Colorado Birds the Colorado Field Ornithologists’ Quarterly Colorado Field Ornithologists PO Box 643, Boulder, Colorado 80306 Cfobirds.Org

Vol. 48 No. 2 Spring 2014 Colorado Birds The Colorado Field Ornithologists’ Quarterly Colorado Field Ornithologists PO Box 643, Boulder, Colorado 80306 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, 2016; [email protected]

Secretary: Rachel Hopper, Fort Collins

Committee Members: John Drummond, Monument, 2016; Brandon Percival, Pueblo West, 2015*; Mark Peterson, Colorado Springs, 2016*; Bill Schmoker, Longmont, 2016; 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), GreatGray- [email protected]; Ted Floyd (Conversations Editor), [email protected]; Mike Henwood (News from the Field Editor), [email protected]; Christy Carello (Science 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 $6.50. 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.

90 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 The Colorado Field Ornithologists’ Quarterly Vol. 48 No. 2 Spring 2014

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE...... 92 Bill Kaempfer

ABOUT THE AUTHORS...... 94

CFO BOARD MEETING MINUTES...... 96 Christy Carello

CONVERSATIONS: NICK KOMAR...... 98 Ted Floyd

BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER × TOWNSEND’S WARBLER IN COLORADO...... 102 Steven G. Mlodinow, Glenn Walbek and David Letterman

NEST-SITE SELECTION OF CLIFF SWALLOWS IN A METROPOLITAN ENVIRONMENT...... 107 Wanda Sowa, Keely Nolan, Nels Grevstad and Christy Carello

CFO BIRDING TRIP REPORT...... 119 Mike Henwood and Christian Nunes

NEWS FROM THE FIELD: FALL 2013...... 121 Mike Henwood

CFO GRANT REPORT: ANJELICA QUINTANA AND THE BLANCA WETLANDS...... 152 Natasha Kerr

THE HUNGRY BIRD: CRAYFISH...... 153 Dave Leatherman

Greater The 69TH REPORT OF THE CBRC...... 163 Roadrunner, Doug Faulkner Stulp Farmyard, Prowers Coun- ty, 23 August IN THE SCOPE: THE WHITE-BREASTED 2013. Photo by NUTHATCHES OF COLORADO...... 180 Jane Stulp Steven G. Mlodinow PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Something’s Different

Bill Kaempfer I’m sure all of you have noticed, but in the event that you haven’t, I’ll tell you—the CFO hasn’t sent you registration material for our 2014 CFO Convention. Well, there are two reasons for this, one physical and one temporal. First, we have decided to forego the physical mailing of registration materials to all members. Mailed brochures are an unnecessary use of resources, both financial and environmental. In past years more and more of you have opted to use the more sustainable, not to mention convenient, method of registering online at cfobirds.org. The traditional brochure will still be out there on the CFO website for you to print if you want to. You can even get in touch with me for a hard copy of the registration form to fill out and send in if that is your preference—just write to Colorado Field Orni- thologists P.O. Box 643 Boulder, CO 80306—but online registration is really the way to go. It’s faster, more environmentally friendly and doesn’t require you to write out a check or use a stamp. The second reason is a change in timing. The 2014 CFO Conven- tion will be a fall convention…well, late summer by the calendar, but ornithological fall. This year our convention will be in Sterling from Thursday, August 28 to Monday, September 1 (which just happens to be Labor Day in 2014). As pros like Ted Floyd will tell you, there are more birds alive in August (at least in the northern hemisphere) than at any other time of the year. Birders tend to be more active during spring migration than fall for a variety of reasons—spring migration tends to be more concentrated; the birds are usually in more vivid plumage and song and, not to be forgotten, we are all in a rush to fill out our year lists. But let’s hear it for fall migration! In Colorado there are many species that are much easier to find in fall than in spring, there are those massive numbers to think about and, lastly, fall migration invites us all into that essential seasonal debate—is it juvenile, juvenal or immature? To help with that last thorny issue, and to aid in deciphering fall shorebird plumage trickery in general, I am pleased to announce that our keynote speaker this year will be the incomparable Jon Dunn. Let me quote some of Jon’s press from Wings for which he serves as a trip guide, “Jon has been Chief Consultant/Editor for all six edi- tions of the National Geographic Society’s Field Guide to the Birds of North America, the most recent published in 2011. He is the co- writer and host of the two-video set Large and Small Gulls of North

92 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 America…and the Peterson Field Guide to Warblers. Jon is a member of the Commit- tee on Classification and Nomenclature of the American Ornithologists’ Union and the ABA Checklist Committee.” To all of those accomplishments, let me add that as a speaker, Jon really personalizes the time he spends with groups like the CFO. You will definitely want to meet and bird with him. Let me also sing the praises of Sterling, Colorado, as our selected site for a fall convention. I’ve been leading late August birding trips in Northeast Colorado for about two decades and the birding can be spec- tacular. Consider: Sterling hosts a substantial number of eastern species, those that tend to breed and stay only on the eastern fringe of the CFO President Bill Kaempfer state—Mississippi Kite, Baltimore Oriole, Northern Cardinal, Great-crested Flycatcher, Red-bellied Wood- pecker and Bell’s Vireo to name a few. At this time of year, places along the South Platte, as well as numerous other hedgerows, campgrounds and shelterbelts, are capable of producing a wide variety of migrating warblers, vireos, flycatchers and sparrows. Northeast Colorado typically provides ideal shorebird habitat in the fall. In dry years, the big reservoirs like Jackson, Prewitt, North Sterling and Jumbo are drawn down, exposing acres of mud flats that attract shorebirds. During wet years when the reservoirs are full, there will still be thousands of pelicans, grebes and terns on the reservoirs, and there are likely to be playas here and there, at Red Lion SWA for instance, where the shorebirds will show up as well. For the past two years the location of the CFO Convention was selected in order to focus on a rare, local specialty as the main draw— Hepatic Tanager at Trinidad in 2012 and Lucy’s Warbler at Cortez in 2013. In 2014 the hero will be Buff-breasted Sandpiper, so join us this August in Sterling for the 2014 CFO Convention!

Bill Kaempfer, [email protected]

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 93 ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Conversations: Nick Komar

Ted Floyd is editor of Birding, author of the Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds of North America and serves as a director on the CFO board. He has a B.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton University and a Ph.D. in Ecology from Penn State Uni- versity. An expert in avian nocturnal flight calls, husband and fa- ther of two children, Ted gets very little sleep.

Black-throated Green Warbler x Townsend’s Warbler in Colorado

Steve Mlodinow was 10 years old when he happened upon the hapless Evanston North Shore Bird Club in suburban Chicago. In the years following that chance occurrence, he has authored/coau- thored three books (Chicago Area Birds, America’s 100 Most Wanted Birds and Birds of Washington) and more than 50 peer-reviewed articles. Steve currently sits on the Washington Bird Records Commit- tee, which he joined in 1999, the same year he became a regional editor for North American Birds. After 20 years living near Seattle, Steve opted to dry out in Colorado during February 2011 and has no intention of leaving.

Nest-site Selection of Cliff Swallows in a Metropolitan Environment

Wanda Sowa has a BA in Biology from Metropolitan State Uni- versity of Denver and is pursuing a Master’s degree in Natural Re- sources and Environmental Management at the University of Ha- waii at Manoa, studying birdsong differences in non-native birds in Hawaii.

Keely Nolan has a BS in Mathematics from the Metropolitan State University of Denver. Her coursework in probability and statistics helped prepare her for a position as a risk analyst for Xcel Energy.

94 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 Nels Grevstad received his BS in Statistics from the University of Washington and his Doctorate in Statistics from Purdue Univer- sity. He is currently a faculty member in the Math and Computer Science Department at Metropolitan State University of Denver. His area of interest is statistical inference and its applications to ecological and environmental problems.

Christy Carello earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of California Santa Cruz and her Masters and PhD at the University of Colorado Boulder. She is currently a professor in the Department of Biology at the Metropolitan State College of Denver where she teaches courses in General Biology, Conservation Biology, Ecology and Ornithology. She serves on the CFO board as a director and as science editor for Colorado Birds.

The Hungry Bird

Dave Leatherman has been birding since the age of 10. He has an undergraduate degree in Biology from Marietta College and a Master’s in Forest Entomology from Duke University. In 1974 he joined the Colorado State Forest Service as an entomologist and is credited with the discovery of a small ant-mimic spider wasp, Di- pogon kiowa at Lamar Community College Woods. A past editor of Colorado Birds, he was the recipient of The Ron Ryder Award, CFO’s highest honor, in 2009.

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 95 CFO BOARD MEETING MINUTES

8 February 2014 Center for Innovation and Creativity, Boulder, CO

Christy Carello

The February quarterly meeting was called to order at 11:08 a.m. by President Bill Kaempfer. Present was Treasurer Tom Wilberding and Directors Christy Carello, Lisa Edwards, Brenda Linfield, Doug Faulkner, Joe Roller and Ted Floyd. Officers Christian Nunes and Larry Modesitt and Directors Peter Burke, Mike Henwood, and Jim Beatty sent their regrets.

Secretary’s Report: Christy memberships expire each year, but Carello. Directors approved min- recently have been replaced by about utes of the 16 November 2013 board 104 new members. The membership meeting. report was accepted by the board.

Treasurer’s Report: Tom Wilberd- Award Nominations: Joe Roller. ing. The CFO operated at a net loss A Homeowner’s Appreciation award during 2013, but this was planned in was approved for the hospitality pro- the budget in order to support more vided by Sean Walters and family project grants than in the past and during the December visit of a Var- to fund CRBC and County Birding ied Thrush to their property outside website updates. Loveland. A nomination for the CFO Tom Wilberding presented the Ron Ryder award was discussed and 2014 budget to the board and led approved in executive session and discussion of two models based on will be awarded at the banquet during projected convention registrations of the fall convention. Brenda Linfield 125 and 175 individuals. A motion to has announced her pending retire- provide membership and convention ment from the CFO board, which fee discounts to full-time students was will take effect as late as Labor Day approved. The budget, including pro- this year. The executive committee visions to fund improvements to the reviewed potential nominees to fill CFO website, was accepted as pro- her shoes. posed, with a net loss projected. Colorado Bird Records Commit- Membership Report: Lisa Ed- tee: Doug Faulkner. Mark Peterson wards. Membership is on the rise has been named to the CBRC. A with approximately four percent an- CBRC report will be reported in the nual increases for each of the last two spring issue of Colorado Birds. The years. Lisa recently mailed 72 post- CBRC and County Birding websites cards reminding individuals to renew are up and running and have been their memberships. On average 100 well received.

96 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 Items of Business from the Presi- similar to the improvements made to dent—Bill Kaempfer the CBRC and County Birding web- 1. CFO-led quarterly fieldtrips are sites. Brenda has been authorized to being well received; a mountain finch negotiate a contract extension with trip on February 9 “sold out.” Ted AJEndeavors and has agreed to train Floyd proposed adding quarterly CFO her successor to manage the new workshops pending board approval. website, membership database and 2. The topic of advertising on online convention registration and cfobirds.org, COBirds listserv and in sign-up forms. The board is extremely Colorado Birds was discussed. Specific grateful to Brenda for her outstand- examples include advertising interna- ing contributions to CFO and for her tional birding trips, ads from the City continued support. of Aurora and external fund raising activities. Lisa Edwards and Doug CFO Project Fund: Christy Carel- Faulkner have formed a subcommit- lo. A total of six proposals have been tee and will propose COBirds policies received as a result of the groundwork at the April board meeting. conducted by Christy Carello. The 3. In a supplementary budget ac- board reviewed the proposals and tion, the board discussed further there was unanimous support to in- support for COBBA II. Since the increase project funding in the budget ception of the project, CFO has pro- in order to fund the top three propos- vided almost $2,000 in support of the als. project. In order to assure successful publication for COBBA II, the CFO 2014 Fall Convention: commit- is prepared to provide additional sup- tee of the entire board. Tom Wil- port. The board approved a motion berding has conducted research and directing President Kaempfer to re- scouting activities in preparation for quest a business plan from COBBA II the fall convention in Sterling, Colo- that provides detailed information on rado. He has met with hotel manag- publication costs, the expected date ers, conducted site inspections and of publication, the degree of recogni- evaluated potential meeting spaces, tion the CFO can expect for its as- picnic and banquet sites and caterers. sistance and planned contingencies by COBBA II if insufficient funds are Final details for the convention raised. will be discussed and approved at the next board meeting scheduled for 11 CFO website - Brenda Linfield. a.m. on Saturday, April 12 at Ramada There is $3,000 in the 2014 CFO Sterling. budget to update cfobirds.org. The updates will include simplified main- Respectfully submitted, tenance and management capabilities Christy Carello, acting Secretary

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 97 CONVERSATIONS

A Conversation with Nick Komar

Ted Floyd My first encounter withNick Komar was on the night of July 13–14, 2002. I’d been living in Colorado for a couple of months, and this guy Nick called and asked if I’d like to go birding with him in southeastern Colorado. “Sure,” I said. “I’d like to leave early in the morning,” Nick continued. “No problem,” I replied, figuring on a 5 a.m. or maybe even 4 a.m. departure. “I’ll pick you up at 2:45,” Nick informed me. “Ooooooh-kay,” I intoned. The night before our departure, Nick called again. “Y’know, we should leave earlier to make sure we’re in the marshes at John Martin before sunup. I’ll pick you up at midnight.”

And we were off. That’s how it is with Nick Komar, gracious with his time, always eager to go birding with folks new to the state and a bit...I’m trying to think of a polite word for crazy. The trip was wonderful. We saw great birds including a bunch of “state birds” for me. More than the birding, I have to say I enjoyed the conversation. We talked about everything: immunology, the superiority of Boston (that lesson didn’t sink in), birds of course and a lot more.

Conversations with Nick are wide-ranging, fascinating and sometimes surreal. Everybody should enjoy a conversation with Nick! Hence this installment of “Conversations.”

Nick Komar is a Biologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Fort Collins, and the owner of Quetzal Tours, quetzal- tours.com. He holds degrees from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (B.S., 1990) and Harvard University (S.D., 1997). He and his wife Elena Maribel have a daughter Angela (22, Woodland Park) and son Nick (20, Fort Collins). And he knows the next five birds that will be added to the Colorado state list! So read on... —Ted Floyd

Colorado Birds: What’s your favorite birding hotspot in Colorado, and why? Nick Komar: There are so many great birding locations in Colo- rado that it’s hard to single one out, but I’ll say that my favorite is

98 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 Beebe Draw in Weld County. When con- ditions are right during May, the birding is fabulous and the habitat reminds me of coastal birding hotspots in Texas or New Jersey. The most exotic place is Cotton- wood Canyon in Baca and Las Animas counties. When I’m there I have the sensation that any woodland bird species could pop up. After all, some years multiple Painted Buntings breed in there.

CB: You’ve got a lively mind. You’re willing to speculate a bit about a bird ID, to go out on a limb. Tell us about your approach to identifying and appreciating birds. NK: I crave finding a rare bird. To do Nick Komar in Rio de Janeiro, Bra- so, one’s mind has to be open to the pos- zil. Photo by Alex Pauvolid sibility that an accidental species might actually be present. Otherwise your brain will immediately get stuck on a common species, even if it is wrong. For example, when a gull flies over the parking lot at the local mall, my brain’s tendency is to assume it’s a Ring-billed Gull, I might not even take a second look at it. In this scenario, if a Mew Gull (similar to Ring-billed Gull, but rare in Colorado) flew over the mall, I would miss it. When I’m birding, I try to expand my options for each bird I see to include Colorado accidentals and even species that have never occurred in the state. As a result, I recognize most of the rare birds that I see, and I’ve found many rarities over the years. I approach birding with the attitude that rare birds are actually common. If I look hard enough, I can usually find one or more rare birds in a day of birding. I think many birders assume that they will never find a rare bird, and accordingly they seldom do. I like to joke that, “if you use your imagina- tion, you will find rare birds.” So the next time you look at a Ring-billed Gull, ask yourself, “Why isn’t it a Mew Gull?” You will be pleasantly surprised when you eventually stumble on the Mew Gull in the flock.

CB: Let’s gaze into the crystal ball. What will be the next five species added to the Colorado list? And which one will you find? NK: Black-tailed Gull, White-tailed Kite, Golden-fronted Wood- pecker, Tufted Titmouse, and Black-capped Vireo. I hope to find the Black-tailed Gull (a bird that is fairly common in Asia, and that has occurred as close as Iowa). I believe that Pileated Woodpecker,

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 99 Black-backed Woodpecker and Cali- CB: You are possessed of superhu- fornia Quail (from an established man energy and enthusiasm. How population in northeastern Utah) do you do it? Is it the birds? Is it just have already occurred in the state, you? (Does it involve controlled sub- but have not yet been documented stances?) for the Colorado Bird Records Com- NK: To tell the truth, I haven’t mittee. Also Vega Gull has occurred, felt very energetic since being diag- and will probably be added soon as a nosed with young onset Parkinson’s subspecies of Herring Gull (from Asia disease (like Michael J. Fox) in 2004. and Alaska). It is treated as a full spe- For the past 11 years I have been try- cies by many gull experts, but not by ing to stay as active as possible in my the American Ornithologists’ Union. hobbies, including birding and play- Because of the complexities of large ing baseball and softball, in spite of gull taxonomy, I am not expecting a being slowed down by Parkinson’s. It change in status from the AOU. can be a challenge sometimes. Birds are the best medicine. The CB: Keep peering into that crystal night before a birding trip, I’m so ex- ball. What will the Colorado birding cited I barely sleep. I remember say- community look like 10 or 15 years ing to myself as a teenager—some from now? thirty years ago—after a full day of NK: The Colorado birding com- birding, “I hope that I never lose in- munity has changed a lot in recent terest in birding because it provides years in reaction to the ascendance of so much satisfaction for me.” I’d say I online social networking, and I think am as excited by birding now as much it will continue to adapt to develop- as I ever have been. I especially enjoy ments in social media. Unfortunately, finding rare birds. The euphoria that this means that our community will follows can’t be matched by any con- become even more fragmented. For- trolled substance. tunately, it also means that more casual birdwatchers will become serious CB: You're also possessed of some- birders—and therefore will contrib- thing of an entrepreneurial spirit. ute more data to science through cit- Share a bit about your company, izen-science projects like eBird and Quetzal Tours, and other plans and Christmas Bird Counts. schemes you've hatched over the Also, I believe that the competi- years. tive sporting element of birding is NK: A fabulous birding vacation growing. Ten years from now I envi- to Ecuador in 2007 inspired me to sion birding competitions becoming create Quetzal Tours in 2010 with the more formalized. Eventually the most goal of providing high-quality, pro- talented birders will be recognized, fessionally guided birding tours to as rewarded and even remunerated wide an audience as possible, while through birding competitions, as in employing local birding experts as athletic sporting events. tour guides. To achieve that goal, my

100 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 tours in Central and South America terest in birds through my work as do not use a U.S.-based group leader, well. For example, I recently com- thus lowering the tour costs. My long- pleted a five-year study on the avian term goal for Quetzal Tours is to raise hosts of West Nile virus in Guatema- money for the conservation of tropi- la. My work can be consuming, but cal habitat in Ecuador and elsewhere. I’ve managed to keep my personal life That plan is still in early develop- and hobbies balanced with my work ment. life. From time to time I get obsessed with an idea. Suddenly everything CB: You’ve encouraged and men- becomes clear, and I know exactly tored a lot of young and new birders. what to do to bring that project to What advice would you give to some- fruition. For example, I wrote a book one—especially a young person—just about Cole Wild’s record-breaking getting into birding in Colorado? Colorado “big year” in 2010. Cole’s NK: I started birding when I was amazing story needed to be told, and seven years old and had many excel- when Cole agreed to work with me to lent mentors growing up in the Bos- transform his story into a book, I was ton area. I appreciate how hard it can a man on a mission. In less than six be to break into the hobby of birding, weeks the final draft was complete, and I enjoy helping beginners. I de- and four months later our indepen- light in teaching and for me, leading dently published book was available birding trips for beginners is a form of from Amazon. community service that I am happy to offer. CB: You have a pretty interest- My advice to a new birder is to ing—and important—job in “real learn from others in the field, be life.” Tell us about that. patient and be willing to make mis- NK: My job working for the Cen- takes. At the same time, keep in ters for Disease Control and Preven- mind that your reputation as a qual- tion is unique and can be fascinating. ity birder is fragile. If you publicly As a disease ecologist with the Ar- misidentify birds, you may not be bovirus Diseases Branch, I supervise taken seriously by others in the bird- research on mosquito-borne viruses, ing community, or worse, labeled as such as West Nile virus. I also provide a troublemaker. advice and assistance to state health departments and other public health CB: Can you share with us a par- partners around the world. ticularly zany birding tale from your I’m grateful for this job, which experiences around Colorado? brought me to Colorado in 1997. It NK: For several years my son provides many opportunities to travel joined me on birding adventures in throughout the country and around Colorado. When Nick Jr. was just the world. One nice thing about my seven years old, we chased a calling job is that I’m able to sustain my in- Mexican Whip-poor-will at a remote

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 101 campsite in the San Juan National riety of birding habitats, and to gain Forest near Durango. After work on a better understanding of Colorado’s a Friday, Nick Jr. and I departed Fort outstanding avifauna. Collins, arriving at the campsite at about 3:00 a.m. The Whip-poor-will CB: What would it take to get you called on cue at 4:00 a.m. and then to move to Boulder County? we birded our way back to the Front NK: Fort Collins and Larimer Range. Driving north through Den- County are great places to live as ver at 10:00 p.m. (same day!), my car a birder. I’m not planning on leav- died. Luckily, I located a friend from ing this area any time soon. [Blast. Fort Collins who was nightclubbing Well, we’ll just have to annex Larimer in Denver, so we were able to get a County. That’ll learn him. —TF from ride home later that evening. Chase Boulder County] trips like that are nutty, but they’re a great way to be introduced to a va- Ted Floyd, [email protected]

Two Recent Records of Apparent Black-throated Green Warbler × Townsend’s Warbler in Colorado

Steven G. Mlodinow, Glenn Walbek, and David A. Leatherman

Background Until very recently, hybridization between Black-throated Green Warbler and Townsend’s Warbler went either unrecognized (McCar- thy 2006) or was considered a rare phenomenon (Dunn and Garrett 1997). Prior to 2011, the only published record of a Black-throated Green Warbler × Townsend’s Warbler was of a bird collected at Vale- mont, Vancouver Island, British Columbia on 1 June, 1988 (Rohwer 1994), far away from any known breeding population of Black-throated Green Warbler (either then or now). However, work done by Toes et al. (2011) demonstrated an approximately 50 km wide hybrid zone centered on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains in the Peace Region of northeastern British Columbia, in which at least 38 percent of individuals were hybrids or backcrosses. Importantly, only four of the 137 birds scored to phenotype by Toes et al. (2011) were “intermediate,” with most largely resembling one parent or the other; additionally, within the contact zone, there was often a mismatch between mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and phenotype, with 10 of 68

102 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 birds classified as phenotypically pure Black-throated Green having Townsend’s mtDNA and four of 35 birds classified as pure Townsend’s having Black-throated Green mtDNA. The tendency of hybrids and intergrades from this zone to resemble one parent or the other may well be the reason why so few Black-throated Green Warbler × Townsend’s Warblers have been reported during migration by birders. Except for the birds discussed herein, the authors could locate only one report of this cross away from the breeding grounds: High Island, Texas on 21 April, 2011 (see video at http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=9SLSsfB7GcI or still photographs at http://samwoodsbirding. blogspot.com/2011/04/hybrid-high-jinxtexas-21-april.html) Another reason for this hybrid having previously gone largely un- reported is that contact between these two species may be a relatively new phenomenon. Campbell et al. (2001) considered Black-throated Green Warbler to be a recent addition to British Columbia’s avifauna, with the first record being in 1965 (Salt 1966). Since then, however, the species has become quite common along the eastern slope of British Columbia’s Rocky Mountains, especially near the towns of Chetwynd and Dawson Creek, with recent observations from breeding bird surveys suggesting that some phenotypic Black-throated Green Warblers are now breeding west of the Rocky Mountains, near Prince George (Toes et al. 2011). A number of other “eastern” species have spread westward in a similar fashion over the last century, meeting at or near this portion of British Columbia and nearby Alberta (Mlodinow 2006). The implications of the above for Colorado birders are clear: hybrid Black-throated Green × Townsend’s Warblers may be on the increase as Black-throated Green Warblers extend their range into that of Townsend’s Warblers, and these hybrids may prove difficult (or impossible) to recognize. See Table 1 for a summary of differences between adult males.

Colorado Records Colorado’s first documented Black-throated Green Warbler × Townsend’s Warbler was detected along the Poudre River at the Prospect Ponds Natural Area in Fort Collins, Larimer County, on 8 May 2009 by Leatherman. Initially this bird was assumed to be an adult male Black-throated Green Warbler, but upon examining photographs taken of the bird, Leatherman questioned the identification. At the time, the conclusion was that this bird was an aberrant Black-throated Green. Leatherman brought the identification of this bird into question once again in 2013. Examination of the photographs reveals the following differences from a phenotypically pure Black-throated Green Warbler (See Fig. 1):

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 103 1. Rather dark olive auriculars with a black smudge posteriorly 2. Black streaking on the crown forming a nearly continuous lat- eral crown stripe. 3. Distinct black streaking on back and rump. 4. An unusually shaped black throat patch that is squared off centrally, much like a Townsend’s Warbler, and unlike that of

Fig. 1. This bird was photographed by Leatherman in Fort Collins, Larimer County on 8 May 2009. Superficially it resembles a Black-throated Green Warbler, in no small part because the black throat is confluent with the black upper sides. It also has the Black-throated Green trademark yellow spot on rear flanks near legs. Note, however, the odd shape of the throat, which is cut square across, much like a Townsend’s Warbler and not like a Black-throated Green. Furthermore, there is black speckling in the auriculars, black flecking on the crown, and moderately pronounced streaking on the back and rump—all features not present in a “pure” Black-throated Green War- bler and strongly suggestive of Townsend’s Warbler heritage (per Toes et al 2011). Finally, the very broad upper wing-bar is seen far more commonly in Townsend’s Warbler than Black-throated Green.

104 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 a Black-throated Green, in which the pale breast forms an in- verted “V” with the solid black of the throat and upper sides. The second Black-throated Green Warbler × Townsend’s Warbler documented in Colorado graced Two Buttes State Wildlife Area, Baca County, 10-11 May 2013 and was found by Walbek and later seen by Mlodinow. This bird’s gestalt was so much that of a Black- throated Green Warbler that only one of many observers present that weekend suggested that it might be otherwise. It was not until photographs of this bird were carefully examined that it dawned upon the authors that the bird was a hybrid. Reasons for this reconsideration include the following (See Fig. 2): 1. Prominent black streaking on the undertail coverts. 2. Darker olive auriculars than typical for Black-throated Green Warbler, bordered below by a blackish edge, which should be lacking in that species. 3. Solid black throat does not extend onto upper sides, which are streaked. 4. Narrow, but distinct streaking on the back.

Conclusion Given that Colorado lies between the normal migration routes of Black-throated Green and Townsend’s Warblers, it should not be surprising that birds from the hybrid zone should occur here. A future challenge for Colorado birders will be detecting these hybrids, not only when con- firming the identification of a rare Black-throated Green Warbler, but also when looking at those not-so-rare fall Townsend’s Warblers.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors thank Christopher Wood, Tony Leukering and Michael O’Brien for reviewing and improving earlier versions of this manuscript. Their insights were invaluable.

Fig. 2. This bird was photographed at Two Buttes State Wildlife Area, Baca County, on 10 May 2013 by Walbek, where it was also present the following day. Mlodinow and Walbek can attest to the fact that this bird had a distinct Black-throated Green Warbler appearance overall, and more specifically, it had that species’ trademark yellow on the rear flanks near the legs. However, the auriculars are darker than typical of Black-throated Green, and the border of blackish flecking surrounding the auriculars is not found in that species. An adult male Townsend’s Warbler, however, should have solidly black auriculars. On the other hand, pronounced streaking in the undertail coverts is strictly a Townsend’s Warbler character. Also, note that the black throat patch is not confluent with the upper sides, plus a hint of back and crown streaking, more than is typical of Black-throated Green Warbler.

