meandering

Sunshine Tomorrow?

noreply@blogger.com (Becca Reid) — Wed, 18 May 2016 00:34:00 +0000

Wet birds in Boulder today, and a Wet Becca :)

Mother's Day Expedition

noreply@blogger.com (Becca Reid) — Mon, 11 May 2015 00:40:00 +0000

to Crow Valley....

very wet. very wintery.

just water everywhere. Crossed some, just looked at some.

When it comes to Crow Valley though,

I'll take freezing cold water, snow and wind over

mosquitoes and snakes any day!

Robins don't mind.

Little Yellow Warbler. Yellow-Rumped around too.

Chipping Sparrow. and Towhees. and Killdeer.

Thrush. Swainson's?

Wren :)

Macgillivray's Warbler. Nice!

Brown Thrasher.... Miss those funny guys too.

GBH.

GHO. Mom (or Dad) flew off to safely observe but left their

Ball of Fluff on their own.

From the front, so hunkered down!

A favorite, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher :)

So I've forgotten a lot of names; it's like seeing old friends again. Lark Spurs,

Meadowlarks, and these guys: Lark Sparrows.

White-crowned Sparrow

On 96, Lark Bunting and Western Kingbird :)

and one very wet, very unimpressed Burrowing Owl.

Another Sunday at Running Deer

noreply@blogger.com (Becca Reid) — Mon, 26 May 2014 12:09:00 +0000

Nice quiet Sunday walk.

Hi Guys.

At the improvised pond: blue-winged teal.

About as good as it's going to get for swallows in flight!

Today's prize: Great views of a Green Heron.

and some deer. and many bunnies.

A Little Bit of Spring...

noreply@blogger.com (Becca Reid) — Sun, 18 May 2014 21:42:00 +0000

Off for an adventure to Running Deer. All the recent moisture has meant new ponds [where there used to be] and I thought we better go take a look:

Looking for frogs…and snakes. We talked a lot about snakes today, in

preparation for a visit to Dixon or Crow Valley. (Always good to be prepared :)

Maisie will tell you that we saw "a lot of rabbits today."

I knew it was going to be a very good walk when we saw a

Common Yellowthroat at our start. We always hear one in this

spot, but much less often see them!

We walked as far in as we could, and then went a different way back….Uh Oh!

Flooded. Time for a U-turn :)

No, Killdeer, we are not going to bother your nest!

Sanpipers, redheads, Song Sparrows and more. More than I've seen

in years at Running Deer, surely from all the new water/storms.

Snack time!

New for me at Running Deer (and all of Fort Collins) a loon!!!

So very nice to see my favorites passing through :) Wilson's Warbler.

Yellow Warbler. and bunches of Yellow-rumped too.

Spring Walk

noreply@blogger.com (Becca Reid) — Sat, 05 Apr 2014 00:52:00 +0000

We went for a little walk today down by the ELC, on the Poudre River Trail. I realized halfway through that we could stop by the feedlot, and that this would be good fun for Maisie. Nothing too exciting, and the lens or I (or both) can no longer focus, but it felt really nice to get out :)

GBH on the way in.

Very entertaining Osprey making rounds gathering

sticks for his platform nest.

Mergansers, far away, safe and sound.

Song Sparrow sang to us all along our stroll.

Shoveler on the way out.

and a somewhat mangy fox too.

a very entertained Maisie. I wonder how long I can

play that card while I examine the trees later this summer…

(over, and over? Maisie, let's go see the cows!")

If Only it were Fall.....

noreply@blogger.com (Becca Reid) — Sun, 01 Sep 2013 19:45:00 +0000

The temps were below 90 this morning, so OUT we went. Warning: Not too many bird photos below; Running Deer just isn't the same since they drained the pond. Quiet and peaceful and I'll take it. Birding with a toddler is funny anyhow. (Playground birding anyone? "I see a Crow.") And the birds seem sort of unimpressed as we come tumbling along singing "Ring Around a Rosie."

Anyhow. Bullfrog: Maisie didn't notice, since he was sitting very still.

Western Kingbirds doing their thing.

Osprey Flyover.

Maisie found a snake. Mom had a heart attack. Apparently someone inherited my mad snake finding skills. Oh Well.

noreply@blogger.com (Becca Reid) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 01:37:00 +0000

FOS Walk:

Warm enough to venture out with Dad and Maisie today, a nice re-introduction to North Shields Ponds:

Didn't see anything inside...can't tell if they were caching

food or what!

