Yampavian Ranch Blog

Western Tanager and Black-headed Grosbeak Fall-out

Tue, 25 May 2010 18:26:10 -0700

Another spring storm with powerful wind gusts produced a fall-out of migrating songbirds on the ranch. In a typical spring, I may see one or two Western Tanagers in the vicinity of the ranch. This storms produced an unprecedented flock of 15-20 Western Tanagers that included both males and females, sub-adults as well as fully mature birds. For several days they flocked to the "buffet" of nectar feeders, oranges, and grape jelly that I had previously set up for the orioles. At first the tanagers were intimidated by the more aggressive Bullock's Orioles, but in no time at all, they learned to hold their own at the feeders. At meal times we witnessed a feeding frenzy with orioles, tanagers, hummingbirds, and grosbeaks going at the feeders and at each other in order to get to the feeders. The action was intense and dizzying to watch.

The adult male Western Tanager in breeding plumage, with his showy yellow and black feathers and bright red head, is my pick for the prettiest bird to frequent the ranch (see previous blog entry "Bird Beauties.."- May, 2009).

Some of the males in this flock were either sub-adults or had not yet attained their full breeding plumage; they appeared yellow-olive and dusky, with just a wash of red on the face.

The females display olive-green feathers on their upperparts, and yellow to grayish white feathers on their underparts. Both male and females wear two yellowish-white wing bars.

In addition to the tanagers, a number of Black-headed Grosbeaks made a post-storm appearance at the feeders. Like the male Bullock's Oriole, the male Black-headed Grosbeak's plumage sports orange, black, and white, but the orange of the grosbeak is darker than the oriole, and its beak is heavy and bulky, compared to the narrow, straight oriole bill.

(Black-headed Grosbeak on left, Bullock's Oriole on the right)

The Black-headed Grosbeaks usually comes to the sunflower feeders, but the last few days,

they have been competing with the tanagers and the orioles for the nectar, oranges, and grape jelly.

It is no wonder I have trouble getting anything accomplished in the spring. I am either distracted by the amazing display of flashy birds at my feeder or occupied with replenishing the feeders that these flashy birds are frequenting. How fortunate can one bird-loving person be?!

In a few days the Western Tanagers and Black-headed Grosbeaks will move to higher grounds to nest. In the meantime, I'm enjoying every minute of their visit to our ranch.

"Wind Birds"

Sun, 02 May 2010 18:36:59 -0700

Spring storms bring rain, snow, and wind to the ranch along with a fall-out of what the naturalist, Peter Matthiessen, calls the "wind birds". Wet, flooded fields on and near the ranch provide feeding grounds for shorebirds and marsh birds. Some, such as Willets, Marbled Godwits, White-faced Ibis, and Lesser Yellowlegs are just passing through on the way to their breeding grounds. Others, such as Wilson's Snipe and Kildeer stay for the season and breed and raise their young on the

ranch. Still others, such as Long-billed Curlew,

Cattle Egret, and Long-billed Dowitcher are vagrants- unexpected, out-of-range visitors who have blown off or strayed from their usual migration route.

-Kildeer pair nesting on the ranch

Last spring we briefly hosted a beautiful, but bewildered Cattle Egret in full breeding plumage.

In early April of this year, I arrived home after the best ski day of the season (thanks to a storm that delivered a foot of champagne powder to the ski mountain) and was greeted by a total of 14 Wilson's Snipe scattered around the ranch.

Earlier this week, after a wind storm of epic proportion, a flooded field across from the ranch was teeming with "wind birds"- 11 White-faced Ibis, 131 Marbled Godwits, 4 Willets, 2 Lesser Yellowlegs, and a single Long-billed Dowitcher. The ibis and godwits hung around for a few days before taking off, allowing me the opportunity to observe and photograph them.

The White-faced Ibis is a funny-looking creature with his long legs and his long decurved bill that he uses to probe in the mud for worms, insects, and snails. The "white-face" in his name consists of white feathers along the border of the bare facial skin of adults birds. The white is difficult to see except at close range, but the metallic bronze plumage on the body of the bird knocks you out, especially in just the right light.