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 105 Table 1. Differences between adult male Townsend’s and Black-throated Green Warblers1

Townsend’s Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Crown Black Bright green Auriculars Distinct black Faint green; no black Bib Limited to throat Extensive, extending to anterior flanks Back markings Lightly to moderately streaked black Sometimes spotted black, with spots rarely arranged as streaks Rump color Olive Gray Eyeline behind eye Distinct Faint Undertail coverts Often streaked, sometimes un- Usually un-streaked, sometimes finely streaked** streaked* Chest Bright yellow White to washed in yellow

Wing coverts Gray with broad white wing bars Black with broad white wing bars

Rear flank patch Olive to absent Yellow to olive

1 Derived partially from Rohwer (1994), Dunn and Garrett (1997), and Toes et al. (2011) * Fifty of 53 Townsend’s Warbler photos examined online, in which the undertail coverts were visible, showed streaking. Sometimes only one fine streak was present, but there were usually multiple streaks, with at least one being moderately thick. This review included both sexes and all age groups. ** Twelve of 138 Black-throated Green Warbler photos examined online, in which the undertail coverts were visible, showed streaking. Usually only one fine streak was present; on a few birds, several fine streaks were visible. No individuals had a thick or smudgy streak. This review included both sexes and all age groups.

LITERATURE CITED Campbell, R.W., N.K. Dawe, I. McTaggart-Cowan, J.M. Cooper, G.W. Kaiser, A.C. Stewart, and M.C.E. McNall. 2001. The Birds of British Columbia, Vol. 4. University of British Columbia Press, Vancouver, BC. Dunn, J.L. and K.L. Garrett. 1997. A Field Guide to the Warblers of North America. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, MA. McCarthy, E.M. 2006. Handbook of Avian Hybrids of the World. Oxford University Press, Ox- ford. Mlodinow, S.G. 2006. Least Flycatcher range expansion into Washington State. Western Birds 36:310-316. Rohwer, S. 1994. Two new hybrid Dendroica warblers and new methodology for inferring paren- tal species. Auk 111: 441–449. Salt, W. R. 1966. Some unusual bird records from the Peace River district. Canadian Field- Naturalist 80: 114–115. Toes, D.P.L., A. Breisford, and D.E. Irwin. 2011. Hybridization between Townsend’s Dendroica townsendi and black-throated green warblers D. virens. Journal of Avian Biology. 42:434-446.

Steven G. Mlodinow, [email protected], Glenn Walbek, [email protected], Dave Leatherman, [email protected]

106 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 Nest-site Selection of Cliff Swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) in a Metropolitan Environment Wanda B. Sowa, Keely Nolan, Christy Carello, and Nels Grevstad

Abstract Cliff Swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) may benefit humans by consuming large quantities of insect pests. They have adapted to artificial environments and frequently nest under bridges that span rivers and creeks in the Denver metropolitan area. Our objective in doing this study was to find which aspects of a bridge and its surrounding habitat are important for nesting Cliff Swallows. We counted intact swallow nests and nest remnants on the undersides of 80 bridges. These counts were done along two rivers and their tributaries in both urban and suburban settings. We evaluated bridge construction material and the adjacent vegetation buffer between the water and recreation path. We found significantly more nests on bridges in ur-

In Brief Cliff Swallows are widespread and common across Colorado in the summer months. They nest in dense colonies, usually on artificial sub- strates like bridges, culverts and buildings. In this scientific research paper, bird biologist Wanda Sowa and colleagues present the results of a field study aimed at understanding what factors influence the number of nests at a site. Sowa and colleagues looked specifically at Cliff Swal- low colonies at bridges in the Denver metro region and found that Cliff Swallow nests are more numerous in urban than in suburban environments, more numerous on concrete than on wooden bridges and more numerous at sites with buffers of natural vegetation than at sites with non-native vegetation. Cliff Swallows may provide the important ecosystem service of insect control (they are voracious consumers of aerial insects). They also have undeniable aesthetic appeal. But populations of aerial insectivores (swallows, swifts, nighthawks, etc.) are declining continent-wide, and management strategies are needed to boost sagging numbers. The results of this paper provide a blueprint for further studies that may improve our understanding of Cliff Swallow ecology, with the important applied goal of managing nest-sites for maximum productivity.

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 107 ban areas and on concrete bridges. We also found that the number of nests on the underside of a bridge is positively correlated with the size of the buffer and is also related to the type of vegetation of the buffer. In order to provide adequate habitat for nesting Cliff Swal- lows and allow them to expand their realized niche, we recommend that city planners consider concrete bridge construction and provide a large vegetation buffer adjacent to the bridge with heterogeneous vegetation structure. Key words and phrases: Cliff Swallows, nest-site selection, urban environment, ecology, human effects.

Introduction Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) nest-site selection in metropolitan areas is not well understood. Predisposed to coloniality, Cliff Swallows are long-distance migrants that spend the majority of the winter in South America and breed in North America from March to early September. These birds have historically been known to nest on cliffs in the western United States, but with the ever-increasing human population, have extended their nesting habitat to include anthropogenic structures, with an apparent affinity for bridges over water. With the expansion of road systems and bridges, not only has the Cliff Swallow population boomed, these small birds have also been able to expand their geographic distribution and realized niche. Cliff Swallows are now successfully nesting as far east as Arkansas and Louisiana, where they were unable to do so earlier due to un- suitable natural habitat (Tumlison 2009). Cliff Swallows use bridges of all types as nesting sites. Currently, it is known that Cliff Swallows are genetically predisposed to nest in colonies similar in size to the ones in which they were born (Brown 2000). Colony size is fairly constant throughout the nesting season (Brown 1987). Cliff Swallows live in large groups to increase Cliff Swallow nests on the 75th St Bridge over Boulder foraging success. They Creek, Boulder County. Photo by Bill Schmoker do this by following suc-

108 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 cessful individuals to insect swarms (Brown 1986, 1988; Brown & Brown 1996, 2007). In larger colonies, individual Cliff Swallows don’t have to wait as long for a forager to be successful before leaving their nests to forage for themselves (Brown 1987). There has also been a link between hormone levels and colony size for Cliff Swallows; those with lower levels of A Cliff Swallow foraging over an intersection, Boulder corticosterone tend County. Photo by Bill Schmoker to join larger colonies (Brown et al 2005). Community living for these birds has been shown to be used both as a strategy for predator avoidance (Danchin and Wagner 1997) and for easier access to other breeding partners (Siegel-Causy and Khari- tonov 1990). Cliff Swallows, which are very social, use their colonies as information centers for their residents (Brown 1987, 1988, Barclay 1988), and familiarity with their habitat improves survival through increased foraging success (Brown 1987, Brown et al 2008). It is also known that Cliff Swallows nest at bridges where they have previously been reproductively successful (Brown 1998, 2010). There have been a variety of different models developed to further explain how Cliff Swallows choose nest locations. Like many other birds, Cliff Swallows choose a particular nesting site because there are visible intact and remnant nests from the previous breeding season. The so-called “Reduced Resource Model,” for example, explains that Cliff Swallows nest in places where they already find other Cliff Swallows nesting (Brown and Rannala 1995). Another model is the “Temporal Invariance Hypothesis,” which states that the same factors that contribute to a particular site being chosen over another will continue on from one breeding season to the next (Shields et al 1988). Cliff Swallows, for the most part, have not shown any predis- position to choosing a site based on resources, which include places to nest, the materials needed and food; nor based on the presence or absence of predators (Brown and Rannala 1995). Instead, Cliff

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 109 Swallows seem to follow the Reduced Resource Model whereby they choose a colony based on the number of settlers already present. It is because of this that the birds can use more of their energy toward nesting sooner in the breeding season (Brown and Rannala 1995), especially if nests are reused, which Cliff Swallows are known to do (Barclay 1988). In fact, Barn Swallows that reused nests were shown to have close to 25% greater reproductive success over birds that didn’t (Safran 2004). The majority of studies on Cliff Swallow nest-site selection have focused on non-urban settings. Many insect species rely on water sources for reproduction, and this may explain why insect abundance in non-urban settings tends to be greater in riparian habitats than in grasslands (Whitaker et al 2000). Since Cliff Swallows mainly consume flying insects, the presence of standing or flowing water is likely an important factor for nest-site selection in urban and suburban habitats. Other than the presence of water, it is difficult to tease out other variables that may influence nest-site selection in an urban setting. It has been shown that in non-urban settings, insect abundance tends to be greater in riparian habitats than grasslands (Whitaker et al 2000). Additionally, in such settings habitat diversity, but not plant species diversity per se, has been found to influence nest-site selection (Brown et al 2002). Against this background of fairly poor

Fig. 1. Map of Urban (Pink) and Suburban (Green) study sites.

110 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 information, our objective was to determine what factors are important for Cliff Swallow nest-site selection on bridges in the Denver metropolitan area. (Fig. 1)

Methods

Field study This study was conducted along recreational paths in urban and suburban areas of Denver, Colorado, a major metropolitan city located along the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains. The elevation of the city is 5,280 ft., and it is centered at 39° 43’ N and 104° 59’ W. The surrounding areas are composed of temperate grasslands with some rivers containing riparian vegetation. Because of the nesting habits of Cliff Swallows, it was necessary to concentrate data collection on bridges over rivers. Cherry Creek flows into the Platte River in Denver, and we examined bridges for nests on both the Platte River and Cherry Creek. The Platte River runs northeast and southwest of central Denver, while Cherry Creek flows northwest through Denver from its point of origin in the foothills to the west. Urban classification included any sites in central Denver moving east, north and south of Confluence Park in Downtown Denver. The buildings are far more residential and congested in this area. Subur- ban classifications referred to areas outside of the major metropolitan area and were associated with much smaller waterways than the Platte River and Cherry Creek. These included the Ralston Creek, an extension of Clear Creek which in turn is a tributary of the South Platte River as well as a portion of Turkey Creek. Unlike the Platte River and Cherry Creek, these creeks are surrounded by fewer buildings and more vegetation. Cliff Swallows in urban and suburban habitats nest primarily on the sides of, and underneath, bridges. Bridges were sampled between April and August of 2011. A total of 80 bridges were sampled in this study. Fifty-three of these bridges were urban, while 27 were suburban. All bridges along a creek segment were sampled. For the purposes of this study, it was necessary to document several variables related to the bridges surveyed in an attempt to discover the main factors behind Cliff Swallow nest-site selection. Nests were counted and classified as either intact or remnant. A nest was classified as intact if at least 75 percent of it remained. A nest was classified as a remnant if it was less than 75 percent intact or just an imprint of where a nest once was. Because nests are usually found in large numbers and not close to a path, binoculars were required to get an accurate count of the total number of nests.

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 111 Next, the vegetation buffer, or area between the riverbank and walking path in close proximity to the bridge, was classified into two types: wild-type or maintained. A wild-type buffer, by our definition, had no visible maintenance or human interference and was dominated by shrubs. In some cases this type of buffer truly grew “wildly” in an overgrown manner. A maintained buffer was mowed to a uniform height and was dominated by crab grass and Kentucky blue grass, specifically. After this general classification was made, the distance between the edges of the riverbank to the walking path was estimated in meters and designated as the buffer distance. This variable usually ranged between 10-30 meters in length, and was estimated at the time of data collection. Vegetation types were then recorded according to two discrete variables: presence/absence of shrubs and presence/absence of trees. Bridge parameters were also recorded. Bridge type was defined by the type of traffic on the bridge and categorized as pedestrian, vehicu- lar and train. Texture of the bridge was evaluated as either predominantly concrete or wood. A subjective estimation of bridge size was made in the field to simplify bridge area calculations. A bridge categorized in the field as small was less than 200 square meters (e.g., 10 meters high by 20 meters long) while medium-size bridges were 200- 300 square meters. Bridges over 300 square meters were considered large. Bridge height, or the distance from the water to the underside of the bridge, was also estimated in the field. Bridge area (including length and width) was approximated using Google Earth images.

Statistical analysis The statistical software R was used to analyze the data. Since it is known that Cliff Swallows return to sites where they have previously been reproductively successful, it was determined that the total count of nest remnants, while interesting, did not offer further insight into other possible influences on nest-site selection. Thus, the response variable (the dependent variable) for the study was identified as the total number of intact nests with the other eleven variables available as potential predictors (independent variables): location type (suburban/urban), buffer type, buffer distance, presence or absence of trees, presence or absence of shrubs, bridge type, bridge texture, bridge size, bridge height, bridge length and bridge width. Although bridge size, bridge height, bridge length and bridge width were necessarily correlated, it was thought that perhaps one could be a stronger predictor than another. The relationship between each given predictor and the response variable was explored as part of the process of decid- ing which predictors to include in the final model. To analyze the

112 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 count data, a Poisson regression model was briefly considered before being rejected in favor of either a Zero-Inflated Poisson (ZIP) regression model or a Zero-Inflated Negative Binomial (ZINB) regression model that would address the relatively high number of zero counts (more than half of the bridges visited had no intact nests) (Zuur et al 2009). The R packages pscl (Jackman 2011, Zeileis et al. 2009) and lmtest (Zeileis and Hothorn 2002) were used to fit and compare ZIP and ZINB regression models with all eleven predictors. A likelihood ratio test was used to determine which of the two models offered a better fit for the data (Zuur et al 2009). As a result, the ZINB model was chosen over the ZIP model. The ZINB model distinguishes between so-called true zeros and false (superfluous) zeros (Zuur et al. 2009). It combines a point mass distribution at 0 for the false zeros with the negative binomial distribution that accounts for the true zeros and positive counts. According to the model, the probability of a bridge having no intact nests is

P(0) = π0 + (1 – π0) × NB(0) and the probability of the bridge having y intact nests (for y > 0) is

P(y) = (1 – π0) × NB(y), where NB(y) is the negative binomial probability mass function with mean µ, π0 is the probability of a false zero, and µ depends on the predictors x1, x2, …, xp via

log(µ) = β0 + β1 x1 + β2 x2 + … + βp xp where β0, β1, β2, … βp are unknown coefficients to be estimated by the data (Zuur et al. 2009). To investigate which combination of predictors would best explain the variation in the total number of intact nests, Akaike’s Information Criterion (AIC) was used as a guideline for comparing models. Two original predictor variables, bridge type and bridge textures, appeared to be confounded, so the only models considered

Table 1. Active Nest Statistics by Categorical Predictor Variables. The differences observed for the following categories (urban vs. suburban environment, wild-type vs. maintained buffer, and concrete vs. wood bridge) were shown to be statistically significant (p<0.05).

Predictor Category Mean Number of Nests Standard Deviation Urban 29.25 83.56 Location Type Suburban 22.26 57.76 Wild-type 37.60 32.98 Buffer Type Maintained 7.00 89.03 Concrete 36.37 86.15 Bridge Texture Wood 0.24 1.09

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 113 were those for which one of these two variables was omitted. Sim- ilarly, the predictors related to bridge metric (bridge size, height, length and width) were considered singly in different candidate models due to their interrelation. A backward stepwise procedure based on the AIC values indicated that a four-variable model was best. At this point, numerous four-variable models were compared using the AIC values, and a final model was chosen from among those investigated.

Results The four predictors included in the final model were location type (suburban/urban), buffer type, buffer distance, and bridge texture. Summary statistics of interest include the mean number of nests on a bridge for urban areas compared to suburban areas, wild-type buffers compared to maintained buffers and concrete compared to wooden textures. These comparisons are shown in Table 1. They suggest that Cliff Swallows prefer concrete bridges in an urban setting with a wild-type buffer. The estimated model coefficients, their standard errors and p- values are listed in Table 2. The categorical predictor location type was coded as urban=1 and suburban=0 in the model, so its estimated coefficient β( =4.18) indicates that, all other factors being equal, the natural logarithm of the mean number of intact nests at sites in an urban setting will be about 4.18 units greater than the log mean number of nests in a suburban setting. Similarly, buffer type was coded as wild-type=1 and maintained=0, so its estimated coefficient β( =2.09) indicates that sites with wild-type buffers will have a higher mean number of nests than those with maintained buffers. Bridge texture

Table 2. Summary Information for the Fitted Zero Inflated Negative Binomial Model

Estimated Coefficient Standard Error Z Value P Value Intercept -5.32 2.73 -1.95 0.0514 Location Type* 4.18 1.33 3.14 0.0017 Buffer Type* 2.09 0.91 2.30 0.0215 Bridge Texture* -5.12 1.10 -4.64 0.0000 Buffer Distance 1.10 0.54 2.02 0.0436

Logit of π0** -9.77 98.39 -0.099 0.921 *Location Type was coded as urban=1 and suburban=0 in the model. Buffer Type was coded as wild-type=1 and maintained=0. Bridge texture was coded as wood=1 and concrete=0.

**The logit of π0 is defined as logit(π0) = log(π0/(1- π0)) and the p-value is for the null hypothesis that logit(π0) = 0.

114 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 was coded as wood=1 and concrete=0, so its coefficient β( =-5.12) indicates that wood bridges will tend to have fewer nests than concrete ones. The final estimated coefficientβ ( =1.10) is for the numerical predictor, buffer distance, and indicates that as the buffer distance increases the natural logarithm of the mean number of nests increases by 1.10 units. Fig. 2 shows the relationship between number of intact nests and the categorical predictors that is suggested by the model. Additionally, a scatterplot of the number of nests versus the buffer distance is shown in Fig. 3.

Discussion Fig. 2. Boxplots of the number of intact nests on The results indicate bridges cross-classified according to their location that among the 11 vari- type (urban/suburban), bridge texture (concrete/ ables investigated the most wood), and buffer type (maintained/wild-type). important factors behind Cliff Swallow bridge selection are buffer distance, buffer type, bridge texture and location type. A greater buffer distance is positively correlated with a larger number of nests. A bridge with a wild-type buffer also shows a higher mean number of nests than a bridge with a maintained buffer. Because a wild-type buffer usually has more complex structure in vegetation than a maintained buffer, there is reason to Fig. 3. Scatterplot of the number of intact nests on believe that there might be a bridge versus the bridge’s buffer distance. The grey a greater abundance and triangular points are bridges in urban locations and diversity of flying insects the black circular points are bridges in suburban loca- for Cliff Swallows to feed tions. The lines were fitted by ordinary least squares on. Also, vegetative buf- and are included only for visual effect.

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 115 fers, which create a physical barrier between a bird and a disturbance, have been shown to provide a greater alert distance, from which they seem to be more tolerant of human activity (Fernandez-Juricic et al 2001) as opposed to fleeing by flight. Smaller birds, including Cliff Swallows, are typically more tolerant of human disturbance than larger birds (Fernandez-Juricic et al 2001), and a large buffer may cause them to be even more tolerant of human disturbance. From personal observation, it seems that Cliff Swallows that nest in urban areas have had to become much more accustomed to humans than those in suburban areas. The Cliff Swallow nest sites that were visited in the suburban areas had large buffers, but when we moved closer in an attempt to count nests, the birds began to swarm defensively. As soon as we moved away, the birds resumed their foraging activities. The Cliff Swallows in urban areas, on the other hand, seemed to be unfazed by us or other path users. Concrete bridges have been shown to have more nests on them than wooden ones. This could be explained in a variety of ways. Con- crete bridges are both in suburban and urban areas, and are much higher off of the ground than wooden ones. Nests also seem to adhere to concrete bridges much better than to wooden ones. Because of this, remnant nests remain on concrete bridges until the following breeding season, and since Cliff Swallows tend to nest on bridges where they can see that others have been successful (Brown and Rannala 1995), they will be more likely to use concrete bridge than wooden ones. More nests were found on urban bridges than on suburban ones. However, we studied only one urban and suburban region respectively, so it would be illuminating to replicate our study in other metropolitan regions. Urban regions, despite their high human density, may nevertheless offer reduced predation hazards, different and/or better prey bases and greater numbers of bridges and other concrete structures for nesting.

Conclusion Our study has shown that more Cliff Swallows nest on bridges that are associated with a large and heterogeneous vegetative buffer. They are also found in greater numbers on urban bridges that are pre- dominately made of concrete. Since a heterogeneous vegetative buffer seems to be an important component to nest site selection in Cliff Swallows, understanding the connection between the vegetative buffer and aerial insect abundance and diversity would help clarify the reasons for its importance. In our next study, we will sample vegetative buffers at a finer scale to better understand the species compo- sition of vegetation in the buffers surrounding bridges, and sample

116 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 insect abundance diversity at and around nest sites to determine if there is also a relationship concerning these variables. Cliff Swallows provide an opportunity to experience and connect with nature in an urban setting, and, as aerial insectivores, consume vectors of disease such as mosquitoes. Thus, we recommend these factors be taken into account when new bridges are proposed.

Acknowledgements The idea to examine Cliff Swallow nests on Denver bridges was introduced to Dr. Carel- lo’s Ornithology class in 2010 by Dr. Robert Hancock, an entomologist at the Metropoli- tan State University of Denver. Students in the 2009 Ornithology course helped con- duct a pilot study of this project and the results were first presented at the Association of Field Ornithologists national convention in Ogden, Utah. Many students and faculty at that meeting provided feedback and guidance on methodology that was ultimately used in this study.

Literature Cited Barclay, R.M. 1988. Variation in the costs, benefits, and frequency of nest reuse in Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica). The Auk. 105(1): 53-60. Brown, C.R. Cliff swallow colonies as information centers. 1987. Science, New Series. 234(4772): 83-85. Brown, C.R. and M.B. Brown. 1987. Group-living in cliff swallows as an advantage in avoiding predators. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 21(2): 97-107. Brown, C.R. 1988. Enhanced foraging efficiency through information centers: A benefit of coloniality in cliff swallows. Ecology. 69(3): 602-613. Brown, C.R., M.B. Brown, and A.R. Ives. 1992. Nest placement relative to food and its influence on the evolution of avian coloniality. The American Naturalist. 139(1): 205-217. Brown, C.R., and B. Rannala. 1995. Colony choice in birds: Models based on temporar- ily invariant site quality. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 36(4): 221-228. Brown, C.R., and M.B. Brown. 1996. Coloniality in the Cliff Swallow: the effect of group size on social behavior. University of Chicago Press. Brown, C.R. and M.B. Brown. 2000. Heritable basis for choice of group size in a colonial bird. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America: 97(26): 14825-14830. Brown, C.R., C.M. Sas, and M.B. Brown. 2002. Colony choice in cliff swallows: Effects of heterogeneity in foraging habitat. The Auk. 119(2): 446-460. Brown, C.R. and M.B. Brown.2002. Does intercolony competition for food affect colony choice in cliff swallows? The Condor. 104(1): 117-128. Brown, C.R, M.B. Brown, S.A. Raouf, L.C. Smith, and J.C. Wingfield. 2005. Steroid Hormone Levels are related to choice of colony size in cliff swallows. Ecology. 86(11): 2904-2915 Brown, C.R., M.B. Brown, and K.R. Brazeal. 2008. Familiarity with breeding habitat improves daily survival in colonial cliff swallows. Animal Behavior. 76: 1201-1210. Brown, C.R. 2010. How cliff swallows choose where to live. Phi Kappa Phi Forum. Spring:4-7. Danchin E. and R.H. Wagner. 1997. The evolution of coloniality: the emergence of new perspectives. Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 12(9): 342-347.

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 117 Fernandez-Juricic, M.D. Jimenez, and E. Lucas. 2001. Alert distance as an alternative measure of bird tolerance to human disturbance: implications for park design. Envi- ronmental Conservation. 28(3): 263-269. Jackman, S. 2011. pscl: Classes and Methods for R Developed in the Political Science Computational Laboratory, Stanford University. Department of Political Science, Stanford University. Stanford, California. R package version 1.03.10. Leasure, D. R., R. Kannan, and D.A. James. 2010. House sparrows associated with reduced cliff swallow nesting success. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology. 122(1): 135- 138. Siegel-Causey, D. and S. P. Kharitonov. 1990. The evolution of coloniality. Current Ornithology. 7: 285-330. Safran, R. J. 2004. Adaptive site selection rules and variation in group size of barn swallows: Individual decisions predict population patterns. The American Naturalist. 164(2): 121-131. Shields, W.M., J.R. Crook, M.L. Hebblethwaite, and S.S. Wiles-Ehmann. Ideal free coloniality in the swallows. The ecology of social behavior. 189-228. Tumlison, R. 2009. Breeding by cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) in Southern Arkansas. The Southwestern Naturalist. 54(2): 208-210. Whitaker, DM., A.L. Carroll, and W.A. Montevecchi. 2000. Elevated numbers of flying insects and insectivorous birds in riparian buffer strips. Can. J. Zool. (78): 740-747. Winkler, D. and F.H. Sheldon. Evolution of nest construction in swallows (Hirundini- dae): a molecular phylogenetic perspective. 1993. Proceedings of the National Acad- emy of Science of the United States of America. 90: 5705-5707. Zeileis, A., C. Kleiber, and S. Jackman. 2008. Regression Models for Count Data. R Journal of Statistical Software. 27(8). Zeileis, A. and T. Hothorn. 2002. Diagnostic Checking in Regression Relationships. R News. 2(3), 7-10. Zuur, A.F. 2009. Mixed effects models and extensions in ecology with R. Springer, New York.

Wanda B. Sowa, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822

Keely Nolan, Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences, Metropolitan State University of Denver, CO 80204

Nels Grevstad, Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences, Metropolitan State University of Denver, CO 80204

Christy Carello, Department of Biology, Metropolitan State University of Denver, CO 80204

118 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 CFO FIELD TRIP REPORT

Red Rocks and Beyond 9 February 2014

Mike Henwood and Christian Nunes

Few species embody the enigmatic draw of the wilderness so completely as the Rosy-Finch. They breed on the tundra and scree on the flanks of the continent’s highest peaks. Boisterous flocks travel far and wide during winter months in search of forage in some of the most inhospitable climates on Earth. One species, Sillem’s Mountain Finch, was only recently described to science, in 1992, based on just two specimens that were collected on a remote plateau in the Xin- jiang Autonomous Region of western China in 1929. In 2012, the species was photographed by Yann Muzika in China’s Qinghai Prov- ince, 1500 km east of where the 1929 specimens were collected. The region where this mystical finch lives is so geographically and geopo- litically remote that a colorful finch remained veiled from modern science for a century. It is understandable, then, that people derive a certain romanticism from the active search for Rosy-Finches. In summer, intrepid hikers have to head into the most rugged ter- rain Colorado has to offer to find these robust and colorful finches. The Brown-capped Rosy-Finch has a range that is almost entirely within the bounds of the state of Colorado. The Black Rosy-Finch, whose charcoal body contrasts pleasingly with the characteristic rose hue shared by all the Rosy-Finches, has a breeding range centered around the Rockies of northern Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Nevada and Oregon. Both Black and Brown- capped Rosy-Finches are endemic to the Lower 48 States. The third species, the Gray-crowned Rosy- Finch (including the Hepburn’s race), has a broader geographic range, breeding from the southern Sierra Nevada in California, north through the Brown-capped Rosy-Finch, Boulder County, 1 February Rocky Mountains to 2014. Photo by Christian Nunes the tall peaks of Alas-

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 119 ka, through the Aleutian Islands and all the way to the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia. In winter, when deep snow drapes the high- country, all three species of Rosie come down off the wind-swept slopes to gorge themselves at bird feeders. The main goal of the CFO’s Winter Field Trip: Red Rocks and Beyond, was to search for and study Rosy-Finches and other montane species. The trip was led by Mike Henwood, a member of the Colo- rado Field Ornithologist’s board of directors. The morning of Febru- ary 9, 2014 started out cold and gray with a major winter weather system hammering the high-country. Perfect Rosy-Finch weather. The group met at the Red Rocks Trading post, in Morrison, where generous birders keep the feeders stocked. The rare Golden-crowned Sparrow made a brief appearance first thing in the morning, then retreated into the dense underbrush. All of the various Dark-eyed Junco subspecies were in attendance including White-winged, another lower 48 endemic. After enjoying the show at Red Rocks, the trip moved on into the foothills of Jefferson County. First, the group visited a private residence on Conifer Mountain (9,200 feet elevation) where Mike had arranged permission to bird. This is where the group ran into its first flock of Rosies, a small flock of 20-30 comprised of mostly Brown- capped and a small number of Black Rosy-Finches. Everyone enjoyed wonderful looks as the clouds thinned revealing a bluebird sky and supplying a little solar warming. Next, the group climbed to a second private residence on Squaw Mountain (10,200 feet elevation). At that elevation, snow was fall- ing—a positive precursor for descending Rosies. True to form, a flock of 125–150 Rosy-Fiches alighted high in a spruce tree, making a brief foray to the feeders. All three species were picked out of the swirling flock, with the majority being Brown-capped. Several folks were able to get their lifer Rosy-Fiches and everyone was impressed with the acrobatic finch flock as it circled around before landing in the treetops and on decks/feeders of the obliging residences. The finches were very flighty, and a little more coopera- tion would have been appreciated so as to allow more detailed study, however, watching the circling flocks against the snow flakes and a Colorado bluebird sky is an experience nothing short of magical.