Greater Yellowlegs...also LOVELY to see some

American Avocets off in the distance. :)

Quiet Discoveries

noreply@blogger.com (Becca Reid) — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 11:09:00 +0000

Maisie and I must be fairly quiet, because we surprised several residents this weekend at North Shield Ponds. I don't know that we mean to be extremely quiet, but the slow strolling must just lend itself....

Lots of Red-winged Blackbirds on the move lately, many of them

sporting their Starling camo.

Our first surprised resident, this pterodactyl....er GBH. We unknowingly

shocked him from his first perch close by. He LOUDLY protested as

he found this second spot.

and he's off again!

Next, while Maisie napped, I observed from a bench. I rarely do that....(or at least I used to rarely do that...) I see different things though, when I do! (Like this Mink)

Or this Bullfrog, who we initially shocked into the water. He warily observed

us from a safe spot. (Though maybe not too safe - later on I shocked the mink,

now several feet away, apparently on the hunt for FROG.)

Summer's End

noreply@blogger.com (Becca Reid) — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 19:57:00 +0000

A Nice Morning at Running Deer....but before that, a quick look at a Sharp-shinned Hawk from our Fifth Grade field trip to the ELC yesterday:

Not sure why he stayed put...maybe he found the 80 or so rambunctious

fifth graders good entertainment?

Maisie and I had a quiet, beautiful Fall visit to Running Deer today. Very few

residents presented themselves, but our first, an

American Bittern, was a wonderful treat!

Mostly Red-winged Blackbirds at Running Deer today, but a few others too:

Kestrel, unimpressed by my interruption of his hunt!

and a few basically skulky White-crowned Sparrows. I'd have expected

a lot more of them...maybe in the next few weeks?

Fall Morning

noreply@blogger.com (Becca Reid) — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 02:37:00 +0000

North Shields Ponds this morning....

COLD, which was wonderful...though both Maisie and I need some mittens! No Great Blue Herons today, but a quiet Grebe to start the morning off. We walked, while waiting for the sun to warm.

So my newbie bird knowledge is gone. I'll call this a young

American Tree Sparrow [and then I'll be corrected] 'cause of

his chest mark.

A few lone sandpipers. [insert id correction here :)]

and then, at the end of our walk, a fabulous TREAT! A giant flock of

Cedar Waxwings, many of them young. (I think nearing 100)

I've never seen immature waxwings, and their streaked bellies were

absolutely lovely.

In among the Waxwings, A Western Tanager :) How fabulous to see two

of my favorite foothills residents on the move. (Especially since I've

been unable to get to the foothills as of late!)

Maisie was still napping when we reached the car, so we took a second lap:

Coopers/Sharpshinned manning the river.

and my snnuggled-up walking buddy.

North Shields Ponds

noreply@blogger.com (Becca Reid) — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 09:41:00 +0000

Hooray for another calm, cool August morning: I cannot WAIT for Fall! I looked forward to our walk each day last week, and Maisie and I both enjoyed the healing quiet and peace.

I don't know if Maisie's stroller resembles a large slow animal or not, but it seems

to have the unusual effect of slowing our wildlife down. This Great Blue Heron

stayed put far longer than I expected.

And this White-tailed Deer (one of a pair) allowed us to come close enough for

Maisie to really get a good look at her.

Quiet at North Shields Ponds today....some unexpected juncos flitting about,

the usual flickers, not a single duck in the river.

The expected Turkey Vultures were about though, and while Maisie and I took a break

on a bench, we did have a small interesting raptor fly-by.

Back to Running Deer

noreply@blogger.com (Becca Reid) — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 20:35:00 +0000

Maisie and I have visited Running Deer several times in the last few months; today I thought I'd tackle the camera alongside all the Maisie-gear. The oddest thing at Running Deer lately has been the absence of water - Maisie and I have sat on a bench looking out over a non-pond. Weird. But birds have come to visit while we've sat, so I guess there's adaptation. (Though a lack of grebes, coots and cormorants for sure.)

An overcast day was so wonderful for us - no rush to beat the heat, but it meant iffy lighting for photos. Eh, it's all good. Kingfisher on the prowl.

The water may be gone but those noisy Killdeer are not.

Flyover. Another secret flyover must have been an owl. Maisie loves owls.