When the Marbled Godwit is standing still or foraging

for bugs, his long, slightly upturned bicolored bill is my favorite feature. The flock seems to

enjoy socializing while they eat. When I was observing them late in the day, a pair of Red-tailed Hawks flew overhead and startled the birds into flight. As they took off, the bright cinnamon-buff of their underwings absolutely dazzled me.

The Marbled Godwits, like many of the "wind birds", stay for such a brief time that I consider their appearance on the ranch in the spring a highlight of the season.

Rosy-finch Banding Project

Sun, 21 Mar 2010 14:28:30 -0700

Last week the Yampavian Ranch had the honor of hosting researchers from the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory and the U.S. Forest Service. In my previous blog entry, I discussed how rosy-finches began showing up at our feeders on New Years Day. Their numbers grew over the weeks, until we were feeding close to 200 rosy-finches a day.

News of our flock traveled through the birding grapevine, and I was asked if I would allow researchers to band some of my rosy-finches as part of an on-going study of rosy-finches in Colorado. I was thrilled to give my consent; my dream for the ranch has always been both to attract and protect birds and to provide access to birders and researchers to learn more about the birds.

Three species of rosy-finches are found in a limited range in North America- Gray-crowned, Brown-capped, and Block Rosy-finch. All three frequent our ranch, with the Gray-crowned being the most numerous, by far. The photo above on the right shows the two different types of Gray-crowned Rosy-finches we see on the ranch; the bird to the left is the "Interior" Gray-crowned, and the one on the right with the "helmet" of gray is the "Hepburn" Gray-crowned Rosy-finch. Rosy-finches breed in high mountain tundra and migrate to lower elevations to feed on seed in winter months. Little is known about actual numbers of each of these species and how they are faring with climate change. Researchers from RMBO and the U.S. Forest Service are banding these birds to try to obtain more data on population numbers and movements of these species.

Early one morning this past week, the researchers arrived and set up a mist net in the area where the rosy-finches were feeding. Within a few minutes the first rosy-finches had flown into the net and were captured. The birds were gently removed from the net, placed in small

cloth bags, and taken to the banding station inside our heated garage. Each bird was then examined to determine age, sex, general feather condition, wing and tail length, and weight.

All of this information was recorded for each bird captured. Then each rosy-finch was banded with three different bands: a numbered, silver U.S. Fish and Wildlife band, a yellow plastic band indicating the bird had been banded in Routt County, and an orange plastic band which designates the year of the banding (2009-2010). Finally, the bird was released back into the wild with the new bracelets on its legs.

In addition to 46 rosy-finches (all Gray-crowned) captured over the two days of banding, we caught and banded a Black-capped Chickadee, several American Goldfinches, two Tree Sparrows, and two Red-winged Blackbirds.

These other birds were examined, measured, and weighed like the rosy-finches but were banded only with the single silver U.S. Fish and Wildlife band.

In years to come, we will look for the banded rosy-finches to see if they return to the ranch.

Already, we have spotted several of the banded birds back at the feeders, seemingly,

no worse for wear.

I find it thrilling that our ranch has not only been the chosen feeding grounds for these birds this winter, but has also been the chosen site to help learn more about these beautiful birds and their conservation.

Rosy-finch Drama

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 11:18:21 -0700

During some winters, we are inundated with flocks of rosy-finches. This year they showed up on New Years Day as we were watching (appropriately enough) the Rose Bowl Parade. Three different species of rosy-finches populate Northwest Colorado- Gray-crowned, Brown-capped, and Black. While all three species have made an appearance at our feeders this winter, the Gray-crowned Rosy-finches are, by far, the most numerous.

The first few days I counted only 6 or 7 at the feeders in the early morning hours. Within a week at least two dozen visited each day. Now more than a hundred rosy-finches consistently are seen roosting and feeding around the yard. They wait their turn on the roof of the buildings and on tree branches, then, fly to the feeder to gorge on sunflower seeds.

When flocks of rosy-finches abound, a predator is likely to take notice. Within the last few days, another visitor has shown up at our feeder- a beautiful, sleek Coopers Hawk.

And here is the inevitable result......

Sad, but part of what you have to expect when you feed birds!

