Birds, Birding, and Hummingbirds (2014, area, warm)

[otowi]

We have two populations of robins in El Paso County (and Colorado in general). There are always a few that overwinter in Colorado, and they might move further north now. The spring/summer robins have been coming in for awhile, and are now here in good numbers, and that is not at all abnormal.

[headingtoDenver]

I also spotted a robin in our back yard. I only noticed it because my cat was going bananas at the patio door.

[otowi]

Keep your heads up for Turkey Vultures - they've just started to show up for spring in the past week or so. When you see them flying the wings are slightly bent up into a v, and the color is all dark on the front part of the wing and a lighter color - gray/white depending on the light you see it in on the trailing end of the wing. They have bald red heads but you may not notice that if it is soaring.

[allprolab]

Definitely saw some robins this morning when walking the dog. C'mooooooon spring!

[mollygee]

Originally Posted by otowi

Keep your heads up for Turkey Vultures - they've just started to show up for spring in the past week or so. When you see them flying the wings are slightly bent up into a v, and the color is all dark on the front part of the wing and a lighter color - gray/white depending on the light you see it in on the trailing end of the wing. They have bald red heads but you may not notice that if it is soaring.

My daughter was walking her little white dog in a dog park in the north area of Denver and a huge vulture had an eye for her little doggie, she swooped him up so fast! Here she was, looking for larger dogs or other animals on the loose, and bam...out of the sky!!!

[otowi]

Well Turkey Vultures are carrion eaters not predators so she probably had little cause to worry, but better to be safe than sorry.

[mollygee]

Originally Posted by otowi

Well Turkey Vultures are carrion eaters not predators so she probably had little cause to worry, but better to be safe than sorry.

My daughter said that it was a chicken hawk that was over her head and charged her little pom.

[otowi]

Chicken hawk? In the United States, a Chickenhawk or Chicken Hawk is an unofficial designation for three species of North American hawks: the Cooper's Hawk, the Sharp-shinned Hawk and the Red-tailed Hawk. The Cooper's and Sharpie's are smaller and live in wooded areas typically, the red-tail is the most common hawk around here and is the only one of the three that typically soars in circles and would be seen on light posts, etc. So I'd guess she means red-tail hawk. It would be a little unusual for a hawk to actually dive to pick up her dog if she was right near the dog and was moving around, but not unheard of. But if it was just circling overhead eyeing the options, absolutely yes - and there are tons of rabbits and mice in the same area that it sees but you don't.

[headingtoDenver]

I did catch these two little guys yesterday having some breakfast.

[otowi]

House finches! I love their cheerful song!