Okay maybe I love telling her we're looking at owls....

Kingbirds commotioning.

Blue Grosbeak in silhouette. He was one of our previous visitors

on a camera-less trip to the non-pond.

Shrike. Fall will be so nice....the cooler weather will make this so much more accessible for us!

Snowy Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (Becca Reid) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 20:44:00 +0000

Off to Running Deer to play in the snow (and do a little camcorder test drive.)

First nice view of the day, a muskrat. I'd been thinking

a nice mink video shoot would have made for a lovely test drive, and

it took me a while to decide this was in fact a muskrat, but

pleasant nonetheless.

While watching the muskrat swim around - a real surprise, A Virginia Rail!

[A "Rail" I mean...not "Sora"...Thanks Mary, my brain's getting fuzzier]

Not too shabby for a snowy day in December.

Not tree shadows, but the beginnings of cracks in the ice being formed

[maybe] where the temperature was a little warmer?

I came across a group five meadowlarks. They looked so strange to me...

I guess the bright yellow against the snowy sky and the

cold-induced fluffiness.

Rail still plodding along on the way out. This spot is sometimes

such a bummer for photos, but so often yields lovely finds!

The Video Test Drives:

(not so much the best weather for video...and did I mention I haven't read the

book yet?) ALSO I'm really glad I didn't purchase the camcorder for nature walks....

juggling yet another device along with all the other cameras felt just plain nutty!

Snow day at Running Deer

noreply@blogger.com (Becca Reid) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:07:00 +0000

The Second Snow Day:

The roads seemed a little more intimidating today, so I opted for

a short visit to nearby Running Deer.

QUI-ET.

White-crowned Sparrows playing near the parking lot.

"Dumb humans anyhow."

Snowy coots...and geese...and a kestrel or two.

Several song sparrows together.

Manitou Springs Day 2

noreply@blogger.com (Becca Reid) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 01:49:00 +0000

Royal Gorge Railroad and Park:

With a little extra time before heading to the train, we made a quick first visit to the park:

windy. and lovely. What was (until recently) the highest suspension

bridge in the world.

from above....

So you see the red dot? By the end of the day we grew brave enough

to give it a try....

To the train. Halloween weekend. Costumed little people

trick-or-treating in the cars. Nice!

Brad's Eight.

and from below...

there's that red dot of a tram again!

These are fab. I love them!

Views from the Incline Train:

Respite.

Manitou Springs Day One

noreply@blogger.com (Becca Reid) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 01:34:00 +0000

Garden of the Gods and Cave of the Winds:

Townsend's Solitaire finds a shady spot...

Scrub Jay posing.

those Kissing Camels!

RED ROCK.

Hangin' at the Cave of the Winds:

Dark.

Snow Day at Crow Valley

noreply@blogger.com (Becca Reid) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 21:23:00 +0000

The unexpected SNOW DAY led me out to Crow Valley. So many flocks of birds circling around in the snowy skies on the way in, I figured I'd find at least someone.... Initially silent, except for the ever-so-often crashing down of tree limbs and plop of falling snow.

The first inhabitant, from off in the distance, proved mammal:

One of a bunch, and pretty irritated with my intrusion.

Next up, a less concerned Downy.

I plodded along (and I do mean plodded) figuring I'd find at least some juncos...

Again, seemingly not too impressed with my presence!

A scruffy-looking goldfinch.

and one of several raptor flyovers.

A time and a half around and I was pooped! I rested under the covered picnic tables

to gather energy for the trek back to the car. :)

"Gosh that flicker's making funny noises!" "Hey, you're no flicker!"

It's that Red-bellied Woodpecker...last seen in Central Park, NY.... Another

reminder that laziness is sometimes rewarded!

Goose doing their usual, serenade me as I exit.

Fall in Estes

noreply@blogger.com (Becca Reid) — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 21:20:00 +0000

I should get out more!

It was lovely in Estes today; Connie's bird walk:

"For Pete's sake, leave me be...I've got work to do!"

A seemingly warmer-than-usual Dipper

Coots.

Another Dipper, finding something special...

The very gorgeous and petite Ruby-crowned Kinglet

The very quiet Viestenz-Smith Park yielded some chickadees, our first good junco view of the day, and

a bush full of Bushtits. Thanks Connie!