Mike Henwood, [email protected], Christian Nunes, [email protected]

120 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 NEWS FROM THE FIELD

Fall 2013 (August–November)

Mike Henwood Overview of the Season Even though 16 different species of warblers were recorded in November and a first record Gray-bellied Brant was seen in Larimer County, fall 2013 will be remembered for the floods that wreaked havoc along the Front Range from El Paso county to the Wyoming border and throughout much of northeastern Colorado. September got off to a typical start with hot, dry weather and a stretch of seven 90-degree plus days in Denver and across much of the state. Unre- markably, a cold front triggered thunderstorms September 9, however, what followed was an unusual upslope weather pattern normally associated with heavy snow along the Front Range. The system stalled over the area and monsoon moisture flowed in from the south. Dur- ing the next week, record-setting rains caused localized flash flooding in the foothills eventually soaking all of northeastern Colorado. It would prove to be the wettest September on record with nearly six times as much rain recorded as normal at the Denver weather station. In Boulder and parts of Aurora, total rainfall for the week was over 17 inches matching the average annual levels for the area. Estes Park recorded nearly eight inches in a 48-hour period and other mountain communities experienced record amounts as well. On September 11 flash flood warnings were issued for El Paso, Boulder, and Larimer counties and by dawn on September 12, roads to and from Lyons, Jamestown and Estes Park had been washed out, strand- ing thousands. The surge of powerful floodwaters from the Cache la Poudre, Big Thompson and St. Vrain rivers then poured into the S. Platte River beginning the morning of September 13 and continuing for days. Governor Hickenlooper declared disasters in 14 counties. Impacts from the flooding affected birds and birders alike. The numerous road closures made access to the mountains difficult in northern Jefferson, Boulder and Larimer counties. Those fortunate enough to have escaped the floodwaters found that open space was largely inaccessible. At one point more than 30 State Parks, State Wildlife Areas and other state lands were closed to the public, limiting access to birding hotspots and favorite birding haunts. Many of these areas were scoured by swollen rivers or buried by river-washed silt, and few birds appeared to use these areas in the weeks and months following the floods. In Denver, Bear Creek Lake Park suffered a different fate. Flood- water entering the Reservoir from Bear Creek and Turkey Creek was

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 121 not released into the already-flooding S. Platte River. As a result, water levels rose 53 feet (Brambling Bridge was home to ducks and beavers) and the tops of the tallest cottonwoods were the only things visible above the flooded lake. Of note in November was the sighting of 16 different species of warblers including Tennessee, Orange-crowned, Northern Parula, Chestnut-sided, Yellow-rumped, Black-throated Green, Pine, Palm, Bay-breasted, Blackpoll, Prothonotary, Worm-eating, Black-and- White, Ovenbird, Common Yellowthroat and Wilson’s. In fact three of these (Northern Parula, Pine and Bay-breasted) were found in the same tree in a Boulder business park, providing days of enjoyment for area birders. But the fall highlight for Colorado birders was cer- tainly the Pale-bellied Brant seen in Larimer County from October 25 through November 23. Other notable sightings included Curlew and Buff-breasted Sand- pipers at Jackson Lake, Yellow-crowned Night Heron in El Paso, Lit- tle Gulls observed at Terry Lake in Boulder and Pueblo Reservoir and Laughing Gull at Jackson Lake and Pueblo Reservoir. Artic Terns were discovered at Cherry Creek Reservoir and Boulder Reservoir and a Pomarine Jaeger put on a show at Chatfield for the last two weeks of October. “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 (ebird. org) with invaluable contributions provided by a statewide network of informants. 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 reports sightings 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 forwarded with comments to the News from the Field editor for summary. Note 1 – The reports contained herein are largely unchecked, and the report editors do not necessarily vouch for their authenticity. Spe- cies in CAPS 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 coloradobirdrecords.org/Reporting. This is the preferred method to submit your documentation, however, if you prefer a hardcopy form, you may use the one located on the inside of this

122 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 journal’s mailing cover. Mailed documentation of rarities should be sent to CBRC chairman Doug Faulkner (address on form). Note 2 — The names of counties are italicized. Abbreviations: CG — campground; CR — County Road; FOS — First of Season; FR — Forest Service Road; HS — High School; HQ — Head Quarters; LCCW — Lamar Community College Woods; LOS — Last of Season; m.ob. — many other observers; NP — Na- tional 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: Snow x Canada Goose: 1 at Red Early: 1 at Wellshire Golf Course Den- Lion SWA Logan on 3 Nov (SM, ver on 14 Aug (EL); 7 at Valco Pond NM); 1 at North Sterling Res. Logan Cañon City Fremont on 30 Nov (MP). on 3 Nov (SM, NM); 1 at Fort Lo- Greater White-fronted x Canada gan National Cemetery Denver on 7 Goose: All reports: 1 at Windsor Res. Nov (AH); 1 at Dodd Res. Boulder Weld on 27 Nov (SM, SW). on 8 Nov (NM); 1 near Orchard Snow Goose: Rare on WS and Weld on 22 Nov (JK, NE, KMD); SLV: 1 adult at CR600 pond north 1 at Windsor Res Weld on 27 Nov of Roush Road Archuletta on 22 Sep (SM, SW). (HRM); 1 at Escalante SWA Delta Ross’s Goose: WS FOS: 1 at Con- on 28 Sep (RW, LR, EC); 1 juv. at fluence ParkDelta 1-27 Nov (JB); Confluence ParkDelta on 7 Oct (CD, flock with a high of 17 during the BW); 1 at Catamount Lake Routt on month at Confluence ParkDelta 23- 1 Nov (DSM); 10 at 1124 O Road, 30 Nov (JB, m.ob.); 3 or 4 at 1124 Loma Mesa 8-9 Nov (RW); 1-2 at O Road, Loma Mesa 8-9 Nov (RW); Catamount Lake Routt 10-19 Nov 1 at Colorado River WA Mesa on 22 (TLi); 53 flew over Rain Crow Farm, Nov (BBr). High Count: 400 at Jum- Paonia Delta on 22 Nov (JB); 1 at bo Res. Logan on 3 Nov (SM, NM); 1 Corn Lake Mesa on 22 Nov (BBr); 19 blue morph at Jumbo Res. Morgan on flew over Confluence ParkDelta on 24 6 Nov (SM). Nov (BF); 3 in Nucla Montrose on 25 Ross’s x Cackling Goose: 1 at Nov (CD); 1 at Snyder’s Pond Nor- Loomiller Park, Longmont Boulder wood San Miguel on 26 Nov (GS). 16-17 Nov (CS, SM); 1 at Fort Logan Snow x Ross’s Goose: 2 adults National Cemetery Denver on 17 Nov at Stewart’s Pond Weld 6-13 Nov (AH). (SM, CS); 1 adult and 1 immature at Ross’s x Canada Goose: 1 in Union Res Weld on 20 Nov (SM). Loveland Larimer on 27 Nov (SM, Snow x Cackling Goose: 1 at SW). Loomiller Park, Longmont Boulder BRANT: 1 Gray-bellied at Houts 14-17 Nov (CS, SM); 1 at Union and Equilizer Res. Larimer from 25 Res. Weld on 20 Nov (SM). Oct to 23 Nov (ScB, m.ob.).

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 123 Cackling Goose (Richardson’s): 2 Tundra Swan: WS Report: 8 at from summer at Golden Ponds, Long- Highline Lake Mesa on 1 Nov (KMc). mont Boulder on 2 Aug (SM); 2 early Birds seen on the Eastern Slope in- migrants at Firestone Gravel Pit Weld cluded the counties Adams, Arapahoe, on 1 Oct (SM): High Count: 6000 at Boulder, Denver, El Paso, Jefferson, Windsor Res Weld on 20 Nov (SM). Larimer, Morgan, Weld and Wash- Cackling Goose (Taverner’s): All ington. High Count: 5 at Sombrero reports: 1 at Frederick Rec Area Weld on Marsh Boulder on Nov 25 (TD, MBl). 10 Nov (SM); 1 at Stewart’s pond Weld Wood Duck: Unusual locations: on 13 Nov (SM); 5 in Windsor Weld on 4 at Dillon Res. Summit on 29 Aug 13 Nov (SM); 25 at Wheat Ridge GB (KE); 3 at Del Norte sewage ponds Jefferson 14 Nov (CS); 6 at Firestone Rio Grande on 9 Sep (VT); 1 in Nu- Gravel Pits Weld on 20 Nov (SM). cla Montrose on 10 Oct (CD); 1 at Canada Goose (parvipes): High Dillon Res. 0n 16 Oct (JMc); 1-2 at Count of 1500 at Windsor Res Weld on Stagecoach Res. Routt 22 Oct - 2 Nov 27 Nov (SM, SW). FOS: 8 at Pueblo (DTM); 1 at Huck Finn Pond La Plata Res. Pueblo on 6 Oct (JD); 35 at Loloff on 3 Nov (RM); 2 at Spinney Moun- Res. Weld on 6 Oct (SM, DD). tain Res. Park on 10 Nov (JK). Mute Swan: All are likely domes- EURASIAN WIGEON: 1 male tic escapees. All reports: 1 at Weld at John Martin Res Bent on 4 Nov CR7 Ponds 3 Aug - 22 Sep (SM); 2 (DN). adults plus 6 young at Broadmoor Ho- American Wigeon x Mallard: 1 tel El Paso 18 Aug - 7 Sep (JaN); 1 at male at Stewart’s pond Weld on 6 Nov St. Vrain SP Weld on 28 Sep (SH); 1 (SM). adult at Weld CR16.5 Ponds 27 Oct - American Black Duck x Mallard: 24 Nov (BSc); 2 adults plus 4 young at 1 at Firestone Gravel Pits Weld on 20 Poudre Ponds Weld on 11 Nov (KK). Nov (SM). Trumpeter Swan: at least 3 (an- MALLARD (MEXICAN): All other 14 were too far for ID) at Lake reports: 1 male at Stewart’s Pond Weld Maria Huerfano on 29 Nov (RM). 10-20 Nov (SM); 1 at Lake Pueblo SP

Ross’s x Snow Goose, Longmont, Boul- “Gray-bellied” Brant, Houts Reservoir, der County, 16 November 2013. Photo Larimer County, 2 November 2013. by Steve Mlodinow Photo by Glenn Walbek

124 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 Pueblo 15-16 Nov (BKP, et al.) 1 male White-winged Scoter: All reports: at Wood’s Lake Weld on 20 Nov (SM). More than 15 individuals in the fol- Mallard (Mexican intergrade): 1 lowing counties: at Firestone Gravel Pits Weld on 22 Adams, Boulder, Delta, Denver, Sep (SM); 1 at Union Res. Weld 9 Douglas, Mesa, Park (5), Pueblo and Nov (SM); 1 at Rock Canyon, Pueblo Weld. FOS: 3 at Antero Res. Park on 2 Res. Pueblo (BKP). Nov (DFO group). Gadwall x Mallard: 1 male along Black Scoter: More than 10 in- S. Platte River (88th Ave) Adams on dividuals reported in the following 24 Nov (SM, DD); 1 male at Wind- counties: Adams, Arapahoe, Bent, sor Res. Weld on 27 Nov (SM, SW); Boulder, Denver and El Paso. FOS: 2 at 1 male at Chatfield SPJefferson on 3 Ish Res. Boulder on 5 Oct (SM) Nov (BSc). Kiowa, Larimer, Pueblo, and Park. Blue-winged Teal: High Counts: Long-tailed Duck: More than 15 501 at Jackson Res Morgan on 13 individuals from the following coun- Sep (SM); 500 at Prewitt Res Wash- ties: Arapahoe, Boulder, Delta, El Paso, ington on 2 Sep (SM). Late date: 2 at Grand, Logan, Pueblo and Weld. FOS: Rock Canyon, Pueblo Res. Pueblo on 1 at Fruitgrower’s Res. Delta on 29 Oct 27 Nov (BKP, NM). WS late date: 2 (TM). High Count: 5 at Aurora Res at Lake Catamount Routt on 11 Nov Arapahoe on 24 Nov (DD, SM). (BHu). Common Goldeneye: High Count: Cinnamon Teal: Late date: 1 male 800 at Terry Lake Boulder on 23 Nov at Lower Latham marshes on 20 Nov (SM, SBa). (SM). Barrow’s Goldeneye: a female Ring-necked Duck x Lesser with chicks at Echo Lake Clear Creek Scaup: 1 male at Stewart’s Pond Weld on 14 Aug (MR, m.ob.) again this on 10 Nov (SM). year seems to establish Echo Lake as Ring-necked Duck x Tufted a breeding site. Duck: 1 male at Jumbo Res. Sedgwick Hooded Merganser: High count: on 3 Nov (SM, NM). 40 at Terry Lake Boulder on 10 Nov Greater Scaup: High Count: 17 at (SM). Fossil Creek Res. Larimer on 27 Oct Common Merganser: Early reports (RBe). Reports from Adams, Arapa- on the plains: 1 at Cherry Creek SP hoe, Boulder, Delta, Douglas, El Paso, Arapahoe on 6 Aug (KP); 1 at South Jefferson, Larimer, Park and Weld. Platte Park Arapahoe on 7 Aug (GN). Surf Scoter: All reports: Reports of Unusually high number of 11,000 more than 35 individuals in the fol- (probably more) at Windsor Res Weld lowing counties with high numbers on 27 Nov (SM, SW). noted: Boulder, Denver, El Paso, Jef- Red-breasted Merganser: WS Re- ferson, La Plata, Larimer (11), Lake, port: 8 at Redlands Parkway Ponds Pueblo, Park (12), Sedgwick and Weld. Mesa on 20 Sep (DV); 1 at Cheney FOS: 4 at Timnath Res. Larimer on 12 Res. Mesa on 4 Nov (MH); High Oct (AMB group). counts: 325 at Union Res Weld on 20

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 125 Nov (SM); 210 at Valmont Res Boul- High mountain count of 25 at Eleven- der on 9 Nov (SM); 170 at Windsor mile Res. Park on 27 Oct (JK, m.ob.). Res Weld on 13 Nov (SM). Red-necked Grebe: All reports: Wild Turkey: 2 at unusually high 1-2 at Chatfield SPDouglas 19 Oct elevation of 10,400 ft. in Elk Moun- - 28 Nov (MH, MK, GW, m.ob.); 1 tains Mesa on 10 Aug (DGa). at Lake Loveland Larimer on 20 Oct Red-throated Loon: 1 at Pueblo (SM); 1 at Jumbo Res. Sedgwick on Res. Pueblo 7-11 Sep (BKP, et al.); 1 20 Oct (JK, KMD, LyM); 1 at Pueblo at Pueblo Res. Pueblo on 24 Oct (BKP, Res. Pueblo on 24 Oct (BKP, m.ob,); BM); 1 at Woods Lake Weld on 27 1 at North Sterling Res. Logan on 27 Nov (SW, SM). Oct (DD); 1 at Elevenmile Res. Park Pacific Loon:All reports: 1 at Big on 27 Oct (JK, m.ob.); 1 at Antero Johnson Res. El Paso 5 Aug - 11 Sep Res. Park on 27 Oct (JK, m.ob.); 1 at (TS, m. ob.); 1 at Pueblo Res Pueblo Pueblo Res. Pueblo on 27 Oct (BKP) 5 Oct - 7 Nov (BKP, m. ob.); 1 at Big & 28 Oct (MJG, m.ob.) 1 at Union Johnson Res. El Paso 14- 28 Oct (JD, Res Weld on 30 Oct (SM); 4 at Jumbo m. ob.); 1 at Antero Res. Park on 27 Res Logan on 3 Nov (NM, SM); 1 at Oct (JK, m. ob.); 1 at Cherry Creek Barr Lake SP Adams on 12 Nov (DD); SP Arapahoe 29 Oct - 12 Nov (DBe, 1 at Windsor Res Weld on 13 Nov m. ob.); 1 at Chatfield SPDoug - (SM); 1 at Lathrop SP Huerfano 20-29 las 1-9 Nov (GW, m.ob.); 1 at Terry Nov (RM, m.ob.); 1 at North Poudre Lake Boulder 8-19 Nov (NM, m.ob.); Res. #3 Larimer on 24 Nov (NK); 1 at 1 at Valmont Res. Complex Boulder Spinney Mountain Res. Park on 27 9-10 Nov (BK, PG, JV, m. ob.); 1 at Nov (JK); 1 at Pueblo Res. Pueblo on Elevenmile Res. Park 10-24 Nov (JK, 27 Nov (BKP, NM); 1 at Panama Res. SR); 1 at Isthmus Park Denver on 12 Boulder on 29 Nov (TF, m.ob.). Nov (JR); 1 at Douglas Res. Larimer Eared Grebe: High count: 426 at on 12 Nov (BBi); 1 at Lagerman Res. Jumbo Res. Logan/Sedgwick on 3 Nov Boulder on 21-22 Nov (CN, DD, TD); (NM, SM). possibly the same bird at Baseline Res. Western Grebe: High count: 5020 Boulder 23-26 Nov (BK, DD, EDF); at Union Res Weld on 16 Oct (SM). 2 at Pueblo Res. Pueblo 13-27 Nov Western × Clark’s Grebe: All re- (BKP, m.ob.). ports: 1 at Barr Lake Adams on 3 Aug Common Loon: WS FOS: 1 at (SM); 3 at Fossil Creek Res. Larimer Confluence ParkDelta on 1 Oct (JB). on 22 Aug (JKi); 2 at Union Res. Weld Early reports: 1 at Jumbo Res. Logan on 29 Sep (SM): 1 at Fossil Creek on 21 Aug (TF, NL): 1 at Union Res. Res. Larimer on 6 Oct (SM, DD); 1 at Weld on 23 Sep (SM); 2 at Marston Frederick Res. Weld on 18 Oct (CS); Res. Denver on 30 Sep (MGo). High 1 at Big Johnson Res. El Paso on 20 count: 9 at Pueblo Res. Pueblo on 5 Oct (SM, DD); 1 at Terry Lake Boul- Oct (BKP). der on 23 Oct (SM); 2 at Jumbo Res. Horned Grebe: Early report: 4 at Logan/Sedgwick on 3 Nov (SM, NM); LUNA Res. Weld on 11 Sep (SM). 1 at Chatfield SPJefferson on 15 Nov

126 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 (KPe); 1 at Terry Lake Res Boulder on (RW). High count: 36 at Union Res 17 Nov (SM); 1 at Union Res Weld Weld on 4 Sep (SM). 23-28 Nov (SM). Snowy Egret: High count of 32 at Clark’s Grebe: Breeding areas: Union Res Weld on 9 Sep (SM). Very low number of 105 at Union TRICOLORED HERON: 1 Res Weld on 10 Aug (SM); count of at John Martin Res Bent 12-14 Sep 30 at Russell Lakes SWA Saguache on (DN). 17 Aug (DD). Early mountain report: REDDISH EGRET: 1 sub-adult 4 at Elevenmile Res. Park on 1 Aug white morph (same bird as reported (GH). Late report: 1 at Union Res. in summer) at Verhoeff Lake Bent 8-9 Weld on 28 Nov (SM). Sep (DN). Double-crested Cormorant: High Cattle Egret: WS report: 1 at Pi- count of 1000 at Timnath Res Larimer non Lake, Pagosa Springs Archuleta on 5 Oct (SM); Late date high count on 1 Nov (BRe); 1 at Johnson’s Pond of 194 at Windsor Res. Weld on 13 near Escalante SWA Delta on 4 Nov Nov (SM). (MH). Late eastern slope report: 1 at American White Pelican: Late Barr Lake SP Adams on 3 Nov (GW). Season Reports: WS 1 in Grand Junc- YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT tion Mesa on 2 Nov. (NKo); 1 at Ridg- HERON: 1 at Birdsall Road Pond El way Res. Ouray on 2 Nov (GT). High Paso 5-19 Oct (KLa, m.ob.). count: 1750 at Prewitt Res. Washing- Glossy Ibis: 2 immature at An- ton on 10 Sep (SM). drick Ponds SWA Morgan on 7 Aug American Bittern: All reports: 1 (SM). at Walden Ponds Wildlife Habitat White-faced Ibis: High count: 68 Boulder on 4 Aug (CLa); 1 at Base- at Barr Lake Adams on 3 Aug (SM). line Res. Boulder on 7 Aug (JV); 1 Late report: 1 at Tower Road/96th at Jackson Res. Morgan on 28 Aug Ave. Adams on 3 Nov (BSn). (SM); 1 at Highline SP Mesa on 5 Turkey Vulture: 1 at Hampden Sep (MBl); 2 at Andrick Ponds SWA & Sunset Drive Arapahoe on 17 Nov Morgan on 8 Sep (NM); 2 in Ala- (JR). mosa Alamosa on 9 Sep (VT); 1 in Osprey: Late reports: 1 at Highline Alamosa Alamosa on 21 Sep (CL); 1 Lake SP Mesa on 23 Oct (MH); 1 at at Stalker Lake Yuma on 28 Sep (DK, Sloans Lake Denver on 27 Oct (AHp). MGo); 1 at Alamosa SWA Alamosa Mississippi Kite: Unusual loca- on 19 Oct (CH). tions: 5 at Wellshire Golf Course Den- LEAST BITTERN: 2 (maybe as ver on 14 Aug (EL); 2 in Fort Morgan many as 4) at Andrick SWA Morgan Morgan on 14 Aug (JR). Last report: 3 on 7 Aug (SM). juveniles from different nests in Secu- Great Egret: Rare Late Season Re- rity El Paso on 21 Sep (DBy). ports; WS 1 in Nucla Montrose on 10 Mississippi Kite: High count: 25 at Oct (CD, BW); 1 in Grand Junction LCCW Prowers on 13 Sep (DL, DN, Mesa on 13 Oct (DMc); 1 on Dike JaT). Road, Grand junction Mesa on 24 Oct Sharp-shinned Hawk: 1 juvenile

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 127 from nest at private residence Denver Res. Kiowa on 2 Aug (JK, KMD); 1 at on 15 Aug (NW). Early plains report: Jackson Res. Morgan on 30 Aug (AS). 1 at Jackson Res. Morgan on 21 Aug Mountain Plover: High Counts: (DD). 16 at Jackson Res. Morgan on 29 Aug Merlin: WS FOS: 1 in Nucla (DD); 20 at Jackson Res. Morgan on 4 Montrose on 23 Sep (CD). 1 Taiga at Sep (TF, NL). Stalker Lake Yuma on 1 Sep (SM); 1 Spotted Sandpiper: Late reports: at Chico Basin Ranch Pueblo on 12 1 in Redlands, Grand Junction Mesa Oct (BKP, BM); 1 Prairie at N. Ster- on 17 Nov (RW); 1 at Lake Pueblo SP ling Res. Logan on 3 Nov (SM, DD). Pueblo 9-27 Nov (BKP, DC, m.ob.). Broad-winged Hawk: 14 reports American Avocet: High count of from Adams, Bent, Boulder, Douglas, 152 at Jackson Res Morgan on 13 Sep El Paso, Jefferson, Kiowa, Kit Carson, (SM). WS Late date: 2 at Johnson’s Larimer, Pueblo, Sedgwick, and Yuma. Pond Delta on 8 Nov (MH). Late Early report: 1 at Wray Fish Hatchery date: 1 at Loloff Res Weld on 10 Nov Yuma on 1 Sep (SM). Late report: 1 (SM). at Chatfield SP Jefferson on 23 Nov Solitary Sandpiper (Eastern): (DFO). Very late date: 1 at South Platte Park Red-tailed Hawk (Harlan’s): Arapahoe on 29 Nov (KPe). FOS: 1 at Animas River, Durango La Solitary Sandpiper (Western): Plata on 9 Oct (ER); 1 at Jackson Res. All reports: 2 at Loloff res Weld on 7 on 9 Oct (SM, DD). Aug (SM); 1 at Pawnee NG Weld on Rough-legged Hawk: FOS: 1 in 19 Aug (JKi); 2 at Flagler Res. SWA Weld on 25 Sep (SM). Kit Carson on 23 Aug (JKi); 3 at Loloff American Coot: High count of Res. Weld on 23 Aug (CS); 5 at Jack- 7350 at Big Johnson Res. El Paso on son Res. Morgan on 28 Aug (SM); 1 20 Oct (SM, DD). at HWY 9 Pond Summit on 30 Aug Black-bellied Plover: 1 at Blue (KE); 1 at Banner Lakes SWA Weld Lake Bent 30-31 Oct (DL). on 30 Aug (CS); 3 at Flagler Res Kit American Golden Plover: 1 adult at Jackson Res. Morgan on 2 Sep (SM); 1 juvenile at Jackson Res. Mor- gan on 13 Sep (SM); 1 at Jackson Res. Morgan on 20 Sep (CC, SW); 1 at Adobe Creek Kiowa on 17 Oct (DN); 1 at Jackson Res. Morgan on 18 Oct (DD). Snowy Plover: 3 at Neegronda Res. Kiowa on 1 Aug (CH); 5 at Neegronda Res. Kiowa on 10 Aug (DD); 6 at Blanca Wetlands NWR American Avocet, Blue Lake, Bent Alamosa on 31 Aug (RHi). County, 31 October 2013. Photo by Piping Plover: 3 at Adobe Creek Dave Leatherman

128 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 Carson on 31 Aug (SM); 2 at Weld Washington CR P/50 Washington on CR 59 Weld on 31 Aug (CS); 4 at 7 Aug (HS); 1 at Greenlee Preserve Lower Latham area Weld on 31 Aug Boulder on 12 Aug (TF); 1 at N. Ster- (CS); 1 at Jackson Res. Morgan on 2 ling SP Logan on 16 Aug (BK); 1 at Sep (SM); 4 at Jackson Res. Morgan Larimer CR 14 Larimer 24 Aug (SW); on 7 Sep (SM); 17 at Walden Ponds 1 at Greenlee Preserve Boulder on 28 Wildlife Habitat Boulder on 10 Sep Aug (TF); 3 at Logan CR 93 Logan on (CN, PB, ACr); 2 at Jackson Res. 30 Aug (JO); 2 at Jackson Res. Mor- Morgan on 10 Sep (SM); 7 at Flagler gan 2-4 Sep (TF, NL); 2 at Loloff Res. Res. Kit Carson on 11 Sep (SM); 1 at Weld on 7 Sep (EL); 1 at Jackson Res. Ireland Res. Weld on 16 Sep (CS). Morgan on 20 Sep (CC, SW). Greater Yellowlegs: High count of Whimbrel: 5 at Neegronda Res. 75 at Jackson Res. Morgan on 10 Sep Kiowa on 1 Aug (CH); 1 at Barr Lake (SM): late high count of 18 at Lower SP Adams on 15 Sep (DFO). Latham area Weld on 10 Nov (SM). Long-billed Curlew: Casual mi- Late reports: 1 at Lake Pueblo SP Pueb- grant on WS: 3 at Miramonte Res. San lo on 24 Nov (BKP, et al.); 1 at Gypsum Miguel on 31 Aug (VZ). Late reports: Ponds Eagle on 29 Nov (JAR). 1 at Adobe Creek Res. Bent on 21 Sep Willet: Casual migrant on WS: 1 (DBe); 4 at Neegronda Res. Kiowa on at Miramonte Res. San Miguel on 26 28 Sep (BK). Aug (VZ); 1 at Pastorius Res. La Plata Marbled Godwit: Unusual loca- on 12 Nov (SA). tion: 1 at Ridgeway SP Ouray on 9 Sep Lesser Yellowlegs: High Count of (LR). Late reports: 11 at Jackson Res. 205 at Jackson Res. Morgan on 10 Sep Morgan on 18 Sep (KPe); 4 at Jackson (SM). Late report: 1 at Coal Ridge Res. Morgan on 20 Sep (CC, SW). Waste Res. Weld on 10 Nov (SM). Stilt Sandpiper: Late reports: 3 at Upland Sandpiper: 4 near Barr Jackson Res. Morgan on 12 Oct (NK); Lake Adams on 3 Aug (SM); 2 at 1 at Loloff Res. Weld on 16 Oct (SM).

