Bird Sightings

For the last two years, the Green Heron, a small heron of the eastern United States has been a vagrant in Northeast Denver during Fall migration.

This month: the Green-tailed Towhee and the Spotted Towhee plus the Northern Pintail.

Many birds are raising their young at this time of year in the tree hole nests of aspen trees.

I’m surprised that I have not yet showcased the Mallard and the Canada Goose in my “Bird Sightings” column because they are two of the most ubiquitous birds around the Denver area.

Birding can be nuanced and humbling. But modern technologies, such as continuous auto-focusing digital cameras, and the Merlin app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, have helped me become a better birder—more skillful, knowledgeable, and accurate.

Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs are large sandpipers that look alike. The Greater Yellowlegs is a heavier, bulkier bird while the Lesser Yellowlegs is a slimmer, more delicate bird.

Daylight has been lengthening since the Winter Solstice of Dec. 21, 2022. March 20, 2023 marked the Spring Equinox. Spring signifies renewal, awakening, and the beginning of new lives.

This month George Ho presents the Hooded Merganser and the American Dipper.

Sandhill Cranes are large, tall, gray birds with broad wings and long legs. Both Western and Eastern Kingbirds are warm weather visitors in the United States.

The Double-crested Cormorant is a large waterbird with a stocky body, long neck, medium-sized tail, webbed feet, and a medium-sized hooked bill. The Black-capped Chickadee is a small songbird.

This month the American Coot, a small waterborne bird, and the American Crow and Common Raven, two large black birds.

Birds, like other wildlife, exhibit behavior of self-preservation and will risk their own safety to protect their young and preserve the territory they inhabit.