Birds Lately

noreply@blogger.com (Becca Reid) — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 01:01:00 +0000

Highlights from the last week or so:

Little pockets of birds here and there. A quiet trip to Running Deer last week.

I know, not a bird....

My first cooperative Common Yellowthroat this year...maybe next

time he'll oblige me further by perching a little closer!

On Monday I went down to Chatfield State Park to visit the Western Gull:

This wayward visitor was all sorts of cooperative. Granted he's injured, but he

can fly and chose not as a tractor made seemingly 8 or 10 passes along the swim beach.

My first visit to Chatfield left me feeling that it wasn't so much my kind of place,

so I was really happy that I realized I could stop at Red Rocks on the way home. I made a

quick detour to pick up some bird seed and then camped out at the

Trading Post.

The only usual un-regular who made an appearance was the Curve-billed Thrasher.

I sat pretty close to the feeder to hide from the sun, so he may

have been a little more apprehensive than usual....I think I got some dirty looks!

(Human-studying.) In addition to the un-regulars, I was hoping to run into a

Canyon Wren, but no such luck this trip.

Today I headed to Greeley to look for the possibly breeding Yellow-crowned Night Heron. Not so much: he would have had to walk right in front of me for me to see him I think. A birder's needle-in-haystack and I don't have the skills!! However, I've only been to Glenmere Park once before, and I'd forgotten how awesome the breeding Heron and Egret racket is. Some of them, the Snowy or Cattle Egrets, make Donald Duck noises! Also awesome, the constant Black-crowned Night Heron flyover, going from island to park trees and back again gathering sticks.

Strangely, I did manage a new bird today. Common as they are, I've managed to

miss Cattle Egrets. They're lovely. Granted I'll still be making some return trips

in search of the YCNH, but they were nice regardless.

Dare I say it?

noreply@blogger.com (Becca Reid) — Mon, 30 May 2011 22:28:00 +0000

Sure, okay....IT'S ALMOST JUNE and no mosquitoes! This time last year Crow Valley was like the jungle. I poured repellant all over my clothes and took a deep breath and braved a trip around the campground. I have no complaints. Barring any ill effects on the bird community I think this is just lovely. I spent six hours at Crow Valley today. If I hadn't pooped out I could have stayed all afternoon. Mostly familiar faces, but ones I was eager to see:

Northern Mockingbird. The pair at work again nest-building, I think.

A new and great bird...well, pointed out to me once before I think, but this time my own find.

Orchard Oriole. Threw me off by hanging out with a female Bullocks.

A lovely female (I think) Black-headed Grosebeak

After a while I decided to sit in the shade and let the birds come to me. My only real takers

were a pair of Swainson's Thrush

I followed several (again I think) Red-headed Woodpeckers around Crow Valley.

I missed one unrepeatable fantastic photo op, but did get some nice views.

It was really time to go (my legs were doing their pondwater/molasses routine) and my only lament was not getting a Common Nighthawk shot. TA DA....on the way back to the car.

Left just in time to drive through a hailstorm heading West on 14.

More of today's photos:

The Complete Crow Valley list:

(not counting the Empids and the one Macgillivray's Warbler I think I saw)

American Robin

Western Kingbird

Chipping Sparrow

Blue Jay

House Wren

Brown Thrasher

Northern Flicker

Western Meadowlark

American Kestrel

Red-headed Woodpecker

Gray Catbird

Swainson's Thrush

Yellow Warbler

Spotted Towhee

Yellow-breasted Chat

Lark Sparrow

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Downy Woodpecker

Northern Mockingbird

Red-tailed Hawk

Wilson's Warbler

Eastern Kingbird

Common Nighthawk

Warbling Vireo

Orchard Oriole

Black-headed Grosbeak

New Birds at Dixon

noreply@blogger.com (Becca Reid) — Sat, 28 May 2011 02:56:00 +0000

I realized I wanted to head to Dixon Reservoir today (I skip it often) but I was hesitant 'cause I've been really snake-phobic lately....I survived, snake-free (at least while at Dixon.)
In addition to the usual suspects:

So this is a Gray Catbird; somehow I think this is a very

usual bird and I'm supposed to have seen a million of them and yet

today I saw my first pair. I thought they were awesome!

Cannot ignore the posing birds! Another realization today (okay I might have been sleepy)

It makes sense that Eastern Kingbirds are in the same family as Western (aside from

lots of OBVIOUS reasons) because they make the same noisy springtime commotions!