Pectoral Sandpiper and Sanderlings, Jackson Lake State Park, Morgan Coun- Dunlin, Blue Lake, Bent County, 30 ty, 13 September 2013. Photo by Steve October 2013. Photo by Dave Leather- Mlodinow man

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 129 CURLEW SANDPIPER: 1 at Pueblo on 3 Nov (CK, BKP); 1 at Jack- Jackson Res. Morgan on 30 Aug (IS, son Res Morgan on 13 Nov (SM); 1 m.ob.). at Equalizer Lake Larimer on 26 Nov Sanderling: 1 at Neegronda Res. (SBa). Kiowa on 17 Oct (DD); 1 at Blue Lake Stilt Sandpiper: High count: 120 Bent 30-31 Oct (DL, JaT, GK). at Jackson Res. Morgan on 10 Sep Semipalmated Sandpiper: Unusual (SM). Late report: 1 at Loloff Res mountain location: 10 at Arapahoe Weld on 16 Oct (SM). NWR Jackson on 31 Aug (SW). High BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIP- count: 153 at Jackson Res Morgan on ER: All reports: 1 at Jackson Res. 13 Sep (SM). Late date: 6 at Little Morgan 21-24 Aug (DD, m. ob.); 1 Jumbo Res. Logan on 13 Oct (BK). at Prewitt Res. Washington on 23 Aug Western Sandpiper: Late reports: (GW); 2 at Jackson Res. Morgan 29- 1 at Jackson Res. Morgan on 9 Oct 30 Aug (JK, m. ob.); 4 juveniles at (SM, DD); 2 at Jackson Res. Morgan Jackson Res. Morgan on 2 Sep (SM); on 10 Oct (NL). 2 juveniles at Jackson Res. Morgan on Least Sandpiper: High count: 570 13 Sep (SM). at Jackson Res. Morgan on 9 Oct (SM, Short-billed Dowitcher: All re- DD); high late count of 63 at Jackson ports: 1 at Loloff Res. Weld on 7 Aug Res. Morgan on 6 Nov (SM). Last (SM); 1 juvenile at Jackson Res. Mor- date: 3 at Banner Lakes SWA Weld on gan 30-31 Aug (JD, m. ob.); 1 at Jack- 18 Nov (DK, JR, GM). son Res. Morgan on 2 Sep (SM); 1 at Baird’s Sandpiper: High Count of playa Arapahoe on 15 Sep (KSM). 2500 at Jackson Res. Morgan on 7 Sep Long-billed Dowitcher: High (SM). Late dates: 1 at Adobe Creek count: 455 at Jackson Res. Morgan on Res. Kiowa on 4 Nov (DN, JaT, GK); 9 Oct (SM, DD). Late date: 1 at Low- 1 at playa north of Tower Road/96th er Latham Area Weld on 27 Nov (SM, Ave. Adams on 7 Nov (AMB). WS SW). WS record late date: 1 at Lake record late date: 2 at Johnson’s Pond Catamount Routt 19-26 Nov (TLi). Delta on 8 Nov (MH). Wilson’s Phalarope: High count: Pectoral Sandpiper: High count: 390 at Loloff Res. Weld on 10 Aug 211 at Jackson Res. Morgan on 13 Sep (SM). (SM). Late date: 1 at Lower Latham Red-necked Phalarope: WS late Area Weld on 10 Nov (SM). WS late record: 1 at Ridgway Res. Ouray on 16 dates: 4 at Pastorius Res. La Plata on Oct (CD, KN). East Slope: 3 at Tim- 17 Oct (SA, RM); 2 at Johnson’s nath Res Larimer on 16 Oct (DL); 1 Pond Delta on 8 Nov (MH). at Tower Road/96 Ave. Adams on 26 Dunlin: All reports: 1 at Rocky Oct (BSn). Mountain Arsenal Adams on 25 Aug Red Phalarope: 1at Cherry Creek (DRh); 1 at Lake Avery Rio Blanco on SP Arapahoe on 21 Sep (GW, m.ob.); 28 Aug (THa); 1 at Jackson Res. Mor- 2 at Chatfield SPJefferson/Douglas gan on 31 Aug (NK); 3 at Blue Lake 4-23 Oct (CL, m.ob.); 1 at Pueblo Bent on 30 Oct (DL); 1 at Pueblo Res. Res. Pueblo on 5 Oct (BM, BKP, GW,

130 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 LK); 1 at Adobe Creek Kiowa on 17 (SM); 1 at Jackson Res. Morgan 30- Oct (DN); 1 at Barr Lake SP Ad- 31 Aug (AS, m.ob.); 1 at Pueblo ams on 21 Oct (DD); 1 at playa near Res. Pueblo on 1 Sep (BKP) – 26 Oct Tower Road/96 Ave Adams 23-29 Oct (RHi). (ADr, m.ob.). Laughing x Ring-billed Gull: 1 Black-legged Kittiwake: 1 adult adult at Aurora Res. Arapahoe on 24 at Lower Latham Res. Weld on 6 Nov Nov (SM, DD). (SM); WS (2nd county and 3rd WS Franklin’s Gull: High Count: record) 1 at Highline Res. Mesa 19-20 2600 at Kersey Dairy Ponds Weld on Nov (MH, m.ob.) 10 Aug (SM). Late reports: 2 at Pre- Sabine’s Gull: Numerous reports witt Res. Logan on 16 Nov (DD); 1 from Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, at Neegronda Res. Kiowa on 17 Nov Crowley, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, (DD). WS late report: 3 at Ridgway Larimer, Morgan, Pueblo, Washington Res. Ouray on 31 Oct (CD, BW). and Weld. Mew Gull: All reports: 1 second Bonaparte’s Gull: High count: year at Lake Loveland Larimer on 14 66 at Terry Lake Boulder on 10 Nov Aug (NK); 1 juvenile at Timnath (SM). Early report: 1 at Cherry Creek Res. Larimer on 16 Oct (SM); 1 juve- SP Arapahoe on 11 Sep (JR). Late re- nile at Chatfield Res.Jefferson 20-27 port: 24 at Catamount Lake Routt on Oct (SM, DD, m.ob.); 1 at Cherry 2 Nov (DTM). Creek SP Arapahoe 1-2 Nov (LK); 1 LITTLE GULL: 1 at Pueblo Res. at Cherry Creek SP Arapahoe (GW); Pueblo 4-8 Oct (RM, BKP, m.ob.) 1 1 at Jim Hamm Pond Boulder 14-18 immature at Terry Lake Boulder on 30 Nov (DD); 1 at Union Res. Weld on Oct - 10 Nov (SM, m.ob.). 14 Nov (DD); 1 first winter at Aurora LAUGHING GULL: 1 second Res. Arapahoe 24-30 Nov (SM, DD, cycle at LUNA Res. Weld on 3 Aug m.ob.).

Red Phalarope, Tower Road and 96th Sabine’s Gull, Lagerman Reservoir, puddle, Adams County, 25 October Boulder County, 10 September 2013. 2013. Photo by Glenn Walbek Photo by David Waltman

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 131 WESTERN GULL: 1 adult at ond-cycle, 2 first-cycle) at Horseshoe Timnath Res. Larimer on 5 Oct (SM, Res. Larimer on 16 Nov (NK, DWa). RHo). GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL: Western Gull x GW Gull: 1 first 1 at Neegronda Res. Kiowa on 10 Aug cycle at Jackson Res. Morgan on 6 (DD); 1 pale first cycle at Windsor Nov (SM). Res. Weld on 20 Nov (SM); 1 mid-col- Herring Gull: High count: 200 or first cycle at Aurora Res.Arapahoe at Aurora Res. Arapahoe on 24 Nov 24-30 Nov (SM, DD, m.ob.). (SM, DD). Early report: 1 at Walden Glaucous Gull: 1 at Horseshoe Res. Jackson on 16 Aug (CH). WS Res. Larimer on 22-23 Nov (NK, KK); early report: 1 at Blue Mesa Res. Gun- 1 first/second cycle at Aurora Res. nison on 1 Nov (CD, BW). Arapahoe on 24 Nov (SM, DD); 1 at Herring x Glaucous-winged: 1 Jumbo Res. Logan/Sedgwick on 28 Nov first cycle at Aurora Res.Arapahoe on (DD). 24 Nov (SM, DD). Great Black-backed Gull: 1 at Thayer’s Gull: Numerous reports Pueblo Res. Pueblo 13-30 Nov (BKP, from the following with high counts m.ob.). listed: Adams, Arapahoe(8), Boulder, Caspian Tern: WS 1st county re- Douglas, Jefferson, Kiowa, Logan, Lar- cord: 1 at Miramonte Res. San Miguel imer(3), Morgan(4), Pueblo, Sedgwick on 2 Sep (CD, BW) photo. Eastern and Weld(5). Slope: 1 at Kechter Pond Larimer on Lesser Black-backed Gull: Nu- 5 Aug (DL); 1 at Panama Res. Boulder merous reports from the Front Range: on 28 Aug (TD); 1 at Cherry Creek Adams, Arapahoe, Bent, Boulder, SP Arapahoe on 31 Aug (DBe); 1 at Douglas, Jefferson, Larimer, Morgan, Prewitt Res. Washington on 1 Sep Pueblo, Sedgwick, Washington and (DD, CR); 1 at DeWeese Res. Custer Weld. High Count: 14 (8 adult, 4 sec- on 14 Sep (DD); 1 at Chatfield SP Douglas on 22-23 Sep (THa). Black Tern: High count: 122 at Jackson Res. Morgan on 13 Sep (SM). Late date: 1 at Equalizer Lake Larimer on 28 Sep (GM). Common Tern: Late dates: 1 at Pueblo Res. Pueblo on 16 Oct (BKP, PH); 1 at Douglas Res. Larimer on 18 Oct (DWa); 1 in Commerce City near 98th and Tower Road Adams on 25 Oct (LK). ARTIC TERN: 1 at Boulder Res. Little Gull with Ring-billed and Bonapar- Complex Boulder on 13 Sep (CN, te’s Gulls, Terry Lake, Boulder County, PB); 1 at Cherry Creek SP Arapahoe 31 October 2013. Photo by David 21-23 Sep (GW, m.ob.); 1 at Terry Waltman Lake Boulder on 29 Sep (SM).

132 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 Forster’s Tern: Very late report: on 31 Aug (GW, SL); 1 at Stulp Farm 1 at Chatfield SPDouglas 3-5 Nov Prowers on 1 Sep (JS). (BSC, m.ob.). Greater Roadrunner: 1 at Lake Sterna species: Late date: 2 at Hasty Bent on 9 Nov (MP, GW). Pueblo Res. Pueblo on 16 Oct (BKP). Western Screech-Owl: SLV: 1 on POMARINE JAEGER: 1 at road to Zapata Falls Alamosa on 14 Chatfield SPDouglas/Jefferson 16-31 Aug (JB). Oct (GW, m. ob.); 1 at Barr Lake SP Burrowing Owl: Late report: 1 Adams 26 Oct (DK, MGo, JDa, JH). at Chatfield SPJefferson 21-23 Oct PARASITIC JAEGER: 1 light (MJG, m.ob.). morph adult at Adobe Creek Bent/ Boreal Owl: 1 at Cross Mountain Kiowa 4-9 Nov (DN, GK, JaT, GW, Trail Dolores on 11 Aug (JA); 1 along MP). Matterhorn Creek Hinsdale on 15 Aug Jaeger species: 1 at Pueblo Res. (LF). Pueblo on 4 Oct (RM). Northern Saw-whet Owl: Early Band-tailed Pigeon: Late date: 1 low elevation report: 1 at Chatfield SP at Reynolds Park Jefferson on 4 Nov Jefferson on 22 Aug (CM, ME). (LK). Common Nighthawk: WS ties re- White-winged Dove: Reported cord last date: 1 in Nucla Montrose on from Adams, Bent, Boulder, El Paso, 22 Oct (CD, BW). Larimer, Mesa, Montezuma, Ouray, Common Poorwill: Late reports: 1 Prowers, Washington and Yuma. at Fox Ranch Yuma on 12 Oct (MP, Yellow-billed Cuckoo: All reports: GW, SM, BK, LK, DD); 1 at Idelia 1 at John Martin Res. Bent on 2 Aug Yuma on 12 Oct (SM, DD); 1 window (CH); 1 in Morgan 11 Aug (JK); 1 collision at Home Depot Montrose on at Messex SWA Washington 14 Aug 16 Oct (AMC). (DFO); 1 at Prewitt Res. Washington EASTERN/MEXICAN WHIP-

Pomarine Jaeger, Chatfield State Park, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Stulp Douglas County, 17 October 2013. Farmyard, Prowers County, 28 Septem- Photo by Glenn Walbek ber 2013. Photo by Jane Stulp

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 133 POR-WILL: 1 heard at Frenchman juvenile at Chatfield SPDouglas/Jef - Creek SWA Phillips on 18 Sep (SM). ferson on 28 Sep (JK). Late report: 1 Chimney Swift: Late report: 3 at at Fox Ranch Yuma on 12 Oct (GW, Lamar Community College Prowers SM, MP, DD, LK). on 2 Oct (DD). Williamson’s Sapsucker: WS late RUBY-THROATED HUM- date: 1 in Nucla Montrose on 25 Oct MINGBIRD: All Reports: 1 adult (CD). male Lake Pueblo SP Pueblo on 31 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: All Re- Aug (BKP); 1 male in Las Animas ports: 1 at Crow Valley CG Weld on 30 Bent 9-10 Sep (DN): 1 female at Sep (DL); 1 in Estes Park Larimer on 1 LCCW Prowers on 15 Sep (DL, DN, Oct (JaJ); 2 at Holly Rest Stop Prow- JaT); 1 female at LCCW Prowers on ers on 2 Oct (DD); 1 at Thompson 2 Oct (DD). Ranch Lincoln 2-3 Oct (AB, GW): 1 ANNA’S HUMMINGBIRD: at Stulp Farm Prowers 6-8 Oct (JS); 1 1 at Colorado City Pueblo on 9 Sep at Chico Basin Ranch El Paso on 19 (DS). Oct (BKP, JD); 1 in Pueblo City Park COSTA’S HUMMINGBIRD: Pueblo 9-14 Nov (BKP, VT, m.ob.) . 1 at private residence in Colorado Yellow-bellied x Red-naped Sap- Springs El Paso 1-30 Nov (BM). sucker: 1 at Pawnee NG Weld on 28 Ruby-throated/Black-chinned Sep (GF); 1 at Chico Basin Ranch El Hummingbird: Late dates: 1 at Paso on 2 Oct (SM, JD); 1 at Turkey Stulp Farm Prowers on 27 Sep (JS); Creek, Fort Carson El Paso on 24 Oct 1 at Chavez home Jefferson on 3 Oct (TS). (MC); 1 at Metz feeders, Deerfield Red-naped Sapsucker: WS late Douglas on 18 Oct (KSM). date: 1 in Nucla Montrose on 25 Oct Broad-tailed Hummingbird: WS (CD, BW). Eastern Slope: 2, a male late date: 1 in Glenwood Springs Gar- and female, at Pueblo City Park Pueb- fieldon 15 Oct (VZ). 1 at Metz feeders, lo 2-10 Nov (BKP, m.ob.). Deerfield,Douglas on 18 Oct (KSM). Red-naped x Red-breasted Sap- Rufous Hummingbird: Uncom- sucker (hybrid): 1 at Jackson Res. mon on the plains: reports from Doug- Morgan on 9 Oct (SM). las, Jefferson, Prowers, Sedgwick, and Downy Woodpecker: Numerous Weld. Last date: 1 at private home Jef- reports of “Eastern” subspecies west of ferson on 6 Oct (IB). normal range in Boulder, El Paso, Jef- Calliope Hummingbird: WS late ferson, Larimer and Pueblo. Reports of date: 1 in Durango La Plata on 28 Sep “Mountain” east of normal range: 1 at (HRM). Jackson Res. Morgan on 5 Sep (CS); Red-headed Woodpecker: odd 1 at Barr Lake SP Adams on 15 Sep locations: 2 at Stony Pass Road Jef- (CS); 1 at Jackson Res. Morgan 25-27 ferson 5-21 Aug (NL, DK, JR); 1 at Sep (SM, DD). Chatfield SP Audubon OfficeJefferson Hairy Woodpecker: “Eastern” sub- on 14 Sep (DFO); 1 juvenile at Lake species west of normal: 1 at Barr Lake Pueblo SP Pueblo on 21 Sep (BKP); 1 SP Adams 13 Aug - 7 Sep (CS); 1 fe-

134 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 male at the Broadmoor El Paso on 7 EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE: All Sep (JaN); 2 at Barr Lake SP 15 Sep Reports: 1 at Wray City Park Yuma on (NM); 1 at Barr Lake SP Adams on 20 6 Sep (GW, SL, LK); 1 at Stulp Farm Nov (DD); 1 at Aurora Res. Arapahoe Prowers on 10 Sep (JS). on 24 Nov (SM, DD). YELLOW-BELLIED FLY- Merlin: FOS: 1 at Red Feather CATCHER: All Reports: 1 at Lakes Larimer on 24 Aug (DA). WS Jackson Res. Morgan on 10 Sep FOS: 1 in Nucla Montrose on 23 Sep (SM); 1 at Van’s Grove Bent on 14 (CD); 1 at Flat Tops north of Glen- Sep (DN); 2 at LCCW Prowers 15- wood Springs Garfield 8 Aug (CD, BW, 16 Sep (DL, DN, JaT). GS). Taiga reports: 1 at Stalker Lake ALDER FLYCATCHER: 1 at Yuma on 1 Sep (SM); 1 at Chatfield Last Chance Washington on 11 Aug SP Jefferson on 14 Sep (JK, DFO fall (SM). count); 1 at Terry Lake Boulder on 30 Alder/Willow Flycatcher (Traill’s Oct (SM); 1 at Elevenmile Res. Park Flycatcher): Late report: 1 at Chico on 2 Nov (JK, DFO trip); 1 at Salud Basin Ranch El Paso on 24 Sep (DD). Longmont Boulder on 14 Nov (SM); 1 Least Flycatcher: WS record late in Ault Weld on 30 Nov (DD). date: 1 at Loudy/Simpson Park in Peregrine Falcon: Late reports: 1 Craig Moffat on 12 Sep (FL). Other at Roxborough SP Jefferson on 18 Oct reports: 1 at Chico Basin Ranch (HQ) (DPe); 1 at Chatfield SPJefferson on Pueblo on 8 Sep (BKP); 1 at Haxtun 25 Oct (SF). Town Park Phillips on 29 Sep (DK, Western Wood-Pewee: Late: 1 at MGo). Pueblo City Park Pueblo 16-22 Oct (VT, BKP, m.ob.).

Red-naped x Red-breasted Sapsucker, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Flagler State Jackson Lake State Park, Morgan Coun- Wildlife Area, Kit Carson County, ty, 9 October 2013. Photo by Steve 15 September 2013. Photo by Glenn Mlodinow Walbek

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 135 Gray Flycatcher: Reported numer- lo SP Pueblo 20 Oct - 15 Nov (BKP, ous times in the northeast between 11 m.ob.); 2 near Florence Fremont on 30 Aug and 26 Sep in Boulder, El Paso, Nov (MP). Jefferson, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Morgan, Eastern Phoebe: Late date: 1 at Prowers and Washington. Sam’s Lane Boulder on 25 Oct (CN). Hammond’s Flycatcher: WS Say’s Phoebe: A few winter over late date: 1 at Loudy/Simpson Park most years, and birds were seen in late in Craig Moffat on 24 Sep (FL); 1 at Nov in Arapahoe, Boulder, Custer, Fre- banding station in Grand Junction mont, Jefferson, Kit Carson and Pueblo. Mesa on 27 Sep (LR). Early on the Great Crested Flycatcher: Odd plains: 1 at Pawnee NG Weld on 23 locations: 1 at Sandstone Ranch Weld Aug (CS); late was 1 at Chatfield SP on 3 Aug (CS); 1 at Chico Basin Douglas on 18 Oct (CL). Ranch Pueblo on 17 Aug (JD); 1 at Pacific-slope/Cordilleran Fly- Golden Ponds Longmont Boulder on catcher (Western): Late reports: 1 at 19 Aug (CK); 1 at Prospect Res. Weld Arriba Town Park Lincoln on 27 Sep on 1 Sep (CS); 1 at Cottonwood Pic- (DM); 1 in Nucla Montrose on 27 Sep nic Area Lake Pueblo SP Pueblo 1-2 (CD, BW). Sep (BKP); 1 banded at Barr Lake SP Empidonax species: Very late date: Adams on 14 Sep (DBe); 1 at Arkan- 1 at Rain Crow Farm Delta on 5 Nov sas River Trail Pueblo on 21 Sep (CK). (JB). Late date: 2 at Thompson Ranch Lin- Black Phoebe: Late dates: 1 at coln on 27 Sep (DM). Cañon City Riverwalk Fremont on 4 Cassin’s Kingbird: Late report: 1 Nov (JD, m.ob.); 1 at Rain Crow Farm at Logan CR 28 Sedgwick on 6 Oct Delta on 10 Nov (JB); 1 at Lake Pueb- (DK, MGo, JD). Western Kingbird: WS record late date: 1 in Nucla Montrose on 15 Oct (CD, BW). LOS: 1 at Pueblo Nature Center Pueblo on 26 Oct (BKP). Eastern Kingbird: High count: 27 at Banner Lakes SWA Weld on 3 Aug

Alder Flycatcher, Last Chance, Wash- Hammond’s Flycatcher, Jackson Lake ington County, 11 August 2013. Photo State Park, Morgan County, 6 Septem- by Steve Mlodinow ber 2013. Photo by Steve Mlodinow

136 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 (SM). Late report: 1 at Thurston Res. report: 1 in Cope Washington on 11 Prowers on 24 Sep (JS). Oct (JK, NE, KMD). Northern Shrike: FOS: 1 at Wil- Cassin’s/Blue-headed Vireo: Late low Lake Drive Douglas on 12 Oct report: 1 at Riverbend Ponds Larimer (HK). on 12 Oct (RBe). Bell’s Vireo: 1 at Wray Fish Hatch- BLUE-HEADED VIREO: All ery Yuma on 1 Sep (SM); 1 near Wray Reports: 1 at Lake Pueblo SP Pueblo Yuma on 1 Sep (SM); 6 at Simmons on 2 Sep (BKP); 1 at Jackson Res. SWA Yuma on 18 Sep (SM). Morgan on 2 Sep (SM); 1 at Tempel Plumbeous Vireo: East of normal Grove Bent 12-15 Sep (DN, DD); 2 range: 1 in Lions Park Wayside Sedg- at LCCW Prowers 12-17 Sep (DL, wick on 1 Sep (DD, CR); 1 in Wray DN, JaT); 2 at inlet Canal Prewitt Yuma on 1 Sep (SM); 1 at Last Chance Res. Washington on 14 Sep (GW); 1 at Rest Area Washington on 4 Sep (GK); Bear Creek Park Denver 30 Sep -1 Oct 1 at Jackson Res. Morgan on 10 Sep (MGo, DK); 1 at Greenlee Preserve (SM); 1 at Flagler Res. SWA Kit Car- Boulder on 4 Oct (TF); 1 at Evergreen son on 15 Sep (DD); 5 at Brett Gray Cemetery Colorado Springs El Paso Ranch Lincoln on 26 Sep (GW). on 6 Oct (MP). Cassin’s Vireo: FOS: 1 at Cherry Warbling Vireo: Late date: 1 at Creek SP Arapahoe on 18 Aug (KR); Pueblo City Park Pueblo on 18 Nov 1 near FR 597 Saguache on 18 Aug (BKP, MJ). (DD). WS reports: 1 at banding sta- PHILADELPHIA VIREO: All tion in Grand Junction Mesa on 10 reports: 1 at Brush SWA Morgan on Oct (LR); 1 at Loudy/Simpson Park, 2 Sep (DD); 1 at Prewitt Res. Wash- Craig Routt on 11-13 Sep (FL). Late ington on 10 Sep (SM); 1 at Tempel

Ash-throated Flycatcher, Flagler Res- Blue-headed Vireo, Jackson Lake State ervoir, Kit Carson County, 31 August Park, Morgan County, 2 September 2013. Photo by Steve Mlodinow 2013. Photo by Steve Mlodinow

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 137 Orange-crowned Warbler, Jackson Lake State Park, Morgan County, Bay-breasted Warbler, Circle Green Dr, 25 September 2013. Photo by Boulder County, 9 November 2013. Photo Steve Mlodinow by Dave Leatherman

Chestnut-sided War- bler, Jackson Lake State Park, Morgan County, 2 September 2013. Photo by Steve Mlodinow

Townsend’s Warbler, Grandview Cemetery, Fort Collins, Larimer County, 4 October 2013. Photo by Dave Leatherman

138 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 “Lutescent” Orange-crowned War- Orange-crowned Warbler, Jackson Lake State bler, Chico Basin Ranch, El Paso Park, Morgan County, 25 September 2013. County, 2 October 2013. Photo Photo by Steve Mlodinow by Steve Mlodinow

Prothonotary Warbler, Centennial Park, Pine Warbler, Center Green Dr, Boulder Arapahoe County, 24 November 2013. County, 17 November 2013. Photo by Photo by Dave Leatherman David Waltman

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 139 Grove Bent on 11 Sep (DGi); 1 at Clark’s Nutcracker: East of nor- Pueblo Res. Pueblo on 12 Sep (JHa); 1 mal range: 2 observed for 1st time at at Stalker Lake Yuma on 18 Sep (SM); Grandview Cemetery Larimer on 1 1 at Cottonwood Res. Larimer on 19 Oct and 4 more on 9 Oct (DL). Sep (BBi); 1 at Rock Canyon Pueblo Northern Rough-winged Swal- Res. Pueblo on 7 Oct (GB). low: Late report: 1 in Nucla Montrose Red-eyed Vireo: All reports: on 11 Oct (CD). WS 1st county record 2 in Ridgway Tree Swallow: Late report: 1 at Ouray on 8 Sep (CD, BW, m.ob.); 1 Walker Road Gravel Pond Douglas on at Loudy/Simpson Park, Craig Mof- 29 Oct (HK). fat on 13 Sep (FL). East Slope reports Violet-green Swallow: High came from Adams, Boulder, Douglas, Count: 100 at Garden of Gods El Paso El Paso, Jefferson, Kit Carson, Lar- on 29 Sep (LSt). Late report: 1 in Nu- imer, Lincoln, Logan, Morgan, Phillips, cla Montrose on 9 Oct (CD, BW). Prowers, Pueblo, Washington, Weld and Bank Swallow: High count: 3000 Yuma. Very late report: 1 at Dinosaur at Prewitt Res. Washington on 11 Aug Ridge Hawk watch Jefferson on 17 (SM). Late report: 3 in Nucla Mon- Nov (DSp). trose on 27 Sep (CD, BW); 1 at Pueblo Steller’s Jay: Unusual on the Res. Pueblo on 5 Oct (BKP). plains: 1 at Ft. Lyon VA Cemetery Barn Swallow: High Count: 491 at Bent and 2 at Karney SWA Bent on 18 Jackson Res. Morgan on 13 Sep (SM). Nov (DN). Late reports: 2 near Loma Mesa on 9 Blue Jay: High elevation: 3 at Nov (RW, DSt); 1 in Boulder Boulder 9050’ in the Wet Mountains Custer on 18 Nov (TF). on 2 Oct (BKP). Cliff Swallow: Late report: 4 at Western Scrub-Jay: High eleva- Wray fish HatcheryYuma on 27 Sep tion: 1 at 9050’ in the Wet Mountains (JK, m.ob.). Custer on 19 Sep (BKP). Rock Wren: Late reports: 2 at Red

Philadelphia Vireo, Panama Reservoir, Pinyon Jay, Horsetooth Reservoir, Lar- Boulder County, 20 September 2013. imer County, 19 October 2013. Photo Photo by John Vanderpoel by Dave Leatherman