Crane Count

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:13:16 -0700

The Sandhill Cranes stage in our area in late summer and early fall before heading south to New Mexico and Arizona for the winter. We flood one or more of our hay fields in late August to attract them to our ranch. Every morning at sunrise they fly out from their roosting site along the river to feed in our fields and those of the surrounding ranches. Every evening at sunset they fly back to the river to spend the night. The Sandhill Cranes in our area are part of the Rocky Mountain Flock and are of the subspecies known as the Greater Sandhill Crane. Today I was asked to participate in a crane count for our ranch. On the morning fly-out, I counted 203 cranes. This evening i decided to photograph rather than count the cranes as they flew back to the river. So here is a sampling of the Sandhill Cranes at the magic hour on the Yampavian Ranch.

Berry Bush Bonanza

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 14:30:41 -0700

With all of the rain this spring, our berry bushes are bursting! Each year we add more berry bushes around the ranch hoping to attract more birds. Different species of shrubs provide berries for the birds throughout the seasons. Here is a sampling of our berries as we move into the month of August.

Canada Cherry (not yet ripe)-

Chokecherry- a favorite of the robin and waxwings.

Currants- different varieties with

different colored berries.

Red-osier Dogwood- a personal

favorite of mine (and the birds).

Scarlet Elder- beautiful red berries

that the birds never touch.

Honeysuckle- At least two different varieties- orange and red berries.

Raspberries- just planted last year.

Serviceberry- pronounced "Sarvisberry"

and devoured by the most species

of birds on the ranch.

More about Young Orioles

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 12:00:43 -0700

This spring produced a bumper crop of young Bullock's Orioles. All day long I hear them chattering and begging for food from the tired adults. I can't resist photographing them from the balcony of our bedroom which is eye level with the trees where they spent most of their day.

Baby Birds and Fledglings

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:43:44 -0700

The first round of nesting on the ranch has been completed. Some birds, such as the Barn Swallows and American Robins, will nest again, but most species have completed the nesting cycle for this year. The fledglings perch awkwardly in the trees and shrubs, and all too often crash into windows, sometimes with catastrophic results. Yesterday three young Bullock's Orioles visited our water feature and nectar feeders.

They waited in the lilac tree until the adult oriole had drunk its fill at the feeder.

Then they took turns eating at the feeder and bathing in the water feature.

Today, young Western Kingbird siblings appeared to be carrying on a conversation in the shrubs outside our dining room window.

I was not sure where the Kingbirds had nested this year on the property, but clearly they

had successfully raised a brood somewhere nearby.

Earlier in the week on my walk along the river, I spotted seven Common Merganser babies swimming in the irrigation ditch that flows through our property.

What cute little feathery puffs of joy!

As I started snapping photos, Mama Merganser suddenly appeared and headed right toward me. She was not happy that I was standing so close to her little flock.

I left quickly, hoping that these ducklings will stay safe in the waters around the ranch and grow up to nest somewhere nearby- perhaps in the duck box I installed two years ago by the banks of the river that, so far, has gone unoccupied.

Nest Boxes and Their Occupants

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:15:25 -0700

Almost as soon as we acquired the ranch, we began putting up nest boxes. Initially, our target bird for the nest boxes was the Mountain Bluebird- the only bluebird that breeds in our

area. In 1999, I contacted the North American Bluebird Society and purchased ten Mountain Bluebird boxes; the holes in these boxes are sized specifically for Mountain, as opposed to Western or Eastern Bluebirds. The installation of these boxes proved to be quite an ordeal. Because we are located on river bottom land, our soil is incredibly rocky. We had to pound rebar into the soil to make the holes for the poles to which the nest boxes were attached. When the job was completed, we discovered that the Mountain Bluebirds were happy to check out the boxes in the spring, but moved on to greener (or, more likely, higher) pastures to build their nests and raise their young.

Instead, the Mountain Bluebird nest boxes became Tree Swallow boxes. Every spring Tree Swallows in great numbers descend on the ranch and fight over the nest boxes. The Tree Swallows have a beautiful, swooping flight and are prodigious insect-eaters, so they are welcome tenants. They have successfully raised brood after brood of young, so that now Tree Swallows are the most numerous of any bird species to be found on the ranch.

