s inside front cover for contact information).

Report Format The organization and style of this report follow those of Leukering and Semo (2003), with some alterations. If present, the numbers in

252 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 parentheses following a species’ name represent the total number of accepted records for Colorado, followed by the number of accepted records during the most recent full 10-year time period (2003-2012). The latter number is of importance, as it is one of the criteria the Committee uses to determine a species’ continuance on, or removal from, the statewide Main Review List. The records in this report are arranged taxonomically following the American Ornithologists’ Union (AOU) Checklist of North American Birds (AOU 1998) through the 54th Supplement (Chesser et al. 2013). Each record presents as much of the following information as we have available: number of birds, age, sex, locality, county, and date or date span. In parentheses, we present the initials of the contributing observer(s), the official record number and the vote tally in the first round and, if relevant, the second and third rounds (with the number of “accept” votes on the left side of the dash). The initials of the finder(s) of the bird(s) are underlined, if known, and are presented first if that person (or people) contributed documentation; additional contributors’ initials follow in alphabeti- cal order by last name. If the finder(s) is (are) known with certainty, but did not submit documentation, those initials are underlined and presented last. Observers submitting a photograph or video capture have a dagger (†) following their initials; initials of those who submitted video are indicated by a lower-case, italicized “v” (v); and those who submitted audio spectrograms or recordings are indicated by a lower-case, italicized “s” (s). Thus, the parenthetical expression “(JD v, RA†, TL, JV, CW; 2001-36; 4-3, 6-1)” means: JD found the bird(s) and submitted documentation (including video) and, as the finder, is first in the list of those who submitted details, with initials underlined; RA, though alphabetically first of the five submitting observers, was not the finder, so is listed second; RA submitted, at least, photographic documentation; the record number assigned to the occurrence was 2001-36; and in the two rounds of voting, the first-round vote was four “accept” and three “do not accept” votes, while the second-round vote was 6-1 in favor of accepting the report. The decision on most reports is completed in the first round. In this report, county names are italicized in keeping with the style established for the “News from the Field” column in this journal. We have attempted to provide the full date span for individual records, with the seasonal reports in North American Birds and this journal being the primary sources of those dates. The Committee has not dealt with the question of full date spans as compared to submitted date spans when documentations do not provide such. The CBRC encourages observers to document the first and final dates on

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 253 which a rare species was seen, as that provides historical evidence of the true extent of its stay. For this report, abbreviations are used for Chico Basin Ranch (CBR), Highway (Hwy), National Grassland (NG), Reservoir (Res.), River (R.), State Park (SP), and State Wildlife Area (SWA).

RECORDS ACCEPTED 2012-139; 7-0) and another juvenile Neotropic Cormorant – Phalacro- at the Bret Gray Ranch, Lincoln, 29 corax brasilianus (25/12). An imma- July 2012 (BM†, MP; 2012-90; 7-0), ture bird lingered at Lake Holbrook, the latter representing a county first. Otero, 1-15 July 2012 (BKP†; 2012- Laughing Gull – Leucophaeus atri- 160; 7-0) representing the first for cilla (45/17). Two alternate-plumaged that county. adults were present at Lake Hol- Yellow-crowned Night-Heron brook, Otero, 15 July 2012 (BKP†, – Nyctanassa violacea (28/14). The MP; 2012-155; 7-0). One adult in CBRC herein reports on additional non-breeding plumage found on 18 documentation for a juvenile at Ban- August 2012 was observed again by ner Lakes SWA, Weld, in July 2005. the same observer on 14 September The Committee received a single 2012 at Russell Lake SWA, Saguache documentation for this individual (DD†; 2012-116; 7-0). This record for 19 July, the day after it was origi- is the first for any county in the San nally found. That documentation Luis Valley. (2005-75) was not endorsed by the Great Black-backed Gull – Larus Committee. A subsequent report marinus. Although this species was submitted in 2008 by the finding ob- removed from the Main Review List server for 18 July was given the ac- in 2012 (Faulkner 2012), the CBRC cession number 2008-155. Typically, traditionally conducts a review for documentations for a single bird are any documented occurrence during grouped and reviewed together. How- the period the species was on the re- ever, the CBRC Chair at the time did view list. Such was the case for a first- not recognize this as a submission re- winter plumaged individual at Erie lating to the same bird as the 2005-75 Res., Boulder, 3 January 2010 (RN†; report. Regardless of this oversight, 2012-101; 6-1). This brings the num- since the first report for 19 July was ber of accepted records for this spe- not the original sighting and was not cies to 44. endorsed as a record, the CBRC re- Sandwich Tern – Thalasseus sand- tains the second report’s accession vicensis (1/1). Quite unexpected, an number for this record for the lone adult was found by Roger and Brenda date of 18 July 2005 (SL; 2008-155; Linfield at Manitou Lake, Teller, 27 7-0). Two more recent records were June 2013. The bird was observed ac- also endorsed by the CBRC: a juve- tively foraging at Manitou Lake and nile along the South Platte R., Little- along Trout Creek above the lake ton, Arapahoe, 25-26 July 2012 (PR†; through 30 June 2013 (BL†, RL, JD†,

254 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 DF†, BK, PG†, BKP†; 2013-177; 7-0). CBRC has no other records for this Identification of this bird was straight- species on the eastern plains. Andrews forward as Sandwich Tern is the only and Righter (1992) illustrates one re- tern in the world with a yellow-tipped port for western Adams as the lone black bill (Harrison 1983). Two North eastern plains report. A small hand- American subspecies T. s. acuflavidus ful of records have occurred in Kansas and T. s. eurygnathus are readily sepa- (Kansas Ornithological Society 2012), rated as the latter subspecies has an Nebraska (Sharpe et al. 2001), and entirely yellow or orange bill. The Eur- eastern Wyoming (Faulkner 2010). asian subspecies T. s. sandvicensis (re- Anna’s Hummingbird – Calypte cently recognized as a separate species anna (12/5). An immature female vis- [Eurasian Sandwich Tern] by the Brit- ited a feeder at a private residence in ish Ornithologists’ Union [Sangster et Longmont, Boulder, 7-8 October 2012 al. 2011]) can be distinguished with (BS†; 2012-157; 7-0) representing caution, in part, by its longer, thinner, that county’s second record. drooping bill. Several photos submit- Acorn Woodpecker – Melanerpes ted for the Colorado tern showed that formicivorus (15/7). A female docu- its bill as thick and fairly straight in- mented from Cheyenne Mountain SP dicative of the T. s. acuflavidus subspe- in Colorado Springs, El Paso, 21 May cies. An excellent synopsis article of a 2012, (BM†, TK; 2012-55; 7-0) fol- possible Eurasian Sandwich Tern, with lows one documented for the Colora- taxonomic summary, in North Amer- do Springs area in 2010 (2010-90). It ica is available on the eBird website is unclear whether the recent spate of (http://ebird.org/content/ebird/news/ records for lone female Acorn Wood- sate_ma/). The origin of this bird is of peckers along the Front Range, as well some concern since there are very few as documentations currently pending inland records of this species and most review by the CBRC, pertains to the (all?) pertain to storm or hurricane- same or different individuals as none driven birds. Colorado experienced no of the dates overlap. major weather systems before or dur- Yellow-bellied Flycatcher – Empi- ing the time that this tern was found. donax flaviventris (6/5). A well-studied Its behavior of actively plunge diving adult at Flagler SWA, Kit Carson, 27 for prey, the lack of leg bands, and lack September 2012 (SM; 2012-133; 7-0) of featherwear all suggest that this was gives the state its sixth record since a wild bird and not one recently es- the first was recorded in 2000. Expect- caped from captivity. edly, all six records have come from Band-tailed Pigeon – Columba fas- eastern counties; however, they are ciata. Representing a first for Arapa- split evenly between spring (20 – 28 hoe, one was observed along Hwy 36 May) and fall (13 August –27 Septem- approximately 12 miles west of Last ber) seasons. Chance well enough to see the white Black Phoebe – Sayornis nigricans. hindneck collar and black-tipped Representing the first forCuster , an yellow bill (SS; 2012-162; 7-0). The adult was found below the Lake De-

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 255 Weese dam, 25 August 2012 (BKP†; September, was considered the same 2012-156; 7-0). as one captured and banded on 18 Great Kiskadee – Pitangus sulphu- September (BKP†, NG†; 2012-145; ratus (1/1). Colorado’s first record was 7-0). One was observed in Rock Can- observed for only 13 minutes in the yon, Pueblo, 21-23 September (BKP†; Stulp’s backyard near Lamar, Prowers, 2012-118; 7-0) and another in the 21 June 2013 (JS†; 2013-174; 7-0). same area, 28 September (BKP†; Report of the bird drew birders from 2012-121; 7-0). Photos of these two afar to search for it later that day and individuals indicated that they were the next, but without success. Great different birds based on plumage dif- Kiskadee is a member of the flycatch- ferences. er family that ranges from southern Philadelphia Vireo—Vireo phila- Texas through the New World tropics. delphicus (47/20). As testimony to However, the species appears to have the “invasion” of this species that slowly expanded it range northward Colorado witnessed in 2012, Percival in Texas over the past decade or so photographed five individuals in the and is now regular along an arc from Pueblo area in mid-September 2012: Houston to Austin to Del Rio (E. single birds were at Valco Ponds, 15 Carpenter, pers. comm.). Texas has September (BKP†; 2012-117; 7-0), multiple sightings for the Panhandle Rock Canyon, 21 September (BKP†; and other parts of western Texas, al- 2012-119; 7-0), Rock Canyon, 22 though the Texas Bird Records Com- September (BKP†, DC; 2012-120; mittee does not officially review each 7-0), and two vireos at the Pueblo extralimital report since the species Nature Center, 28 September (BKP†; is common elsewhere in the state (E. 2012-122; 7-0). Photos submitted for Carpenter, pers. comm.). New Mexi- each of these records were sufficient co has multiple records, all from the for the Committee to conclude that southern tier of counties (S. Williams different individuals were most likely III, pers. comm.). Kansas has a single involved despite the close proxim- record from Middle Spring, Cimar- ity, geographically and temporally, of ron NG, Morton, 18-21 May 1995, these sightings. This brings the num- approximately 10 miles east of Colo- ber of Philadelphia Vireo records for rado’s southeastern corner. Colorado’s Pueblo to ten. first record now represents the furthest Carolina Wren – Thryothorus north the species has been document- ludovicianus. Representing the first for ed in North America. Douglas, one was along a bike trail in Blue-headed Vireo – Vireo solitari- Castle Rock, 12 June 2010 (SS, KH; us (43/33). Continuing the onslaught 2012-167; 7-0). of records for this species during the Sedge Wren – Cistothorus platensis past 10 years, the Committee reports (23/8). The seventh for Pueblo, one on three accepted records from fall was observed briefly at Upper Twin 2012. One observed near the bird Pond, CBR, 16 October 2012 (BKP†, banding station at CBR, El Paso, 14 BM†; 2012-141; 7-0) while in search

256 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 of the LeConte’s Sparrow (see that the female photographed at Flagler species below). SWA, Kit Carson, 12 October (GW†; Gray-cheeked Thrush – Catharus 2012-142; 7-0) nor the female at guttatus (57/20). The third document- CBR, Pueblo, 12-24 October (BM†, ed and accepted for spring 2012, one RH†; 2012-146; 7-0) exhibited hybrid was found on 6 May and banded on characteristics. 8 May at CBR, El Paso (BKP†, NG†, Canyon Towhee – Pipilo fuscus. KC; 2012-161; 7-0). One at a private residence in Parker, Smith’s Longspur – Calcarius pictus Douglas, 15 January 2011, potentially (4/4). While photographing Chest- represents the only valid record for nut-collared Longspurs at Spinney that county (SS†, GW; 2012-163; Mountain Res., Park, Maynard fortu- 7-0). A specimen (DMNS 19120) itously took a photo of two longspurs was apparently procured near Parker in flight that were later identified as in May 1930 (Bailey and Niedrach this species (BM†; 2012-154; 7-0). 1965); however, whether that speci- McCown’s Longspur – Rhyncho- men is still extant in the Denver Mu- phanes mccownii. Representing the seum of Nature and Science has not first forPark , an adult male in winter been verified (B. Righter, pers. comm., plumage was photographed at Eleven Denver Museum of Nature and Sci- Mile Res., 27 October 2012 (NK†, ence 2013). JD†; 2012-159; 7-0). Black-chinned Sparrow – Spi- Golden-winged Warbler – Vermi- zella atrogularis (6/6). The Commit- vora chrysoptera (35/2). This species tee accepted two additional records was recently reinstated on the Main for this species from the lower end of Review List in 2012 (Faulkner 2012) No Thoroughfare Canyon along the due to the perceived decline in the Devil’s Kitchen Trail, Colorado NM, number of reports since the species Mesa. Preceding the birds observed was removed from the list in 2001. by many in 2011, a singing male was The CBRC accepted the only docu- documented by a single observer 11 mentation submitted for this species June 2010 (MF; 2012-151; 7-0). The for spring 2012 – a male observed and CBRC received thorough documen- subsequently banded at CBR, El Paso, tation of multiple birds, 9 April-7 2-3 May (BKP†, BM†; 2012-144; 7-0). June 2012 (LA†, MH, CT†; 2012- Cape May Warbler – Setophaga tig- 152; 7-0), establishing that a singing rina (32/9). One at the Overland Mu- male was on territory by 9 April and seum in Sterling, Logan, 22 September successful breeding confirmed by two 2012, (SM; 2012-130; 7-0) represents adults feeding one fledgling on 4 June. the first for that county. Two adults attending to four fledglings Eastern Towhee – Pipilo erythroph- were documented for 5 June. thalmus (27/15). Adding to a banner LeConte’s Sparrow – Ammodra- year for this species, the two records mus leconteii (16/4). Found at the same presented here bring the total of ac- location as a juvenile in fall 2011 cepted records for 2012 to six. Neither (2011-121), another juvenile was at

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 257 Upper Twin Pond, CBR, Pueblo, 12- (3/1). The presence of an immature 20 October 2012 (BM†, JD†, BKP†; male at Bear Creek Lake Park, Jef- 2012-147; 7-0). ferson, 19-23 November 2012 (MH†, Nelson’s Sparrow – Ammodramus SB†, BK, BM†, BKP†, IS†, BS†, and nelsoni (5/2). While looking for the SW†; 2012-192; 7-0), drew scores of LeConte’s Sparrow above, Hinds pho- birders from at least Colorado if not tographed one of these beauties at Up- other states as well. Unlike the state’s per Twin Pond, CBR, Pueblo, where it previous two records from fall/winter was documented for 19-20 October 1983, this bird did not appear to be 2012 (RH†, PG†, BM†, BKP†; 2012- part of a broader invasion as Colorado 148; 7-0). The rich coloration of this was the only interior state to record bird easily identified it as being of the the species in winter 2012-2013. interior race A. n. nelsoni. This record Common Redpoll – Acanthis flam- is the first since 2007 and only the sec- mea. A flock of an estimated 35 Com- ond since 1973. mon Redpolls were found during the Fox Sparrow (Red) – Passerella Granby Christmas Bird Count along iliaca/zamboria. Two individuals of this CR 55 four miles west of Hwy 40, subspecies were documented for fall Grand, 17 December 2011 (MB, DK; 2012: one at CBR, Pueblo, 20 October 2012-150; 6-1). Although it may not (BKP†; 2012-149; 7-0) and another seem noteworthy now after Colorado’s at Valco Ponds, Pueblo, 26 October redpoll invasion of winter 2012-2013, (BKP†; 2012-158; 7-0). at the time this flock was both unusual Golden-crowned Sparrow – Zono- for the high number of individuals trichia atricapilla (35/18). One visited as well as its location away from the feeders at a private residence in Ca- northeastern plains. ñon City, Fremont, 16-18 October Hoary Redpoll – Acanthis horne- 2012 (LR; 2012-143; 7-0). manni (1/1). The CBRC reports on Scarlet Tanager – Piranga olivacea. one of 12 documented occurrences of Although a former Main Review List this species in Colorado during winter species (Faulkner 2012), the CBRC 2012-2013. A more complete discus- may still desire documentation for sion of this invasion year and a full ac- those sightings that pertain to first counting of Hoary Redpoll reports will county records. Such was the case be published in a later CBRC report. with an adult male found at the Colo- However, the Committee has made a rado Welcome Center south of Jules- decision on documentation submitted burg, Sedgwick, 17 May 2012 (SS†; for an adult male coming to a private 2012-164; 7-0). residence in Longmont, Boulder, 29- Northern Cardinal – Cardinalis car- 30 January 2013 (BS†, PG†, SM†; dinalis. The first record forDouglas , a 2013-1; 7-0). The two outside experts singing male was approximately 0.5 mile consulted for this individual were un- north of the Louviers town center, 17 equivocal about its identification as a May 2009 (KH†, TH; 2012-166; 7-0). Hoary Redpoll and specifically of the Brambling – Fringilla montifringilla subspecies A. h. exilipes.