140 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 Canyon Fremont on 28 Nov (CB); 1 at ern plains reports: 1 at Barr Lake SP Trading Post Red Rocks Park Jefferson Adams on 7 Sep (CS); 1 at Pueblo on 29 Nov (SP). City Park Pueblo on 20 Oct (SM, DD, Pacific Wren: 1 at Thompson BKP); 1 at Tempel Grove Bent on 24 Ranch Lincoln 3-4 Oct (GW, JK, Oct (DL). KMD, JR, CL, NE). Ruby-crowned Kinglet: Early Winter Wren: 1 at Chico Basin plains reports: 1 at Chatfield SPJeffer - Ranch El Paso on 12 Oct (BKP); 1 in son on 9 Aug (PO); 1 at Barr Lake SP Fort Collins Larimer on 19 Oct (TH); Adams on 13 Aug (CS). High Count: 1 along Twin Lakes Trail Boulder on 30 at Prewitt Res. Washington on 9 31 Oct (NP); 1 in Fountain Creek Oct (SM, DD). RP El Paso 9-28 Nov (LF, m.ob.); 1 at Eastern Bluebird: West of normal Rock Canyon, Pueblo 11 Nov (BKP, range: 2 at Stoney Pass Road Jefferson VT) & 18 Nov (BKP, CK); 1 at Boyd on 5 Aug (NL). Late: 6 at Lake Pueb- Ponds Morgan on 23 Nov (GW); 2 at lo City SP Pueblo on 17 Nov (BKP); Fountain Creek RP El Paso on 23 Nov small flock at La Veta Huerfano on 23 (GW). Nov (PW, PN). Pacific/Winter Wren: 1 along Western Bluebird: Late report: 1 creek in Boulder Boulder on 23 Nov at Fountain Creek RP El Paso on 23 (PRu). Nov (RHi). SEDGE WREN: 2 at Fox Ranch Veery: 1 at Thompson Ranch Lin- Yuma on 12 Oct (MP, GW, SM, BK, coln on 13 Sep (DM). LK, DD); 1 at Chico Basin Ranch GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH: 1 Pueblo on 12 Oct (BKP, BM); 1 at at Greenhorn Meadows Park Colora- Cottonwood Park Larimer on 24 Oct do City Pueblo on 24 Sep (DS); 1 near (BBi); 1 at Prewitt Res. Logan on 16 Hale Yuma on 28 Sep (MP, SM, DM). Nov (DD). Swainson’s Thrush: Early report: Carolina Wren: 1 at Lykins Gulch 2 at Barr Lake SP Adams on 1 Sep Banding Station Boulder 30-31 Aug (DBe). Late date: 1 at Flagler Res. (MS, m.ob.); 1 at Flagler SWA Kit SWA Kit Carson on 16 Oct (DD). Carson on 31 Aug (SM). Hermit Thrush: Early on plains: 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: Late re- at Pawnee NG Weld on 6 Sep (SM). ports: a number of sightings in Delta, Late: 1 at Fountain Creek RP El Paso Mesa after 19 Oct with 2 at 32.5 Road on 9 Nov (LF); 1 at Pueblo Lake SP Pond on 23 Nov Mesa (BBr). Pueblo on 15 Nov (BKP). Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Eastern): Hermit Thrush (Western low- All reports: 1 at Stalker Lake Yuma on lands): All reports: 1 at Crow Valley 28 Sep (SM, DM, MP). CG Weld on 13 Sep (SM); 1 at Jack- Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (West- son Lake Morgan on 25 Sep (SM); 2 ern): East of normal range: 1 at Pre- near Hale Yuma on 28 Sep (MP, SM, witt Res. Washington on 2 Sep (SM, DM); 1 at Jackson Res. Morgan on 9 GW, SL). Oct (SM, DD). Golden-crowned Kinglet: East- Wood Thrush: All reports: 1 at

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 141 Lakeside Cemetery Cañon City Fre- Hill near Hale Yuma on 28 Sep (MP, mont on 3 Oct (SEM); 1 in private DM, SM); 5 at same location 11 Oct yard north of Greeley Weld on 9 Oct (JK, NE, KMD); 1 at same location (NEr); 1 at Jackson Res. Morgan on 9 on 12 Oct (GW, LK); 1 at Fox Ranch Oct (SM); 1 (window kill) in down- Yuma on 12 Oct (MP, DD). town Lamar Prowers on 25 Oct (DL). Bohemian Waxwing: 1 at Willow Varied Thrush: 1 near Ovid Sedg- Valley Subdivision Lamar Prowers on wick on 3 Nov (SM, NM). 20 Nov (JaT). Gray Catbird: Late reports: 1 at Lapland Longspur: Odd location: Flagler Res. SWA Kit Carson on 17 1 at Elevenmile Res. Park 2-13 Nov Nov (JK, et al.); 2 at Las Animas CR (JK, et al.). 75.1 Las Animas on 19 Nov (RM). Snow Bunting: 1 at Big Johnson Curve-billed Thrasher: Unusual Res., El Paso, 2 Nov (MP); 1 at Jumbo location: 1 seen at feeder in 6 inches Res. Sedgwick on 3 Nov (SM, NM). of snow in Wetmore area Custer on 25 Ovenbird: Late date: 1 at 3381 Nov (RM). Larkspur Drive Boulder 21-29 Nov Brown Thrasher: Late: 1 at Jack- (BSc); reports from Boulder, Clear son Res. Morgan on 6 Nov (SM). Creek, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Morgan, Sage Thrasher: High Count: 11 Pueblo, Washington and Yuma. near Norma’s Grove and nearby fields Worm-eating Warbler: All re- Weld on 6 Sep (SM). Late: 3 at Tim- ports: WS 2nd county and 3rd WS nath Res. Larimer on 12 Oct (DK, record 1 at 346 S. Redlands Drive in AMB). Grand Junction Mesa 28 Nov - 4 Dec Northern Mockingbird: Late: 1 at (CD, BW, MWi, m.ob.). Jackson Lake SP Morgan on 27 Nov Northern Waterthrush: All Re- (NL, PS). ports: WS 1 at Loudy/Simpson Park, SPRAGUE’S PIPIT: 3 at Pipit Craig Routt on 20 Aug (FL); 1 at Nev-

Varied Thrush, Ovid, Sedgwick Coun- Sprague’s Pipit, Bonny Lake State Park, ty, 3 November 2013. Photo by Steve Yuma County, 12 October 2013. Photo Mlodinow by Glenn Walbek

142 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 ersink Gunnison on 21 Aug (JB); 2 at on 14 Sep (LK); 1 at Tempel Grove Ridgway banding station Ouray on Bent on 15 Sep (DD, DK, MGo, JD); 9 Sep and 12 Sep (LR); 2 at Loudy/ 1 at LCCW Prowers 15-17 Sep (DL, Simpson Park, Craig Routt on 15 Sep DN, JaT); 1 at Stalker Lake Yuma on (TLi). Other reports from Adams, 18 Sep (SM); 1 at Haxtun Town Park Boulder, Custer, Fremont, Jefferson, Phillips on 29 Sep (DK, MGO); 1 in Larimer, Pueblo, Prowers, Saguache and Pueblo City Park Pueblo 16-30 Nov Washington. (BKP, RHi, et al.). Blue-winged Warbler: 1 at Cañon Orange-crowned Warbler: High City Riverwalk Fremont on 14 Sep count; 55 at Stalker Lake Yuma on (SEM). 28 Sep (SM, MP, DM). Early plains Golden-winged Warbler: 1 at Barr report: 1 at North Sterling SP Logan Lake SP banding station Adams on 14 on 24 Aug (BK, JV). Late: 1 at private Sep (DBe, GB). residence in Fort Collins Larimer on 4 Black-and-white Warbler: WS 1st Nov (SW); 1 at Pueblo Zoo Pueblo on county record: 1 at Billy Creek SWA 18 Nov (BKP). Ouray on 7 Sep (JTr) photo. East Nashville Warbler: All reports: Slope: numerous records from Adams, WS 1 at Durango Fish Hatchery La Boulder, Bent, El Paso, Fremont, Lin- Plata on 17 Aug (RM); 5 at Loudy/ coln, Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Prowers, Simpson Park, Craig Routt on 26 Aug Washington Weld and Yuma. Late date: (FL); 1 in Ouray Ouray on 27 Aug 1 female in Florence Fremont on 30 (KN); 1 at Vega SP Mesa on 6 Sep Nov (MP). (NKo); 1 at Peony Drive Ponds Red- Prothonotary Warbler: All re- lands Mesa on 19 Sep (LP); 1 at Med- ports: 1 adult male at Main Res. Jeffer- ano-Zapata Ranch Alamosa on 19 Sep son 10-14 Sep (DK, MGo, JR, m.ob.); (LP); 1 in Loudy/Simpson Park, Craig 1 at Pastorius Res. La Plata on 19 Sep Routt on 23 Sep (FL); 2 in Nucla Mon- (SA, BBr); 1 at Centennial Park, trose on 23-28 Sep (CD, BW). East Littleton Arapahoe 24-30 Nov (AH, Slope: reports from 13 Aug - 2 Oct m.ob.). in Adams, Alamosa, Denver, El Paso, Tennessee Warbler: All reports: Jefferson, La Plata, Morgan, Phillips, WS 1 at Filby yard, Carbondale Gar- Prowers, Pueblo, Washington, Weld and field on 31 Oct (DF). East Slope: 1 at Yuma. Late: 2 at LCCW Prowers on 2 Holyoke City Park Phillips on 1 Sep Oct (DD). (DD, CR); 1 north of Wray Yuma on Virginia’s Warbler: Unusual lo- 1 Sep (SM); 1 at Barr Lake SP Adams cation: 1 at Barr Lake SP banding on 7 Sep (CS); 1 at LCCW Prowers station on 23 Aug (DD); 1 at Barr on 9 Sep (DN, JaT); 1 at Mathews Lake SP Adams on 15 Sep (DFO Res. Estes Park Larimer on 10 Sep Count); 1 at Jackson Lake SP Mor- (SRo); 1 at Chico Basin Ranch El gan on 28 Sep (BA, et al.). WS late Paso on 11 Sep (MJG et al.); 1 at Barr date: 1 at Escalante SWA Delta on 7 Lake SP Adams on 14 Sep (DBE); 1 Oct (MH). at inlet canal Prewitt Res. Washington CONNECTICUT WARBLER:

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 143 1 at Prewitt Res. Washington on 2 Sep 18 Nov (TD, m.ob.); 1 at Lathrop SP (SM, GW, SL). Huerfano on 20 Nov (RM). MacGillivray’s Warbler: Early Magnolia Warbler: All Reports: plains report: 1 at Chatfield SPJeffer - 1 at Jackson Res. Morgan on 2 Sep son on 9 Aug (PO). Late: 1 at Pawnee (SM); 1 at Akron Gold Course Wash- NG Weld on 10 Oct (DD). ington on 2 Sep (GW, SL); 1 at Stulp MOURNING WARBLER: 1 im- Farm Prowers on 4 Sep (JS); 1 at Wray mature female at Jackson Res. Morgan Fish Hatchery Yuma on 6 Sep (SL, on 2 Sep (SM); 1 at 2712 W. Lake GW, LK, JR); 1 at LCCW Prowers on Street Fort Collins Larimer 9-10 Sep 10 Sep (DN); 1 at Chatfield SPJef - (NK); 1 likely immature male at Fla- ferson on 14 Sep (DFO Count); 1 at gler SWA Kit Carson on 11 Sep (SM). Stalker Lake Yuma on 20 Sep (GW, Common Yellowthroat: Late: 1 at JK, KMD); 1 at Brett Gray Ranch Rock Canyon Pueblo Res. Pueblo 9-16 Lincoln on 26 Sep (GW); 1 at Boulder Nov (BKP, et al.). Res. Complex Boulder on 28 Sep (CN, Hooded Warbler: 1 at Last Chance JV); 1 at Fox Ranch Yuma on 12 Oct Rest Area Washington on 3 Sep (LK, (SM, MP, GW, BK, LK, DD). KH). Bay-breasted Warbler: 1 at 3005 American Redstart: All reports: Center Green Drive Boulder 7-18 Nov WS 1 juv. female at Loudy/Simpson (AC, m.ob.). Park, Craig Routt 11-13 Sep (FL); 1 Blackburnian Warbler: 1 in at Medano-Zapata Ranch Alamosa on Lefko yard near Nunn Weld on 18 19 Sep (LP). East Slope: Numerous Aug (GL); 2 at Prewitt Res. Washing- records from 7 Aug - 22 Oct from Ad- ton on 31 Aug (SL, GW); 1 at Pre- ams, Bent, Boulder, Douglas, El Paso, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Logan, Ouray, Phillips, Prowers, Pueblo, Sedgwick, Washington, Weld and Yuma. Late: 1 at COMET OfficeBoulder on 22 Oct (BG). CAPE MAY WARBLER: All reports: 1 adult male at Grandview Cemetery Larimer 8-12 Oct (DL). Northern Parula: All reports: 1 at Fountain Creek RP El Paso on 3 Sep (JL); 1 at Barr Lake SP banding station Adams on 10 Sep (MML); 1 at Cherry Creek SP Arapahoe on 25 Sep (GW); 1 at Grandview Cemetery Larimer 26 Sep - 1 Oct (DL); 1 at Jackson Res. Morgan on 6 Nov (SM); 1 at Walden Mourning Warbler, Jackson Lake State Ponds Boulder on 7 Nov (BDA); 1 at Park, Morgan County, 2 September 3005 Center Green Drive Boulder 15- 2013. Photo by Steve Mlodinow

144 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 witt Res, Washington on 2 Sep (SM, Washington on 17 Sep (GM); 1 at Tur- GW, SL). key Creek Recreation Area El Paso on Chestnut-sided Warbler: All re- 22 Sep (MGo); 1 at Jackson Res. Mor- ports: rare WS record 1 at Loudy/ gan on 9 Oct (DD, SM); 1 at Pawnee Simpson Park, Craig, Moffat on 11- NG Weld on 10 Oct (DD). 12 Sep (FL). East Slope: 1 at Cherry Blackpoll Warbler: All reports: 1 Creek SP Arapahoe on 18 Aug (KR): at Prospect Res. Weld 1-2 Sep (CS); 1 at Prewitt Res. Washington on 2 1 male at Tempel Grove Bent on 11 Sep (SM); 1 at Jackson Res. Morgan Sep (DGi); 1 at Twin Lakes Boulder on 2 Sep (SM); 1 At Akron CR G on 13 Sep (MM, CN); 1 at Green- Washington on 6 Sep (SL, GW, LK); lee Preserve Boulder 14-15 Sep (TF); 1 along Old St. Vrain Road Boulder 1 at Thompson Ranch Lincoln on 19 on 8 Sep (CN, PB); 1 at Chico Basin Sep (GW); 1 at Jackson Res. Morgan Ranch Pueblo on 8 Sep (BKP, et al.); 25-28 Sep (SM, CC); 1 at Brett Gray 1 at Medano -Zapata Ranch Alamosa Ranch Lincoln on 26 Sep (GW); 1 at on 10 Sep (LP); 1 at Stulp Farm Prow- Fox Ranch Yuma on 12 Oct (SM, MP, ers on 11 Sep (JS); 1 female at LCCW GW, BK, LK, DD); 1 at Pueblo City Prowers on 13 Sep (DL, DN, JaT); 1 Park Pueblo on 10 Nov (JD, BKP, et at Last Chance Rest Area Washington al.). on 14 Sep (GW, LK, JDa); 2 at Pre- Black-throated Blue Warbler: 1 at witt Res. Washington on 14 Sep (GW, Fountain Creek Regional Park El Paso LK); 1 at Jackson Res. Morgan on 17 on 4 Sep (DA); 1 female at LCCW Sep (CS): 1 at Last Chance Rest Area Prowers on 16 Sep (DL, DN, JaT); 1 at

Canada Warbler, Lamar Commu- Chestnut-sided Warbler, Stulp Farm- nity College Woods, Prowers County, yard, Prowers County, 11 September 15 September 2013. Photo by Dave 2013. Photo by Jane Stulp Leatherman

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 145 Thompson Ranch Lincoln on 19 Sep plains: 1 at Last Chance Rest Area (GW); 1 at Arriba City Park Lincoln Washington on 7 Sep (DD, JR). LOS: 1 on 2 Oct (DM). at Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Palm Warbler: 1 at Greenlee Pre- Jefferson on 19 Nov (ABo, et al.). serve Boulder 10-11 Nov (TF). Spotted x Eastern Towhee: 1 at Pine Warbler: 1 at 3005 Cen- Fox Ranch Yuma on 12 Oct (SM, LK, ter Green Drive Boulder 15-18 Nov MP, DD). (RMa, M.ob.). American Tree Sparrow: FOS: 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler: Numer- at Panama Res. #1 Boulder on 19 Oct ous Nov reports. (BK); 1 at Prospect res. Weld on 19 Yellow-throated Warbler: 1 near Oct (CS). Cape Washington on 11 Oct (JK, NE, Chipping Sparrow: Late date: 1 KMD). at Centennial Park Arapahoe on 24 Black-throated Gray Warbler: Nov (TD, SR). WS late report: 1 in Unusual location: 1 in Denver City Durango La Plata on 12 Nov (HRM). Park Denver on 14 Sep (CR). Clay-colored Sparrow: FOS: 1 at Townsend’s Warbler: FOS: 1 at Pelican shores Weld on 21 Aug (CS). Midland Hill CR 304 Chaffee on 17 Late: 1 at Weld CR 87 Pond Weld on Aug (GB). WS late record 1 in Du- 13 Nov (SM). WS rare fall records: rango La Plata on 13 Oct (HRM). 2 in Nucla Montrose 10-11 Sep (CD, Late: 1 at Pueblo City Park Pueblo 16- BW); 1 in Paonia Delta 0n 14-15 Sep 26 Oct (BKP, et al.). (JB); 1 at Durango Fish Hatchery La Black-throated Green Warbler: 1 Plata on 15 Sep (HM). immature at Pueblo City Park Pueblo Field Sparrow: West of normal on 13 Nov (BKP, BM). range: 1 at Ramah SWA El Paso on 14 Canada Warbler: All Reports: 1 Sep (MP); 1 on CR off Hwy 52 Weld immature female at Lake Pueblo SP on 17 Sep (CS); 1 at Central Great Pueblo on 7 Sep (BKP); 1 female at Plains Research Washington on 19 Sep LCCW Prowers on 16 Sep (DL, DN, (AFa); 1 at Thompson Ranch Lincoln JaT). on 20 Sep (JK, et al.); 2 at Chico Ba- Wilson’s Warbler: WS report: late sin Ranch HQ Pueblo on 28 Sep (BKP, date 1 at Rain Crow Farm Delta 23-30 DC); 2 at Prewitt Res. Washington on Nov (JB). High count: 100 at Loudy/ 1 Oct (DD). High Count: 51 at Fox Simpson Park, Craig Moffat on 11 Sep Ranch Yuma on 12 Oct (MP, SM, (FL). Eastern slope high count: 131 at GW, DD, LK). Jackson Res. Morgan on 10 Sep (SM). Lark Sparrow: WS late record: Late date: 1 along S. Platte River Ad- 1 in Grand Junction Mesa on 2 Nov ams on 22 Nov (AMB field trip). (MH). Yellow-breasted Chat: LOS: 1 at Savannah Sparrow: Late: 1 at Centennial Park Littleton Arapahoe Boulder Valley Ranch Trailhead Boul- on 28 Sep (AH); 1 at Stalker Lake der on 28 Nov (SR). Yuma on 28 Sep (MP, SM, DM). Grasshopper Sparrow: WS 3rd Green-tailed towhee: FOS on county record: 1 in hayfield near Nu-

146 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 cla Montrose on 11 Oct (CD, BW, on 13 Nov (SM); 2 at Lake Pueblo SP m.ob.). Late: 1 at Logan CR 93 Pond Pueblo 17-23 Nov (BKP); 1 at Lake Logan on 6 Oct (DK, MGO, JDa). Beckwith Colorado city Pueblo on 24 Fox Sparrow (slate-colored): Un- Nov (DS). usual location: 1 at Pawnee NG Weld White-crowned Sparrow (dark- on 10 Oct (DD). Late: 1 at Red Rocks lored): FOS at low elevation: 3 at Park Jefferson on 17 Nov (MH). Turkey Creek Recreation Area El Fox Sparrow (Red): 1 at Pawnee Paso on 9 Sep (MJG, et al.). Late: 5 NG Weld on 6 Oct (JK, et al.); 1 at at Fox Ranch Yuma on 12 Oct (SM); Colorado City Pueblo on 20 Oct (DS); 3 at Simmons SWA Yuma on 12 Oct 1 heard at Dixon Res. Larimer on 21 (SM); 1 at Union Res. Weld on 23 Oct Oct (BBi). (SM). Lincoln’s Sparrow: FOS on plains: White-crowned Sparrow (Gam- 1 at Barr Lake SP Adams on 13 Aug bel’s): FOS: 3 at Hutchison Park (CS). High Count: 126 at Chico Ba- Draw, Lakewood Jefferson on 21 Sep sin Ranch El Paso/Pueblo on 2 Oct (MH); 4 at Wheat Ridge Greenbelt (SM). WS late record: 1 at Escalante Jefferson on 21 Sep (AMB). SWA Delta on 4 Nov (MH). Late: 1 at Golden-crowned Sparrow: The 2 Cañon City Riverwalk Fremont on 17 regular winter residents returned to Nov (SEM). Teller Farms Boulder on 29 Oct (CN) Swamp Sparrow: FOS: 1 at and Red Rocks Trading Post Jefferson Walden Ponds Boulder on 29 Sep on 29 Oct (MC). (PB). Late and unusual on WS: 2 at Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored): Sweitzer Lake Delta on 29 Nov (MH). FOS: 1 at Prewitt Res. Washington on White-throated Sparrow: WS: 1 1 Oct (DD). adult at Lime Creek Road San Juan on 4 Aug (PED); 1 at Routt Core Trail Routt on 15 Oct (DTM); 1 in Nucla Montrose on 21 Oct (CD, BW); 1 at Rain Crow Farm Delta 27 Oct - 2 Nov (JB). High Count: 5 at Norma’s Grove Weld on 5 Oct (DL); 5 at Temple Grove Bent on 24 Oct (DL). Harris’s Sparrow: WS 1 at Rain Crow Farm Delta on 27 Oct (JB). East Slope reports: 2 at Fox Ranch Yuma on 28 Sep (MP, SM, DM); 1 at Jack- son Res. Morgan on 9 Oct (SM, DP); 2 at Fox Ranch Yuma on 12 Oct (MP, GW, SM, BK, LK, DD); 2 at Simmons SWA Yuma on 12 Oct (SM, DD); 1 at Golden-crowned Sparrow, Red Rocks Brush Creek Loop Road Custer on 7 Trading Post, Jefferson County, 29 Oc- Nov (RM); 1 at Jackson Res. Morgan tober 2013. Photo by Mark Chavez

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 147 Dark-eyed Junco (Cassiar): FOS: Northern Cardinal: 1 at Stalker 1at private yard Boulder on 11 Oct Lake Yuma 31 Aug - 1 Sep (DD, SM); (BZ). 2 at Cottonwood Canyon Baca on Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon): FOS: 7 Sep (JMa, GC); 4 at Stalker lake 1 at Jackson Res. Morgan on 25 Sep Yuma 18-28 Sep (SM, MP, DM); 1 (SM). at Bonny Res. SWA Yuma on 28 Sep Dark-eyed Junco (Pink-sided): (DK, MGo); 3 at LCCW Prowers 10- FOS: 3 at Chico Basin Ranch El Paso 29 Sep (DL, DN, m. ob.). on 24 Sep (DD); 1 at Stulp Farm Rose-breasted Grosbeak: 1 at Prowers on 24 Sep (JS). feeders Larimer on 5 Aug and 9 Sep Dark-eyed Junco (White- (AFi); 1 at Last Chance Rest Area winged): FOS: 1 at Jackson Res. Mor- Washington on 3 Sep (LK); 1 at feeder gan on 28 Sep (AMB trip) in Lyons Boulder on 3 Oct (SR); 1 at Dark-eyed Junco (Gray-headed): Greenlee Preserve Boulder on 4 Oct FOS on plains: 1 at Hudak yard Den- (TF). ver on 10 Aug (AH). Black-headed Grosbeak: WS late Summer Tanager: All Reports: 1 report: 1 at Nucla Montrose on 2 Oct in Haxtun Phillips on 1 Sep (SM); 1 (CD, BW). East Slope: 1 at Fountain female at LCCW Prowers on 15 Sep Creek Regional Park El Paso on 28 (DL, DN, JaT); 1 at Stulp Farm Prow- Sep (TS). ers on 17 Sep (JS). Lazuli Bunting: WS reports: eleva- Scarlet Tanager: All Reports: 1 fe- tion record at 10515 feet as well as late male at Lake Beckwith Colorado City report 1 at Molas Lake San Juan on 19 Pueblo on 11 Sep (DS, BKP); 1 male at Sep (CD, BW); 1 at Nucla Montrose LCCW Prowers on 13 Sep (DL, DN, on 20 Sep (CD, BW). Late report: 1 JaT); 1 at Stalker Lake Yuma on 28 at Lake Dorothy SWA Las Animas 4 Sep (MP, DM). Oct (DHa). Indigo Bunting: WS report: 1 at Loudy/Simpson Park, Craig Routt on 24 Aug (FL); 1 at Tomichi Creek Gunnison on 24 Sep (MOC). Late Date: 1 female at LCCW Prowers on 30 Nov (DL). Lazuli x Indigo Bunting (hybrid): 1 at Stalker Lake Yuma on 18 Sep (SM); 1 at Rain Crow Farm Delta on 3 Oct (JB). Painted Bunting: 1 at TruValue Hardware Colorado City Pueblo on 11 Sep (BKP, DS). “Eastern” Evening Grosbeak, Ovid, Dickcissel: 2 at Jackson Res. Mor- Sedgwick County, 3 November 2013. gan on 1 Aug (GW); 1 near Briggsdale Photo by Steve Mlodinow Weld on 10 Aug (CH); 1 near US 6

148 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 Pond Washington on 11 Aug (SM); Russell Yard Prowers 3-31 Aug (DR); 1 at Jackson Res. Morgan on 31 Aug 2 at Wray Fish Hatchery Yuma on 1 (JR); 1 near CR 51/US 385 Yuma on Sep (SM); 1 at Last chance Rest Area 1 Sep (SM); 1 at Stulp Farm Prowers Washington on 12 Sep (GW). on 5 Sep (JS); 1 at Thompson Ranch Baltimore Oriole: 1 male at Dixon Lincoln on 13 Sep (DM); 7 at Flagler Res. Larimer 22-29 Aug (JKi, m.ob.); Res. SWA Kit Carson on 14 Sep (DK, 1 in Penrose Fremont on 1 Sep (DA); MGo, JDa); 1 at Lake Pueblo SP Pueb- 1 at mouth of Coal Creek Canyon Jef- lo on 14-16 Sep (BKP). ferson on 1 Sep (BK); 1 male at LCCW Yellow-headed Blackbird: Late re- Prowers on 16 Sep (DL, DN, JaT); 1 port: 2 at Jackson Lake SP Morgan on late female at Thompson Ranch Lin- 13 Nov (SM). coln on 29 Sep (JK, SL, KMD, DSh). Rusty Blackbird: All Reports: Cassin’s Finch: East of normal 1 at Timnath Res. Larimer on 5 Oct range: 1 at Stulp Farm Prowers on 2 (SM); 1 at Stulp Farm Prowers on 19 Aug (JS); 1 female at Crow Valley CG Oct (JS); 1 female at Bear Creek Lake Weld on 30 Sep (DL); 1 at Komar resi- Park Jefferson on 7 Nov (CA, MK); dence Larimer on 2 Oct (NK); 1 adult 8 at Lake Hasty Bent 1-18 Nov (JJ, male on Pawnee NG Weld on 3 Oct DN, GW et al); 10 at Lake Pueblo SP (EL) and 10 Oct (DD); 1 at Grand- Pueblo 9-27 Nov (BKP, DC, m.ob.). view Cemetery Larimer on 13 Oct Brewer’s Blackbird: Unusually (NK); 1 at Colorado University cam- high count of 2300 at Andrick Ponds pus Boulder on 12 Nov (BK). SWA Morgan on 9 Oct (SM, DD). White-winged Crossbill: 2 males Common Grackle: High late on Buffalo Pass Routt on 23 Aug (RS). count: 21 at Rocky Mountain Arsenal Common Redpoll: 2 at Lee Mar- NWR Adams on 29 Nov (KDr). tinez Park Larimer on 22 Nov (EL); 4 Brown-headed Cowbird: Late re- at Lake Loveland Larimer on 27 Nov port: 1 at Banner Lakes SWA Weld on (SM, SW). 17 Nov (CS). Evening Grosbeak: Unusual loca- Bullock’s Oriole: Late: 1 male at tions: 1 at Lake Pueblo SP Pueblo on LaVeta Huerfano on 22 Nov (BJ). 18 Aug (PH); 1 at Ovid Sedgwick on 3 Bullock’s x Baltimore Oriole: 1 in Nov (SM, NM).

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 analyzing eBird data and preparing all of the reports for our consideration.