Over the years we have put up nest boxes for Northern Flickers, American Kestrels, Wood Ducks, and House Wrens. Although flickers are numerous on the ranch, they seem to prefer natural tree cavities to our nest boxes. The kestrel box has been occupied for the last two years; the smallest of the falcons, the kestrels are thrilling to watch as they hover over the fields hunting for mice and voles. The Wood Duck box has never been occupied, although we have seen Wood Ducks- a rare species in this area- on the ranch.

The wren boxes get used year after year. While the House Wren can be classified as an L.B.J. (Little Brown Job), he more than makes up for his plain looks with his bubbly, energetic song.

In the spring and summer, nothing makes me happier than watching our nest box occupants fly to and fro as they build their nests and raise their young inside the homes we have provided for them.

Bird Beauties of the Ranch

Sun, 31 May 2009 14:31:53 -0700

As a rule, I dislike beauty contests. In humans they tend to focus primarily on physical attributes and objectify the contestants. In reality, the majority of humans are equivalent in beauty to what we classify in the bird world as L.B.J.'s ("Little Brown Jobs"). When it comes to birds, however, I admit to having no qualms about making judgments concerning the relative beauty of different species. In the bird world, the male of the species is typically (but not always) flashier and prettier than the female. So in considering the bird beauties of the Yampavian Ranch, I will focus on the males, making this a kind of "Mr. Universe," rather than a "Miss America" contest.

In my bird beauty contest, third runner-up goes to the Mountain Bluebird, a breathtaking, brilliant, sky-blue bird who has migrated through, but never nested on the ranch, despite the ten bluebird boxes we have scattered around the property.

Second runner-up goes to the Bullock's Oriole, the orange, black, and white bird who is a regular at my nectar feeders in the spring and summer and whom I have discussed in one of my previous blog entries.

First runner-up goes to the Lazuli Bunting, another strikingly beautiful "blue" bird with deep blue feathers covering his head and back, a red--orange chest, and a snow white belly. He shows up occasionally at my feeder in the spring and can be found regularly throughout the summer foraging for insects in the cottonwood trees along the river.

AND THE WINNER IS...................................

WESTERN TANAGER!!!!

With his brilliant red head, his bright yellow body, and his black wings, tail, and back, this bird looks as if he has been painted by a wildlife artists. A relative of the Cardinal, he winters in the tropics and breeds as far north as Alaska. He shows up on the ranch in late May and is attracted to my water feature and to the fruit that I set out for the orioles. Last Thursday, a "season" of Western Tanagers (a group of tanagers is called a "season") appeared in my back yard and drank and bathed while I watched in awe.

Waxing Eloquent Over Waxwings

Tue, 26 May 2009 10:26:13 -0700

Cedar Waxwings are among the most elegant of the birds that frequent our ranch. With their long crest, their sleek brown and gray plumage, yellow tail band, and red waxy wing tips, they dazzle me when they flock to my trees. Waxwings get their name from the red waxy wing tips found at the end of the secondary flight feathers in adult birds. The color comes from carotenoid pigments in their fruit diet. Young waxwings have little or no red in their wing tips.

Cedar Waxwings can show up at any time of the year, but they are most reliable around Memorial Day. Yesterday our fruit trees were laden with blossoms and Cedar Waxwings. As I planted flower boxes, I watched the waxings fly from tree to tree and gorge themselves on buds,

blossoms, and insects. Later in the spring and summer, they will return to eat the berries from our various fruiting trees and shrubs. In the fall they will re-appear to eat whatever fruit there may be left over on the trees. Sometimes when they feast on this over-ripe fruit of the fall, they behave as though they are "inebriated," and I worry about their navigating skills when they take wing.

The Bohemian Waxwing is the larger, grayer cousin of the Cedar Waxwing. Bohemians live further north and only visit our area in the fall and winter. We had one show up at the ranch for a rare visit one fall several years ago.

In landscaping the ranch, the Cedar Waxwing was one of our target birds. We planted

serviceberry, dogwood, hawthorne, chokecherry, sand cherry, strawberries, currants, viburnum, and other native fruit trees and shrubs in the hopes of attracting waxing flocks. I am happy to report that we have succeeded in this endeavor beyond our wildest imagination.