258 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 RECORDS NOT ACCEPTED 2008, the CBRC has reviewed four The Committee recognizes that its documentations for this species, in- “not accepted” decisions may upset cluding the adult reported here from those individuals whose documenta- St. Vrain SP, Weld, 15 April 2012 tions did not receive endorsement as (2012-42; 1-6), without accepting state records. We heartily acknowl- any as a new species to the state. The edge that those who make the effort swan had apparently been present in to submit documentation certainly the area since 3 January 2012, but the care whether or not their reports are Committee received no other docu- accepted. However, non-accepted re- mentation. Interestingly, an adult had ports do not necessarily suggest that been found and documented for this the observer misidentified or did not same location on 3 January 2009. A see the species. A non-accepted report hint of a pattern of occurrence is de- only indicates that the documenta- veloping with these four documentation did not provide enough evidence tions. Each of these birds was observed to support the identification of the on the northern Front Range from specie reported in the opinion of at Larimer to Arapahoe between the dates least three of the seven Committee of 3 January and 15 April, forming the members. Many non-accepted reports framework for a developing geograph- do not adequately describe the bird(s) ical and temporal pattern. The CBRC observed or adequately rule out simi- requests documentations for other larly looking species. The Committee Mute Swans thought to be of wild emphasizes that the standard for ac- origin so we can more fully develop a ceptance is not whether a report will picture of where and when these birds stand up among one’s contemporary are occurring. It is possible that these peers, but whether it will withstand are wild birds and the CBRC may re- scrutiny 40 years from now by birders review all previous documented oc- and researchers who may not know currences in light of any forthcoming you. evidence and additional documenta- The Committee recommends that tion. observers refer to the article written Short-tailed Albatross – Phoebas- by Tony Leukering on documenting tria albatrus. The documentation of rare birds (Leukering 2004), which is two adults reported flying over Niwot, available online through the CBRC Boulder, 20 April 2013, received no website (http://www.coloradobirdre- support from the Committee (2012- cords.org/ReviewList.aspx). All non- 125; 0-7). The birds were described as accepted reports may be reconsidered having an excess of 7-foot wingspan, by the Committee if new information flat wing profile, black wingtips, black is provided (e.g., photos, documenta- edging on tail, and golden/orange tion from other observers). We sum- head with purplish/pink beaks. The marize below why the following re- birds flew in level flight with an ef- ports were not accepted. fortless and fast flight. The description Mute Swan – Cygnus olor. Since suggests the reported species, howev-

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 259 er, several Committee members com- birder may have also observed this mented on the extreme rarity of this bird, but after two years the Commit- endangered pelagic species (only a few tee has yet to receive documentation thousand in the world) and that there of that sighting. are no inland records for this species Gray Hawk – Asturina nitida. A in the U.S. In May, Short-tailed Al- bird originally identified as a Broad- batrosses should be at their breeding winged Hawk was photographed near grounds on the Senkaku Islands, Ja- Lamar, Prowers, 22 May 2011 (2013- pan (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 41; 6-1, 0-7). Upon subsequent review 2005), so the presence of not one, but of the photos, however, the observer two, in Colorado would be extraordi- thought that the bird may have been a nary and additional evidence would Gray Hawk, a potential first Colorado need to be presented for acceptance as record. Photos were sent to biologists a first state record. in New Mexico who thought the bird White-tailed Kite – Elanus leucu- resembled a Gray Hawk as well. The rus. An adult was reported near Lay, record initially passed the CBRC as Moffat, 20 June 2012 (2012-83; 3-4). an accepted record on a 6-1 vote. The The description was acceptable to sev- dissenting member noted that Broad- eral Committee members, but others winged Hawk had not been com- felt that more was necessary to accept pletely ruled out as some individuals it as a first state record. In particular, can show a pale facial pattern similar the flight pattern and the bird’s under- to Gray Hawk. Three outside rap- parts were not described. The observer tor experts were consulted and each also did not rule out Northern Harrier, considered the bird most likely to be a species at least superficially similar to a Broad-winged Hawk based on the White-tailed Kite, which concerned photos alone; although, the tail pat- some dissenting Committee members. tern was not discernible in the photos Red-shouldered Hawk – Buteo and there was a slim chance the bird lineatus. Three rounds of voting were could have been a Gray Hawk. With required for the documentation of a opinions from all three outside experts juvenile reported from Bonny Res., against a definitive identification as Yuma, 3 October 2011 (2011-132; the reported species, the Committee 4-3, 5-2, 4-3). The brief view of ap- was compelled to retract its initial de- proximately 15 seconds was a concern cision and decided to not accept this for most dissenting members who report as the state’s first record of Gray commented that other species, such Hawk. as Broad-winged Hawk, may not have Purple Martin – Progne subis. Un- been adequately ruled out. Members fortunately, the brief description of in support of this report, however, two adult males reported from Stearns were satisfied with the observer’s de- Lake, Boulder, 2 June 2012, caused a scription of both the bird and its flight majority of Committee members to style which is distinctive from other be concerned that other species were buteo species. Apparently, another not ruled out. Members in favor of

260 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 this report, however, commented recording) the song as a detriment to that a swallow with a “dark belly and endorsement as a first state record. back” in Colorado is most assuredly Gray-cheeked Thrush – Catharus a Purple Martin. The Committee re- minimus. One reported at a private iterates that what seems obvious and residence in Loveland, Larimer, 30 definitive to a person seeing a bird in May 2012, (2012-67; 3-4) did not the moment is not also the case when receive enough support from Com- the CBRC has only a brief, written mittee members to be accepted. Only description with which to make a de- the bird’s head and upper chest were cision. observed which caused most of the Marsh Wren – Cistothorus palus- concern for dissenting members. tris. A singing individual considered The description sufficiently ruled out by the observer to be of the eastern Swainson’s Thrush; however, dissent- form (comprised of multiple subspe- ing members were not convinced that cies –see Leukering and Pieplow the interior form of Hermit Thrush, 2010) at St. Vrain SP, Weld, 3 March which has grayish overtones similar to 2012 (2012-25; 5-2, 0-7) was docu- Gray-cheeked Thrush, could be ade- mented for the CBRC to consider. quately ruled out based on the features The observer noted that the song was observed and described. different from those typically heard in Sprague’s Pipit – Anthus spragueii. Colorado, with the introductory note A bird reported as this species heard or two blending into the song rather calling in flight near Union Res., than being distinctive. The observer Weld, 10 September 2011 (2011-116; also noted subtle plumage differences 4-3, 2-5) received a mix decision from such as the brighter rust coloration the Committee after two rounds. The and darker lateral crown stripes. Bai- call notes of Sprague’s Pipit are dis- ley and Niedrach (1965) noted that tinctive, but the Committee has gen- “eastern” Marsh Wren “should oc- erally taken a conservative approach cur in eastern counties in winter and to documentations relying on the during migration.” Since there are no description of call notes as their main previous specimens or confirmed ob- evidence. The physical description of servations of this form in Colorado, the flying bird suggested a pipit, al- and due to the potential for a species though its brevity caused some mem- split of Marsh Wren, the Committee bers to discount the written descrip- held this documentation to the stan- tion. Ultimately, only two Committee dard of that for a first state record. The members were comfortable with en- Committee’s decision to not accept dorsing this record. The remaining was primarily based on the weight of members thought that the brief look evidence placed on the written de- and the observer’s testimony that it scription of the song. Interpretation of was the first time to have had heard written song descriptions is subjective this species, other than from record- and members considered the inability ings, warranted a conservative ap- to see (i.e., sonogram) or hear (e.g., proach.

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 261 Purple Finch – Carpodacus purpu- distinctively different streaking and reus. A male and a female-plumaged coloration, particularly for the male. finch were documented as this spe- In the opinion of a majority of Com- cies from Lafayette, Boulder, 23 March mittee members, the written descrip- 2012 (2012-31; 1-6). The finches were tion did not adequately rule out the in the company of House Finches more likely Cassin’s Finch. Purple and making for an easy comparison of size House Finches are very similar in size, and plumage. Both birds were noted as so the description of these birds as larg- being larger than a House Finch with er, which Cassin’s is, was of concern.

Acknowledgements I thank Eric Carpenter, Mark Robbins, and Sartor Williams III for their assistance with Great Kiskadee records from their respective states. I also appreciate Bob Righter’s help with the Douglas Canyon Towhee specimen missing from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science collection.

REPORTERS AND CITED OBSERVERS The CBRC graciously thanks the following individuals for submitting records of or discovering and reporting the rare species in Colorado discussed in this report: Larry Arnold, Shawn Billerman, Marilyn Binkley, Kara Carragher, David Chartier, Scott Dieni, David Dowell, John Drummond, Doug Faulkner, Matt Fraker, Bill Freeman, Peter Gent, Nancy Gobris, Tom Halverstadt, Mike Henwood, Robb Hinds, Kirk Huffstater, Bill Kaempfer, Rick Kauvar, Doris Kline, Thomas Knoll, Nicholas Komar, Steve Larson, Brenda Linfield, Roger Linfield, Bill Maynard, Mark Peterson, Steve Mlodi- now, Rudi Nuissl, Brandon Percival (BKP), Larry Richardson, Pamela Ross, Ira Sanders, Bill Schmoker, Steve Stachowiak, Jane Stulp, Cheryl Teuton, Glenn Walbek, and Sean Walters.

LITERATURE CITED American Ornithologists’ Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North Ameri- can Birds. Lawrence, KS: Allen Press. Andrews, R. and R. Righter. 1992. Colorado Birds. Denver Museum of Natu- ral History, Denver, CO. Bailey, A.M. and R.J. Niedrach. 1965. Birds of Colorado, Vol. II. Denver Museum of Natural History, Denver, CO. Chesser, T.R., Banks, R.C., Barker, F.K., Cicero, C., Dunn, J.L., Kratter, A.W., Lovette, I.J., Rasmussen, P.C., Remsen, Jr., J.V., Rising, J.D., Stotz, D.F., and K. Winker. 2012. Fifty-fourth Supplement to the American Or- nithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds. Auk 130(3): 558-571. Denver Museum of Nature and Science. 2013. DMNS Zoology Collections. Available online at http://arctos.database.museum/SpecimenSearch.cfm. Accessed September 2013. Faulkner, D. 2010. Birds of Wyoming. Roberts & Co. Publishers, Greenwood Village, CO.

262 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 Faulkner, D. 2012. Changes to the Main Review List: a special report of the CBRC. Colorado Birds 46(3):207-214. Harrison, P. 1983. Seabirds an identification guide. Hougton Mifflin, Boston, MA. Kansas Ornithological Society. 2012. Kansas Bird Records Committee Re- view List. Available online at http://www.ksbirds.org/KBRC/kbrcrvulist. html. Accessed September 2013. Leukering, T. 2004. Writing bird descriptions: ruling out other species. Colo- rado Birds 38(3):120-127. Leukering, T. and N. Pieplow. In the Scope: Eastern and Western Marsh Wrens. Colorado Birds 44(1):61-66. Leukering, T., and L.S. Semo. 2003. Report of the Colorado Bird Records Committee: 2001 records, part I. Colorado Birds 37: 138-155. Sangster, G., M. Collinson, P-A Crochet, A.G. Know, D.T. Parkin, L. Svens- son, and S.C. Votier. 2011. Taxonomic recommendations for British birds – seventh report. Ibis 153:883-892. Sharpe, R.S., W.R. Silcock, and J.G. Jorgensen. 2001. Birds of Nebraska. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, NE. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2005. Short-tailed Albatross. Alaska Seabird Information Series. Available online at: http://www.fws.gov/alaska/mbsp/ mbm/seabirds/pdf/stal.pdf. Accessed September 2013.

Doug Faulkner, 6035 Parfet St., Arvada, CO 80004, [email protected]

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 263 NEWS FROM THE FIELD

Spring 2013 (March–May)

Mike Henwood Overview of the Season After a relatively dry winter, a series of ever-more-intense late winter storms were visited upon Colorado practically weekly from early March into early May. The March and early April storms bat- tered early migrants such as bluebirds and sparrows, forcing them to land along roadsides and lake fronts in large numbers. An extremely high number of 800 Chestnut-collared Longspurs were forced to a roadside in Yuma County April 9. Storms in the second half of April and early May were epic in the Front Range region, grounding tens of thousands of birds in some of the major human population centers. Numbers of open-country birds—mainly longspurs and sparrows— were particularly notable and seen in large numbers in such unlikely locations as Chatfield SP, Bear Creek Lake Park and in cities including Boulder and Longmont. In addition to grounding large numbers of migrants, the series of storms also took a toll (at least locally) on early nesting hawks and owls. In the area around Morrison the author noted fewer Great Horned Owls hatched than normal, observed two failed Red-tailed Hawk nests and another with only one young fledgling and found a failed Northern Pygmy-Owl nest in the foothills. The Great Redpoll Invasion of 2012–13 continued into the reporting period. Large flocks of Common Redpolls persisted statewide, and a few Hoary Redpolls remained into March. Also impressive was a Bohemian Waxwing invasion in the winter of 2012–13, with several flocks in Larimer County well into the hundreds persisting into March and April. Colorado birders did a great job observing and documenting hy- brids this reporting period. Hybrid ducks and gulls were most fre- quently reported, but other reports included Plegadi ibises, Passerina buntings, “Northern” orioles and “Rufous-sided” towhees. Selected rarities this reporting period included Little Gull, Yel- low-bellied Flycatcher, Smith’s Longspur, Cerulean Warbler and Painted Redstart. Multiple Eurasian Wigeons and Neotropic Cormo- rants were reported, Whimbrels and Dunlins were in better than usu- al numbers and a huge number of Great-tailed Grackles assembled in southeastern Boulder County. News from the Field contains news and reports of birds sighted in Colorado. These reports are compiled from a variety of sources including online discussion groups, rare bird alerts and eBird, with invaluable contributions provided by a statewide network of infor-

264 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 mants. We thank the many contributors for sharing their sightings, as well as the regional compilers and reviewers for adding their insights to our understanding of county and regional rarities and breeding species. No matter your level of expertise, you are encouraged to send your bird reports to the COBirds listserv, [email protected]; eBird, ebird.org and/or the West Slope Birding Network, wsbn@ya- hoogroups.com. All of these reports are tabulated by Tony Leukering and your regional compilers, and are sent in taxonomic order, along with comments, to the News from the Field editor, Mike Henwood, for summary. Note 1 – The reports contained herein are largely unchecked, and the report editors do not necessarily vouch for their authenticity. Un- derlined species are those for which the Colorado Bird Records Com- mittee (CBRC) requests documentation. We strongly recommend that you submit your sightings of these “review” species through the CFO website at http://cfobirds.org/CBRC/login.php. This is the preferred method to submit your documentation. However, if you require a hardcopy form, you may use the one located on the inside of this journal’s mailing cover. Mailed documentation of rarities should be sent to CBRC chairman Doug Faulkner. Note 2 – The names of counties are italicized. Abbreviations: CG - campground; CR – County Road; m.o.b. – many other birders; NP – National Park; NWR – National Wildlife Refuge; Res. – Reservoir; SP – State Park; SWA – State Wildlife Area; WS - West Slope, areas west of the continental divide.

