Go birding with us!
Wild Bird Center Saturday Walks:
From 7:30 am (promptly) to 9:45 am (approximately)
Every Saturday year-round.
Every last Saturday of the month we travel further afield than normal and return a little later.
Bird Walk E-mails
Join our Bird Walk e-mail list!
In order to keep up with local sightings, we will send you a list of all the birds seen on our most recent birdwalks as well as where we saw them. We will also update you on upcoming walks and events at the Boulder Wild Bird Center.
If you wish to join, send e-mail to us at WBCBoulderCO@AOL.com
Upcoming Events
August 30th Bird Walk
Help us find some of our departing birds and others just passing through Colorado on Saturday August 30th. We are going to bird watch in the Longmont. As usual, you can carpool with us from the store or you can meet us in the Jim Hamm Nature Preserve Parking Lot just north of the intersection of 17th and County Line Rd at 7:50am. We will leave the store promptly at 7:30am. We will be traveling to Union Res and Sandstone Ranch. We should return to the store about 11-11:30am. If you have questions please call the Wild Bird Center at 303-442-1322. No reservations are required.
Wild Bird Center Saturday Morning Birders
August 23, 2008.
Sunny and calm. 75 degrees F. 10 participants.
I went birding to Rabbit Mountain yesterday and saw some great things including about 15 sage thrashers. So this morning I thought we would head up to Sage Trail where I have had good luck in the past finding sage thrashers. Guess what? We didn’t see a one. That's the way it goes some times. We still ended up seeing some neat things in all our running around. Most notably, was the burrowing owl just north of the Vinelife Church in Gunbarrel. Burrowing owls have been mostly gone from Boulder County over the last 15 years, but we are seeing a few come back. Let's hope the trend continues. Steve
Sage Trail:
HAWKS, EAGLES AND KITES
Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1, being dive bombed by swallows
PIGEONS AND DOVES
Rock Pigeon, 3
Mourning Dove, 2
HUMMINGBIRDS
Broad-tailed Hummingbird, 2
WOODPECKERS
Northern Flicker, 1
SWALLOWS
Barn Swallow, 8
CHICKADEES AND TITS
Black-capped Chickadee, 2
STARLINGS
European Starling, 4
FINCHES, SISKINS, CROSSBILLS
House Finch, 2
Lesser Goldfinch, 1
American Goldfinch, 1
WOOD WARBLERS
Yellow-breasted Chat, 2
SPARROWS, TOWHEES, JUNCOS
Spotted Towhee, 3
BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, GRACKLES, ETC.
Western Meadowlark, 1
Brewer's Blackbird, 2
Species seen: 15
Boulder Reservoir:
HAWKS, EAGLES AND KITES
Red-tailed Hawk, 3
Ferruginous Hawk, 1
PLOVERS AND LAPWINGS
Killdeer, 2
PIGEONS AND DOVES
Mourning Dove, 1
Species seen: 4
Near Vinelife Church in Gunbarrel:
HAWKS, EAGLES AND KITES
Red-tailed Hawk, 1
OWLS
Burrowing Owl, 1
SPARROWS, TOWHEES, JUNCOS
Lark Sparrow, 1
Species seen: 3
Valmont Reservoir:
GREBES
Western Grebe, 10
PELICANS
American White Pelican, 10
CORMORANTS
Double-crested Cormorant, 6
HERONS, EGRETS AND BITTERNS
Great Blue Heron, 1
DUCKS, GEESE AND SWANS
Canada Goose, 50
Mallard, 4
HAWKS, EAGLES AND KITES
Red-tailed Hawk, 1
GULLS
Ring-billed Gull, 20
SWALLOWS
Barn Swallow, 30
CROWS AND JAYS
Black-billed Magpie, 4
SALTATORS, CARDINALS AND ALLIES
Lazuli Bunting, 1
Species seen: 11
Wild Bird Center:
CROWS AND JAYS
Common Raven, 1
OLD WORLD SPARROWS
House Sparrow, 6
Species seen: 2
Total species seen: 31
Other Interesting Sightings:
All week long I have had calliope, rufous, and broad-tailed hummingbirds in my yard in NW Longmont.
