A Corvid Trio featuring Clark's Nutcracker and Black-billed Magpie plus Townsend's Warbler

[Late Summer 2015. The Rockies, Co.]

If only we knew the language of birds, it would not be surprising to learn that "primate brain" in their parlance is an expression reserved for describing a creature slow of wit. And, as we primates look around us -- especially in relation to our politics -- we cannot but wonder if they are right.

And, yet while we use "bird brain" in an equivalent sense, we now know how grossly we err: birds are not only intelligent but also highly adaptable; being as they are among a select group of creatures on this planet capable of using tools. And, the corvids -- the family of jays and crows -- are renowned as among the most clever of avian species.

In this blog post, we review 3 corvid species encountered on a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.

We start with Clark's Nutcracker:

Clark's Nutcracker is one of 3 species of Nutcrackers on the earth and the only nutcracker found in the New World. This particular individual was observed at Rainbow Curve Overlook at Rocky National Mountain Park in Colorado.

As their name implies, nutcrackers are nut specialists -- especially pine nuts. They are known to stash away 30,000 pine nuts in a single season for later consumption. Almost miraculously, they are able to remember the location of 70% of them -- i.e., they are able to remember where they hid 21,000 tiny seeds. Compare this to modern primates who struggle to remember the location of just a single parked vehicle in a lot!
 
Also observed was Steller's Jay:

This is one of two crested jays found in the US. It ranges in evergreen forest over much of the West.

Our last corvid is the the Black-billed Magpie:

Unlike Nutcrackers, the magpie is an omnivore and an opportunist when it comes to food -- feeding on nuts and insects as well as scavenging dead animals. With the elimination of the bison herds from which they gleaned ticks and insects, these adaptable corvids have now switched over to farm animals. 

Magpies are also able to recognize individual human faces -- they have been known to pick out specific individuals to mob from a crowd of people. A fact discovered by researchers who were studying magpie nesting and found that the parent magpies later recognized the same people who had earlier disturbed their nests (see article here).

While observing the Steller's Jay at Brainard Lake, flitting movement detected in the trees revealed a feeding flock of warblers:

A beautiful Townsend's Warbler! A nice bonus to supplement the wonderful jays.

But the Rockies hold more than just birds -- Brainard Lake is known for its Moose and RNMP is famous for its Elk and Bighorn Sheep.

In Late Summer, the rut is just starting and the bulls are herding up their harems:

Finally, Mule Deer:

This deer is named for its large, mule-like ears and is found only in Western N. America.

While birds never cease to amaze us with their color, song and power -- we should not overlook the fact that they are amazing in their intelligence as well -- a fact superbly underscored by the collection of corvids here presented.

Colorado Gold: Six Special Sparrows featuring Vesper, Brewer's, and Lark Sparrows

[Boulder, CO. Aug/Sept 2015]

The Colorado Gold Rush from 1858 to 1861 was the greatest gold rush in American history -- attracting 100,000 men to engage in a frenzy of prospecting about 85 miles from Pike's Peak in the Rockies. This resulted in not only the production of over a million ounces of gold (worth over $1B in today's prices!) but also the establishment of the new towns of Boulder City and Denver.

And, today, long after the rivers and mountains have been exhausted of the yellow metal, gold can still to be found in Colorado -- but of the feathered variety.

The "feathered gold" that was discovered by this "prospector" on a recent trip to Boulder, Colorado, was in the form of 6 species of American sparrow, namely:

1. Vesper Sparrow
2. Brewer's Sparrow
3. Lark Sparrow
4. Song Sparrow
5. American Tree Sparrow
6. Spotted Towhee

We start with Vesper Sparrow:

Vesper Sparrow seen at Rabbit Mtn

Vesper Sparrow is found coast to coast in the US. Although named for its behavior of singing in the evening, this beautiful and heavily streaked, grey-brown sparrow has a preference for open spaces. It is precisely for this reason that the Vesper's numbers are declining -- as a direct consequence of loss of habitat and modern farming techniques.

Vesper's Sparrow has been seen before on this blog -- for example, here in Kirtland's Warbler territory.

Our next sparrow is Brewer's-- unlike Vesper's, this sparrow is restricted to the Western US.