Greater White-fronted Goose: 20 May (NM, GK) plus 9 reports of WS report: 4 at Zink’s Pond La birds seen after May 10. Plata 17 Mar (JT). High Counts: Snow x Ross’s Goose: All reports: 491 at Prewitt Res. Logan on 3 Mar 1 imm at Jumbo Res. Sedgewick on 3 (SM, CS, DD); 230 at small pond Ma r (SM, DD, CS); 1 adult at Jack- on road to Prewitt Res. Logan on16 son Res. Morgan on 7 Mar (SM, CS); March (DD, CR); 170 at same 1 imm at Frederick Rec Area Weld on small pond on road to Prewitt Res. 24 Apr (SM, CS). Logan (DD). Late report: 2 at Chi- Snow x Canada Goose: 2 ad at co Basin Ranch Pueblo on 22 May Jackson Res. Morgan on 7 Mar (SM, (SM, NM, BKP). CS); 1 ad at Lindies Lake Weld on 7 Snow Goose: WS report: a high Mar (SM, CS); 1 ad at Barr Lake Ad- number of 16 at Fruitgrowers Res. ams on 10 Mar (SM, CS); 4 at Timnath Delta from 11-19 Apr (EH, m.o.b.) Res. Larimer on 16 Mar (SM, DP); 1 ad High Count: 10,000 at Jumbo Res. at Woods Lake Weld on 16 Mar to 3 Sedgwick on 21 Mar (NL). Late re- Apr (SM, CS, DP); 1 at Prince Lake port: 1 at Rose Pond Area Pueblo on No. 1, Boulder on 18 March (TF).

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 265 American Three-toed Woodpecker, Black-and-white Warbler, Riverside Bear Peak, Boulder County, 13 May Cemetery, Morgan County, 6 May 2013. Photo by Peter Burke 2013. Photo by Dave Leatherman

Blackpoll Warbler, Stulp Farmyard, Prowers County, 1 May 2013. Photo by Jane Stulp

266 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 Greater White-fronted Goose, East Great Egret, Stalker Lake, Yuma Boulder Recreation Center, Boulder County, 18 May 2013. Photo by County, 14 May 2013. Photo by Pe- Steve Mlodinow ter Burke

Hepatic Tanager, Chico Basin Ranch, Pueblo County, 19 May 2013. Photo by Bill Maynard

Hooded Warbler, Chico Basin Ranch, “Mexican” Mallard. Pueblo City Park, El Paso County, 20 May 2013. Photo Pueblo County, 7 April 2013. Photo by Brandon Percival by Brandon Percival

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 267 Cackling Goose (ssp. minima), Wind- Trumpeter Swan, Loveland, Larimer sor Lake, Weld County, 7 March 2013. County, 1 March 2013. Photo by Peter Photo by Steve Mlodinow Burke

Snow x Cackling Goose: 1 at Ross’s x Cackling Goose: 1 at Woods Lake Weld from 20-24 Mar Woods Lake Weld on 3 Apr (SM, CS) (SM, CS). Cackling Goose: WS report: 1 at Ross’s Goose: WS reports: 2-4 at Zink’s Pond LaPlata on 11 Mar (JBy); Monte Vista NWR Rio Grande from 1 at Confluence ParkDelta on 12 Mar 2-17 Mar (m.o.b.) 1 at Confluence ((DF); 3 at Spring Park Res. Eagle on Park Delta on 12 Mar (CD, BW); 1 29 Apr (DF). High Count: 1500 at at Zink’s Pond La Plata on 23 Mar Angel Lake Weld on 24 Mar (SM,CS). (HRM); 1 at McCabes Lane Wet- Late report: 5 at Flagler SWA on12 lands Gunnison on 19 Apr (FD,AVK, May (SM,DD). JG). High Count: 50 at Jumbo Res. Cackling Goose: minima subspe- Sedgwick on 3 Mar (SM, DD, CS); cies: 1 at Windsor Lake Weld on 7 Mar and perhaps the same 50 on at Hax- (SM, CS). “Tavener’s subspecies: 1 at tun sewage ponds on 10 Apr ( MOB, Firestone Gravel Pits Weld on 10 Mar EM,TZ, PM, JSz). 1 ad at Pueblo West (SM, CS); 1 at Drake Lake Weld on 16 from 26 -28 Mar (MJ, BKP) ; 1 in Ca- Mar (SM, DP); 30 at Lower Latham ñon City-Lincoln St. on 2 Apr and 2 Weld on17 Mar (SM, CS, DP); 4 at more in Cañon City-Valco Pond Fre- Angel Lake Weld on 20 Mar (SM,CS); mont on 14 April (RM) are both rare 12 at Firestone Gravel Pits Weld on to those respective areas. 27 Mar (SM, CS); 4 at Weld CR 59 Ross’s x Canada Goose: All Re- Ponds Weld on 31 Mar (SM, CS); 11 ports: 1 at Timnath Res. Larimer on at Angel Lake Weld on 3 Apr (SM, 16 Mar (SM, DP); 1 at Angel Lake CS). Weld from 20-24 Mar (SM, CS); 1 at Canada Goose: High Count: 8500 Woods Lake Weld on 3 Apr (SM, CS). at Woods Lake Weld on 13 Mar (SM,

268 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 CS). Late report: 1 at Jumbo Res. Lo- Weld CR59 Pond Weld on 20-21 Mar gan on 26 May (SM, DD, CS ). (SM, CS); 1 adult male in the Cañon Mute Swan: Numerous reports, all City area Fremont on 29 Mar (RM); 1 from Weld of 1 or 2 birds from Feb into breeding male at CR 29 River Walk June (m.o.b.). Grand Junction Mesa on 27 Apr (CA, Trumpeter Swan: All reports (14): m.o.b.). 1 adult and 1 imm at Upper and Lower “Mexican Duck”: All reports: 1 Hoffman Lakes in Loveland Larimer at Boulder Creek Boulder on 19 Mar from 1-27 Mar (m.ob.); 2 reported (TF); 1 male at Angel Lake Weld from at Weld CR 59 Pond and Loloff Res. 20 Mar to 3 Apr (SM, CS); 1 male from 30 Mar to 1 Apr (CB, SM, CS, at Pueblo City Park and Arkansas BSc). River below Pueblo Res. Pueblo from Tundra Swan: All reports: flock 7-15 Apr (BKP); 1 female at Loloff of up to 12 birds at Boulder area lakes Res. Weld from 14 Apr to 4 May (SM, Boulder seen from 2-22 Mar (m.ob.); CS). Mexican x Northern Mallard: 1 banded bird at Jackson Res. Morgan 1 male at Flagler SWA Kit Carson 24 on 7 Mar (SM, CS); 1 adult not band- Apr (SM, CS); 1 male at Bauer Lake ed at Jackson Res. Morgan 13 Mar Montezuma on 17 May (TF, m.o.b.); 1 (CS, SM); 6 at Stewart’s Pond Weld female at Burlington STP Kit Carson from 22-24 Mar (CA, NM, SM,CS); on 18 May (SM, DD). 1 at Weld CR 59 Pond and Loloff Res. Mallard x Northern Pintail: 1 Weld from 30 Mar to 1 Apr (CB, SM, male at Woods Lake Weld on 24 Mar CS, BSc); 8 at Fruitgrowers Res. Delta (SM, CS). from 5-12 Mar (EH) and probably the Blue-winged x Cinnamon Teal: 1 same 8 at 650 Road Delta on 6 Mar at Cherry Creek SP Arapahoe on 18 (JTr). Mar (JR) and on 6 Apr (ED); 1 male Wood Duck: unusually high count at Weld CR59 Ponds Weld from28 of 35 along Arkansas River (private) Apr to 15 May (SM, DD). Fremont on 4 Mar (SE); 1 male at Ring-necked Duck x Lesser Lake DeWeese, near Westcliffe Custer Scaup: 1male At Chico Basin Ranch on 12 Apr (RM) - rare in Custer. Pueblo on 22 May (BKP, SM, NM). Gadwall x Mallard: All reports: Greater Scaup: 181 individu- 1 male at Walden and Sawhill Ponds als were reported. High count: 32 at Boulder on 4 Mar (DD); 1 at St. Vrain Firestone Gravel Pits Weld on 8 Mar Sanitation Ponds Weld on 17 Mar (SM). (SM, CS); 1 at Adams County Re- Lesser Scaup: High Count: 475 gional Park Pond Adams on 29 Mar at Timnath Res. Larimer on 16 Mar (CS); same bird seen along S. Platte (SM). High Late Count: 415 at Weld River Denver on 1 Apr (CS); 1 at CR 7 Ponds Weld on 3 May (SM). Poudre River Trail, east of 83 rd Ave. Redhead x scaup: 1 at Firestone Weld on 3 Apr (SM, CS); 1 at Lower Gravel Pits Weld on 27 Mar (SM, CS). Latham area Weld on 31 May (CS). Long-tailed Duck: All reports: 2 Eurasian Wigeon: All reports: 1 at females at S. Platte Park Arapahoe on

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 269 26 Mar (CA, MK); 1 at Fruitgrowers Res. Pueblo on 2 Mar (BKP); 1 at Res. Delta on 30 Mar (GT); 1 female Cherry Creeek SP Arapahoe from 19- at Frederick Res. Weld from 5 Mar to 7 21 Apr (GW). Apr (m.o.b.). Pacific Loon: 1 at Pueblo Res. Bufflehead x Common Golden- Pueblo on 12 Mar (BKP); 1 at Brush eye: 1 at Walden Res. Jackson on 12 Hollow Res. Fremont 9-10 Apr Apr (EM, MOB, TZ, JSz). (GB,BKP); 1 at Big Johnson Res. El Common Goldeneye x Hooded Paso from 20-22 May (NM,SM). Merganser: 1 male at Weld CR 7 Red-necked Grebe: 2 at Firestone Ponds Weld on 20 Apr (SM). Gravel Pits Weld from some time in Barrow’s Goldeneye: High Count: Feb. to 3 May (SM, CS, m.o.b.) 135 at Spring Park Res. Eagle on 10 Western × Clark’s Grebe: 1 at Apr (DF). Uncommon in SW: 3 at Windsor Lake Weld on 3 Apr and 20 Dolores Ponds Montezuma on 13 Apr Apr 9 (SM, CS); 1 at Lindies Lake (JB). Weld and Riverside Park, Evans Weld Red-breasted Merganser: WS on 21 Apr (SM,CS); 1 at Lower reports: 2 at Fruitgrowers Res. Delta Latham Res. Weld on 28 Apr (SM, from 19-31 Mar (ARo, m.o.b.); 1 DD); 1 at Golden Ponds, Longmont, male at Totten Res. Montezuma on 31 Boulder on 8 May (SM); 1 at Pastorius Mar (NM); 1 at Corn Lake, Clifton SWA La Plata on 15 May (JBy); 1 at Mesa on 7 Apr (JTr); 3 at Highline Frederick Recreation Area Weld on 21 Res. Mesa on 16 Apr (BBr); 1 female May (SM); 1 at Chico Basin Ranch at Totten Res. Montezuma 8-9 May HQ Pond Pueblo on 3 Apr (BM). (JBy). High Count: 105 at Seely Res. Clark’s Grebe: WS report: 2 at Weld on 24 Mar (SM, CS ). Fruitgrowers Res. Delta on 31 Mar Red-throated Loon: 1 at Pueblo (DF); 5 at Fruitgrowers Res. Delta and in Grand Valley Mesa from 31 Mar to 31 May (m.o.b.); 1 at Elkhead Res. Moffat on 12 Apr (FL); 1 in El Jebel Eagle on 19 Apr (JBi). Neotropic Cor- morant: 1 near La- Salle Weld on 14 Apr (SM,CS); 1 adult at John Martin Res. Bent from 17-23 Apr (DN); 1 adult at Weld CR 7 Ponds Weld on Glossy Ibis, Cherry Creek State Park, Douglas County, 15 May (SM, NM). 20 April 2013. Photo by Kirk Huffstater American Bit-

270 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 Broad-winged Hawk (dark-morph), Cot- Broad-winged Hawk (dark-morph), tonwood Canyon, Las Animas County Fairview Cemetery, Chaffee County, 20 26 April 2013. Photo by Nick Komar May 2013. Photo by Dave Leatherman tern: 1 report: 1 at Fruitgrowers Res. Archuleta 28 Apr (JBy). Reports from Delta on 26 May (RH). Arapahoe, Boulder, El Paso, Jefferson, Great Egret: WS report: 1 at Kit Carson, Lincoln, Pueblo, Prowers, Loudy-Simpson Park Craig Moffat on Washington, and Weld. 13 May (FL). Glossy x White-faced Ibis: All re- Little Blue Heron: 1 at Fruitgrow- ports: 1 at Firestone Gravel Pits Weld ers Res. Delta on 17 Apr (DG); 1 at from 3-8 May (SM); 1 near Wiley Fountain Creek Nature Center El Prowers on 11 May (SM, DD); 1 near Paso on 1 May (RF). LaSalle Weld on 28 May (SM). Glossy Ibis: WS report: possible Broad-winged Hawk: Numerous first county record at Navajo Res. reports in April and May. First report: 1 in city of Boulder Boulder on 15 Mar (PB) This is about a month early. Late report: 1 at Court House Phillips on 31 May (JK, KMD). Swainson’s Hawk: Early report: 1 along Ute Highway Boulder on 31 Mar (MS, JSu). High Count: 46 at Thur- ston Res. Prowers on 24 Apr (JS). Red-tailed Hawk (Harlan’s): Late reports: 1 at Coal ridge Waste Res. Weld on 1 May (CS); 1 at Drake Lake Weld on 4 May (SM); 1 at Thompson Ranch Lincoln on 15 May (GW). Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk, Montrose, Red-tailed Hawk (Krider’s): 1 Montrose County, 12 April 2013. Pho- at Rt. 202-catkin Canal-Rocky Ford to by Kathy Borinski Otero on 7 Apr (EM, Mob, JSz); 1 at

