Friday, 29 May 2015
Thursday, 21 May 2015
Colorado Low 16 -17 May
A Colorado Low is a low pressure weather system that typically form in winter in Colorado or New Mexico. Colorado Lows carry a large amount of precipitation, usually snow. This time the moisture first started as rain early on Saturday the 16th, then turned to sleet and snow in the evening. It snowed until the morning of the 17th.
The birds coming to our feeders were dripping wet Saturday and we wondered how they would fare over night as the temps dropped below freezing.
We counted 15 Baltimore Orioles and 9 Chipping Sparrows at our feeders on the morning of the 17th. We suspect we were getting birds from a wider area than usual. They polished off all the food by late morning even though we had put out extra food.
The birds coming to our feeders were dripping wet Saturday and we wondered how they would fare over night as the temps dropped below freezing.
We counted 15 Baltimore Orioles and 9 Chipping Sparrows at our feeders on the morning of the 17th. We suspect we were getting birds from a wider area than usual. They polished off all the food by late morning even though we had put out extra food.
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| Baltimore Oriole, Chipping Sparrow. Saturday afternoon. |
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| Harris's Sparrow early Saturday evening just after rain turned to sleet. |
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| Rose Breasted Grosbeak, Baltimore Oriole. Saturday evening as sleet was turning to snow. |
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| Baltimore Orioles Sunday morning. We put out an extra tray of Jelly and suet. The angry Oriole had just chased a Robin off. |
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| Black Capped Chickadee, Baltimore Oriole. Peanuts were frozen together from rain the previous evening. |
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| Baltimore Oriole. Both jelly with suet trays were licked clean by noon. |
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| Brown Thrasher It was having some difficulty as the suet froze over night and the seed feeder ports were frozen solid. |
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| Chipping Sparrow downing some suet. |
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| Chipping Sparrow waiting on the nectar feeder for a chance at the suet. |
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| Seven of the nine Chipping Sparrows that were present most of the morning. We put some cracked corn on the stump as the birds couldn't get any seed from the frozen seed feeder. |
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| Rose Breasted Grosbeak and Chipping Sparrow. We left this dish of jelly and suet on our step but the birds didn't seem to see it, even though they were sitting right next to it. When we moved it into the frozen bird bath it drew an immediate response from the birds. |
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| Rose Breasted Grosbeak trying to figure out how to get at the frozen peanuts, |
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| Mourning Dove on stump, early afternoon of Sunday the 17th. |
Wednesday, 13 May 2015
Birds - 16 April 2015
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| Brown Creeper |
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| Canada Geese |
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| Northern Flicker |
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| Northern Flicker |
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| Red Winged Blackbird |
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| Trumpeter Swan |
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| Trumpeter Swan |
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| White Breasted Nuthatch |
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| Wood Duck |
Saturday, 9 May 2015
Birds - 15 April 2015
Some photos from mid April.
On 6 May I observed a Merlin attack a Crow. The Merlin went straight in sinking its talons into the Crows breast. The two tussled in mid air before breaking apart and the Crow attempted to flee. The Merlin went after the Crow sinking its talons into the Crows back, the Crow turned its head but couldn't reach the Merlin. The Merlin hung on for a few seconds before releasing and headed back to a stand of trees where I believe the Merlin's are nesting.
I haven't been able to locate the nest in the trees, but, two Merlin's have been hanging around in the immediate area for about a month.
Turns out the Nuthatches did not nest in the tree hollow. A pair of Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers were showing some interest in the hollow but they seemed to pass on it as well.
On 6 May I observed a Merlin attack a Crow. The Merlin went straight in sinking its talons into the Crows breast. The two tussled in mid air before breaking apart and the Crow attempted to flee. The Merlin went after the Crow sinking its talons into the Crows back, the Crow turned its head but couldn't reach the Merlin. The Merlin hung on for a few seconds before releasing and headed back to a stand of trees where I believe the Merlin's are nesting.
I haven't been able to locate the nest in the trees, but, two Merlin's have been hanging around in the immediate area for about a month.
Turns out the Nuthatches did not nest in the tree hollow. A pair of Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers were showing some interest in the hollow but they seemed to pass on it as well.
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| Common Grackle |
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| Merlin |
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| Mourning Dove |
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| Purple Finch Female |
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| Yellow Rumped Warbler |
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| Robin |
Western Meadow
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| Merlin |
Saturday, 2 May 2015
Birds and a Snapping Turtle - 14 April 2015
Various birds we saw on 14 April.
If you want to see more birds from around the world come visit us at the Google+ Community New Birds.
It is a friendly community consisting of amateur photographers, professional photographers and people who just like to look at the photos.
https://plus.google.com/communities/100452918740331457819
If you want to see more birds from around the world come visit us at the Google+ Community New Birds.
It is a friendly community consisting of amateur photographers, professional photographers and people who just like to look at the photos.
https://plus.google.com/communities/100452918740331457819
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| Northern Flicker |
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| Ruby Crowned Kinglet |
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| Ruby Crowned Kinglet |
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| Starlings |
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| Western Meadowlark |
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| White Breasted Nuthatch - Thought they were building a nest, but they left after a few days. |
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| White Breasted Nuthatch |
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| White Breasted Nuthatch |
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| White Breasted Nuthatch |
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| Wood Duck |
Goose and Snapping Turtle
Found this Snapping Turtle on April 29. Its shell was 10-12" from one end to the other. I did note that the Goose and a duck stayed about the same distance from it. There was also a Painted Turtle on the pile of logs to the left of the Snapping Turtle, but I couldn't get them both in frame.
Snapping Turtle
Snapping Turtle
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