Our merry group of 27 birders ventured into Hudson Gardens and along the South Platter River on a brisk, beautiful day with plenty of sun. We spotted 25 species of birds during our 3-hour walk covering just under 2 miles.
We began by walking clockwise through Hudson Gardens, looking and listening for birds in the trees, on the ground, in the sky, and everywhere in between. American Robins and Red-winged Blackbirds were both observed singing out in the open, giving us a great opportunity to associate the song with the bird.
Out along the South Platte trail, we saw many of the waterbirds we’d anticipate seeing this time of year such as Bufflehead, American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal and Gadwall.
One exciting observation was a Northern Harrier behaving very un-Harrierlike. These medium-sized raptors with long tails and a distinctive white rump patch are most often seen flying low over grasslands or marshes. This behavior is explained by their habit of not only looking for its prey, but listening as well. The Northern Harrier we observed was soaring high in the sky, a behavior we typically expect from other raptors such as the Red-tailed Hawk. What a treat to see a bird exhibiting an unexpected behavior!
Female Northern Harrier @ Bill Schmoker
Another big highlight was a pair of nest-building Bushtits. These tiny gray birds are often seen in marauding flocks that descend upon your suet feeder and then disappear, often for weeks at a time. This time of year, they are paired up to nest and often start earlier than many other perching birds.
Bushtit @ Bill Schmoker
As spring migration continues, we will say goodbye to many species of waterbirds, and hello to some of our summer favorites such as hummingbirds, swallows, and Bullock’s Orioles. Be sure to sign up early for the next walk on April 28th, 2018 by visiting the Hudson Garden’s website.
Species List:
American Robin – 30
Black-capped Chickadee – 5
Northern Flicker – 3
European Starling – 9
Red-winged Blackbird – 25
Northern Harrier – 1
Song Sparrow – 4
Green-winged Teal – 4
Bufflehead – 7
Double-crested Cormorant – 2
Mallard – 14
American Coot – 1
House Finch – 12
American Goldfinch – 4
Killdeer – 1
Bushtit – 4
American Wigeon – 12
Gadwall – 6
Swallow spp. – 10 (flying high)
Canada Goose – 26
Blue Jay – 5
Common Grackle – 3
Eurasian Collared-Dove – 2
Common Raven – 1
Black-billed Magpie – 3
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