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 271 McIntosh Res. and Boulder area Boul- der from 12 Apr to 2 May (BG); 1 near Union Res. Weld on 4 May (SM); 1 near Platteville Weld on 19 May (SM). Rough-legged Hawk: Late date: 1 near Genoa, CR 3P Lincoln on 3 May (m.o.b.) Osprey: WS early record: 1 at Highline Res. Mesa on 18 Mar (KMc). Merlin: Late reports: WS 1 near Nucla Montrose on 27 Apr (CD); 1 at Lower Latham Weld on 1 May (SM); 1 at Two Buttes SWA Baca on 11 May (DN, JS, JaT). Black Rail: One report: 3 heard Mountain Plover, Boulder Reservoir, at Ft. Lyon Marshes Bent on 11 May Boulder County, 19 April 2013. Photo (BKP, DM, KC, MP, BSt). by Peter Burke King Rail: One report: 1 heard at Best Western Inn Marsh, east of Las Res. Bent on 8 Apr (DN); 2 at John Animas Bent on 11 May (MP, BSt, et Martin Res. Bent on 12 Apr (GW); up al.). to 6 at John Martin Res Bent 23 Apr Black-bellied Plover: First report: to 3 May (DN, m.o.b.); 1 at John Mar- 5 at Neenoshe Res. Kiowa on 4 May tin Res. Bent on 12 May (NK, JSa). (GW, m.o.b.); 1 at Loloff Res. Weld on Mountain Plover: Early Date: 1 at 4 May (SM). Late report: 1 at Prewitt Chico Basin Ranch Pueblo on 13 Apr Res. Washington on 27 May (SM). (BKP, BM). American Golden Plover: All re- Black-necked Stilt: Early dates: 1 ports: 1 at Neegronda Res. Kiowa on at Thurston Res. Prowers on 30 Mar 20 Apr (DD); 1 at Lower Latham Weld (SM, DD); 2 along Arkansas R. below on 26 Apr (CL, JK,KMD, NM). Pueblo Res. Pueblo on 10 Apr (BKP); Snowy Plover: 3 at Neegronda locally uncommon: 2 at Jack’s Pasture Res. Kiowa on 30 Mar (SM, DD ); 1 at Pond Archuleta on 21 Apr (DC); 1 at Lake Cheraw Otero on 13 Apr (DC); Walden Ponds Boulder on 28 Apr (TF, 1 at Nucla Town Res. Montrose on 14 AF). Apr (CD, BW); 3 at Neegrande Res. American Avocet: Early date: 40 Kiowa on 23 Apr (DM); 1 at Jack’s at Fruitgrowers Res. Delta from 19 Mar Pasture Pond Archuleta on 28 Apr to 5 May (EH, m.o.b.); High Count: (JBy); 4 at Thurston Res. Prowers on 124 at John Martin Res. Bent on 10 10 May (SM, DD). May (SM, DD). Semipalmated Plover: Early re- Solitary Sanndpiper: WS report: 1 cord: 1 along Arkansas R. below Pueb- at Pastorius SWA La Plata on 2 May lo Res. Pueblo on 28 Apr (BKP). (JBy). Piping Plover: 1 at John Martin Greater Yellowlegs: Early report: 1

272 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 Hudsonian Godwit, Lower Latham Res- Marbled Godwit, Crom Lake, Weld ervoir, Weld County, 22 May 2013. County, 18 April 2013. Photo by Dave Photo by Mark Chavez Leatherman at Walden and Sawhill Ponds Boulder Hudsonian Godwit: 1 at Thur- on 3 Mar (PB). ston Res. Prowers on 27 Apr (DC); 1 Willet: Early report: 1 along Ar- at Beebe Draw Weld on 21 May (CT, kansas R. below Pueblo Res. Pueblo on DB); 1 at Lower Latham Weld from 10 Apr (MJ, BKP). 22-25 May (MC, m.o.b.). Lesser Yellowlegs: Early report: 1 Sanderling: Early report: 2 at at Walden & Sawhill Ponds Boiulder Pueblo Res. Pueblo 17 Apr (BKP); on 27 Mar (BDA). High Count: 29 at Neegronda Res. Upland Sandpiper: 1 at Neegron- Kiowa on 10-11 May (SM, DD). da Res. Kiowa on 30 Mar (DD, SM); Semipalmated Sandpiper: Early 2 at Crow Valley CG Weld on 21 Apr report: 4 at Chico Basin Ranch (Rose (SM, CS); 1 north of Proctor Logan Pond) Pueblo on 15 Apr (GK). High on 21 May (DKS); a high count of 11 Count: 60 at Thurston Res. Prowers on Fox Ranch Yuma on 25 May (TF et on 10 May (SM, DD). al.); 1 at Red Lion SWA Logan on 26 Western Sandpiper: Early reports: May (GW, SM,DD). 4 at Chico Basin Ranch (Rose Pond) Whimbrel: Over 30 reports: Ear- Pueblo on 15 Apr (GK); 4 at Pastorius ly date: 2 at Wiley north of Lamar SWA La Plata on 16 Apr (JBy). Prowers on 10 Apr (SM, DD ). High Least Sandpiper: Early report: 1 at Count: 87 at Lower Latham Res. Weld McIntosh Res. Boulder on 30 Mar (JV on 4 May (SM). et al.). Long-billed Curlew: Early report: White-rumped Sandpiper: Early re- 3 on Field Guide Tour 15 Moffat on 22 port: 1 at Weld CR 59 Ponds Weld on 4 Mar (JG, FD). High Count: 83 near May (SM). High Count: 74 at Lake Hol- Keenesburg Weld on 19 Apr (NE, JR). brook Otero on 1 Jun (SM, MP, DM).

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 273 Baird’s Sandpiper: Early report: 1 at E. Horsetooth Gravel Pit Larimer on 17 Mar (NK). Pectoral Sandpiper: 1 at Stewart’s pond Weld on 20-21 Apr (SM, CS); 2 at Equalizer Lake Larimer on 4 May (JR); 1 at Weld CR 59 Pond Weld on 4 May (SM); 1 at Stewart’s Pond Weld on 12 May (CS). Dunlin: Numerous reports from Boulder, Kiowa, Otero, Weld, and Yuma. Early report: 2 at McIntosh Res. Boulder on 30 Mar (JV et al.). Late report: 1 at Neegronda Res. Kiowa on 11 May (SM, DD). Stilt Sanndpiper: Early re- Dunlin, Harvard St. Pond, Boulder port: 1 at Lake Cheraw Otero on 12 County, 4, April 2013. Photo by Tom Apr (DE, GW). High Count: 35 Wilberding at Lower Latham Weld on 24 May (SL,GW,JR,KMD, JK). Bonaparte’s Gull: early report: 2 at Short-billed Dowitcher: All re- Pueblo Res. Pueblo on 30 Mar (BKP). ports: 1-2 at Little Gaynor Lake Boul- High Count: 110 near Windsor Weld der from 27-30 Apr (BK, JV, m.o.b.); 1 on 28 Apr (SM, DD).i at Weld CR 59 Ponds Weld on 1 May Little Gull: 1 report: 1 adult at (SM); 2 in Grand Junction Mesa on Lake Meredith Crowley on 7 Apr 2 May (BB); 1 near Wiley Prowers on (MOB, BG, VENT Tour). 10-11 May (SM, DD). Franklin’s Gull: Early report: 1 at Long-billed Dowitcher: Early re- Pueblo Res. (South Marina) Pueblo port: 1 at Weld CR 7 Ponds Weld on 9 on 8 Mar (RM). High Counts: 500 at Mar (SM). High Count: 1250 at John Pueblo Res. (South Marina) Pueblo Martin Res. Bent on 10 May (SM, on 11 Apr (DE, BKP); 500 at Conflu- DD). ence Park Delta on 17 Apr (RL); 500 Wilson’s Phalarope: High Local in Boulder Reservoir area Boulder from count: 16 at Roush Road Pond CR 22-25 Apr (BG, PB). 600 Archuleta on 28 Apr (JBy). Mew Gull: All reports (5): 1 at Red-necked Phalarope: Early Golden Ponds (Longmont) Boulder date: 1 at Autrey Res. Boulder on 20 on 4 Mar (JV, SM, DD); 1 at Cherry Apr (TF). High Counts: 430 at Zink’s Creek SP Arapahoe on 8 Mar (GW, Pond Archuleta on 15 May (RD); 122 LK); 1 at Black Hollow Res. Weld on at Big Johnson Res. El Paso on 22 May 13 Mar (SM, CS); 1 at Union Res. (SM, NM). Weld on 29 Apr (SM); 1 at Horseshoe Sabine’s Gull: 1 report: 1 at Union Res. Larimer on 17 Apr (NK). Res. Weld on 21 May (SM). Herring Gull: High Count: 665 at

274 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 on 16 Mar (SM); Presumably the same bird at Drake Lake Weld on 24 Mar (SM, CS). Glaucous Gull: 2 (ad & 1st cycle) at Cherry Creek SP Arapahoe on 10 Mar (GW,SM,CS, DD, m.o.b. to April 10); 1 adult at Black Hollow Reservoir Weld on 13 Mar (SM, CS); 1 3rd cycle at Windsor Lake Weld from 14 Mar to 20 Apr (DL); 1 1st cycle near LaSalle Weld on 20 Mar (SM, CS); 1 1st cycle near LaSalle Weld on Glaucous Gull, Windsor Lake, Weld 31 Mar (SM, CS). County, 14 April 2013. Photo by Dave Great Black-backed Gull: 1 at Leatherman N. Sterling SP Logan on 3 Mar (SM, CS, DD); 1 near adult at Drake Lake Cherry Creek SP Arapahoe on 10 Mar Weld and one subadult at Windsor (SM, CS). Res. Weld on 24 Mar (SM, CS); 1 at Herring x Glaucous-winged: 1 Horseshoe Res. Larimer on 17 Apr 2nd year at Black Hollow Res. Weld (NK, CC). on 16 Mar (SM, DeP); presumably the Least Tern: 2 at Lake Hasty, John same bird at Drake Lake Weld on 24 Martin Res. Bent on 19 May (latest Mar (SM, CS ). date in last 20 years - DN) (GPr); 1 Thayer’s Gull: High Count: 12 (4 at 2399 River Road Grand junction ad, 1 2nd cycle, 7 1st cycle) at Cherry Mesa on 29 May (LS, JTr). Creek SP Arapahoe on 10 March (SM, Caspian Tern: All reports: 1 at CS). Counties with reports: Arapahoe, Tinmath Res. Larimer on 13 Apr (NK, Denver, Larimer, Logan, Weld CC); 1 at Windsor Res. Weld on 16 Iceland Gull: 1 first cycle at Cherry Apr (DL); 1 at Horseshoe Res. Larimer Creek SP Arapahoe from 7 Mar to 11 from 17-21 Apr (NK et al.); 2 at Fruit- Apr (GW, m.o.b.); 1 second cycle at growers Res. Delta on 22-23 Apr (BBr Stewart’s Pond Weld on 31 Mar (SM, et al.); 1 at Walden Res. Jackson 24-26 CS); 1 worn 1st cycle at Black Hollow Apr (NK, Quetzal Tours); 3 at Cherry Res. Weld on 3 Apr (SM, CS). Creek SP Arapahoe on 26 Apr (CT, Thayer’s x Iceland: 1 at Cherry DB et al.); 1 at McIntosh Res. Boulder Creek SP Arapahoe on 29 Apr ap- on 17 May (DD); 2 at Timnath Res. peared to be a cross between these two Larimer on 23 May (GP). species (CT, DB). Black Tern: 4 at Dolores Ponds Lesser Black-backed Gull: High Montezuma on 10 May (JBy); 3 on Count: 12 at Cherry Creek SP Arapa- Lake Hasty Bent on 10 May (KP); 6 hoe on 10 Mar (SM, CS ). at Neegronda Res. Kiowa on 10 May Herring x Glaucous-winged: 1 (BK); 78 at Lower Latham Weld on 15 2nd year at Black Hollow Res. Weld May (SM, NM).

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 275 Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Chico Basin Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Turkey Creek, Ranch, Pueblo County, 27 May 2013. El Paso County, 5 March 2013. Photo Photo by Bill Maynard by Mark Chavez

Arctic Tern: 1 at Lower Latham Pond LaPlata on 27 May (RD, BB); Weld on 17 May (CC, SW). 2 at Rock Canyon Pueblo on 30 May Forster’s Tern: 1 at Equalizer Lake (BKP). Larimer on 16 Apr (CC); 2 adults at Ruby-throated Hummingbird: 1 Union Res. Weld on 18 Apr (SM); 1 at Lamar Community College Prowers at Weld CR 7 Ponds Weld on 27 Apr on 5 May (GW et al.). (SM); 35 at Union Res. Weld on 3 Acorn Woodpecker: All reports, May (SM); 11 at Fruitgrowers Res. away from La Plata (2): 1 female in Delta on 5 May (ARo); 6 in Craig Moffat from 5-20 May (FL); 3 at Pueblo Fish hatchery Pond Pueblo on 5 May (BKP); 32 (very high count SW) at Totten Res. Montezuma on 9 May (JBy); 26 at Lower Latham Weld on 28 May (SM). Short-eared Owl: 1 near Akron Washington on 25 May (SM). Lesser Nighthawk: 3 in Ca- lamity Drainage, Nucla Mon- trose on 22 May (CD, m.o.b.). Common Poorwill, Poudre River Trail, Larimer Black Swift: 6 at Zink’s County, 8 May 2013. Photo by Austin Hess

276 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 Gray Flycatcher, Belmar Historic Park, Jefferson County, 9 May 2013. Photo by Mark Chavez

Northern Saw-whet Owl, Crow Valley DD); 1 at Lake Beckwith, Colorado Camp Ground, Weld County, 19 April City Pueblo on 27 May (DS); 1 at Ca- 2013. Photo by Dave Leatherman ñon City Fremont on 1 Jun (MP, DM, SM). Colorado Springs El Paso from 4 Mar Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: 1 at to 20 Apr (m.ob.); 1 at Pueblo Moun- Lenz Farms Yuma on 25 May (SM). tain Park Pueblo from 14 Mar to 11 Alder Flycatcher: 1 at Siebert Kit May (RM); 1 at Yellowjacket Canyon Carson on 19 May (BKP, KC, MP, Montezuma on 19 May (CG) DM). Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: All re- Eastern Willow Flycatcher: 1 at ports : 1 at Pueblo City Park Pueblo Sand Draw SWA Sedgwick on 26 May on 16 Mar (BKP) 1 at Turkey Creek (SM, DD); 1 at Fremont River Park Recreation Area El Paso on 24 Mar Fremont on 1 Jun (SM, MP, DM). (DM et al); 1 at Bohn Park Boulder Least Flycatcher: Early reports: from 25 Mar to 1 Apr (m.o.b.); 1 at 1 at Main Res. in Lakewood Jefferson Rain Crow Farm Delta on 25 Apr on 2 May (AH); 1 at Lake Beckwith, (JB). Colorado City Pueblo on 3 May (DS). Hairy Woodpecker: “Rocky Rare on WS: apparent breeders re- Mtn.” subspecies rare on plains: 1 turned to Collbran area Mesa on 26 at Crow Valley CG Weld on 21 Apr May (3rd summer) (NK). (SM, CS ); 1 at Van’s Grove Bent on Gray Flycatcher: Uncommon 10 May (DN, SM,DD). away from pinyon-juniper breeding Eastern Wood-Pewee: 1 near habitat; 1 at Crow Valley CG, Weld Julesburg Sedgwick on 26 May (SM, on 11 May (DL).