Oriole Buffet

Sun, 10 May 2009 15:33:31 -0700

Every spring the orioles show up at the ranch the first week of May. I make a point to hang out a sugar-water feeder the last day of April in anticipation of their arrival. In Northwest Colorado, we are frequented by one species of oriole- the Bullock's Oriole, which is similar in appearance and call to the Baltimore Oriole. The Bullock's is found mainly in the west, while the Baltimore is the oriole of the east and midwest. Because the two species sometimes hybridize where their ranges overlap, they were at one time lumped together as one species- the Northern Oriole. Then the powers-to-be of the ornithological world decided that they were actually two separate species, after all. The Bullock's Oriole is a stunner- the male is bright orange-gold in color with white wing-bars and a black throat.

The female is a paler orange and lacks the black on the throat.

Once the first oriole appears at the feeder (always a male), I put out the whole oriole buffet. In addition to the nectar feeder, I provide orange halves in a suet feeder and grape jelly in a dish. The orioles are voracious eaters and will sit in the tree and chatter at me to replenish the buffet if it starts to run low.

I have had as many as 4 orioles waiting their turn at the buffet line. (Actually, they don't wait politely, they butt in line whenever they see an opportunity.) In addition to sugar-water, jelly, and oranges, the Bullock's Oriole consumes protein in the form of insects, which are plentiful everywhere on the ranch.

A short time after their arrival, the orioles begin building their incredible hanging pouch nests around the ranch. They usually place their nests in cottonwood trees at the end of a slender branch. They nests are well-hidden in the foliage, so that it isn't until fall (and long after the babies have fledged) that we are able to determine where they have nested.

From the time of their arrival, throughout the nesting season, until they depart at the end of the summer, they continue to frequent the oriole buffet and continue to dazzle us with their brilliant color.

The Colors of Mud Season

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 22:26:54 -0700

While I love all the seasons on the ranch, mud season- the period of time between the closing of the ski mountain in mid-April and the arrival of summer in late May- is my favorite. The tourists have gone home, and many of the locals leave town for a few weeks for warmer climes. The weather varies dramatically from day-to-day - sunny, rainy, snowy, blowy. Flocks of birds migrate through the area, while other flocks stay and begin the breeding cycle.

As the snow melts, the ranch transforms itself practically overnight from white and brown to a dazzling green - so green it almost hurts your eyes. Green grass, green buds, green leaves, even green frogs cover the landscape in all directions. And shortly following the greening of the ranch, splashes of yellow begin to appear. Golden daffodils bloom in my front and back garden, sometimes poking through the white snow that has fallen overnight. The dull brown winter plumage of the American Goldfinch suddenly transforms to the bright

canary yellow that seems more typical of tropical species rather than North American birds. But my favorite yellow - a kind of yellow-orange - shows up in the form of a single Yellow-headed Blackbird that visits the ranch each spring. I know he has arrived when I hear his raucous call, reminding me of the sound of a rusty hinge. (Click hear to hear his song). He sports a brilliantly yellow head, neck, and chest, and flashes white wing patches when he flies. He joins the throngs of other blackbirds that frequent my feeders during mud season, but with his flashy yellow coloration and his unique call, he grabs the spotlight.

Daytime Visit from Evening Grosbeaks

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:47:43 -0700

This morning we were visited by a small flock of Evening Grosbeaks comprised of 4 males and 1 female. While they are not uncommon in the Rocky Mountain area, their numbers have significantly declined in recent years throughout most of the lower 48 states. They are an irruptive species, which means they usually move south from their breeding grounds every other year or so during the winter. However, they tend to drop by my yard most commonly in spring and fall. I am always surprised when they show up since our ranch is slightly lower in elevation than their usual habitat. The bright yellow, black, grey, and white plumage of the male is stunning. Their large conical bills are perfect for cracking sunflower seeds, and they have been known to devour the entire contents of a sunflower feeder in a single visit. During their all-too-brief visit this morning, they spent their time nibbling the new buds on the chokecherry trees and ignored my sunflower feeders. With any luck, they will pop in again this spring, and perhaps, their "cousin"- the Black-headed Grosbeak, will show up for a visit as well.

Otterly Amazing! - Part 2

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 11:06:01 -0700

For the past two days I have observed a single River Otter on the north bank of the Yampa River opposite our tree house. I have watched him both walking along the river bank and swimming in the river. The tree house provides a perfect observation "tower" and camera blind.