CONTRIBUTING OBSERVERS DA: Dale Adams; CA: Chuck Aid; SA: Susan Allerton; BA: Brad Andres; JA: John Arnett; ScB: Scott Baron; SBa: Susan Bawn; JB: Jason Beason; DBy: Diana Beatty; JBy: Jim Beatty; RBe: Robert Beauchamp; DBe: Donald Beltz; GB: Gerald Baines; BBi:

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 149 Brad Biggerstaff; AMB: Audubon Master Birders; MBl: Maureen Blackford; AB: Aar- on Boone; CB: Cree Bol; ABo: Ann Bonnell; MB: Maggie Boswell; BBr: Bob Bradley; EB: Eric Bradley; IB: Inga Brennan; DB: Dan Brooke; SB: Steve Brown; BBr: Barbara Bryan; PB: Peter Burke; KC: Kara Carragher; GC: Glen Caspers; DC: David Chartier; MC: Mark Chavez; AmC: Amanda Clements; CFO: Colorado Field Ornithologists; AC: Alan Contreras; JC: Jacob Cooper; CC: Cade Cropper; ACr: Alex Cruz; EC: Ei- leen Cunningham; AD: Art Dahl; BDA: Bob D’Antonio; JDa: Jeff Dawson; TD: Todd Deininger;; DFO: Denver Field Ornithologists; PED: Peter & Ellen Derven; CD: Coen Dexter; PD: Paul Didier; PDi: Paul Differding; DD: David Dowell; ADr: Aaron Driscoll; KDr: Karen Drozda; JD: John Drummond; KMD: Kathy Mihm Dunning; KJD: Kathy & Jeff Dunning; KE: Ken Ecton; LE: Lisa Edwards; DE: David Ely; NEr: Norma Erickson; NE: Norm Erthal; ME: Martha Eubanks; AFa: Art Fairson; LF: Lee Farese; GF: Gerry Fedrizzi; BF: Betty Fenton; AFi: Avery Fichera; DF: Dick Filby; SF: Shannon Fitch; RF: Richard Flores; TF: Ted Floyd; EDF: Eric De Fonso; DG: Dave Galinat; DGa: Dennis Garrison; PG: Peter Gent; DGi: David Gillian; MJG: Mel & Jeanne Goff; MGo: MacK- enzie Goldthwaite; CG: Chris Goulart; DGo: Doug Gould; JG: Jane Graves; LG: Linda Groat; BG: Bryan Guarente; JHa: John Haas; THa: Thomas Halverstadt; BH: Bill Harris; RHa: Robert Hays; DHA: David Hawksworth; GH: Glenn Hawley; JH: John Haycraft; TH: Tully Henke; MH: Mike Henwood; SH: Sarah Hester; RHi: Robb Hinds: RHo: Rachel Hopper; AHP: Alec Hopping; EH: Evelyn Horn; AH: Art Hudak; KH: Kirk Huffstater; BHu: Barbara Hughes; CH: Charles Hundertmark; PH: Paul Hurtado; BJ: Beverly Jensen; JaJ: Jane Jones; JJ: Jeff Jones; MJ: Margie Joy; BK: Bill Kaempfer; KK: Kevin Keirn; MKe: Mary Keithler; JK: Joey Kellner; DK: Doug Kibbe; MK: Michael Kiessig; LK: Loch Kilpatrick; JKi: Jon King; HK: Hugh Kingery; UK: Urling Kingery; EK: Elena Klaver; CK: Chris Knight; RK: Rick Knight; RHK: Rick & Heather Knight; GK: Gary Koehn; NK: Nick Komar; AK: Alison Kondler; NKo: Nic Korte; CLa: Catherin La- bio; KLa: Kaye Lafreniere; RL: Ron Lambeth; SL: Steve Larson; CL: Charles Lawrence; DL: Dave Leatherman; GL: Gary Lefko; NL: Norm Lewis; TLi: Tom Litteral; FL: For- rest Luke; JL: John Lumb; EL: Eric Lutomski; KMc: Kathleen MCGinley; CM: Cynthia Madsen; ; JMa: Jim Malcom; RMa: Robert Martinez; LM: Luis “Beto” Matheus; BM: Bill Maynard; DM: Dan Maynard; JMc: Jamie McBride; KMc: Kay McConnell; TMc: Tom McConnell; DMc: Donna McFadden; KSM: Karen S. Metz; KMD: Kathy Mihm- Dunning; LyM; Lynne Miller; RM: Rich Miller; MML: Mark Minner-Lee; JM: Jeannie Mitchell; TM: Tim Mitzen; SM: Steve Mlodinow; NM: Nick Moore; RM: Riley Morris; SEM: SeEtta Moss; BMo: Bob Moston; DTM: David & Tresa Moulton; DN: Duane Nel- son; JaN: James Nelson; KN: Kent Nelson; GN: Gloria Nikolai; CN: Christian Nunes; MO: Mark Obmascik; MOB: Michael O’Brien; MOC: Mary O’Conner; JO: Jeffrey Of- ferman; PO: Penny Owens; KP: Ken Pals; DeP: Dennis Paulson; JPe: Jane Pederson; DPe: Donald Pendleton; BKP: Brandon K. Percival; KPe: Kris Peterson; MP: Mark Peterson; NP: Nathan Pieplow; PP: Pam Piombino; LP: Laurence Pitcher; SP: Susan Plankis; JRa: Jason Ransom; KR: Kay Rasmussen; JR: John Rawinski; JJR: Jan & John Rees; BRe: Betty Reynolds; DRh: David Rhoades; MR: Marilyn Rhodes; SR: Sue Riffe; JAR: JoAnn Riggle; BR: Bob Righter; SRo: Samantha Robinson; ARo: Andrea Robinsong; JR: Joe Roller; LR: Linnea Rowse; VR: Vicki Ruchhoeft; ER: Ed Rumberger; PRu: Peter Rupre- cht; DR: Dorothy Russell; CR: Chris Rurik; JSa: Judith Sandborn; BSc: Bill Schmoker; SS: Scott Sever; CS: Cathy Sheeter; JSt: John Shenot; AS: Aaron Shipe; DSh: Dean Shoup; DS: Dave Silverman; PS: Paul Slingsby; BSn: Bruce Snyder; DSp: David Spates; BSp: Bob Spencer; LSt: Laura Steadman; GS: George Steele; DSt: Deb Stegall; BSt:

150 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 Brad Steger; RS: Ruth Stewart; HS: Harriet Stratton; TS: Tyler Stuart; JS: Jane Stulp; JSu: Joel Such; MS: Marcel Such; CT: Cheryl Teuton; JaT: Janeal Thompson; JTh: Jim Thompson; RTh: Russ Thompson; GT: Geoff Tischbein; JTr: Jackson Trappett; VT: Van Truan;; JV: John Vanderpoel; DV: Dan Versaw; DWa: David Wade; GW: Glenn Walbek; SW: Sean Walters; DW: David Waltman; NW: Nancy Welter; TW: Tom Wilberding; CW: Cole Wild; LW: Lisa Williams; MWi: Mike Wilson; RW: Ronda Woodward; PW: Polly Wren; BW: Brenda Wright; MY: Mark Yeager; VZ: Vic Zerbi; BZ: Bob Zilly; 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. The Denver Post Colorado Flood ‘13, A Special Section September 29, 2013. NWSFO (National Weather Service Forecasting Office). Denver-Boulder, CO. observed weather reports and monthly summaries.

Mike Henwood, [email protected]

CFO Spring Field Trip— SE Colorado Migrant Weekend

Join CFO President Bill Kaempfer for a weekend of birding in South- east Colorado on May 9-11. The trip will be limited to 15 participants and only CFO members are eligible. After pre-registration, car pools will be organized to get participants to Eads, Colorado where we plan to stay on Friday night. Saturday we will continue south and bird at hot spots like Tempel Grove, Lamar Community College Woods and Lake Hasty/John Martin Reservoir. Saturday night we will stay in Las Animas or La Junta to try for Black Rail. Sunday we will visit several lakes including Cheraw, Holbrook, Meredith and Henry before breaking up for the trip home. Again, this trip will be limited to 15 CFO members. To register please send an email to [email protected].

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 151 CFO GRANT REPORT

Anjelica Quintana and the Blanca Wetlands

Natasha Kerr Environment for the Americas (EFTA) coordinates International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD), one of the largest bird conservation education programs in the Western Hemisphere. IMBD inspires people of all ages to learn about birds and to take part in bird conservation. On a national basis, birding has not reached diverse audiences and many minority groups are underrepresented in careers related to natural resources and conservation. EFTA is working to change the face of birding by providing bird research and education opportunities to Latina/o youth through Celebrate Shorebirds. Celebrate Shorebirds is an internship program that gives Latina/o youth experiences in migratory shorebird research; environmental research; careers in natural resources and connections to birdwatchers, biologists and educators. Thanks to a generous donation from Colorado Field Ornitholo- gists, southern Colorado native Anjelica Quintana had the opportunity to attend the Celebrate Shorebirds intern training in Monterey, California in spring 2013. This training was essential to her ability to identify shorebirds, use research protocols to monitor shorebirds and offer educational programs. Upon completion of the training, Anjelica returned to Alamosa, Colorado, where she worked for eight months at Blanca Wetlands for the Bureau of Land Management. Blanca Wetlands is a crucial stopover site for more than 150 species of birds as they migrate to nesting areas in the north. Anjelica conducted the first migratory shorebird surveys of this area, including sandpipers, phalaropes and plovers. She also conducted site surveys to assess the availability of food for these long-distance migrants. The grant from CFO helped her to gain critical skills she can use to find future employment in natural resources, and directly contributed to the collection of valuable information about the chronology of shorebird migration and the habitats they use in southern Colorado. After her internship, Anjelica returned to her coursework at Ad- ams State University where she is working toward a degree in Wild- life Biology with a minor in Spanish. She hopes to become a wildlife biologist in Colorado working with dedicated professionals, such as those at Blanca Wetlands.

Natasha Kerr, [email protected]

152 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 THE HUNGRY BIRD

Crayfish

Dave Leatherman Introduction My restaurant-manager friend Nia, born and raised near New Or- leans, says the best way to eat them is from a roadside stand, fresh boiled in proper seasonings, maybe a couple pounds worth. “You hold the bug in both hands, and at the same time pinch off the head and tail, throw- ing away the body. Suck the head, get all the good juice out, then toss it. Next you lift the tail meat a little with one thumb, pinch the tip with the other hand, and that pops the meat out. Eat the tail meat, take a bite of potato and a bite of corn (on the cob). Wash it all down with Abita Amber (beer), or if you’re a hardcore local, an Abita Turbodog. Grab another bug. Repeat. Makes me homesick just talkin’ about it.” She was visibly emotional. Down on the Gulf they call them “bugs” or “mudbugs.” We Ohio kids caught “crawdads.” In Australia they’re “yabbies.” Throughout most of the U.S. they are known as “crawfish” or “crayfish.” Regardless of what name they go by, humans; many other vertebrates like raccoon, mink, otter, fish and, yes, birds find them highly edible. To highlight the degree to which humans enjoy eating crayfish, in the early 2000s more than 500,000 acres of Louisiana, supplier at the time of over 90% of the world’s crop, had been flooded for the production of crayfish. The 2004 harvest was more than 58,000 tons (Anonymous 2009). That’s a lot of head-sucking and tail meat. More information will follow regarding the influence of southern U.S. crayfish farming on birds (Huner 2000, Anon. 2009). Crayfish are in the Phylum Ar- thropoda, Subphylum Crustacea, Class Malacostraca, Order Decap- oda and Superfamily Astrocoidea. All the species in Colorado are in the family Cambaridae. As decapods they have 10 walking legs, the first pair modified into pincers. Their bodies are divided into two major regions, the cepha- lothorax and the abdomen, that A large crayfish specimen (Orconectes sp.) together are comprised of 20 seg- from Claymore Lake in Laporte (Larimer ments, each with a pair of append- County), CO. Photo by Dave Leatherman ages. Besides walking forward, the

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 153 various appendages aid in directing water to the gills, reproduction (including egg holding in females), swimming backward and various other functions. If you like the charm and detail common to scientific writing before they put something in the water at research institutions, check out Thomas Huxley’s famous late 19th century treatise (available in its en- tirety in the “further reading” section of the Wikipedia entry for crayfish on-line). Here we learn “cray” is an Old English derivative of “crevis” or “crevice.” These terms are thought to come from either the French “ecrevisse” or the Low Dutch “crevik,” by which the crayfish is known in these languages. Both obviously refer to general lifestyle of these animals. Huxley is not sure which etymology is correct and charmingly deduces the term crayfish, or “crevicefish”, is either the result of the Norman Conquest or comes from the natural assimilation of Angles and Saxons into the English culture (Huxley, 1880). Certain species of crayfish can live up to 15-20 years. They are generally born in the spring and take a few years to reach sexual maturity. Young crayfish enlarge by molting their exoskeleton 2-3 times per year. Later in life, molting is annual, with very old individuals shedding only every few years. They eat a wide range of dead matter, mostly plant but some animal. The pincers, for which they and their lobster relatives are known, aid food manipulation, courtship and defense. Of course, the crayfish existence is generally aquatic, but they are capable of living out of water for short periods. During times of low water or hot weather, they often burrow into soft mud or retreat to mini-caves along the bank. Almost all crayfish species like relatively unpolluted, moving water that does not freeze completely throughout its depth (Huxley 1880).

Colorado Crayfish Distribution and Status Looking at the literature, the occurrence and status of Colorado crayfish would appear to be a moving target, depending on the species. This is in part due to taxonomic issues, the general lack of systematic/ periodic (including recent) surveys, collection records not being published and the volatility of human introductions via reckless handling or purposeful release of live bait. That said, the following is a concerted attempt at pulling things together. Colorado hosts, or has hosted, at least eight species of crayfish (Walker 2013, Unger 1986). Six of these are considered native to at least one drainage in the state, with two being wholly introduced. This compares with the roughly 350 species occurring in North America, the southeastern U.S. being richest in diversity (Unger 1986). The current status and distribution of the eight Colorado species is as follows (Walker 2013, Unger 1986, Foutz per. comm.):

154 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 Cambarus diogenes (devil crayfish) was native to the South Platte River, now considered extirpated. Orconectes virilis (virile crayfish) was native to the South Platte River and presently is known from the South Platte, Arkansas, Colorado and possibly Rio Grande Rivers. O. nais (water nymph crayfish) was native to the Arkansas, South Platte, Rio Grande and North Fork of Republican Rivers. Presently it is known from the Arkansas, South Platte, Republican and Rio Grande Rivers. O. immunis (calico crayfish) was native to the South Platte and Ar- kansas Rivers. Presently it is known from the South Platte, Arkansas and Colorado Rivers. O. neglectus neglectus (ringed crayfish) was native to the Republican River and is now known from the Republican and Arkansas Rivers. Procambarus simulens (southern plains crayfish) was possibly native to the North Fork of Smokey Hill River (south of Burlington) but, if present there, has since been extirpated. It presently resides in the Ar- kansas River, where introduced. O. rusticus (rusty crayfish) is considered an introduced invasive that presently is known to reside in parts of the Colorado and Rio Grand Rivers. It has the potential to spread and negatively affect native crayfish, fish and aquatic plants. O. propinquus (northern clearwater crayfish) has been introduced in the Arkansas River. Summarizing the status of crayfish in Colorado, seven species are thought to presently reside with the borders of Colorado. The eastern plains represent what is likely the western range limit of species native to the East. The Rocky Mountains are a barrier, and any crayfish found west of the Continental Divide represents human introduction. No species native to the far western U.S. has occurred here. In Colo- rado at present it appears only a few species are at all plentiful, widely distributed and/or exhibit habits that would make them significant as prey for birds. That said, a considerable number of Colorado bird species are reported to have eaten crayfish at some place and time within their established ranges.

Crayfish and Birds Even considering our less than robust diversity, sooner or later any birder who spends time by a variety of water bodies in Colorado will see a bird eat a crayfish, often gulls, diving waterfowl or waders. But other species, including dabbling ducks and so-called “land birds,” will take a crayfish if the opportunity presents itself. Apparently birds eating crayfish is a popular subject for outdoor en-

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 155 thusiasts with cameras. When I did a search for “birds eating crayfish,” no less than 23 species were represented in the still photo portfolio (including two non-North American species: Great Crested Grebe and White-faced Heron). I also found videos including a charming episode of a parent Common Loon feeding a chick; a Barred Owl parent feeding a crayfish to its owlet named “Wallace;” a male Hooded Merganser, crayfish in beak, being hounded by either a female or young conspecific and an American Coot dining on crayfish in an exclusive New York City eatery named Central Park. No less than 88 species currently on the Checklist of the Birds of Colorado (plus Mottled Duck, which may soon be added, and Mute Swan, perhaps a future qualifier) are known to consume crayfish (species in bold are particularly notable for their routine or episodic eating of crayfish). Another 25 or more would likely eat crayfish under the right circumstances. The list of known crayfish-eating species that have been seen in our state is as follows: Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Black- bellied Whistling-Duck, Wood Duck, Gadwall, Mallard, Blue-winged Teal, Cinnamon Teal, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead,Common Goldeneye, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Hood- ed Merganser, Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Common Loon, Pied-billed Grebe, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Eared Grebe, American White Pelican, Double-crested Cormo- rant, American Bittern, Least Bittern, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Cattle Egret, Green Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, White-faced Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Wood Stork, Common Black-Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red- tailed Hawk, Crested Caracara, Merlin, King Rail, Virginia Rail, Sora, Purple Gallinule, American Coot, Sandhill Crane, Whoop- ing Crane, Piping Plover, Kill- deer, Black-necked Stilt, Greater Yellowlegs, Upland Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Long-billed Curlew, Long-billed Dowitcher, Wilson’s Pied-billed Grebe attempting to eat a crayfish Snipe, Franklin’s Gull, Mew at Bosque del Apache NWR, New Mexico on Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Cali- 25 November 2009. All but one claw, which fornia Gull, Herring Gull, Cas- came off in a vigorous bout of thrashing, was pian Tern, Black Tern, Barn Owl, swallowed. Photo by Bill Schmoker Western Screech-Owl, Eastern

156 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 Screech-Owl, Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl, Belted Kingfisher, Red-headed Wood- pecker, Loggerhead Shrike, Blue Jay, American Crow, Common Raven, Tree Swallow, Brown Thrasher, Rusty Blackbird, Common Grackle and Great- tailed Grackle. Comparing the above list to the total Colorado checklist, there are species missing that might seem likely to consume crayfish: Osprey, Brown Peli- Rusty Blackbird male with small crayfish taken can, the Aechmophorus grebes, from Boulder Creek east of Boulder, CO on 22 Neotropic Cormorant, both December 2013. Photo by Bill Schmoker scaup, Ring-necked Duck, Red- dish Egret, certain hawks, Black Rail, certain large plovers, many large “white-headed” gulls and Forster’s Tern. However, available species accounts contain no mention of crayfish. Crayfish are eaten by birds in many ways, mostly depending on the size and condition of the prey and the type of bird. Strategies for deal- ing with/avoiding the hard crayfish exoskeleton include discarding the hardest sections or pulling meat/viscera out of cracked or decayed sections of this casing (gulls, for example); grinding it in the crop after in- gestion (Hooded Merganser, for example) or regurgitating it in bits via pellets (kingfishers, owls and ibis, for example). Crayfish captured alive and eaten whole are usually eaten tail-first, in deference to the claws and/or simply choosing the path of least resistance based on crayfish anatomy (streamlined in this direction, a tangle of barbed wire in the other). Birds attempting to eat particularly large crayfish, or that just prefer not to eat them whole, usually remove the claws. This has been my experience with gulls, particularly Ring-billed, Franklin’s and Cali- fornia Gulls at eastern plains reservoirs in late summer/autumn. In such places the beach can be heavily littered with beautiful blue and orange pincers. To each crustacean-eater his own. Presented with a plated lobster, we humans covet the tail and claw “meat” (the latter mostly made up of the adductor muscle used to close the pincers). Birds consuming much smaller crayfish most-highly value tail meat and internal viscera. Apparently, little nuggets of meat entombed within hard chitin pincers are just not worth it for most birds. Birds that scavenge dead crayfish, such as shorebirds and gulls, will pick and probe for any and all soft morsels they can find.

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 157 Interesting tidbits from the literature pertaining to birds and crayfish • The diet of King Rails in Arkansas rice fields was 61 percent by volume crayfish in spring, 22 percent in summer, 3 percent in fall and 7 percent in winter. In this study smaller specimens were eaten whole, while larger ones were hacked to pieces (for a particularly large one, this latter process took seven minutes) (Poole 2005). • Mew Gulls nesting near inland lakes in British Columbia relied heavily on crayfish (Vermeer 1986). • Mottled Ducks nesting in Louisi- ana rice fields eat at least some crayfish Western Screech-Owl fledgling, envious (Weeks 1969, Stutzenbacker 1988). sibling at its side, swallows a crayfish • With the acceleration of com- tail provided by a parent. Lake Forest mercial crayfish farming in the South, Park, WA. Photo by Gregg Krogstad many waders including herons, egrets of a drawing by Tony Angell and ibis were assigned “pest” status due to their predation on the “crop,” a label that threatened them in ways reminiscent of the millenary trade in the late 1800s and early 1900s (Ryder 1994, Martin 1985, Fluery 1995). • The two crayfish types grown for human consumption, and now prominent in the diets of many southern waders, are Procambarus clarkii (red swamp crawfish) and P. zonangulus (white river crawfish). These species make up 70-80 percent and 20-30 percent respectively of the commercial harvest (Huner 2000). Their introduction into other parts of the world, Africa particularly, has proven problematic. • White-faced Ibis employ two methods when foraging in water: the “ranging” method, which involves walking back and forth and pecking like a chicken, and the “stationary” method of standing in one spot and swinging the bill side to side. Ranging is used for crayfish and stationary for midge larvae (Belknap 1957). • Rusty Blackbirds have been known to submerge their heads entirely to acquire crayfish (Forbush 1927, Avery 2013), while Western Screech-owls (not wanting to mess up a “good facial disk day?”) will only stick their legs into the water (Cannings 2001). • An Aplomado Falcon once stole a crayfish from a Little Blue Heron (Clark 1989). • Selenium concentration in crayfish is one of the threats to the population of the Yuma Clapper Rail in the Lower Colorado River area (Rusk 1991).

158 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 • Sora rail chicks raised in captivity from birth will readily take dog food, but those brought in from the wild will not eat dog food until crayfish and dragon- fly bits are mixed in (Kaufman 1987). • Of all the species that feed on crayfish, White Ibis perhaps depends on them most. Inland freshwater Florida studies found Wood Duck male with crayfish at Long Pond, crayfish provided 60-72 percent Fort Collins, Larimer County, Colorado on of the total energy this bird ob- 20 March 2013. Photo by Rachel Hopper tained from feeding (Kushlan 1979). Another inland Florida study lists the contents regur- gitated from 50 young White Ibises as: 352 cutworms, 308 grasshoppers, 602 crayfish and 42 small snakes (Baynard 1912). Perhaps a very surprising con- sumer of crayfish O.( virilis), from a report in Ontario, is Tree Swal- low. In this instance, swallows ate crayfish just prior to breeding sea- White-winged Scoter preparing to swallow a son, presumably to boost calcium crayfish tail-first, Thomas Reservoir, Boulder levels needed for eggshell produc- County, Colorado on 29 December 2008. tion (Winkler 2011). Photo by David Waltman While not involving consumption of crayfish per se, at least three Colorado birds, Piping Plo- ver (Elliott-Smith 2004), Killdeer (Kull 1977) and Caspian Tern (Bent 1921), utilize crayfish exoskeletons, including claws, in their nests. The plovers construct simple “scrapes,” while the tern, not a known breeder here (Wickersham, pers. corr.) produce a ground nest built-up enough to have a rim (which is where claws are incorporated). Presumably these function to camouflage the nest from predators. Lastly, a story from my Grandview Cemetery haunt in Fort Collins where an irrigation ditch filled in summer with water diverted from the Poudre River runs through the eastern part. Over years of frequent visi- tation, I have come to learn that Common Grackles utilize this ditch quite a bit. In it they dunk dry food obtained elsewhere, and they find prey along or in it quite often. On 10 May 2011 I became interested in a male grackle flushed from tall dry grass along the bank. After I retreated

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 159 20 yards, the bird quickly returned to the flushing location. Grackles can be quite wary, so I feigned indiffer- ence and then very slowly swung my optics to watch what happened next. To my surprise, although perhaps I shouldn’t have been had I paid better attention the first 62 years of my life, the grackle was poking at, stabbing and otherwise subduing a large crayfish. The captured creature had been dragged from the water onto the lower ditch bank, and was flailing claws like a lone fan in the stands trying to get “the wave” started. After subduing the creature, the grackle removed its tail, pecked at the tail meat, and Common Grackle preparing to eviscerate a then focused on the contents of the crayfish it captured and killed along the ditch “torso”. With the meal on its back, at Grandview Cemetery, Fort Collins, Col- the grackle positioned itself beside it, orado. Photo by Dave Leatherman beak pointed away from the head to start. Then it looked down and thrust its beak inside the tube of chitin. For minutes it pulled out chunks of internal organs, basically leaving only a hollow casing with orange-tipped claws attached. About 10 months earlier on 31 July 2010, I photographed a young crayfish scavenging tissue from the skeletal remains of a snake lying under water on the bottom of the same ditch mentioned above. As I write, having witnessed many grackles that wash or soak their prey in water, the above grackle episode with the crayfish, and a 9 June 2013 incident that involved a grackle eating a garter snake in the same ditch, I now wonder if it all just kind of goes together in this big, bad, wonderful natural world of eat and/or be eaten. Like Nia said, to do it right, first you pull off the head, then you pop out the tail meat, take a couple bites of other stuff, and wash it all down…

Acknowledgments Thanks go to Bill Schmoker, David Waltman and Rachel Hopper for grant- ing use of their photographs. Tony Angell was most generous to share his screech-owl drawing that will appear along with others in his book The House of Owls (scheduled for 2015). Gregg Krogstad photographed Tony’s drawing and emailed the file in timely fashion. Randy Foutz, Native Aquatic Species Biologist with Colorado Parks & Wildlife, was very helpful in providing access to Pete Walker’s unpublished CPW crayfish report. Duane Nel-

160 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 son kindly responded promptly to my request for local knowledge of crayfish occurrence east of Pueblo. Janeal Thompson provided a helpful review. Lynn Wickersham confirmed Caspian Tern is still not known to have bred in Colorado. John and Joan Schmid let me catch the crayfish (pg. 153) in the ditch near their home.