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 277 Eastern Phoebe, Chatfield State Park, Great Crested Flycatcher, Chico Basin Douglas County, 18 April 2013. Photo Ranch, Pueblo County, 24 May 2013. by Mark Chavez Photo by Brandon Percival

Hammond’s Flycatcher: Early re- U.S. 36 Washington from 24-28 May ports; 1 at Cheyenne Mountain SP El (GW, m.o.b.). Paso on 11 May (CG); 1 at Bear Creek White-eyed Vireo: 1 at Lamar Greenbelt in Lakewood Jefferson on Community College Prowers on 8 May 11 (CA). Apr (CT, DB); 1 at Lamar Commu- Black Phoebe: reports from at least nity College Prowers on 20 & 30 April 10 counties: Early report: 2 at Cañon (DL): 1 in Burlington Yuma on 19 City Riverwalk Fremont on 2 Mar May (BKP, KC, MP, DM). (RM). High Count: 19 in Nucla Area Bell’s Vireo: All reports: 1 at Montrose on 27 Mar (CD, BW). Bonny Res. Yuma on 11 May (NE); 5 Eastern Phoebe: Over 20 reports: near Beecher Island Yuma on 18 May First report: 2 at Vogel Canyon Otero (SM); 2 singing at Bonny Res. area on 29 Mar (KJD). Yuma on 19 May (BKP, KC, MP, DM); Great Crested Flycatcher: All 1 at Jumbo Res. Logan on 26 May reports: 4 at Beecher Island Yuma (SM, DD); 3 at Red Lions SWA Logan on18 May (SM, NM); 2 in Hale on 26 May (SM, DD); 15 at Tamarack area Yuma on 19 May (BKP, KC, MP, Ranch SWA Logan on 26 May (SM, DM); 1 at Chico Basin Ranch HQ DD); 3 at Sand Draw SWA Sedgwick Pueblo on 24 May (BKP, BM et al.); 6 on 26 May (SM, DD). at Tamarack SWA Logan on 26 May Yellow-throated Vireo: all reports: (SM, DD). 1 at Bent CR34, N. of CO 196 Bent Scissor-tailed Flycatcher: 1 on on 10 May (SM, DD); 1 at Lamar Field Guides Tour 4 Prowers on 16 Community College Prowers on 12 Apr (AVK, m.o.b.); 1 at Woodrow, May (NK, et al); 1 female in Yellow-

278 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 White-eyed Vireo, Burlington, Kit Car- Yellow-throated Vireo, Fountain Creek son County, 19 May 2013. Photo by Regional Park, El Paso County, 28 May Brandon Percival 2013. Photo by Bill Maynard jacket Canyon area Montezuma on Jefferson on 17 May (PO); 1 at Chico 18-19 May (JV, et al); 1 at Chico Ba- Basin Ranch HQ Pueblo on 20 May sin Ranch HQ area Pueblo on 23 May (BKP, BM, NM): unusual locations: 1 (BKP et al.); 1 at Last Chance Rest at Akron GC Washington on 27 May Area Washington on 25 May (RN); 1 (SM); 2 at Prewitt Res. Washington on singing male Colorado Springs - Pleas- 27 May (SM). ant Valley El Paso on 27 May (KG). Chihuahuan Raven: Unusual lo- Cassin’s Vireo: reports from 9 cations: 1 at Cherry Creek SP Arapa- counties: Early reports: 1 in Boulder hoe on 11 Mar (MML); 1 at Cherry with 6 inches of snow Boulder on 2 Creek SP Arapahoe on 19 Mar (DD); 2 May (SS): 1 at Tempel Grove Bent in Lafayette Boulder on 27 Mar (CH). from 3-10 May (BKP et al.). Uncom- Pygmy Nuthatch: Low elevation mon on WS: 1 at Grand Junction reports: 3 at Pueblo City Park Pueblo Mesa on 6 May (BM). 12-16 Apr (BKP, m.ob.); Cassin’s/Blue-headed Vireo: 1 at Red-breasted Nuthatch: Unusual Lamar Community College Prowers in that there were numerous sightings on 8 May (DR); 1 at Watson Lake on the plains after 15 May (m.o.b.) Larimer on 18 May (CB); 1 in private Carolina Wren: 1 seen/heard at garden Larimer on 22 May (SW). Lamar Community College Prow- Philadelphia Vireo: All reports: 2 ers from 12 Mar to 13 May (DR, JS, at Two Buttes SWA Baca 10-11 May m.o.b.) (GW et al.). Winter Wren: All reports: 1at Ft. Red-eyed Vireo: Early reports: 1 Morgan - Riverside Park Morgan on at Chatfield SP (Audubon Center) 27 Mar (JR, BN); 1 at Carrizo Can-

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 279 Gray-cheeked Thrush, Stulp Farmyard, Prowers County, 2 May 2013. Photo Cassin’s Vireo, Lamar Community Col- by Jane Stulp lege Woods, Prowers County, 12 May 2013. Photo by Nick Komar backed”: High Counts: 145 at Chico Basin Ranch El Paso/Pueblo on 22 yon Picnic Area Baca on 8 Apr (KD, May (SM, NM); 155 at Crow Valley et al); 1 at Lamar Community College CG Weld on 28 May (DD). Uncom- Prowers from 22 Apr to 13 May (DL, mon late WS: 1 at Loudy-Simpson m.o.b.) 1 n. of Thurston Res. Prowers Park in Craig Moffat on 30 May (FL). on 27 Apr (DL, DN); Swainson’s Thrush “Russet- Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: “Eastern” backed”: 3 Records: 1 at Two Buttes subspecies: 1 in Cottonwood Canyon SWA- below dam Baca on 10-11 May Baca on 26 Apr (NK, RS et al.); 1 at Stalker Lake Yuma on 18 May (SM, NM). Veery: more than 25 reports from the foothills and plains; early report of 1 at Thompson Ranch Lincoln on 1 May (DM); High Count of 3 at Crow Valley CG Weld on 28 May (SM, DD). Gray-cheeked Thrush: more than 12 reports from Baca, Bent, El Paso, Lincoln, Proweres, Washington, and Weld counties. Early report: 1 at Stulp Farm Prowers on 1 May (JS). Late report: 1 at Van’ss Grove Bent on 24 Purple Martin, Stulp Farmyard, Prowers May (DN). County, 1 May 2013. Photo by Jane Swainson’s Thrush “Olive- Stulp

280 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 Varied Thrush, Fort Collins, Larimer Sage Thrasher, Lagerman Reservoir, County, 12 March 2013. Photo by Pe- Boulder County, 23 April 2013. Photo ter Burke by Peter Burke

(SM, DD, MP, GW); 1 at Temple count of 16 at Tamarack SWA Logan Grove Bent on 12 May (SM, DD); 1 on 26 May (SM, DD). at Crow Valley CG Weld on 28 May Bohemian Waxwings: Many were (SM, DD). seen throughout the period, in the Hermit Thrush: High Counts: 30 counties Boulder, Delta, El Paso, Lar- after snow storm at Bear Creek Lake imer, High counts: 500 + in Fort Col- Park Jefferson on 2 May (CA, MH); 30 lins Larimer 14-25 Mar (DL); 400 at at CBR El Paso on 4 May (CG); 30 at Rocky Mountain NP Larimer on 28 Brett Gray Ranch Lincoln on 15 May Apr (BG). WS report: 30 at Rain (DBy). Crow Farm Delta on 2 Mar (JB). Varied Thrush: 2 reports: 1 at Lapland Longspur: WS first spring 1719 Ticonderoga Dr. (private) & record: 1 breeding male at Maher, s. of Warren Lake area in First Collins Lar- Crawford Montrose on 8 Apr (DGa). imer from 10-31 Mar (BB, m.o.b.); 1 at Chestnut-collared Longspur: 9865 E. Crestline Ct. (private) Engle- Spring snow storms forced birds to land wood Arapahoe on 13 Apr (GW). along roadsides in unlikely locations in Gray Catbird: High Count: 12 Boulder, Douglas, Jefferson, and Lar- at Crow Valley CG Weld on 28 May imer. High Count: 800 forced to road- (SM, DD). WS early report: 1 in side by snow near US385/CR 29 Yuma Glenwood Springs Garfield on 3 May on 9 Apr (EM, PM, TZ, MOB, JSz). (DF). Smith’s Longspur: 1 record: 1 Brown Thrasher: 3 reports: 1 at male at Glade Road Loveland Larimer Barr Lake SP Adams on 18 Apr (CS); on 29 Apr (JRa). high count of 16 at Crow Valley CG McCown’s Longspur: Spring snow Weld on 15 May (SM, NM); high storms forced birds to land along road-

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 281 Chestnut-collared Longspur, Cherry McCown’s Longspur, Chatfield State Creek State Park, Arapahoe County, 1 Park, Douglas County, 2 May 2013. May 2013. Photo by Mark Chavez Photo by Kirk Huffstater sides in unlikely locations in Boulder, on 5 May (JK et al.). WS early record: Douglas, Jefferson, and Larimer. High 1 at Navajo Res. Archuleta on 28 Apr Counts: 73 at Oxford Rd./119th in (JBy). Boulder Boulder on 15-16 Apr (JV, Blue-winged Warbler: 3 reports: 1 CN, m.o.b.); 40 at Oxford Rd./119th at Lamar Community College Prowers in Longmont Boulder 17-18 Apr (JSu, on 28 Apr (MP et al.); 1 male at La- MS, m.o.b.); 15 at Chatfield SPDoug - mar Community College Prowers on las on 18 Apr (GW); 27 at Chatfield 4 May (BKP, KC et al.); 1 at Chico SP Douglas on 2 May (KH). New Basin Ranch - wooded areas El Paso Routt county record following snow on 16 May (GW). storm: 2 (male & female) at Steam- Golden-winged Warbler: 3 re- boat II Subdivision Routt 17-19 Apr ports: 1 female at Stalker Lake SWA (CrD). Yuma on 18 May (SM, NM); 1 male Ovenbird: over 30 reports: Early at Stalker Lake SWA Yuma on 18 reports: 1 at Cañon City Riverwalk May (BKP, KC, MP, DM); 1 male at Fremont on 3 May (RM); 1 at Lamar Wray Yuma on 25 May (SM). Community College Prowers on 3 May Black-and-white Warbler: Nu- (JR et al.). High Count: 32 singing at merous reports from the Front Range Willow Springs Open Space area Jef- & plains. Early reports: 1 male at La- ferson on 31 May & 2 June (MiH, CA, mar Community College Prowers on MK, AB). 28 Apr (MP, DM et al.); 1 male at Worm-eating Warbler: 1 at Lamar Pueblo City Park Pueblo on 28 Apr High School Shelterbelt Prowers on (BKP). SLV report: 1 at Medano-Za- 13 May (NK et al.). pata Ranch Preserve Alamosa on 23 Northern Waterthrush: First re- May (LP). port: 1 at Thompson Ranch Lincoln Prothonotary Warbler: 1 report:

282 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 Ovenbird, Louviers, Douglas County, Golden-winged Warbler, Wray, Yuma 19 May 2013. Photo by Kirk Huff- County, 25 May 2013. Photo by Steve stater Mlodinow

1 near Livermore Larimer on 25 May 20 at Burchfield SWABaca on 11 May (RHK). (SM, DD). Tennessee Warbler: All reports: LUCY’S WARBLER: No reports 1 at Lathrop SP Huerfano on 14 Apr outside of Montezuma. As many as 5 (BK et al.); 1 at Cottonwood Canyon during the CFO Convention at Yel- Baca on 10 May (JM); 1 male at Ca- lowjacket Canyon Montezuma 17-19 ñon City Riverwalk Fremont on 10 May (CFO trips, m.o.b.) May (RM); 1 at Two Buttes Baca on Nashville Warbler: Numerous 10 May (GW et al.); 2 (male & fe- reports: Early reports: 1 eastern male male) at Two Buttes SWA Baca on 11 at Lamar Community College Prow- May (SM, GW, DD); 1 male at Bog ers on 30 Apr (DL); 1 at Chico Ba- Thompson River Trail Larimer on 11 sin Ranch Pueblo on 30 Apr (JD, et May (SW); 1 female at Burlington al). SLV report: 2 at Medano-Zapata Yuma on 18 May (SM, NM); 1 male Ranch Preserve Alamosa on 14 May at cemetery in Burlington Yuma on 19 (LP). Late report: 1 at Norma’s Grove May (BKP, KC, MP, DM); 1 female at Weld on 28 May (DD). Last Chance Washington on 23 May Virginia’s Warbler: WS record (tie (DL); 1 at Dixon Res. Larimer on 24 early date): 2 in Grand Junction Mesa May (JRa); 1 female at Las Animas on 17 Apr (BMo). Bent on 24 May (DN). MacGillivray’s Warbler: Early re- Orange-crowned Warbler: Early port: 1 at Stulp Farm Prowers on 30 report: 1 at Rock Canyon- Osprey Apr (JS et al.). Picnic Area Pueblo on 18 Apr (BKP). Mourning Warbler: 2 reports: 1 High Counts: 20 in snow at Golden male at Brett Gray Ranch Lincoln on 18 Ponds Longmont Boulder on 1 May May (BKP, KC, MP, DM et al.); 1 female (JSu, MS); 20 at Two Buttes SWA-be- at Van’s Grove Bent on 24 May (DN). low dam Baca on 11May (DN et al.); Common Yellowthroat: High

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 283 Prothonotary Warbler, west of Liver- Cape May Warbler, Chico Basin Ranch, more, Larimer County, 25 May 2013. Pueblo County, 22 May 2013. Photo Photo by Dave Leatherman by Steve Mlodinow

Count: 28 at Stalker Pond Yuma on Cape May Warbler: All reports: 1 25 May (SM). male at Two Buttes Baca 10-11 May Hooded Warbler: All reports: 1 (GW et al.); 1 at Hale Ponds Yuma on male at Temple Grove Bent 1-4 May 21 May (GW, SL); 2-3 males at Chi- (DL, JT et al.): 1 at Stulp Farm Prow- co Basin Ranch HQ and Rose Pond ers on 8 May (JS); 2 females at Two Pueblo 22-24 May (BKP, SM, NM). Buttes Res. Baca on 11 May (BKP, KC, Cerulean Warbler: One report: 1 MP, DM, BSt et al.); 2 females at Two male at Fort Logan Cemetery Denver buttes SWA Baca on 11 May (MP, on 10 May (BBH). SM); 1 singing male at Thompson Northern Parula: 20+ individu- Ranch Lincoln on 19 May (JK, GW); als reported. Early report:1 at Picture 1 adult male at Chico Basin Ranch El Canyon Baca on 23 Apr (DPe). Late Paso on 20 May (BKP, BM, NM); 1 at reports: 1 male at Van’s Grove Bent on Temple Grove Bent on 24 May (SE); 1 26 May (DN); 1 at Greenlee Preserve male at Tamarack SWA Logan on 26 Boulder 30+ May (TF et al.). May (SM, DD). Magnolia Warbler: All reports: 1 American Redstart: Reports from at Burlington Kit Carson on 18 May 12 counties. First report: 1 male at (SM, NM); 1 adult male at Yuma Mu- Temple Grove Bent 1-4 May (DL, nicipal Cemetery Yuma on 18 May JaT). Late reports: 1 immature male at (EKi); 1 at Lake Holbrook Otero on Van’s Grove Bent on 28 May (DN); 1 22 May (AGr); 1 at Lamar Commu- female at Crow Valley CG Weld on 28 nity College Prowers on 22May (KP): May (SM, DD). 1 female at Chico Basin Ranch Pueblo Painted Redstart: 1 at Bauer Lake on 22 May (BKP, NM, SM); 1 im- near Mancos Montezuma on 17 May mature at Chico Basin Ranch HQ (NK, CFO convention). Pueblo on 22 May (BKP et al.); 1 male