Brewer's Sparrow seen at Rabbit Mtn

Brewer's Sparrows in the US thrive in sagebrush habitat; in Canada, a different subspecies lives in mountainous habitat at treeline. They will winter in Arizona (eg., at Sabino Canyon) south to Mexico.

While both Vesper's and Brewer's Sparrows seem rather nondescript; Lark Sparrow is unmistakable (thanks to the prominent cheek patches):

Lark Sparrow seen at Rabbit Mtn

Not only is Lark Sparrow distinctive looking but, as the sole member of its genus, it also exhibits some unique behaviors -- especially in courtship where the male struts like a turkey.

Song Sparrows can be quite variable between Western and Eastern races:

Song Sparrow seen in Boulder Co.

The Western race, as can be seen here, shows more grey in the overall color scheme.

American Tree Sparrows do not breed in the lower 50 US states -- preferring Alaska and Canada for their nesting grounds.

American Tree Sparrow seen at Brainard Lake

The individual above was part of a flock that must have arrived for the winter.

Finally -- Spotted Towhee:

Spotted Towhee seen at Rabbit Mtn.

This large sparrow is commonly seen in thickets across the West and resembles our Eastern Towhee.

The Colorado Gold Rush is but a mere footnote in history -- however, birders to the state can still enjoy prospecting for a treasure that lives on -- the rich and varied birdlife of the region that warrants attention from the intrepid birder -- an argument so aptly attested by these six special sparrows.

Rabbit Mountain: Sage Thrasher, Bullock's Oriole and Golden Eagle

[Boulder Co., August 2015]

Is there no justice in Birding? Woeful is the birder who returns empty-handed with naught but barren tidings from a chase or excursion that commenced with bright and cheery hopes sprung from the fertile soil of optimism. 

There are no guarantees in birding; no "reap as you sow" law -- good effort expended does not necessarily yield reward reaped. Occasional despair, it must be freely admitted, shall not be unfamiliar in the travails of the indefatigable birder. 

Yet, birding is also a great redeemer -- in seemingly random acts of good fortune, ordinary days sometimes blossom with sightings -- thanks to bountiful quality and quantity of desired species. These semi-miraculous events, occurring roughly in equal measure to the days of despair and drought, compensate for all the misses and dips. So, all in all, perhaps there is justice indeed in Birding! Take heart, ye brave and gritty birding soul! 

Having reported in this blog on many species of the distinctive New World family of songbirds that are the Thrashers -- species such as Long-billed Thrasher, Crissal Thrasher, Curve-billed Thrasher, California Thrasher, and, Brown Thrasher -- this blogger was hoping to add another thrasher (and Lifer) -- the Sage Thrasher -- to this list. The hope for this Lifer arose as a result of a quick trip to Boulder, Colorado -- however, not one Sage Thrasher was seen -- instead, dozens were! As the old adage goes, "when it rains, the birder's cup spilleth over" ....[or something like that].

The venue for these observations is a delightful hotspot in Boulder County -- Rabbit Mountain -- where the full list of species observed included:

• Sage Thrasher
• Bullock's Oriole
• Blue Grosbeak
• Say's Phoebe
• Golden Eagle
• Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher

We start with the Thrasher:

Sage Thrasher is our smallest thrasher and, like all our thrashers (but one), is found in the West. Were it not for the pronounced streaking on the breast, one could be forgiven in casual misidentification with Northern Mockingbird. As its name implies, it is a specialist of sagebrush habitat and generally forages on the ground, feasting on insects.

Next up, Bullock's Oriole -- a beautiful female was sighted feeding on seeds. This is to the West what Baltimore Oriole is in the Eastern US. If you're wondering about the male of the species, here's one reported in this blog from earlier.

Rabbit Mountain provides a mixture of habitat -- dominated by grasses and brush -- perfect for sparrows as well as Blue Grosbeak:

Both sexes were sighted (the female in the latter photos).

In the parking lot itself, a Say's Phoebe took an elevated vantage point on a post:

This is a common flycatcher of the West.

Another lifer was Golden Eagle -- although the photographic quality risks attracting criticism, it is nevertheless an imposing raptor that deserves mention in this blog. The underwing pattern implies that this is a juvenile.

Finally, our most widespread Gnatcatcher -- the Blue-Grey:

Although this post starts with a somewhat rhetorical question, those with ample experience in the field will know that every excursion, rich or poor in sightings, will offer learnings and insights to the enterprising birder.