Literature Cited Anonymous ^ “1978–2007: Louisiana Summary of Agriculture and Natural Resources” (PDF). Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 2009. Avery, Michael L. 2013.Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus). The Birds of NA online (A. Poole, Ed) Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved from The Birds of NA Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species 200. Baynard, O. E. 1912. Food of herons and ibises. Wilson Bull. 24:167-169. Beal, F. E. L. 1911. Food of the woodpeckers of the United States. U.S. Dept. Ag. Biol. Surv. Bull. no. 37. Bednarz, J.C. and J.J. Dinsmore. 1985. Flexible dietary-response and feeding ecology of Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) in Iowa. Can. Field-Naturalist 99(2):262- 264. Bent, A. C. 1921. Life histories of North American gulls and terns. U.S. Natl. Mus. Bull. 113. Cannings, Richard J. and Tony Angell. 2001. Western Screech-Owl (Megascops ken- nicottii), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds. cornell.edu/bna/species/597 Clark, W. S., P. H. Bloom, and L. W. Oliphant. 1989. Aplomado Falcon steals prey from Little Blue Heron. J. Field Ornithol. 60:380-381. Dugger, B. D., K. M. Dugger and L. H. Fredrickson. 2009. Hooded Merganser (Lopho- dytes cucullatus), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cor- nell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http:// bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/098 Elliott-Smith, Elise and Susan M. Haig. 2004. Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/ species/002 Engel, E.T. 1926. Crayfishes of the genus Cambarus in Nebraska and eastern Colorado. Bull. Bur. Fish., 42:87-104. Faxon, W. 1884. Descriptions of new species of Cambarus, to which is added a synonymi- cal list of the known species of Cambarus and Astacus. Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts and Sci., 20:107-158. Fleury, B. E. and T. W. Sherry. 1995. Long-term population trends of colonial wading birds in the southern United States: The impact of crayfish aquaculture on Louisiana populations. Auk 112(3):613-632. Forbush, E.H. 1927. Birds of Massachusetts and other New England states, part 2. Mass. Dept. Ag., Boston. Heath, Julie A., Peter Frederick, James A. Kushlan and Keith L. Bildstein. 2009. White Ibis (Eudocimus albus), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/009

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 161 Hothem, Roger L., Brianne E. Brussee and William E. Davis, Jr. 2010. Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/074 Huner, J.V. 2000. Crawfish and waterbirds. Am. Sci.88(4):301-303. Huxley, T.H. 1880. The crayfish-an introduction to the study of zoology. D. Appleton & Co., New York. Kalmbach, E. R. 1939. The crow in its relation to agriculture. U.S. Dep. Agric. Farmers Bull. no. 1102. Kaufmann, G. W. 1987. Growth and development of Sora and Virginia Rail chicks. Wil- son Bull. 99:432-440. Kull, Jr., R. C. 1977. Color selection of nesting material by Killdeer. Auk 94:602-604. Martin, R. P. and R. B. Hamilton. 1985. Wading bird predation in crawfish ponds. La. Agric. 28:3-5. Kushlan, J. A. 1979a. Feeding ecology and prey selection in the White Ibis. Condor 81:376-389. Palmer, R. S. 1976. Handbook of N.A. birds, vol.3: waterfowl, pt.2. Yale Univ. Press, New Haven, CT. (Barrow’s Goldeneye use of crayfish) Poole, Alan F., L. R. Bevier, C. A. Marantz and Brooke Meanley. 2005. King Rail (Rallus elegans), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds. cornell.edu/bna/species/003 Rusk, M. K. 1991. Selenium risk to Yuma Clapper Rails and other marsh birds of the lower Colorado River. Master’s Thesis. Univ. of Arizona, Tucson. Ryder, Ronald A. and David E. Manry. 1994. White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/ species/130 Stutzenbaker, C. D. 1988. The Mottled Duck, its life history, ecology and management. Texas Parks Wildl. Dept. Austin. Unger, Phillip A. 1978. The crayfishes (Crustacea: Cambaridae) of Colorado. Nat. His- tory Inventory of CO, No.3. U of CO Museum, Boulder. Vermeer, K. and K. Devito. 1986. The nesting biology of Mew Gulls (Larus canus) on Kennedy Lake, British Columbia, Canada: comparison with Mew Gulls in northern Europe. Colon. Waterbirds 9:95-103. Walker, Pete. 2013. Unpublished internal report of Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Denver. Watts, Bryan D. 2011. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Nyctanassa violacea), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/161 Weeks, J. L. 1969. Breeding behavior of Mottled Ducks in Louisiana. Master’s Thesis. Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge. Winkler, David W., Kelly K. Hallinger, Daniel R. Ardia, R. J. Robertson, B. J. Stutchbury and R. R. Cohen. 2011. Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/011 Yosef, R. 1992a. Loggerhead Shrikes eat crayfish. Fla. Field Nat. 20:75-76.

Dave Leatherman, [email protected]

162 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 CBRC REPORT

The 69th Report of the Colorado Bird Records Committee

Doug Faulkner Introduction This 69th report of the Colorado Bird Records Committee (hereafter CBRC or Committee) presents the results of deliberations of the CBRC involving 94 reports submitted by 35 observers and documenting 68 occurrences of 12 species (or recognizable forms) from the period May 1996 to December 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. This report focuses on recent Committee decisions regarding species new to the state and species removed from the CBRC’s Main Review List. The CBRC accepted documentations for Mottled Duck and Cave Swallow as Colorado’s first records for each. With accep- tance of these two species, the Colorado state list is now 498. This report further elaborates on a previously accepted new species in 2013, Hoary Redpoll, and additional accepted documentations for that species in 2013. The CBRC has assessed the status of species on its Main Review List. The following seven species and one form are hereby removed from the Main Review List: Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Laughing Gull, Blue-headed Vireo, Philadelphia Vireo, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Sprague’s Pipit, Red Fox Sparrow and Golden-crowned Sparrow. Ac- ceptance of records not previously published, rationale for removal from the Main Review List and a status summary for each of these species is provided in individual accounts. Committee members voting on these reports were John Drum- mond (Monument), Doug Faulkner (Arvada), Bill Maynard (Col- orado Springs), Brandon Percival (Pueblo), Bill Schmoker (Long- mont), David Silverman (Rye) and Glenn Walbek (Castle Rock).

Committee News The CBRC thanks Bill Maynard for serving six years on the Com- mittee. Bill’s second consecutive three-year term expired on De- cember 31 2013, and per the CBRC bylaws, he must be off of the Committee for one full year before becoming eligible to serve another term. This position has been filled by Mark Peterson (Colorado Springs) whose first term will expire at the end of 2016. Mark is a native Coloradoan with extensive birding experience in the southwest

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 163 U.S. Many of you will know him as the Colorado Field Ornitholo- gists’ County List Master, as well as from his trip reports to remote areas of Cheyenne, Lincoln, and other east-central counties. This is Mark’s first stint on the Committee.

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 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). We present the initials of the contributing observer(s), the official accession 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 total number of state records is given in parentheses after the species scientific name. The initial observer of the bird is underlined, if known, and is presented first only if that person contributed documentation; additional contributors follow in alphabetical order by last name. If the initial observer is known with certainty, but did not submit documentation, those initials are underlined and presented last. Observ- ers submitting a photograph or video capture are indicated with a dagger (†); those who submitted video by a lower-case, italicized “v” (v); and those who submitted audio spectrograms or recordings by a lower-case, italicized “s” (s). In this report, county names are italicized. We have attempted to provide the full date span for individual records with this journal being the primary source of those dates. The Committee has not dealt with the question of full date spans as compared to submitted date spans when documentations cover only a portion of the reported dates. This report uses abbreviations for Chico Basin Ranch (CBR),

164 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 Lake (L.), Lamar Community College (LCC), Reservoir (Res.), State Park (SP) and State Wildlife Area (SWA).

Corrigendum: The dates for the Boulder Hoary Redpoll (2013-1) in the previous Committee report (Faulkner 2013) should be cor- rected to 29-30 December 2012. They were erroneously given as 29- 30 January 2013. My thanks to Peter Gent for bringing attention to that error.

SPECIES ADDED two ‘nearly pure’ ones (in 1970 and TO THE STATE LIST 1933) and four apparent hybrids with Mottled Duck – Anas fulvigula [Mallard] (in 1939, 1944, 1947, and (1). Bailey and Niedrach (1965) 1949)…furthermore, the juvenile noted two specimens taken in the specimen (1933) suggests that [Mot- state: one near Loveland, Larimer, 6 tled-like] ducks breed in Colorado.” November 1907, and an adult male at The additional specimens he refers to Timnath Res., Larimer, 18 September were from his assessment of reported 1962 (Denver Museum of Nature and Mexican Ducks collected in the state Science [DMNS] #353 and #33794, that he considered, instead of being respectively). It was on the basis of Mexican Ducks, to have some combi- these specimens that Mottled Duck nation of Mottled Duck and Mallard was originally placed on the Colo- parentage. The CBRC Chair recently rado state list when the Colorado attempted to examine the 1962 speci- Bird Records Committee (then, CFO men at the DMNS, but it could not Official Records Committee) was be located by the museum staff dur- formed in 1972. However, the species ing that visit. Further attempts will be was removed from the state list in made in the near future to re-examine 1979 when John Hubbard examined the 1962 specimen and all specimens these specimens (Hubbard 1977) and of Mottled-like ducks. In the mean- considered them not to be of that time, the state’s first is represented species (Andrews 1979). However, by a male photographed at Andrick further reading of Hubbard (1977) Ponds SWA, Morgan, 28-30 June suggests otherwise. Hubbard (1977) 2013 (SM†, RHo; 2013-186; 7-0). states that the 1962 specimen (from Mottled Duck is a year-round resi- Timnath Res.) appeared typical for dent of coastal freshwater wetlands Mottled Duck except that the bill was from Veracruz, Mexico, north along “mottled with paler coloration” simi- the Gulf of Mexico to Alabama, with lar to that of some Mallard x Mexican a separate population in peninsu- Duck hybrids. Further on the author lar Florida. The two populations are states that Mottled Duck in Colorado isolated geographically and geneti- “is represented from the northeastern cally from each other (McCracken et part of that state by one apparently al. 2001). The species has also been ‘pure’ specimen (collected in 1962), introduced to coastal Georgia and

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 165 South Carolina using individuals from record on a mixed 3-4 decision (Semo both populations (Stutzenbaker 1998, and Faulkner 2011). McCracken et al. 2001). The western The state’s first is represented by and Florida populations have been a juvenile photographed at Prewitt considered separate subspecies (AOU Res., Washington, 17 July 2013 (SM†; 1957) with the Florida subspecies (A. 2013-183; 6-1). The dissenting Com- f. fulvigula) exhibiting a greenish spec- mittee member expressed concern ulum bordered by a very thin single that the photos were not conclusive white bar and having a lightly streaked for Cave Swallow, although the writ- check and neck, and the western sub- ten description was supportive of species (A. f. maculosa) having a blue- that identification. In particular, two green speculum bordered by a more of the three photos showed the bird’s noticeable single white bar and being throat as darker than expected for more heavily streaked on the check Cave, although it appeared to be pal- and neck (Bellrose 1976). Photos and er in the third photo. The reporting written documentation of the Morgan observer also noted that the photos bird indicate that it had a blue-green made the throat darker than it was speculum with a white border, thus in real life – it was the light throat placing it as the A. f. maculosa subspe- that initially attracted his attention cies, the form expected to occur in among all of the Cliff Swallows. The Colorado. Individuals of the Florida CBRC bylaws section VIII C(10) subspecies are non-migratory and any states that a first state record can reported in Colorado may rightfully be be established by a single observer declined as valid records over concern documentation that includes photo- of wild provenance. graphic or audio-recorded evidence Cave Swallow – Petrochelidon ful- supportive of the identification. In va (1). Leukering (2011) considered this case the CBRC (on a 6-1 vote) Cave Swallow to be a “stealth” vagrant accepts the photographic evidence to Colorado. That article nicely sum- as supportive of the identification, marizes the status of Cave Swallow in thereby establishing it as the first the U.S., therefore its status will not state record. be revisited here. It is also a worthy Hoary Redpoll – Acanthis horne- primer into the identification of juve- manni (6). Nearly 40 years after Jack nile Cave Swallow and any birder seri- Reddall made the statement “Hoary ous about finding this species in Colo- Redpolls should be expected in Colo- rado is encouraged read it. As noted rado” in his 1973 CBRC report (Red- in Leukering (2011), Cave Swallow dall 1973) Colorado not only obtained has been reported in the state on mul- its first, but six records of this species tiple occasions since 2003. However, from the massive redpoll invasion of the CBRC has received documenta- winter 2012-13. The notice of one re- tion (2009-87) for only one of those cord (2013-1) had been published in a reports prior to 2013, a report that the previous Committee report (Faulkner Committee did not accept as a state 2013), however, the species is also

166 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 included in this report to account for redpoll invasion, the CBRC received the additional records accepted by the 12 documentations for Hoary Redpoll. CBRC. The CBRC solicited and received out- In North America Hoary Redpoll side expert opinions for these reports. is a high-arctic species that breeds in The table at the end of this report open tundra and winters at slightly summarizes the six Hoary Redpoll re- lower latitudes in Alaska and Canada. cords accepted for the state. A few individuals are occasionally It should be noted that redpoll tax- found as far south as the Upper Mid- onomy is controversial and not yet re- west and New England states during solved (see AOU 1998, Marthinsen et the winter. Even its close congener, al. 2008). The CBRC does not make Common Redpoll, which breeds at taxonomic determinations and it fol- more southerly climes and is a regu- lows the authority of the American lar winter resident in states border- Ornithologists’ Union’s Committee ing Canada, is not a species that oc- on Classification and Nomenclature curs annually in Colorado. Cairo and that currently separates the complex Righter (1987) listed Hoary Redpoll into two distinct species. A general as a “Group IV – Unlikely Acciden- consensus, however, is that some in- tal” in their assessment of prospective dividuals show characteristics of both new species for Colorado, citing its “species” and cannot be safely iden- occasional occurrence in Wyoming tified as either. Thus is the situation and that it should be looked for “in that the CBRC found itself in with northern Colorado during the winter the remaining six documentations. in Redpoll invasion years.” Leukering For each of those, either the outside and Semo (2008) provided a similar expert opinions were not decisive, assessment, but Hoary Redpoll did not or at least two CBRC members con- make it into the top 20 expected new cluded that the birds should be left species, although they note that Cairo unidentified to species. and Righter’s “prediction has been Chronologically, the state’s first hampered by the fact that there has record is 2013-10. The record was not been a single large incursion of represented by multiple individuals Common Redpolls into the state since at the Discovery Museum, Ft. Col- 1987, and we feel that such a phenom- lins, Larimer, 23 December 2012 – 26 enon would offer the best opportunity January, 2013 (see Table 1). Photo- to find a Hoary.” The 2012-13 winter graphic evidence supported the claim redpoll invasion apparently provided of multiple individuals based on sex such an opportunity. and plumage differences. Given the The CBRC has reviewed two pre- month span that redpolls visited the vious documentations of redpolls re- site and the seemingly constant activ- ported as Hoary (Reddall 1973, Janos ity, the Committee has not attempted 1998), but neither was accepted based to determine how many individuals on possible confusion with Common might have been involved – nor does Redpoll. During the winter 2012-13 it seem practical to do so.

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 167 SPECIES REMOVED mon, etc. These terms are subjective FROM THE MAIN REVIEW LIST and relative. As former Main Review One of the purposes of the CBRC List species, their status can be con- is to collect records of species to bet- sidered more on the rare end of the ter understand their status in the spectrum, however, none of them are state. At the point when a pattern of “accidental” or “occasional.” If any- occurrence has developed, each ad- thing Colorado is on the periphery of ditional record for that species within the majority of these species’ migra- that established pattern is of dimin- tion routes through the interior U.S. ishing value. The CBRC uses a four- Slight shifts in migration trajectory, sightings-per-year criterion as a guide for whatever reason, can bring fewer to when that tipping point has likely or greater numbers through the state occurred. Sometimes, however, that such that relatively large numbers may point occurs before the criterion is be observed one year with the species met. The CBRC takes the criterion completely absent the next. In general into consideration, but it is not bound though, each of these species is con- to strictly adhere to that guideline sidered to be a regular component of when making decisions to remove the state’s avifauna. species for the Main Review List. Rationale for the CBRC’s deci- SPECIES ACCOUNTS sions to remove each of the following Buff-breasted Sandpiper – Calidris species from the Main Review List is subruficollis (37). Buff-breasted Sand- provided along with its current sta- piper has been known for the state tus based on CBRC records. The ac- since two specimens were collected at cumulation of records that are outli- Barr Lake SP, Adams, 25 August 1910 ers to a species known status can be (DMNS #465) and four September informative, particularly in light of 1910 (DMNS #466). These specimens range-wide changes in geographic dis- were taken out of flocks of three and tribution, population size or timing of five birds, respectively (Hersey 1911). migration. Therefore, the CBRC may Andrews and Righter (1992) correct- continue to ask for documentation for ed the date of the second individual occurrences of these species that are to be the same as the first individual outside the expected geographic range (25 August 1910), however, he gave or seasonal date limits. The CBRC no reason for that correction. It seems relies on a county-based system for odd that Hersey, as collector of both obtaining such “outlier” records. The birds and the author of the 1911 re- counties for which documentation is port, would not have known whether requested for these species has been both birds were collected on the same updated on the CBRC website (www. day. A recent attempt by the Chair to coloradobirdrecords.org) under the review these specimens at the DMNS tab “What to Report.” was unsuccessful as the museum staff No attempt has been made to qual- was not able to locate them during ify a species’ status as rare, uncom- that visit.

168 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 Although the CBRC has just 37 Laughing Gull – Leucophaeus atri- records for this species, nearly 60% cilla (50). Bailey and Niedrach (1965) of these records are concentrated in considered this species to be a rare the northeastern quarter of the state straggler to the state based on a couple along the Interstate 76 corridor. of reports from the late 1800s. The Northeastern Colorado counties with authors also note an apparent failed Buff-breasted Sandpiper records are: attempt to introduce this species to Adams (5), Logan (2), Morgan (8), City Park, Denver, in the fall of 1962 Sedgwick (1) and Washington (6). All when several juveniles were imported but two of the state’s 37 records are of from the Gulf of Mexico. These birds fall migrants. Since the CBRC records stayed into January 1963 after which indicate a strong preference for Buff- there is no mention of them. The next breasted Sandpiper to migrate through noted occurrence of the species was an northeastern Colorado during the fall, adult, although it is unknown if it was the CBRC chose to remove the spe- one of the introduced birds or an au- cies from the Main Review List. thentic vagrant, at Cherry Creek Res., Status summary: Buff-breasted Arapahoe, 7-27 August 1964. Sandpiper is primarily a fall migrant The first vetted records for this spe- in eastern Colorado, especially at res- cies are of individuals at two locations ervoirs and lakes of the northeastern in 1974. Four individuals were noted counties. The CBRC has no records at different locations in 1975. Laugh- for the San Luis Valley, West Slope ing Gull has been nearly annual in or any of the high-elevation counties. Colorado since 1993 and many years The species has primarily occurred have had multiple birds. The species from 18 August – 13 September (29 is a well-known wanderer to the in- records) whereas the full range of fall terior U.S. (Howell and Dunn 2007). migration dates span 31 July – 6 Octo- The 50 Colorado records indicate that ber. The only spring migration records this species has been a regular visitor are of individuals in Pueblo, 27 April to the state, consistent with its ten- 1971, and Yuma, 11 May 1973. The dency to wander inland. As noted in CBRC has no records for June or No- the introduction, the addition of more vember – March. The majority of re- records for this species within its cur- cords of are individuals or small groups rently understood status in the state is of up to six juveniles that are observed of diminishing value. Misidentifica- for just one day. However, the species tion of Franklin’s Gull (Leucophaeus can be present for extended periods as pipixcan) is a possibility, although this witnessed by the multiple Buff-breast- is less of an issue as it is with other spe- ed Sandpipers observed at Jackson cies. Res., Morgan, 21 August – 3 Septem- Status summary: Laughing Gull ber 2012. It is unknown whether these is a visitor to the state from spring dates pertained to the same birds or, through early winter. The species is more likely, if there was turnover of chiefly found between mid-April and individuals during this period. mid-October. Two records each are

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 169 for November and December. Natural accession to species status in 1997, its occurrences of this species have not annual occurrence since (and likely been recorded for January, February preceding) the species split and the or March. The distribution of records large number of recent annual records, is primarily major lakes and reservoirs the CBRC decided that the species of the upper Front Range and along no longer warrants placement on the the South Platte River and Arkan- Main Review List. Possible confusion sas River corridors. The CBRC has a with Cassin’s Vireo does exist and the lone record for the San Luis Valley in CBRC cautions observers to be careful Saguache, 18 August 2012 and none with identifying individuals that are for the West Slope or high-elevation not bright adults. Some dull individu- counties. als may not be satisfactorily identified Blue-headed Vireo – Vireo soli- to species (however frustrating that tarius (46). Blue-headed Vireo was might be to county listers). considered conspecific with Cassin’s Status summary: Blue-headed Vireo Vireo (V. cassinii) and Plumbeous Vir- is a spring and fall migrant along the eo (V. plumbeus) until 1997 when the Front Range and eastern plains. The American Ornithologists’ Union split West Slope has a single record – Den- Solitary Vireo into three recognized nis Weaver Town Park, Ouray, 8 Oc- species (AOU 1997). Prior to the tober 2011. The CBRC has no records split, Colorado had just one record of for high-elevation counties or the San the blue-headed subspecies – a speci- Luis Valley. Of the CBRC’s 46 records, men collected near Hale, Yuma, 6 Oc- only six are from the spring migration tober 1982 (DMNS #38518). Bailey period. Five of these records are from and Niedrach (1965) does not men- 6-19 May, with the lone outlier for 16 tion blue-headed, although it provides June. The remaining 40 records are of records for the other two subspecies. fall migrants from 1 September – 25 Andrews and Righter (1992) notes October. The vast majority of records the 1982 specimen as the only record are of individuals observed for only for the state. one day. The CBRC has no records for Since 1997 the species has been January - April, July, August, Novem- recorded annually except for 2001. ber or December. It’s likely that Blue-headed Vireo oc- Philadelphia Vireo – Vireo philadel- curred in the state on an annual ba- phicus (69). Although no specimens sis prior to 1997, but received little exist for Colorado, Bailey and Nie- to no attention from birders given drach (1965) notes that the species its status at that time as conspecific was reported by “skilled” observers in with the Plumbeous Vireo. The spe- the 1950s and 1960s, including one cies has been recorded frequently in banded near Sedalia, Douglas, 8 Sep- recent years. The highest number tember 1963. None of these are cur- recorded in a single year was eight rent state records. in 2012, followed by six in 2009 and With inception of the CBRC in 2010. Given the 46 records since its 1971, the species has been recorded

170 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 regularly, albeit not annually. Colo- recognize them.” Recently Colorado rado birders witnessed a phenomenal birders have apparently taken notice. year in 2012 when an unprecedented The species has been recorded an- 23 Philadelphia Vireos were docu- nually with the exception of two years mented and accepted by the CBRC. since 1992. Of the state’s 66 records, Most of these were accompanied by 54 came within this 22-year span. Far photographs allowing the CBRC to more have been reported by skilled distinguish individuals that were geo- observers than documented to the graphically and temporally close. Giv- CBRC, suggesting that birders have en the number of state records (69) become fatigued with documenting and the massive influx of the species a species that occurs in the state an- in 2012, the CBRC decided that the nually in small numbers. Generally species no longer warranted attention speaking, when a species is document- on the Main Review List. ed more than a few times for multiple Status summary: Philadelphia Vir- years, the CBRC needs to consider eo is a spring and fall migrant across the value of having that species on eastern Colorado. The CBRC has one the Main Review List. For Gray- record for Gunnison, 18 August 1972, cheeked Thrush, years with relatively for the lone record away from the high numbers of records include: 2013 Front Range or eastern plains. Spring (7), 2012 (4), 2006 (8), 1996 (5) and records constitute about a quarter of 1976 (6), and many years in between all records indicating that the species have had two to four records each. is more of a fall migrant than a spring Therefore the CBRC has removed migrant through the state. Spring re- Gray-cheeked Thrush from the Main cords are from a narrow one-month Review List due to its status as an an- period from 7 May – 3 June. Fall nual, in small numbers, component of migration, as is typical for most spe- the state’s spring migration avifauna. cies, is more widespread with records Status summary: Gray-cheeked spread from 18 August – 19 October. Thrush is primarily a spring migrant The CBRC has no records for July or in eastern Colorado. Records have November through April. been obtained along the entire Front Gray-cheeked Thrush – Catharus Range and eastward to the state bor- minimus (66). Gray-cheeked Thrush der. The CBRC has no records for the has been reported in Colorado since San Luis Valley, West Slope or any the late 1950s and 1960s (Bailey and high-elevation county. Sixty-two of Niedrach 1965). The authors further the state’s records occurred between noted that the species is a “regular 27 April and 4 June. This date span transient through Nebraska and Kan- is a bit misleading as there are only sas” and that “a few of the species may three records for April and just one for filter regularly in migration across the June. The majority of records (37) are eastern plains of Colorado, and that tightly grouped in a two-week window the lack of earlier records may have from 10-23 May. The CBRC has four resulted from failure of birders to fall records for 16, 24 and 28 Septem-

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 171 ber and 11 October. The CBRC has to remove a Main Review List species, no records for November-March, July the regularity with which this species or August. Most records are of indi- has been found in appropriate habitat viduals. During years with larger than and time of year leads us to conclude expected numbers, two to three birds that its status has been satisfactorily may be found at a single site. established as a regular migrant. Sprague’s Pipit – Anthus spragueii Status Summary: Sprague’s Pipit is (16). Bailey and Niedrach (1965) a spring and fall migrant on the east- considers this species to be an un- ern plains. As with any species on the common straggler through the state. periphery of its Great Plains migratory Notably, several of the sightings men- pathway, Sprague’s Pipit is expected tioned by the authors are from May to occur with decreasing frequency as and July. Juvenile Horned Larks are one travels westward from the Kansas easily mistaken for this species and border to the Front Range. The spe- any individuals resembling Sprague’s cies has not been recorded for the San Pipit in late spring or summer should Luis Valley, West Slope or high-ele- be carefully studied. Spring migration vation counties. Away from the east- typically occurs throughout April in ern plains, Larimer and Boulder have Kansas (Thompson and Ely 1992) and one and two records, respectively. Fall Nebraska (Sharpe et al. 2001). Colo- migrants have been recorded from 23 rado’s two spring records are from late August – 19 October, although the April. early date is the only one for August Sprague’s Pipit had a meteoric rise and September has just three records starting in October 2004 when multi- for the 14th, 29th and 30th. The CBRC ple birds were found near Hale, Yuma. has two spring records, both from late Since then, birders have made focused April. The species has not been re- excursions to Yuma and other eastern corded for November-March or May- counties to look for the species in late July. fall. Yuma has produced seven of the Golden-winged Warbler – Vermi- state’s 10 records since 2004. Unfor- vora chrysoptera (39). Sometimes the tunately, these annual fall campaigns CBRC gets it wrong. The Committee have been too successful and resulted removed this species in 2001 (Semo in a deleterious side effect – the CBRC et al. 2002). The CBRC returned it received fewer and fewer documenta- to the Main Review List in 2012 since tions as the years went by. Colorado it appeared at the time that the spe- birders consider the species to be regu- cies was occurring less regularly in lar on the far eastern grasslands in late the state than other species that were fall, and the CBRC agrees. The spe- on the Main Review List (Faulkner cies is a regular migrant through the 2012). However, 2013 proved us Great Plains and eastern Colorado is wrong as that spring produced four on the edge of its normal migratory records. Upon further reflection, the pathway. While the number of records species is thus removed, again, from are fewer than we might like in order the Main Review List.

172 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 Cave Swallow, Prewitt Reservoir, Washington County, 17 July 2013. Photo by Steve Mlodinow

Hoary Redpoll, North Sterling Reservoir, Logan County, 13 February 2013. Photo by Steve Mlodinow

Mottled Duck, Andrick Ponds, Morgan County, 28 July 2013. Photo by Steve Mlodinow

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 173 Status summary: Golden-winged es therein) or Andrews and Righter Warbler is a spring and fall migrant in (1992), which most likely would add eastern Colorado. Most records are of to the state’s record count. The acces- birds observed along the Front Range sion of Red Fox Sparrow (the “red- and eastern plains. Occasionally, one dish birds whose breeding range en- has been found at higher elevations compasses the Canadian taiga part of (for instance, Rocky Mountain NP, the complex’s whole breeding range” Larimer, 4 July 1974) or in western [Leukering and Wood 2002]) to the portions of the state. The CBRC has Main Review List was formalized in single records for Conejos, Gunnison 2003 (Semo et al. 2002). This was an and La Plata. The species is more reg- attempt to gather records in anticipa- ularly found during spring migration tion of a split of Fox Sparrow into two from 1 May – 9 June. The CBRC has or more species. Based on the number two July records, including a success- of records gathered in a relatively short ful nesting attempt at Roxborough SP, time period, and on the consistency Jefferson, in 1993 and the aforemen- in seasonality that these records oc- tioned Larimer individual. Five fall cur (see Status Summary), the CBRC records are for 20, 24 and 25 August, decided that it had enough informa- and 14 and 28 September. Note, how- tion regarding the status of Red Fox ever, that the species was not on the Sparrow to remove this form from the Main Review List from 2001-12, so Main Review List. The action taken additional valid sightings of this spe- in 2003 by then-Chair Tony Leuker- cies may not have been documented ing has achieved its purpose. Should to the Committee during that period. the Red Fox Sparrow be recognized as Red Fox Sparrow – Passerella iliaca a formal species, its occurrence in the iliaca/zaboria (30). Bailey and Nie- state has been well documented. drach (1965) considers the P. i. zaboria Status Summary: Red Fox Sparrow subspecies a rare straggler on the east- is a spring and fall migrant in eastern ern slope, while discounting the no- Colorado, with very few individuals tion that P. i. iliaca occurs in the state. extending their stays into the winter Specimens reported in Bailey and season. The CBRC has single records Niedrach (1965) are from the fall and from Delta, La Plata and Ouray during winter seasons. Andrews and Righter fall migration, and none from the San (1992) considers the “rusty form” of Luis Valley or high-elevation coun- Fox Sparrow, which the authors de- ties. The species is most often found in noted inclusive of both subspecies, as late fall as 21 of the state’s 29 records a rare visitor to the eastern plains from are from 8 October – 30 November. late October through mid-April. Even when found at residential feed- The CBRC has 30 records for this ers where individuals might be enticed form, all since 2000. The Committee to stay for longer periods, the species has made no attempt to verify the ex- is generally reported for just a day or istence of the specimens noted in Bai- two indicating that most individuals ley and Niedrach (1965, and referenc- during this period are migrants. The

174 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 longest-staying documented individu- should be considered an extension of al was at a residential feeder near Ly- the original sighting and not a new ons, Larimer, 1-29 January 2010. The record. The Chair will consolidate CBRC received documentation (for 4 the occurrences of each of these birds February, 2011 only) of a bird report- into single records. Therefore, dis- edly found on the Boulder Christmas counting the subsequent years these Bird Count, 19 December 2010, and birds were documented following last observed 7 March 2011. The the initial sightings, Colorado has 36 CBRC has single records for 5 and 23 unique records. This species did not April that likely pertained to north- meet the average of four sightings per bound migrants. year guidance that the CBRC uses as Golden-crowned Sparrow – Zono- a metric to determine when a spe- trichia atricapilla (42). The species has cies may not need to be on the Main been considered an uncommon tran- Review List. Regardless, the CBRC sient (Bailey and Niedrach 1965) and considered that the species has been a very rare migrant and winter visitor annual the past nine years, including (Andrews and Righter 1992). Indi- some years with multiple individuals viduals have been reported since 1889 (even beyond the ones noted above). (Osburn 1893) and multiple speci- The accumulation of more records mens have been collected since the for this species would not further our early 1900s. knowledge of its status in the state, The CBRC has 42 records of this therefore the CBRC will remove it species, although nine of these records from the Main Review List. pertain to three individuals that over- Status Summary: Golden-crowned wintered at their respective locations Sparrow occurs statewide from late fall for three consecutive years. Birders through early spring. Some birds may will be familiar with these birds as the be migrants passing through the state, ones at Teller Farms, Boulder, at Tun- while others overwinter. The first nel Drive, Fremont and at Red Rocks individuals typically arrive in mid- Trading Post, Jefferson. It’s important October, however, the CBRC has two to note that a record consists of three records prior to then for 24 September main parts: individual(s), location, and 1 October. The CBRC has nine and date. All three of these criteria records (of individuals not known need to be unique to be considered to have overwintered) for the spring an independent record. Even though migration period from 19 April – 15 the Fremont, Jefferson, and Boulder May. Golden-crowned Sparrows have individuals left their respective sites been recorded throughout Colorado, for lengthy periods of time (presum- except for the northwestern quadrant ably to return to their summer breed- north of Interstate 70 and west of Lar- ing grounds) and did not return until imer. The species has not been record- the following winter, each recurrence ed in June, July or August.