284 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 Magnolia Warbler, Chico Basin Ranch, Blackburnian Warbler, Soderman Park, Pueblo County, 22 May 2013. Photo El Paso County, 15 May 2013. Photo by Brandon Percival by Bill Maynard at Van’s Grove Bent on 23May (EDF); CG Weld on 27 May (KMD); 1 female 1 at Chatfiled SP- Plum Creek Delta at Boulder Creek-CU East Campus Douglas on 23 May (JK). Boulder on 29 May (JV et al.); 1 at De- Bay-breasted Warbler: One re- Weese Res. Custer on 29 May (RM). port: 1 female at Van’s Grove Bent Blackpoll Warbler: more than 25 (3rd county record) on 16 May (DN, reports: Early reports: 1 in Lincoln on JaT). 22 Apr (DM); 1 at Stulp Farm Prowers Blackburnian Warbler: 5 reports: on 1 May (JS); Late report: 1 singing 1 male at Rocky Mtn. Lazy J Bar S male at Rock Canyon-Osprey Picnic Ranch Larimer on 5 May (JKl); 1 Area Pueblo on 28 May (BKP). heard singing at Karney SWA Bent on Black-throated Blue Warbler: All 10 May (SM); 1 male at Sondermann reports: 1 at Two Buttes SWA Baca Park El Paso on 25 May (BGo). WS on 4 May (JK et al.); 1 at Two Buttes report: 1 at Hotchkiss Delta on 9 May SWA Baca 10-11 May (GW et al.); ((ARo); 1 in Durango LaPlata 6-10 1 at Brett Gray Ranch Lincoln on 18 May (JJR). May (GW). Chestnut-sided Warbler: 7 re- Palm Warbler: More than 10 reports: 1 adult male at Lamar Commu- ports ( all of western subspecies): nity College Prowers on 8 May (DR); Early report: 1 singing male at Rock 1 at Chico Basin Ranch banding sta- Canyon-Osprey Picnic Area Pueblo tion, El Paso on 15 May (BKP et al.); 1 on 21 Apr (BKP); WS report: (rare) 1 at Last Chance Rest Area Washington at Pastorius SWA La Plata on 10 May on 17 May (GW, SL); 1 at Akron Golf (HRM): Late report: 1 at Brett Gray Course Washington on 17 May (GW, Ranch Lincoln on 18 May (BKP, KC, JK et al.); 1 at Rocky Mtn. NP Larimer MP, DM et al.). on 27 May (DB); 1 at Crow Valley Yellow-rumped Warbler: High

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 285 Blackpoll Warbler, Main Reservoir, Jef- Black-throated Green Warbler, Two ferson County, 11 May 2013. Photo by Buttes State Wildlife Area, Baca County, Mark Chavez 10 May 2013. Photo by Austin Hess

Counts (forced down by snow storm) Pueblo on 25 May (BKP, KC, LE et 200 at Golden Ponds-Longmont Boul- al.); 1 at Kiowa Creek Nature Center der on 30 Apr & 1 May (JSu, MS); El Paso on 26 May (AS, DBy). 200 at Walden & Sawhill Ponds Boul- Black-throated Green Warbler: 1 der on 10 May (PB). singing male at Two Buttes SWA Baca Yellow-throated Warbler: Only 10-11 May (GW et al.); 1 singing report: 1 at Two Buttes SWA Baca on male at Two Buttes Res. Baca on 11 4-5 May (JK, GW et al.). May (BKP, KG et al.); 2 at Two Buttes Black-throated Gray Warbler: SWA-below dam Baca on 11 May Unusual outside of WS and southern (NK, JaT); 1 singing male at Tantra Colorado. More than 10 reports: Early Lake area Boulder on 12 May (CN et reports: 1 singing male in Pueblo City al.); 2 at Chatfield SPJefferson on 15 Park Pueblo on 2-6 May (BKP); 1 at May (GPr); 1 at Carrizo Creek Picnic Fort Lyons wildlife easement Bent on Area Baca on 25 May (EDF). 7 May (DN): Late reports: 1 at Chico Spotted Towhee: High Count: 46 Basin Ranch El Paso on 22 May (BKP at Chatfield SP-Audubon CenterJef - et al.); 1 at Rock Canyon Pueblo on 23 ferson on 10 May (HK et al.). May (RM). Spotted X Eastern Towhee: All Townsend’s Warbler: Uncommon reports: 1 male at Lamar Community in spring: More than 10 reports: Early College Prowers on 12 Mar (DR, JS); reports: 1 male at Fairmont Cemetery, 1 male at Flagler SWA Kit Carson on Lamar Prowers on 29 Apr (DL, DR, 24 Apr (SM, CS); 1 at Lamar Com- JaT); 1 at Riverside Cemetery Lamar munity College Prowers on 28 Apr Prowers on 29 Apr (DL); Late reports: (DN, DL): 1 male at John Martin Res. 1 female at Chico Basin Ranch HQ Bent on 10 May (SM); 3 (2 m, 1f) s. of

286 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 Temple Grove Bent on 10 May (SM, Vesper Sparrow: High Counts: DD); 1 male at Tempel Grove Bent on 2500 at Chatfield SPJefferson on 1 10 May (SM, DD); 9 males at Tama- May (JK): 1500 in NE Bent County rack Ranch SWA Logan on 26 May Bent on 10 May (SM, DD). (SM, DD). Lark Sparrow: High Count: 1500 Eastern Towhee: 2 reports: 1 fe- in NE Bent County Bent on 10 May male at Cottonwood Canyon Baca on (SM, DD). 26 Apr (NK, et al); 1 female at Tama- Sagebrush Sparrow: Uncommon rack Ranch SWA Logan on 26 May locations: 1 in City of Boulder Boul- (SM, DD). der on 13 Mar (PP); 1 at Bear Creek American Tree Sparrow: High Lake Park-Stable Area Jefferson on Count: 58 at Mile High Gun Club Ad- 16-18 Apr (MiH et al.). The Sage ams on 10 Mar (SM, CS). Late report: Sparrow has been split into Bell’s 1 at North Shields Pond Natural Area Sparrow(Pacific) and the Sagebrush Larimer on 26 Apr (DWa). Sparrow(Interior). Chipping Sparrow: Early reports: Lark Bunting: High Count: 750 1 at Red Rocks Park-Trading Post Jef- from Baca CR VV - Two Buttes Baca ferson on 8 Apr (EB); 1 near Deerfield on 11 May (SM, DD). Unusual on Douglas on 9Apr (KSM); 1 at Red WS: 1 near Grand junction Mesa on Rocks Park Jefferson on 10 Apr (NL). 8 May (BMo); 1 on CR G Montezuma High Count: 1750 in NE Bent County on 17 May (JBy). Bent on 10 May (SM, DD). Savannah Sparrow: reports : Early Clay-colored Sparrow: Early re- report: 1 in Nucla Montrose on 10 Mar port: 1 at Stulp Farm Prowers on 27 (CD, BW). Apr (JS). High Count: 300 in NE Fox Sparrow (slate-colored): Ear- Bent County Bent on 10 May (SM, ly reports: 1 at No Name area Garfield DD). WS reports: 1 at Pastorius SWA 20-23 Mar (TMc); 1 at Red Rocks La Plata on 14 May (SA); 1 at Zink’s Park-Trading Post Jefferson 23 Mar to Pond La Plata on 16 May (SA). 4 May (MiH, m.o.b.) Field Sparrow: All reports away Lincoln’s Sparrow: Early report: from breeding areas: 1 at 105 Monroe 1 at Panama Res. Boulder 0n 6 Mar in Trinidad Baca on 16 Apr (JDe); 1 (SM): High Count: 32 at Chico Basin at Otero Oxbow SWA Otero on 11 Ranch El Paso/Pueblo on 22 May (SM, May (BK); 2 at Van’s Grove Bent on NM). 11 May (BKP, KC, et al); 1 at Lamar Swamp Sparrow: Late date: 1 at Community College Prowers on 11 Bluff Lake Denver on 26 May (JH). May (BKP, KC, et al); 1 at Franktown White-throated Sparrow: Numer- Douglas on 14-15 May (HK, UK ). ous reports throughout the spring; Black-chinned Sparrow: 1 at Col- Late report: 1 at Prewitt inlet canal orado National Monument Mesa on grove Washington on 19 May (JK). 25 Apr (BBr). Other birders tried at Harris’s Sparrow: Many reports: this location at various times and were WS report: wintering bird in Fruita unsuccessful. No other reports. Mesa stayed until13 Apr (LM, m.o.b.)

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 287 Sage Sparrow, Bear Creek Lake Park, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Stulp Farm- Jefferson County, 18 April 2013. Photo yard, Prowers County, 9 May 2013. by Mark Chavez Photo by Jane Stulp

Late report: 1 at Longs Peak Develop- at Pueblo City Park Pueblo on16 May ment Weld on 13 May (NEr). (MY); 1 at Chico Basin Ranch HQ White-crowned Sparrow: Early Pueblo on 19 May (RHi). reports, “dark-lored” subspecies group Summer Tanager: At least 20 re- (1): 1 near LaSalle Weld on 17 Mar ports: Early report: 1 at Mineral Palace (SM, CS, DeP); 1 at Tempel Grove Park Pueblo on 2 May (VT); WS re- Bent on 30 Mar (SM, DD). ports: 1 in Montrose Montrose 1-3 Apr Golden-crowned Sparrow: All (early record date by 8 days) (VR); 1 reports (3): 1 adult continuing from at CR J Montezuma on 17 May (JD, the winter at Red Rocks Park Jefferson CFO Convention) High Count: 5 at until May 2 (MiH, m.o.b.)); 1 adult Beatty Canyon Ranch Las Animas on continuing from the winter at Teller 31 May (TF et al.). Farms Boulder until 23 Apr (m.ob.); 1 Northern Cardinal: Unusual loca- continuing at Two Buttes SWA Baca tions/High Counts: 5 at Lamar Com- until 30 Mar (DM). 1 at Stulp Farm munity College Prowers 30 Mar to 24 Prowers 9-13 May (JS et al.). WS re- May (m.o.b.) 1 male at Rocky Ford port: 1 in greater Nucla area Montrose SWA Otero on 27 Apr (MP, DM); 2 on 27 Apr (CD, BW). singing at Narrows Dam Site Morgan Pink-sided Junco: 2 (an apparent on 28 Apr (SM, DD); 9 singing males pair) on Madden Peak Road La Plata at Stalker Lake Yuma on 18 May (SM, on 18 May (TF et al.) Note date and NM); 28 mostly singing at Tamarack elevation, perhaps indicating breed- Ranch SWA Logan on 26 May (SM, ing by a taxon that has not been con- DD). firmed as a breeder in Colorado. One Rose-breasted Grosbeak: many of the pair was chased away by a Gray- reports from plains/foothills: WS re- headed Junco, which were plentiful in ports: 2 (m, f) in Hotchkiss Delta on the general vicinity. 8 May (AR); 1 female in Montrose Hepatic Tanager: 2 reports: 1 male Montrose on 13 May (BH); 1 female

288 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 in Loudy-Simpson Park Moffat (rare Rusty Blackbird: 1 at Holcim local sighting) on 20 May (FL); 1 Wetlands Fremont on 8 Mar (RHi); 3 adult male in Nucla Montrose on 23 at Stulp Farm Prowers 8-9 Mar (JS); May (CD, BW); 2 at Medano-Zapata 1 at Bear Creek Park Denver on 11 Ranch Preserve Alamosa on 25 May Mar (AH); 3 at Chico Basin Ranch (LP). Pueblo on 14 Mar (JD); 3 at Stulp Black-headed Grosbeak: Record Farm Prowers 21 Mar to 4 Apr (JS); early date: WS 1 adult male at Nucla 1 singing at Chico Basin Ranch-Rose Montrose on 19 Apr (CD, BW). Pond Pueblo on 4 Apr (BKP, LE); 1 Indigo Bunting: Record early date: adult male yard on Glade Road Love- WS 1 adult male in greater Nucla land Larimer on 7 Apr (JRa); 1 along area Montrose on 18 Apr (CD, BW); Boulder Creek-75th St. Boulder on 13 WS record: 1 male at Medano-Zapata Apr (JV); 1 at Chatfield SP- Marina Ranch Preserve Alamosa on 23 May Sandspit Douglas on 17 Apr (JK); 1 at (LP). Stalker Lake Yuma on 5 May (SM); Lazuli x Indigo Bunting: All re- 1 female at Stulp Farm Prowers on 14 cords: 1 at Kodak SWA-Poudre River May (JS). Trail Weld on 18 May (DD): 1 at Van’s Great-tailed Grackle: High Grove Bent on 20 May (DN); 1 in Count: 1100 at Stearns Lake Boulder yard on Glade Road-Loveland Larimer on 21 Mar (TF). Perhaps the highest on 22-23 May (JRa); 1 in Lyons Boul- count ever recorded in Colorado. der on 24 May (CS). Orchard Oriole: Odd locations: 1 Painted Bunting: All records: 1 at at Stulp Farm Prowers on 8 May (JS); Brett Gray Ranch Lincoln on 18 May 1 in Vail Eagle on 15 May (CPh). High (DM); 1 at Bonny Res. SWA Yuma on Counts: 31 at Stalker Lake Yuma on 20 May (GW, SL); 1 at Chico Basin 25 May (SM); 52 at Tamarack Ranch Ranch-banding station El Paso on 23 SWA Logan on 26 May (SM, DD ). May (BKP et al.); 1 at Cottonwood Bullock’s Oriole: WS record early Canyon Baca 26-28 May (TMc, KMc, date: 1 in Grand Junction Mesa on 22 DF, DLa). Apr (BBr). Bobolink: Unusual locations: 1 Bullock’s x Baltimore Oriole: adult male at Marston Lake Denver over 20 recorded: Early record: 1 male on 11 May (MiH et al.); 1 at Wheat- attorney SWA Bent on 10 May (DN, ridge Greenbelt Jefferson on 18 May SM, DD); 1 male s. of Tempel Grove (KCo et al.); 3 females at Monarch Bent on 10 May (SM, DD). Late re- Spur Trail Chaffee on 19 May (SY); 1 port: 1 at Prewitt Res. Washington on male flying along Mancos RiverMon - 27 May (SM). tezuma on 19 May (NKo); 1 male in Baltimore Oriole: 2 reports away Estes Park Larimer on 22 May (JaN); 2 from eastern plains: 1 at El Jebel at Carpenter Ranch-Hayden Routt on (feeder) Eagle on 11 May (RKH); 1 at 22 May (NKo); 3 in Hayden Routt on Steamboat Springs (feeder) Routt on 24 May (FL); 1 in Genesee Mtn. Park 20 May (LW). Jefferson on 29 May (JR). Scott’s Oriole: 3(adult m & f, sub-

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 289 winter invasion continued throughout the spring with numerous reports across the state. High Counts: 325 at Steamboat Springs (Litteral feeders) Routt on11 Apr (TLi); 75 at Steam- boat Springs Routt (Moulton feeders) on 14 Apr ™, et al); 75 at Walden Jackson on 5 Mar (DL); 65 at N. Ster- ling Res. Logan on 3 Mar (SM, CS, DD). Hoary Redpoll: 3 records: 1 adult male in Eastern Bent County (private) Bent 1-10 Mar (LG); 3 adults (2m, 1f) at N. Sterling Res. Logan on 3 Hoary Redpoll, North Sterling Reservoir, Mar (SM, CS, DD). New area record: Logan County, 3 March 2013. Photo 1 at Steamboat Springs (Litteral feed- by Steve Mlodinow ers) Routt 18-23 Mar (TL). Pine Siskin: Numerous reports adult m) in Big Gypsum Valley San during the spring season all across the Miguel (3rd record; new location) on plains. Many remained late in May, 27 May (CD, BW). and a few may have remained there Common Redpoll: The incredible to breed. High Late Count: 52 in the

Sharp-tailed Grouse, Craig, Moffat County, 9 May 2013. Photo by Peter Burke

290 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 town of Wray Yuma on 25 May (SM). Others were reported in mid-to-late May from Adams, Baca, Bent, El Paso, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Prowers, Pueblo, Sedgwick, Washington, and Weld. Lesser Goldfinch: Local on eastern plains: 1 at Barr Lake State Park Adams on 27 Apr (CG); 1 at Veter- ans Park Adams on 11 May (CS); 1 at Sandstone Ranch Weld on 20 May (CS). Evening Grosbeak: High Count: 94 in Wetmore area Custer on 30 Mar White-tailed Ptarmigan, Lefthand Reser- (RM); Unusual location/late date: 2 voir, Boulder County, 30 March 2013. females seen in Holyoke Cemetery Photo by Peter Burke Phillips on 25 May (SM)

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Without the compilation of sightings from the volunteer regional compilers, News from the Field could not be written. Continued appreciation goes to Jim Beatty (southwest), Coen Dexter (west central), John Drummond (southeast), Forrest Luke (northwest), and Brandon Percival (Pueblo area). Special thanks goes to Tony Leukering for all of his hard work in extracting data from eBird and in preparing all of the reports for our consideration.