No great photo, I know, but I think this is my first concrete

view of a Savannah Sparrow...

Yellow-rumps and Yellow throughout.

Mallard. :)

Resourceful Wren.

Not my only mystery empid of the day.

Two really iffy photos of something I'm suspecting is a Field Sparrow.

(awaiting ID confirmation.) They were all sorts of un-cooperative....

and confusing too!

Running Deer and Riverbend

noreply@blogger.com (Becca Reid) — Wed, 25 May 2011 23:35:00 +0000

Started out gloomy, just like every other non-summer day lately. [Okay wait, I CAN NOT complain; not a mosquito in sight....If this keeps up it will be a fab summer indeed....well maybe not for the nighthawks.....]

FOS Violet-green Swallow. Right after a quick flyover from a Least Tern.

I still find them completely beautiful.

Okay, I know this one's an easy one... For the silhouette group.

First good looks at Eastern Kingbirds this year.

Its the Mink buddy! Saw one three times today, the third time

it was carrying a large snack!

Spotted Sandpiper? So I'll say...

At some point, brief pockets of sunshine crept in. This Common Merganser

must have thought it an appropriate time to dry off. Had to turn around on

the trail when I came across two mallards doing the same.

A very pretty little flycatcher. I'm gonna call him Least. Hey, could be, right?

Yup. Sun means Bullsnake. Scared the bejeebees out of each other.

More little flycatchers, most of them pewees maybe, hanging around

with Blue-gray Gnatcatchers.

Also about this morning:

American Robin

Great-blue Heron

Wood Duck

Northern Flicker

Downy Woodpecker

Chipping Sparrows

American Goldfinch

Yellow Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Bullock's Oriole

The tiniest of Peeps (looked just like a Spotted Sandpiper only teeny)

Osprey

House Wren

Cormorant

One rogue farm goose

Snowy Egret

Great Egret

Red-winged Blackbird

Grrrrrackle

Dry Spell

noreply@blogger.com (Becca Reid) — Fri, 20 May 2011 22:30:00 +0000

A momentary dry spell today in between showers. I walked around Prospect Ponds Natural Area and over to the Environmental Learning Center.

Song Sparrow basking in the brief spot of sunshine.

I never know whether its worth walking around the ELC or not.

Never seems to be much going on....but every once in awhile...

FOS Western Tanagers frolicking among some blooms.

Lots of furtive thrushes (mostly Swainson's, think I saw one Hermit).

One billion House Wrens. I like this one's camouflage.

This one was posing. I'm always happy to take a photo of a posing wren...even more so

if its not in the shade!

And then, something new. A Blackpoll Warbler.

Would never have seen it if I hadn't taken a chance on the ELC.

See how that works?

Also out and about in the momentary sunshine: GBH, Green-tailed Towhee, Cormorant, Shoveler, BWTeal, Yellow-rumped Warbler and Yellow Warbler, Downy Woodpecker, Kingfisher and American Robin.

Wet Day at Latham

noreply@blogger.com (Becca Reid) — Sat, 14 May 2011 00:46:00 +0000

On the way to school yesterday, too wet for a walk. So drive by birding. Thought I'd see who was around at Lower Latham.

The general avian mood of the day.

Sparrows aren't generally who I think of as Latham

residents, but they were plentiful yesterday!

The Clint Eastwood Sparrow.

and one for my artsy silhouetteish group.

some very hunkered-down Phalaropes

and on my second drive by, a prize: the FOS Black-necked Stilt.

Also at Latham today: a pair of Avocet (Beebee Draw) FOS Western Kingbird, Cinnamon Teal, Gadwall (I think) Yellow-headed Blackbirds, FOS Ibis, and probably lots of quietly hiding from

the rain things. Oh, and one muskrat.

Sora Portrait Session

noreply@blogger.com (Becca Reid) — Wed, 11 May 2011 01:46:00 +0000

A short visit to Running Deer before school today. Quiet....but miraculously on the way out a Sora presented itself. [Okay, maybe I was keeping an eye out for the Sora on account of Tom and Mary France having noticed it earlier this week....] However my surprise was genuine.

When it realized it'd been spotted, it darted back into the reeds. I sat on the ground and waited. The Sora reappeared and allowed me to watch it putter around. Here are some photos from our portrait session:

Absolutely helped the day. And really lovely to share that quiet space

with the Sora for a few moments.