Aug 22, Blackpoll warbler, 1, seen by Marlene at South Mesa Trail
Aug 22, Olive-sided Flycatcher, 1, seen by Wendy at Sawhill Ponds
P.S. I'll send out an email this Thurs/Friday to let everyone know where we might be going on our "long" walk next Saturday.
August 9, 2008.
Sunny and calm. 75 degrees. 14 participants.
We tried to find a few shorebirds today. We had some success, but Boulder Reservoir was overrun with boats and personal watercraft. The water level of Cottonwood Marsh at Walden Ponds was extremely low. That was sad to see. I hope Open Space can get some water rights or we have some good rain/snow to fill it up. Good birding. Steve
Boulder Reservoir:
GREBES
Pied-billed Grebe, 2
CORMORANTS
Double-crested Cormorant, 1, eating a small bass
HERONS, EGRETS AND BITTERNS
Great Blue Heron, 1
Great Egret, 2
DUCKS, GEESE AND SWANS
Mallard, 4
OSPREY
Osprey, 8, in two family groups
HAWKS, EAGLES AND KITES
Northern Harrier, 1
Red-tailed Hawk, 1
FALCONS AND CARACARAS
American Kestrel, 1
RAILS, GALLINULES AND COOTS
American Coot, 1
PLOVERS AND LAPWINGS
Killdeer, 2
SANDPIPERS
Wilson's Snipe, 3
Spotted Sandpiper, 2
PIGEONS AND DOVES
Mourning Dove, 3
HUMMINGBIRDS
Broad-tailed Hummingbird, 2
KINGFISHERS
Belted Kingfisher, 2
WOODPECKERS
Downy Woodpecker, 1
Northern Flicker, 1
TYRANT FLYCATCHERS
Western Kingbird, 4
Eastern Kingbird, 2
SWALLOWS
Barn Swallow, 2
CROWS AND JAYS
Black-billed Magpie, 1
STARLINGS
European Starling, 80
VIREOS AND ALLIES
Warbling Vireo, 1
FINCHES, SISKINS, CROSSBILLS
House Finch, 4
American Goldfinch, 2
WOOD WARBLERS
Yellow Warbler, 1
SPARROWS, TOWHEES, JUNCOS
Vesper Sparrow, 6
Song Sparrow, 1
BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, GRACKLES, ETC.
Red-winged Blackbird, 2
Western Meadowlark, 6
Brewer's Blackbird, 4
Common Grackle, 2
Species seen: 33
Walden/Sawhill Ponds:
PELICANS
American White Pelican, 1
CORMORANTS
Double-crested Cormorant, 1
HERONS, EGRETS AND BITTERNS
Great Blue Heron, 4
Great Egret, 1
DUCKS, GEESE AND SWANS
Mallard, 24
AVOCETS AND STILTS
American Avocet, 6
PLOVERS AND LAPWINGS
Semipalmated Plover, 3
Killdeer, 6
SANDPIPERS
Greater Yellowlegs, 1
Lesser Yellowlegs, 4
GULLS
Ring-billed Gull, 50
KINGFISHERS
Belted Kingfisher, 1
SWALLOWS
Tree Swallow, 1
Bank Swallow, 8
Barn Swallow, 2
FINCHES, SISKINS, CROSSBILLS
American Goldfinch, 1
Species seen: 16
Ecocycle Pond:
PIGEONS AND DOVES
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Species seen: 1
Total species seen: 42
Other Interesting Sightings:
Aug 6-8, Calliope Hummingbird, at Steve's house in NW Longmont
Click below to download our eNewsletters:
Aug 08: Avian Olympics
Jul 08: Attracting Hummingbirds / Finding Baby Birds
Jun 08: Pine Beetle Infestation / Meadowlarks
May 08: Hummingbird Feeding 101 / Grackles
Apr 08: Eurasian Collared-Doves / Boulder Birds Checklist
Mar 08: Woodpecker Problems?
Feb 08: Sand Hill Cranes
Jan 08: Coffee Trade
Dec 07: December Highlights
Nov 07: Wildlife Tree Day
Oct 07: Dealing With Squirrels
Sep 07: How Birds Find Food
Aug 07: Hummingbird Migration / West Nile Virus