CONTRIBUTING OBSERVERS CA: Chuck Aid; ; LA: Larry Arnold; JB: Jason Beason; DBy: Diana Beatty; JBy: Jim Beatty; DBe: Donald Beltz; GB: Gavin Bieber; BBi: Brad Biggerstaff; JBi: James Biebl; JDB: J. D. Birchmeier; AB: Audrey Boag; CB: Cree Bol; MB: Maggie Boswell; BBr: Bob Bradley; EB: Eric Bradley;; DB: Dan Brooke; PB: Peter Burke; KC: Kara Carragher; DC: David Chartier; MC: Mark Chavez; CFO: Colorado Field Ornithologists JC: Jacob Coo- per; KCo: Kevin Corwin; CC: Cade Cropper; TD: Todd Deininger; JDe: Jim Dennis; DFO: Denver Field Ornithologists; CD: Coen Dexter; PD: Paul Didier; PD: Paul Dif- ferding; CrD: Craig Dodson; RD: R. Donley; ED: Edward Donnan; DD: David Dowell; JD: John Drummond; KMD: Kathy Mihm Dunning; KJD: Kathy & Jeff Dunning; FD: Francis DuPont; LE: Lisa Edwards; DE: David Ely; NEr: Norma Erickson; NE: Norm Erthal; DF: Dick Filby; RF: Richard Flores; AF: Andrew Floyd; TF: Ted Floyd; EDF: Eric De Fonso; DG: Dave Galinat; DGa: Dennis Garrison; MJG: Mel & Jeanne Goff; BGo: Bob Gooycolea; JG: Jeff Gordon; CG: Chris Goulart; DG: Doug Gould; LG: JG: Jane Graves; AGr: Alex Greene; LG: Linda Groat; BG: Bryan Guarente; BBh: BB & Bob Hahn; RH: Rick Harner; BH: Bill Harris; JH: John Haycraft; RKH: Robin & Kendall Henry; MiH: Mike Henwood; RHi: Robb Hinds; EH: Evelyn Horn; AH: Art Hudak; KH: Kirk Huffstater; CH: Charles Hundertmark; PH: Paul Hurtado; MJ: Margie Joy; BK: Bill Kaempfer; JK: Joey Kellner; AVK: Alison Van Keuren; DK: Doug Kibbe; MK:

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 291 Blue-winged Warbler, Lamar Commu- Bohemian Waxwing, Fort Collins, Lar- nity College Woods, Prowers County, imer County, 20 March 2013. Photo 4 May 2013. Photo by Brandon Per- by Dave Leatherman cival

Dusky Grouse, Dolores Canyon, Dolores County, 13 April 2013. Photo by Tom Wilberding

292 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 Michael Kiessig; EKi: Ethan Kistler; LK: Loch Kilpatrick; HK: Hugh Kingery; UK: Url- ing Kingery; EK: Elena Klaver; JKl: Julie Klett; RHK: Rick & Heather Knight; GK: Gary Koehn; NK: Nick Komar; Ak: Alison Kondler; NKo: Nic Korte; RL: Ron Lambeth; DLa: Denise Landau; SL: Steve Larson; CL: Charles Lawrence; DL: Dave Leatherman; TL: Tony Leukering; NL: Norm Lewis; TLi: Tom Litteral; FL: Forrest Luke; KMc: Kathleen MCGinley; CM: Cynthia Madsen; ; JMa: Jim Malcom; LM: Luis “Beto” Matheus; BM: Bill Maynard; DM: Dan Maynard; KMc: Kay McConnell; TMc: Tom McConnell; KSM: Karen S. Metz; KMD: Kathy Mihm-Dunning; RM: Rich Miller; MML: Mark Minner- Lee; JM: Jeannie Mitchell; SM: Steve Mlodinow; NM: Nick Moore; EM: Elton Morel; HRM: Heather & R Morris; SE: SeEtta Moss; BMo: Bob Moston; LM: Lola Muhr: PM: Pat Mulligan; DN: Duane Nelson; JaN: James Nelson; DN: Davbis Noble; CN: Christian Nunes; MO: Mark Obmascik; MOB: Michael O’Brien; PO: Penny Owens; KP: Ken Pals; DeP: Dennis Paulson; JPe: Jane Pederson; DPe: David Pendleton; BKP: Brandon K. Per- cival; MP: Mark Peterson; CPh: Carol Phillips; LP: Laurence Pitcher; GPr: Greg Prelich; RR: Rob Raker; JRa: Jason Ransom; JJR: Jan & John Rees; ARo: Andrea Robinsong; JR: Joe Roller; VR: Vicki Ruchhoeft; DR: Dorothy Russell; CR: Chris Rurik; JSa: Judith Sandborn; BSc: Bill Schmoker; SS: Scott Sever; CS: Cathy Sheeter; JSt: John Shenot; AS: Aaron Shipe; DS: Dave Silverman; BSt: Brad Steger; RS: Ruth Stewart; LeS: Lee Stigen; JS: Jane Stulp; JSu: Joel Such; MS: Marcel Such; JSz: Joyce Sziebert; CT: Cheryl Teuton; JaT: Janeal Thompson; JTh: Jim Thompson; GT: Geoff Tischbein; JTr: Jackson Trappett; VT: Van Truan; JT: James Turner; JV: John Vanderpoel; DW: David Wade; GW: Glenn Walbek; SW: Sean Walters; DW: David Waltman; TW: Tom Wilberding; LW: Lisa Williams; JaW: Jan Wilson; BW: Brenda Wright; MY: Mark Yeager; SY: Sherrie York; TZ: Thomas Zinneman.

Literature Cited Andrews, R., and R. Righter. 1992. Colorado Birds: A Reference to Their Distribution and Habitat. Denver, CO: Denver Museum of Natural History Righter, R., R. Levad, C. Dexter, K. Potter. 2004. Birds of Western Colorado: Plateau and Mesa Country. Grand Junction, CO: Grand Valley Audubon Society. Sibley, David Allen. 2000. The Sibley Guide to Birds. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Mike Henwood, 1201 Club Court, #C, Grand Junction, CO 81506, [email protected]

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 293 THE HUNGRY BIRDER

Breckenridge

Christy Carello Breckenridge, nestled in a high Rocky Mountain valley, offers bountiful opportunities for the hungry birder. Because Breckenridge is centrally located, just 86 miles west of Denver, 106 miles northwest of Colorado Springs and 184 miles east of Grand Junction, it attracts birders from all corners of Colorado, plus those passing through hop- ing to find a White-tailed Ptarmigan or Rosy-Finch. The town of Breckenridge is approximately 9,000 feet above sea level and within a short drive on a paved road to 11,500 feet on Hoosier Pass. In addition, for those who like to work for their birds, Quandary Peak is one of the most accessible fourteeners in Colorado, and the highest peak in the Tenmile Range. A word of caution: at six to eight hours round trip, it’s not for the faint of heart, so be sure to pack plenty of water, snacks and appropriate gear, and check weather conditions before setting out. McCullough Gulch Trail offers a much shorter hike (just over a mile) at the base of Quandary and includes a rewarding waterfall at the end, along with many more opportunities to spot Yellow-rumped and Wilson’s Warblers, Townsend’s Solitaire, Pine Grosbeak and other mountain specialties. Part of what makes this a fantastic high country birding spot is that in the summer there is plenty of food for the hungry bird, so be sure to cover up and protect yourself from the mosquitos who are hungry for birders! My favorite place to bird in Breckenridge is Cucumber Gulch, a wetland complex surrounded by mature lodgepole and spruce/fir forests that is a biological hotspot in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. There are well-maintained trails and interpretive platforms with benches providing a nice place to rest. More than 60 species of birds have been identified in this small wetland system. During a leisurely stroll one is likely to see Hairy, Downy and American Three-toed Woodpeckers, Ruby-crowned and Golden-Crowned Kinglets, Coopers Hawk and many more. Be ad- vised that the trails are closed from June first through the Fourth of July weekend in order to protect nesting birds and calving moose. I like to take the free gondola from the center of town and get off at Peak 7, which is a short walk to the Peaks Trailhead just across the street there from an entrance to Cucumber Gulch. One can bird down hill in Cucumber Gulch and walk all the way back to town, or pick up the Gondola at Shock Hill (at the bottom of the wetland complex) and ride back to town. Once reaching town, you are likely

294 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 to be very hungry…with so many good options, how does a hungry birder decide where to eat? Here are a few of my favorites:

In a hurry and watching my pennies 1. City Market, located at 400 North Parkway on the very north side of the town, is hard to miss if you are on Highway 9 coming from I-70 as the traffic circle funnels you in that direction. I know a major grocery store sounds like a strange recommendation, yet there are a great deal of food choices plus a coffee stand in the entry where you can pick up a bottle of oxygen with your latte. The fact of the matter is that Breckenridge is pricey, so it’s nice to know there’s a place to pick up a sandwich or other prepared foods as well as fresh fruit and veggies and not break the bank. 2. Daylight Donuts, at 305 North Main on the north side of town is a local hotspot that serves up an affordable breakfast, and of course donuts. This greasy spoon offers typical breakfast options, but those in in the know order the huevos rancheros…and don’t forget to bring your green backs as this is a cash-only establishment! It is also one of the few breakfast places open early: normal hours of operation are 6 a.m. to noon.

Early morning birding and now ready for a great sandwich, coffee and baked goods 1. Cool River, on the backside of the Swiss Chalet in the center of town. Here you will find yummy breakfast sandwiches and lunch offerings. My family’s all time favorite sandwich is a turkey-berry-avo (turkey, cranberry, avocado, cream cheese and lettuce.) In addition, Cool River bakes fresh cakes, scones and muffins. Most sandwiches are under $10. Cool River is open from 7 a.m.–3 p.m. daily. 2. Amazing Grace, located two blocks east of Main Street on Lin- coln in a historic yellow house, this quaint establishment is run by locals who have worked hard to conserve open space in Brecken- ridge, including Cucumber Gulch. The eatery is committed to using natural, wholesome ingredients and is a local favorite where it’s not unusual to find the mayor having a bite while holding an informal breakfast meeting. My favorite items from the menu include gluten- free breakfast tacos ($8.75), buttermilk biscuits ($2.99) and Meg and Tony’s not-chos (only $5.99 for a half order). The not-chos are made with blue corn chips, black beans, spinach, cheese, salsa and shred- ded carrots and zucchini. Amazing Grace is open seven days a week, 7 a.m.–3 p.m. and also offers fancy coffee drinks and delicious smooth- ies that are…Amazing!

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 295 Birding all day, watching my pennies and now it is very late Empire Burger, located on the south side of Main Street at La Cima Mall is one of the few places in Breckenridge open until 1 am. The burgers are juicy and mostly under $10. There is also a delicious portabella and chicken sandwich. Fries or salad has to be ordered separately. Empire Burger offers some interesting dipping sauces for your fries or onion rings such as sweet mango chutney, wasabi mayo and curry ketchup.

Birding all day and ready to treat myself to the best of Breckenridge 1. Modis, founded by another big proponent of Open Space in Breckenridge, Erik Mamula, takes its name from his young son who used to ask for “more this” when he was learning to talk. The restaurant is located in the center of town on Main Street and has a full bar that offers cucumber martinis. Modis is currently one of the coolest places to be seen in town. The food is excellent, the views fantastic and the menu changes seasonally. Some of the fun items may include watermelon gazpacho, heirloom spinach and arugula salad and entrees such as the Miner’s Ribeye and the Modis veggie dish. Side offerings include brie blue potato medallions and cauliflower popcorn. Modis is not for the penny-wise hungry birder as a typical entrée costs between $18 and $34. 2. Blue River Bistro, located on the north side of town on Main Street is another one of my favorites. There’s often an acoustic guitar player or other live music, and the lunch and dinner offerings are delicious. I love the Chinese chicken salad and the penne Roberto (flank steak, asparagus, tomatoes, green onions in a creamy sauce) on the lunch menu. There are also many salad and sandwich offerings. The dinner menu is extensive for a restaurant of this caliber, and includes Colorado lamb chops and Colorado vegetable faro with roasted zucchini faro, wild mushrooms, cauliflower, chevre goat cheese and grilled cabbage. Entrees range in price from $15 to $30. Blue River Bistro is known for its kiddie cocktails made with fruit and yogurt. Happy dining!!!!!!!!

Christy Carello, 910 19th Street, Golden, CO 80401

296 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 IN THE SCOPE

Warm-colored Mountain Bluebirds: An unappreciated identification pitfall

Tony Leukering Despite housing just three species, the genus Sialia still causes con- sternation for birders. Confusion often occurs when birders inexpe- rienced with all three species mistake male Western Bluebirds, some of which sport little rust on the back, with Mountain Bluebirds. A second challenge involves separating males and females of Western and Eastern bluebirds. However, one of the most common pitfalls that I have seen trap birders is created by the small percentage of female Mountain Bluebirds that exhibit obvious rufescent coloration on the chest. This essay is intended to be read with reference to the picture on the back cover of this issue.

Bluebird molt strategy (this is relevant, I promise!) Bluebirds, like most thrush species, conduct just one molt per year after their first year (Pyle 1997). Bluebirds in their first plumage cycle obtain their typical spotted juvenal plumage by conducting their first prebasic molt (first basic plumage = juvenal plumage) in the nest; they leave the nest in this plumage. Some time after fledging, they conduct their second molt – the preformative molt – of their short lives, replacing all of their juvenal body plumage and some of their inner greater coverts. Once this molt is finished (as late as October in more-northern and/or later-season broods), these young birds are quite difficult to discern as such in the field, as correct ageing requires discerning the difference between old and new greater coverts and/ or the presence of contrasting older primary coverts or flight feathers. In contrast, adult bluebirds conduct a complete prebasic molt, that is, they replace every feather. All bluebird molting is done on or

Back Cover Photo

This female Mountain Bluebird caused the precise identification quandary about which this essay was written. Fortunately, the excellent photographs (one of which is produced here) provided a superb example of warm-colored females of the species, something that I have tried to capture photographically for some time in order to write this very essay. Photograph by David Waltman, 1 December 2012

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 297 near the breeding grounds. With the completion of the preformative (immature) and prebasic (adult) molts, bluebirds are in the freshest plumage they will wear until conducting their next molt the following summer/fall.