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 175 Table 1. Recently accepted records

Species Accession # Location County Dates Observers Vote # Birds Buff-breasted 2013-193 2 Jackson Res. Morgan 30 Aug 2013 JD 7-0 Sandpiper Buff-breasted 2013-210 2 Jackson Res. Morgan 13 Sep 2013 SM 7-0 Sandpiper Laughing Gull 2013-172 1 Big Johnson El Paso 30 Jun 2013 JD†, BK, BM†, 7-0 Res. BKP† Laughing Gull 2013-184 1 Prewitt Res. Washington 14 Jul 2013 SM 7-0 Laughing Gull 2013-188 1 Luna Res. Weld 3 Aug 2013 SM 7-0 Laughing Gull 2013-191 1 Jackson Res. Morgan 31 Aug 2013 NK† 7-0 Laughing Gull 2013-235 1 Pueblo Res. Pueblo 1 Sep 2013 BKP†, RHi† 7-0 Blue-headed 2013-9 1 LCC Prowers 28 Sep 2012 JSt 7-0 Vireo Blue-headed 2013-33 1 Wray Fish Yuma 30 Sep 2012 KMD 7-0 Vireo Hatchery Blue-headed 2013-15 1 Boulder Boulder 11 Oct 2012 NM 7-0 Vireo Blue-headed 2013-206 1 Jackson SP Morgan 2 Sep 2013 SM† 7-0 Vireo Philadelphia Vireo 2013-53 1 LCC Prowers 15 May 2011 JSt 7-0 Philadelphia Vireo 2012-206 1 Barr L. SP Adams 21 Aug 2012 DF† 7-0 Philadelphia Vireo 2012-204 1 Prewitt Res. Washington 9 Sep 2012 DD† 6-1 SWA Philadelphia Vireo 2012-172 1 Holyoke Phillips 16 Sep 2012 SM† 6-1 Philadelphia Vireo 2012-169 1 Thompson Lincoln 21 Sep 2012 GW† 7-0 Ranch Philadelphia Vireo 2012-173 1 Holyoke Phillips 22 Sep 2012 SM† 7-0 Philadelphia Vireo 2012-174 1 Last Chance Washington 27 Sep 2012 SM† 7-0 Philadelphia Vireo 2012-177 1 CBR El Paso 27 Sep 2012 NG†, BM†, SB 7-0 Philadelphia Vireo 2013-31 1 Thompson Lincoln 28 Sep 2012 KMD†, JK 6-1 Ranch Philadelphia Vireo 2013-32 1 Flagler SWA Kit Carson 28 Sep 2012 KMD†, JK 7-0 Philadelphia Vireo 2012-170 1 CBR Pueblo 5 Oct 2012 JD†, BKP† 7-0 Philadelphia Vireo 2012-178 1 CBR Pueblo 5 Oct 2012 JD† 7-0 Philadelphia Vireo 2012-171 1 Pueblo Pueblo 6 Oct 2012 BKP† 7-0 Philadelphia Vireo 2012-189 1 Fox Ranch Yuma 6 Oct 2012 SM 7-0 Philadelphia Vireo 2012-175 1 Chatfield SP Douglas 7 Oct 2012 GW 7-0 Philadelphia Vireo 2012-176 1 Pueblo Pueblo 8 Oct 2012 BKP† 7-0 Philadelphia Vireo 2012-179 1 Ft. Collins Larimer 8-9 Oct 2012 NK† 6-1 Philadelphia Vireo 2013-151 1 Two Buttes Baca 10-11 May NK†, RO†, BKP†, 7-0 SWA 2013 GW†, MP Philadelphia Vireo 2013-200 1 Lyons Boulder 24 May 2013 CS† 6-1 Philadelphia Vireo 2013-205 1 Prewitt Res. Washington 10 Sep 2013 SM 6-1 SWA

176 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 Species Accession # Location County Dates Observers Vote # Birds Philadelphia Vireo 2013-211 1 Wray Yuma 18 Sep 2013 SM 6-1 Philadelphia Vireo 2013-228 1 Ft. Collins Larimer 19 Sep 2013 BB† 7-0 Gray-cheeked 2013-279 1 Bonny L. SP Yuma 11 May 1996 TL† 7-0 Thrush Gray-cheeked 2013-270 1 Lakewood Adams 12 May 2002 NL 6-1 Thrush Gray-cheeked 2013-2841 1 Lamar Prowers 1-11 May 2013 JSt† 7-0 Thrush Gray-cheeked 2013-140 1 Tempel Grove Bent 10 May 2013 SM 7-0 Thrush Gray-cheeked 2013-141 1 Two Buttes Baca 11 May 2013 SM, MP 7-0 Thrush SWA Gray-cheeked 2013-142 1 Last Chance Washington 12 May 2013 SM 7-0 Thrush Gray-cheeked 2013-158 1 CBR El Paso 22 May 2013 SM 7-0 Thrush Gray-cheeked 2013-215 1 Colorado City Pueblo 24 Sep 2013 DS 7-0 Thrush Gray-cheeked 2013-219 1 Hale Yuma 28 Sep 2013 SM 6-1 Thrush Golden-winged 2013-147 1 (male) Stalker L. SWA Yuma 18 May 2013 BKP 7-0 Warbler Golden-winged 2013-156 1 Stalker L. SWA Yuma 18 May 2013 SM 7-0 Warbler (female) Golden-winged 2013-157 1 Wray Yuma 25 May 2013 SM† 7-0 Warbler Golden-winged 2013-162 1 CBR El Paso 1 Jun 2013 BKP†, BM† 7-0 Warbler Red Fox Sparrow 2013-54 1 Near Lyons Larimer 1-29 Jan 2010 JSu†, MS 7-0 Red Fox Sparrow 2012-208 1 Loveland Larimer 16 Nov 2012 SW†, DB 7-0 Red Fox Sparrow 2013-5 1 Pueblo NC Pueblo 24 Nov 2012 BKP† 7-0 Red Fox Sparrow 2012-202 1 Walden Ponds Boulder 27 Nov 2012 DD†, JB 7-0 Red Fox Sparrow 2013-6 1 Barr L. SP Adams 16 Dec 2012 – SM†, DF† 7-0 4 Jan 2013 Red Fox Sparrow 2013-294 1 Mancos Montezuma 7-8 Dec 2013 GSM† 7-0 Golden-crowned 2012-199 1 Centennial Arapahoe 10 Oct 2012 AH 7-0 Sparrow Park Golden-crowned 2013-144 1 Durango Fish La Plata 21-25 Oct 2012 RM† 7-0 Sparrow Hatchery Golden-crowned 2012-1952 1 Red Rocks Jefferson 26 Oct 2012 MH†, LC†, DF†, 7-0 Sparrow – 21 March SM† 2013 Golden-crowned 2013-40 1 Loveland Larimer 8-16 Nov 2012 SW† 7-0 Sparrow Golden-crowned 2013-82 1 Teller Farms Boulder 3 Jan 2013 DD†, DF†, BG, SM 7-0 Sparrow

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 177 Table 1, continued. Recently accepted records

Species Accession # Location County Dates Observers Vote # Birds Golden-crowned 2013-132 1 Near Durango La Plata 27 Apr 2013 TM 6-1 Sparrow Golden-crowned 2013-242 1 Nucla Montrose 27-28 Apr 2013 CD† 7-0 Sparrow Golden-crowned 2013-190 1 Lamar Prowers 9-13 May 2013 JSt†, BKP† 7-0 Sparrow Hoary Redpoll 2013-1 1 Longmont Boulder 29-30 Dec 2012 BSc†, PG†, SM† 7-0 Hoary Redpoll 2013-103 Multiple Ft. Collins Larimer 23 Dec 2012 – TH, KMD, RH†, 7-0 26 Jan 2013 BM†, MM, SM† Hoary Redpoll 2013-67 1 Walden Jackson 26 Jan 2013 SM† 5-2, 6-1 Hoary Redpoll 2013-71 1 Lamar Bent 21 Jan 2013 LG† 6-1 – last date not established Hoary Redpoll 2013-78 1 North Sterling Logan 3 Mar 2013 SM† 7-0 SP Hoary Redpoll 2013-80 1 North Sterling Logan 3 Mar 2013 SM† 6-1 SP 1 = 8-day gap between observations suggests that two different birds may have been involved 2 = returning individual from previous year 3 = first state record by date

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My appreciation to Andrew Doll for his efforts to locate the DMNS specimens mentioned in this report.

REPORTERS AND CITED OBSERVERS The CBRC thanks the following individuals for submitting records of, or discovering and reporting, the rare species in Colorado discussed in this report: Brad Biggerstaff, John Breitsch, Denise Bretting, Steve Brown, Linda Chittum, Coen Dexter, David Dowell, John Drummond, Kathy Mihm Dunning (KMD), Doug Faulkner, Peter Gent, Nancy Gobris, Linda Groat, Bryan Guarente, Mike Henwood, Thomas Hall, Robb Hinds (RHi), Rachel Hopper (RHo), Art Hudak, Bill Kaempfer, Joey Kellner, Nicholas Komar, Tony Leukering, Norm Lewis, Bill Maynard, Mark Minnerlee, Todd Myers, Steve Mlodi- now, Nick Moore, Riley Morris, Ric Olson, Brandon Percival (BKP), Mark Peterson, George San Miguel (GSM), Bill Schmoker, Cathy Sheeter, Dave Silverman, Jane Stulp (JSt), Joel Such (JSu), Marcel Such, Glenn Walbek, and Sean Walters.

LITERATURE CITED American Ornithologists’ Union. 1957. The A.O.U. Check-List of North American Birds, 5th ed. Port City Press, Inc., Baltimore, MD. Andrews, R. 1979. CFO Records Committee Report 1976-1977. Western Birds 10: 57-70. Andrews, R. and R. Righter. 1992. Colorado Birds, a reference to their distribution and habitat. Denver Museum of Natural History, CO.

178 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 Bailey, A.M. and R.J. Niedrach. 1965. Birds of Colorado, Volume I. Denver Museum of Natural History, CO. Bellrose, F.C. 1976. Ducks, geese, and swans of North America. Stackpole Books, Har- risburg, PA. Faulkner, D. 2012. Changes to the Main Review List. Colorado Birds 46(3): 207-214. Faulkner, D. 2013. The 68th Report of the Colorado Bird Records Committee. Colorado Birds 47(4): 252-263. Hersey, L.J. 1911. Some new birds for Colorado. Auk 28: 490. Hubbard, J.P. 1977. The biological and taxonomic status of the Mexican duck. New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Bulletin No. 16. Janos, M. 1998. Report of the Colorado Bird Records Committee: 1996 Records. J. Colo- rado Field Ornithologists 32(3): 173-187. Leukering, T. 2011. In the Scope, Cave Swallow: Colorado’s stealthiest vagrant. Colorado Birds 45(3): 236-242. Leukering, T. and C. Wood. 2002. Report of the Colorado Bird Records Committee: 2000 Records. Journal of the Colorado Field Ornithologists 36(2): 82-113. Marthinsen, G., L. Wennerberg, and J.T. Lifjeld. 2008. Low support for separate species within the redpoll complex (Carduelis flammea-hornemanni-caberet) from analyses of mtDNA and microsatellite markers. Mol. Phylo. & Evolution 47: 1005-1017. Reddall, J. 1973. Reports from the CFO Official Records Committee. Colorado Field Ornithologist 18: 9-22. Semo, L.S., T. Leukering, and J.E. Stewart. 2002. Amendments to the state review list. J. Colorado Field Ornithologists 36(3): 180-183.

Doug Faulkner, [email protected]

Call for Papers–CFO Convention 2014

The annual convention of the Colorado Field Ornithologists will be held Thursday Aug. 28 to Monday Sept. 1 in Sterling, Colorado. We invite proposals for presentations to be given during the scientific paper session on Saturday afternoon. Speakers will have 20 minutes to present their topics and lead question-and-answer sessions. Topics of interest include ongoing research into Colorado birds or their habitats, advances in field identification of Colorado birds and new information regarding their status or distribution. Submit abstracts to Christy Carello (carel- [email protected]) by May 15.

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 179 IN THE SCOPE

The White-breasted Nuthatches of Colorado

Steven G. Mlodinow During 2013, the American Ornithologists’ Union (AOU) evaluated a proposal to split the White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) into anywhere from two to four species, but decided not to alter the status quo (AOU 2013a). The checklist committee members were, however, nearly unanimous in their desire to revisit the question soon, after more data have been gathered (AOU 2013b). What does this mean for Colorado birders? Potentially, another identification quandary.

Background The “Basin-and-Range” area of western North America formed between 14 and 2.5 million years ago, splitting the forests of the United States and Canada into three distinct regions: eastern (i.e. east of the montane west, which includes much of the continent’s northern reaches), interior west (from the Rocky Mountains to the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada and Cascades) and Pa- cific (Graham 1999). These distinctions were reinforced by “recent” Quaternary Period glacial cycles (VanDevender 1990, Photograph from collection at Field Museum of Natural Graham 1999) and History. The four left hand birds are S.c. nelsoni (sensu subsequently led to strictu) collected during December. Two right hand birds are many of the tripartite S.c. carolinensis collected during December as well. This groupings of species photo nicely demonstrates the differences in tertial pattern. and subspecies en- Also, note how minimal the difference in back darkness countered in North is. Crown width can not be readily discerned on specimens America north of as many have been on their backs for decades, flattening/ Mexico (e.g. Yellow- spreading the crown feathers. Photo by Steve Mlodinow bellied, Red-naped

180 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 and Red-breasted Sapsuckers; Blue-headed, Plumbeous and Cassin’s Vireos). White-breasted Nuthatches divide nicely along these lines with Eastern (S. c. carolinensis), Interior West (S. c. nelsoni) and Pa- cific S.( c. aculeata) subspecies groups (Grubb and Pravosudov 2008). Spellman and Klicka (2007) analyzed a single mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) gene and concluded that there were four major groupings (or clades) of White-breasted Nuthatch, splitting the Interior West further into Rocky Mountain and Sierra Nevada/Cascade groupings, though evidence of gene flow between these was not trivial. A further study, looking at one mtDNA gene and 19 nuclear DNA genes, found the same four groups (Walstrom et al. 2012), though sampling near contact zones was limited. This flaw was a major reason why the AOU decided not to split White-breasted Nuthatch into multiple species. Furthermore, checklist committee members seemed more inclined to split White-breasted Nuthatch into three (keeping the Interior West group as one) rather than four species (AOU 2013b). Please note that only the Pacific subspecies group of White- breasted Nuthatch has a common name (Slender-billed Nuthatch); one of the protests of the AOU checklist committee (AOU 2013b) was that common names were not proposed for the other subspecies groups. Therefore, in lieu of an extant common name, “Cordilleran White-breasted Nuthatch” will be used in this article for members of the Interior West subspecies group, which includes populations well down into Mexico and on the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula.

Occurrence in Colorado Two of the above mentioned White-breasted Nuthatch taxa are known to occur in Colorado: S. c. carolinensis (hereafter carolinensis or Eastern WBNU) and S. c. nelsoni (hereafter nelsoni or Cordilleran WBNU). The Cordilleran WBNU is predominantly an inhabitant of coniferous woodlands in Colorado, though a few breed in nearby deciduous (largely cottonwood) woodlands of Colorado’s plains (e.g. Barr Lake, Adams County), with scattered summer records as far east as Flagler, Kit Carson County (June 2013; pers. obs.). The Eastern WBNU story is more complex as this taxon seems to be undergoing a range expansion in Colorado. Both Bailey and Niedrich (1965) and Phillips (1986) list only nelsoni as present during summer in Colorado, with no White-breasted Nuthatches present in far eastern Colorado during that season. However, Andrews and Righter (1992) list White-breasted Nuthatch as a rare summer resident along the South Platte River drainage near the Nebraska border. Currently the Eastern WBNU is a fairly common breeder

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 181 near the Kansas border along the Republican River drainage in Yuma County and along the South Platte River drainage west to Washing- ton County (eBird data, pers. obs.), and it is uncommon farther west along the South Platte into Weld County as far as the Greeley area (eBird data, pers. obs.). Furthermore, an Eastern WBNU was found on 31 May 2012 at Barr Lake (pers. obs.) and at least one bird has been found during summer in the Teller Lakes/White Bluff area of Boulder County from 2009-13 (Ted Floyd, pers. comm.), thus bringing Cordilleran and Eastern WBNU into close proximity during the nesting season. There is little information available as to seasonal movements among various White-breasted Nuthatch taxa, partly because many birders do not attempt to identify them. Using eBird data (accessed 8 January 2014), there appears to be a pulse of Cordilleran WBNUs onto Colorado’s plains during September, mostly north of the I-70 corridor. Thereafter, small numbers persist into April on the plains, including in southern Colorado. Additionally, there is a pair of in- triguing records from the hilly regions of eastern Las Animas County during May, causing one to wonder if this taxon might breed there. Again using eBird data (accessed 8 January 2014), Eastern White- breasted Nuthatch numbers seem to increase in Colorado (and in nearby western Kansas and Nebraska) starting in early September and then drop off again in November, reaching a nadir during the winter months. During March, abundance appears to return to summer levels, but no spring peak is evident. Eastern WBNU have not

Table. Distinguishing characters of Eastern and Cordilleran WBNU

Eastern WBNU Cordilleran WBNU Greater coverts Prominent black centers with contrasting Dusky gray centers with broad grayish grayish edging edging, little contrast Tertials Black on inner and outer webs Dusky gray on inner webs, limited or no dusky gray on outer webs Crown Broad Narrow Face Black crown edge tends to run straight across Black tends to form arc over face, so much face, many birds have small black dash or line more white over eye; no black mark behind extending back from eye eye Vent Rust extends forward to thighs in about 50 Rust extends forward to thighs in about 75 percent of birds from western portion of range percent of birds Sides/Flanks Pale gray to white, sometimes with buff wash Medium gray, rarely with buff wash anterior to thighs Upperparts Paler gray Darker gray Bill Averages shorter and stouter Averages longer and more slender

182 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 yet been found west of the Front Range, with numbers along the Front Range peak- ing from September into November, then dropping off sharply after November, with a few birds lingering into May. Sightings near the foothills south of the Denver area are scarce, implying that the South Platte River serves as the primary migratory corridor.

Identification Commonly, identification This White-breasted Nuthatch was photographed criteria for White-breasted at Barr Lake, Adams County, on 30 December Nuthatch taxa emphasize dif- 2012. Both Eastern and Cordilleran White- ferences in call notes, which is breasted Nuthatches likely summered at Barr reasonable as these birds typi- Lake in 2012. This bird shows tertial markings cally sound rather different that are rather classic for carolinensis, yet the me- from each other. Cordilleran dium gray sides without buff are typical of nelsoni. WBNUs characteristically The crown seems intermediate and there is a tiny give a rapid machine-gun-like black mark behind the eye. The greater coverts are burst, “nyeh-nyeh-nyeh- hard to judge as they are partly veiled by the scap- nyeh-nyeh,” whereas Eastern ulars, but they appear black centered, more like WBNU usually utter a slower carolinensis. This combination of features argues “yenk-yenk,” reminiscent strongly for this bird being a Eastern x Cordilleran of the calls of Red-breasted White-breasted Nuthatch hybrid. Importantly, Nuthatch. However, an ex- the call was indecipherable to the author. Photo cited Eastern WBNU will by Steve Mlodinow sometimes give a very rapid series of call notes, and occasionally a Cordilleran WBNU will call at a slower rate. In these circumstances the calls of these taxa can be surprisingly confounding, and tape-recorded calls attributed to one taxon have proven to be that of the other via sonographic analysis (Ted Floyd, pers. comm.). Though the standard identification literature has given short shrift to visual identification cues, these are surprisingly useful and the discussion in Alderfer (2006) provides a good starting point. To help clarify the usefulness of various visual characters, I studied approximately 150 specimens each of Eastern and Cordilleran WBNU at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago and at the Uni-

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 183 Back Cover Photo Key Top: A Cordilleran White-breasted Nuthatch photographed at Co- nifer, Jefferson County, on 28 December 2012. Note the medium/dark- ish gray underparts, darker than seen on any Eastern White-breasted Nuthatch. The white on face makes long arc over eye, implying a narrow dark crown, and there is no dark line extending backward from the eye. The greater coverts have somewhat dark, but rather narrow, centers.. The bill is intermediate

Cordilleran White-breasted Nuthatch (For detailed in length, within range of both carolinensis as well photo caption, see p. 184) as nelsoni. Photo by Steve Mlodinow

Eastern White-breasted : An Eastern White-breasted Nuthatch Nuthatch Middle (For detailed photo caption, see p. 184) photographed at Wray, Yuma County, on 1 Septem-

Eastern ber 2013. The black crown closely approaches the White-breasted Nuthatch (For detailed photo caption, see p. 184) eye from which a short black line extends backward. In the Scope: The White-breasted Nuthatches of Colorado . . . 180 The sides are very pale gray, which would be highly 188 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 atypical of nelsoni. The bill is rather long for carolinensis, and appears longer than that of the Cordilleran above. Photo by Steve Mlodinow Bottom: An Eastern White-breasted Nuthatch photographed at Ovid, Sedgwick County, on 3 November 2013. Note that the flanks are medium gray mixed with buff, but that the sides are rather pale gray with some buff feathers mixed in, a typical pattern for this taxon. The greater coverts that are folded tightly together simply look blue-gray, but the innermost (on this photo, uppermost) are spread more widely showing the typical broad black centers contrasting markedly with the gray edges. The bill appears rather short, perhaps shorter than on any nelsoni. Finally, the black crown of this bird does form an arc over the eye, though perhaps not as high as that of nelsoni. Again, there is a black streak extending back from the eye. Photo by Steve Mlodinow

versity of Puget Sound’s Slater Museum. Also reviewed were >100 photos online from locations at which only one taxon is likely (e.g. Illinois for Eastern WBNU). I found the most useful characters to be the pattern of the greater secondary wing coverts (hereafter greater coverts), the tertial pattern and the width of the dark crown. The side/flank coloration and the facial pattern, which is in part related to the crown width, are also of some use. Vent pattern, darkness of upperparts and bill size seem only marginally useful. Table 1 summarizes these differences. The pattern of the greater coverts would seem to be a slam-dunk distinction, but feather positioning can muddy this difference. Some-

184 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 times the scapulars or side feathers partly veil the greater coverts, making the dark centers of Eastern WBNU less apparent. Addition- ally, any dark centers to the greater coverts are less apparent if these feathers are crowded together and more evident when the coverts are spread apart. Some Cordilleran WBNUs have almost blackish centers to their greater coverts, but these are never as dark as those seen on Eastern and, when present, the dark center is narrower. Similarly, feather positioning and lighting can affect the visibility of the inner webs of the tertials and the apparent darkness of the outer webs. Other caveats include 1) The apparent crown width and face pattern can be affected by the bird’s posture. 2) There is extensive overlap in bill size, with bill length ranging from 15.4 to 19.5 mm in Eastern WBNU and from 16.9-21.7 in Cor- dilleran WBNU (Pyle 1997). 3) Hybrids are possible.

Conclusion Two taxa of White-breasted Nuthatches occur in Colorado, perhaps representing two species. With a modicum of practice and good views, observers should be able to separate these two: Eastern White- breasted Nuthatch (S. c. carolinensis) and Cordilleran White-breasted Nuthatch (S. c. nelsoni). Indeed, whether subspecies or species, identifying White-breasted Nuthatches to taxon is a worthwhile task as such will provide an interesting glimpse into biogeography in action.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank Tony Leukering for his review of an earlier version of this manuscript and for his encouragement, and Ted Floyd, for stimulating discussions on White- breasted Nuthatch vocalizations. I owe a debt of gratitude to The Field Museum of Natu- ral History and the Slater Museum (University of Puget Sound) for being so generous in allowing me to ponder their specimens ad nauseum.

LITERATURE CITED Alderfer, J. 2006. Compete Birds of North America. National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C. Andrews, R. and R. Righter. 1992. Colorado Birds. Denver Museum of Natural History, Denver, CO. A.O.U. 2013a. Fifty-fourth supplement to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check- List of North American Birds. Auk 130:558-571. A.O.U. 2013b. AOU Committee on Classification and Nomenclature (North & Mid- dle America) Votes on Proposals 2013-C. http://www.aou.org/committees/nacc/ proposals/2013_C_votes_web.php#2013-C-2. Accessed online January 2014. Bailey, A. M and R. J. Neidrach. 1965. Birds of Colorado. Denver Museum of Natural History, Denver, CO.

Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 185 Graham, A. 1999. Late Cretaceous and Early Cenozoic History of North American Veg- etation. Oxford University Press, New York, NY. Grubb, Jr., T. C. and V. V. Pravosudov. 2008. White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds. cornell.edu/bna/species/054 doi:10.2173/bna.54 Phillips, A. R. 1986. The Known Birds of North and Middle America, part 1. A.R. Phil- lips, Denver, CO. Pyle, P. 1997. Identification Guide to North American Birds, part 1. Slate Creek Press, Bolinas, CA. Spellman, G. M. and J. Klicka. 2007. Phylogeography of the White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis): diversification in North American Pine and Oak Woodlands. Mo- lecular Ecology 16:1729-1740. Van Devender, T. R. 1990. Late Quaternary vegetation and climate of the Sonoran Des- ert, United States and Mexico. Pages 134–165 in J. Betancourt, T. R. Van Devender, and P. S. Martin, editors. Packrat middens: the last 40,000 years of biotic change. The University of Arizona Press, Tucson, Arizona, USA. Walstrom, J. W., J. Klicka, and G. M. Spellman. 2012. Speciation in the White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis): a multi-locus perspective. Molecular Ecology 21:907- 920.

Steven G. Mlodinow, [email protected]

186 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 The Colorado Field Ornithologists’ Quarterly

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Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2 187 Cordilleran White-breasted Nuthatch (For detailed photo caption, see p. 184)

Eastern White-breasted Nuthatch (For detailed photo caption, see p. 184)

In the Scope: The White-breasted Nuthatches of Colorado . . . 180

188 Colorado Birds Spring 2014 Vol. 48 No. 2