Warm-colored female Mountain Bluebirds The typical female Mountain Bluebird plumage, and the only one illustrated in most field guides, is of nearly unrelieved grayish body plumage (blue-gray when freshest), with variably bright blue or gray- blue wings and tail. Most females sport at least a bit of orangish cast to the chest when fresh, though this may not be discernible unless viewed at close range. Variety is inherent in biology, and this brighter color is quite variable in extent and brightness, with a minority of females (probably less than 10%) having obvious rusty coloration on the chest. This color can even extend a bit down the sides into the gray flanks and, very rarely, up into the lower part of the throat plumage (pers. obs.). Sibley (2000) is the only major ABA-area field guide to illustrate this plumage well (though the plumage is mentioned in text in Leukering [2006]). The presentation in Sibley (2000; at least the first printings) exaggerates the orange tones. Since many birders do not expect to see orange on female Moun- tain Bluebird chests, such birds can create identification quandaries. Typically, these birds are identified as either Western or Eastern bluebirds, but they have also been suggested as possible hybrid progeny of Mountain Bluebird and one of the orange-breasted species. However, a more complete examination of such birds should reveal the longer, paler-blue wings and tail and the thinner bill lacking pale tones typical of Mountain Bluebird.

Relevance of molt timing Bird plumage begins to wear and fade as soon as it is grown, with feathers becoming ragged and colors duller. Thus, female Mountain Bluebirds with only slightly rufescent tones to the chest will likely lose such appearance as wear and fading progress. In fact, even the brightest females’ plumage will fade, making them stand out less from the crowd. Because of this facet of plumage, we birders are much more likely to notice such birds in fall and early winter, when the plumage is still fresh.

Literature Cited Leukering, T. 2006. Thrushes. In NGS Complete Birds of North America 2006

298 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 Pyle, P. 1997. Identification Guide to North American Birds, part I. Slate Creek Press, Bolinas, CA. Sibley, D. A. 2000. The Sibley Guide to Birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.

Tony Leukering, 1 Pindo Palm St. W, Largo, FL 33770 ([email protected])

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 299 THE HUNGRY BIRD

Caterpillar Tricks, Part 1

Dave Leatherman What do Houdini, the cartoon “Roadrunner”, James Bond and an American dagger moth caterpillar have in common? If you play at home, take note, as this might well show up on “Double Jeopardy” as the “Escape Artists for $1000” question. A bird with a plump caterpillar in its beak is a familiar sight during a warm day in the Northern Hemisphere. At the instant we witness that dangling dinner, our presumption might be its acquisition was easy. Not always so. While vegetarian caterpillars are highly nutri- tional to birds, the length of this relationship between hunter and hunted should probably hint that nothing about it is easy or set in stone. Hundreds of millions of years of anything begs change. Such predator-prey relationships are prime laboratories for evolution. How does the “-er” better find the “-ee”? And even more important, morph, in the case of a bird, from a warm-blooded killer into something nobler –the embodiment of genetic inheritance? And likewise, how does a potential living meal avoid hungry mouthparts in its all- important quest to have an interspecific legacy? It’s one big passing

Fig. 1. Copper underwing moth caterpillar pulling out all stops to escape detection, Grandview Cemetery, Fort Collins, CO, on honeysuckle. Photo by Dave Leatherman

300 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 lane out there. “Pass the mashed potatoes and gravy.” “I’ll pass on that, thank you.” One creature’s passing of DNA is another’s loss. Time passes and there’s always tomorrow. The following is a rundown of just some of the many ways caterpillars look, behave and physiologically modify themselves to try and avoid being eaten. These ingenious, well-honed examples of untying life’s knots embody the essence of escape, and our beloved birds are among the foremost mothers of said inventions. Eat your heart out, Houdini.

Camouflage Television nature programming, at least the type that rejects the low road of fear for ratings, does well with the topic of camouflage. Via awesome photography, they show us wonderful examples of the basic premise that what doesn’t catch the eye of the enemy, lives another day to do whatever it does, including hide. Even more often, they repeatedly show the hidden hunter can also exploit the element of surprise. A chameleon perfecting invisibility and a Bengal tiger stalking the tall dry grass are almost becoming cliches. Birds and caterpillars, with amazing skills of their own, deserve equal airtime. Many caterpillars that feed on leaves “out in the open,” that is, without elaborate armament or shelters, rely on some form of camouflage. Some, like the speckled green fruitworm Orthosia( hibisci), the copper underwing (Amphipyra pyramidoides) (Fig. 1) and other rela- tives in the family Noctuidae, are early summer feeders. The leaves of many deciduous trees and shrubs are fresh and apple green. So are these caterpillars, with just enough body angles, odd postures, dashes and speckles of pale yellow and white to blend into the wallpaper. To be sure, birds like Warbling Vireos and Yellow Warblers find them. But not with efficiency that precludes survival of some individuals to the next phase. The next phase of their gauntlet is in the soil, deal- ing with centipedes, ground beetles, hooves, high water and super sniffers like mice, squirrels and skunks. It’s sort of like a competitive winner’s bracket, where each victory brings an even stiffer contest. Mimicry of the host plant extends beyond fresh leaves. Many butterfly and moth larvae across many families look exactly like little twig stubs, rough bark, flowers and even chewed or weathered leaves. They make detection all but impossible by stretching out motionless atop bark, or by gripping a plant part with their fake legs (called “pro- legs”) at the rear of the body and suspending themselves stiff out into space. Cirque du Soleil troopers performing gravity-defying leans have nothing on them. Who knew caterpillars had six-pack abs? Yet another use of coloration is that which confuses a predator’s

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 301 choice of a kill-shot. Head stabs and grabs are almost always fatal. If the rear of the abdomen is patterned like the head, a peck made in haste to the wrong end of a caterpillar might be survivable. The caterpillars in Figures 1, 3, 8, and 11 all exhibit this trait, with the head being to the left.

Leave No Trace Then there is the clever act of “destroying the evidence”. If one watches insect-foraging passerines, it is clear the success of their searches is often keyed by spying leaf deformity. Insectivorous birds that find holes in leaves, folds, clumps of dead ones, ragged edges and fecal pellets if the trail is hot enough, regularly find the causal caterpillars. One species, the American dagger moth (Acronicta ameri- cana), has complicated the game of hide and seek. This caterpillar is covered with long pale yellow hairs accented with tufts of black (more about hairs later as they are helpful in their own right). But this caterpillar’s special trait involves deceit. After it has chewed a silver maple leaf (removing perhaps a quarter to one-third of it) and, thus, provided the bird-useful clue of feeding injury, it does a “not fair.” It used to be said of arguably the greatest rusher in NFL history, Jim Brown, that “he gave tacklers a leg, then took it away.” Similarly, after giving birds a chance to find them, dagger moth caterpillars clip the stems of the fed-upon leaves. In late summer, the ground under a tree inhabited by this defoliator is littered with munched leaf blades, each having telltale scallops and a short petiole.

Mining Some caterpillars are more into their food than others, so to speak. Those that literally get inside the photosynthetic factories of leafy plants are called “miners.” The many species with the leaf-mining habit spend at least part, usually all, of their developmental time between the upper and lower layers of a leaf. Like humans digging coal, they tunnel and extract. Usually the shape of a species’ mine is consistent, with two general types predominating: blotches (Fig. 2) and thin, snakelike meanders. The latter are referred to as “serpentine” mines (Fig. 3). They start out quite narrow and widen as the larva feeds and grows. By spending their feeding months under the surface, miners are somewhat protected from detection, and shielded from the elements. Obviously, this only works for small species, and those that have evolved flattened, hairless bodies. The mined portion of a leaf is usually different in color than an un-mined area, almost always darker due to the presence of dead or drying unconsumed leaf tissue and the accumulation of excrement pellets (called “frass”) within the mine.

302 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 But just as particular caterpillars have mastered mining for greens, some birds have figured out how to successfully pan for the prospec- tors. A subset of these birds, gros- beaks, for example, just glom onto the mined portion of a leaf and consume it, leaf and larva together. Others, including warblers and orioles use their beaks as a pick and carefully pull the worm out of hiding.

Origami A variation on mining involves rolling, folding or tying leaves in such a way that the modifications create havens in which the arti- Bur oak catkins (flowers) at top (Grandview Cemetery, Fort sans can both hide Collins, CO) and an unidentified inchworm caterpillar (fam- and feed (Fig. 4). ily Geometridae, probably genus Nemoria) found within cat- As with mining, kins of flowering Gambel oak at bottom, to show the general where the pattern resemblance of the two in outline and form. The colors of of the mine is spe- the actual flowers in which the caterpillar hid (near Trinidad, cies-specific, so are CO) were virtually identical to the caterpillar’s. Photo by the blueprints of Dave Leatherman folding, spindling, and mutilating. Once the particular structure is formed, the goal for its caterpillar inhabitant is to eat its way out, walls and all. Fashion- ing and holding the various shapes is accomplished mostly with pre-

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 303 cise, mandibular crimping and silk, respectively. A common “roller” is the Fruittree Leafroller (Archips cerasivorana). Its home looks like a cigarette paper. “Folders” are rare among moths and butterflies, but a common example that illustrates the style (albeit slightly outside the focus of this column) is a wasp, the Poplar Leaffolding Sawfly Phyl( - locolpa bozemani). Look for this on the leaves of plains cottonwood. “Tiers” take two leaves and attach them around their edges, the result resembling two adjoined paper plates.

Tents and Webs Besides serving as holdfasts, we have all seen other amazing uses of silk in nature. Caterpillars use it to rappel, to function as a trail to re-find food resources, to form resting shelters that protect from predators and harsh weather and to enclose food for casual dining. Commonly seen extreme examples in Colorado include gregarious species like the tent caterpillars and fall webworm. The various tent caterpillars (genus Malacosoma) feed on many woody plants including aspen, Fremont cottonwood, mountain- mahogany and chokecherry. Their tent, which is bright white and

Figs. 2 and 3. Styles of leafmining: serpentine at left (note yellowish larva of moth (Phyllocnistis populiella) barely visible at the widest part of the trail), blotch made by the beetle Zeugophora scutellaris at right. Photo by Dave Leatherman

304 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 grows to about a foot in length, is used strictly by the several dozen members of each colony as a protective home base at night and on rainy days. Dur- ing daylight, the bluish caterpillars adorned with soft hairs strike out along silk trails to find fresh leaves. Fig. 4. Styles of insect origami: leafrolling (l), leaffolding (m), Occasional out- and leaftieing (r). Note the slash of white silk holding the roll breaks of western in place midway along its length. Photo by Dave Leatherman tent caterpillar (M. californicum) in montane aspen stands can be mas- sive in scale. The Great Basin tent caterpillar (M. in- curvatum discolor- atum) commonly occurs in Yellow- jacket Canyon and surrounding area, with individual caterpillars venturing out of their tents and Fig. 5. Fall webworms inside their web, as seen by the hungry sometimes fall- bird on the outside looking in. Plains cottonwood at Bonny ing prey to Lucy’s Reservoir, CO. Photo by Dave Leatherman Warblers. Ever wonder what sometimes totally denudes those cottonwoods in late summer along the Arkansas River between Cañon City and Salida? That’s the fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea). Its caterpillars use webbing a bit differently from tent caterpillars. As the larvae grow and feed, they continually enlarge the web to enclose more and more foliage. At maturity, their structure can be a yard or more across, with heavily infested trees appearing to be completely enshrouded by the

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 305 silken structures of hundreds of webworm groups. On a September day many years ago, I remember watching a Bullock’s Oriole study a webworm colony in a cottonwood along the Poudre River in Fort Collins. It was obviously deterred by the silk. But the caterpillars, many of them, were tantalizingly visible in the backlighting (Fig. 5). Like a cat beside a goldfish bowl it watched, fidgeted, and plotted. Finally, after a period of minutes, it either forgot a previous lesson or learned a new one and plunged its head deep into the webbing. I could not determine if it scored or not, but distinctly remember it spending nearly 15 minutes vigorously wiping “marshmallow” from its bill. As I’m sure this insectivore concluded, it didn’t appear worth the effort. Such is one value, from a caterpillar’s point of view, of the amazing material called silk.

Night Moves The daily activity budget of some caterpillars involves hiding during the day (usually underneath something like bark or leaves) and actively feeding at night. Anyone who has been around an epidemic population of the introduced Gypsy Moth (Lymantria dispar) in eastern North America has probably heard the nocturnal “rain” of their droppings hitting the forest floor. Not even Ted Floyd could detect Chipping Sparrows overhead on such a night. This concentration of feeding during the dark has lots of advantages, with avoidance of predation by diurnal birds being one of them.

This concludes Part 1 of this two-part series. Tune in to the January issue of Colorado Birds for the remainder of Caterpillar Tricks. - Peter Burke, Editor

LITERATURE CITED Barbosa, Pedro; Deborah Kay Letourneau (1988). Novel Aspects of Insect- plant Interactions. Wiley-Interscience. pp. 29–31. Brower, L.P. and W.H. Calvert. 1985. Foraging dynamics of bird predators on overwintering monarch butterflies in Mexico. Evolution 39:852-868. David L. Wagner (2005). Caterpillars of Eastern North America. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ Ritland, D.; L. P. Brower (1991). The viceroy butterfly is not a Batesian mim- ic. Nature 350 (6318): 497–498. Stimson, John; Mark Berman (1990). “Predator induced colour polymor- phism in Danaus plexippus L. (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) in Hawaii”. Heredity 65 (3): 401–406.

Dave Leatherman, 612 Stover Street #7, Fort Collins, CO 80524, daleatherman@ msn.com

306 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 The Colorado Field Ornithologists’ Quarterly

Instructions for Contributors to Colorado Birds

Colorado Birds is devoted to the field study of birds in Colorado. Articles and short notes of general or scientific interest are welcomed; potential authors are encouraged to submit any materials that contribute to the enjoyment and understanding of birds in Colorado. The preferred submission format is electronic, via email attachment or on CD. However, typed or hand-written manuscripts are also accepted.

Photos or art: submit black & white or color material. Photos & graphics printed inside the journal will typically be printed in black & white; cover art is printed in color. Graphics can be submitted as prints, slides, or electronically. Electronic submissions can be sent in JPEG (*.jpg), PDF (*.pdf), PSD (*.psd) or TIFF (*.tif) format. Photos must be submitted in JPEG, PSD or TIFF; maps, tables and other non-photographic material may be submitted as PDF. Photos should be sent in their original format without editing, cropping or color correction. Cover art must be of the highest quality. Cover photos should be a minimum 5.75” wide by 8.75” tall at 300 dpi (1725 × 2625 pixels). Minimum size for interior photos is 3” by 2.5” (900 × 750 pixels or 750 × 900 pixels). For best repro- duction, photos can be larger and higher resolution, but they cannot be smaller. Submit electronically via email or on CD. Include information about artist or photographer, subject, date, location and medium used.

Art and photos will be returned at your request; however, manuscripts and CDs will not, unless specifically requested. While your materials will receive the utmost care, the Colorado Field Ornithologists (CFO) or any representative thereof cannot be respon- sible for materials lost in the mail or due to other circumstances beyond our control.

Manuscripts reporting formal scientific research are sent out for peer review.

Contributors who are not members of CFO will, upon request, receive a complimen- tary copy of the issue of Colorado Birds in which their articles appear.

Send journal contributions to:

Peter Burke 935 11th Street Boulder, CO 80302 [email protected]

Submissions of photos or graphics not accompanied by articles are welcomed. Send these to Christian Nunes, [email protected].

Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4 307 Female Mountain Bluebird, city of Longmont, Boulder County, 1 December 2012. Photograph by David Waltman

In the Scope: Warm-colored Mountain Bluebirds . . . 297

308 Colorado Birds October 2013 Vol. 47 No. 4