If eggs are beautifully wrapped gifts with beguiling potential and naked hatchlings are the unsightly presents precious to the giver but not necessarily the giftee, by the time nestlings have put on fluffy down and are begging for food with wide, brightly colored gapes, most recipients would consider them at least acceptable, if not downright … Continue reading Fledgling Summer
DNA testing is revolutionizing our understanding of the relatedness between different species. Among the avifauna, one of the surprises has been the discovery that falcons are close relatives of parrots and share a common ancestry with songbirds. This is one of the reasons you will find falcons next to parrots in your printed bird guide … Continue reading Falco
Among our migratory birds, one of the more color- and cheerful representatives is the Western Tanager. As the name implies, it does not typically frequent the eastern part of the Americas, but from its winter quarters in Central America or Mexico journeys to US states and Canadian provinces west of the Great Plains, where it … Continue reading Here Comes The Sun
May of 2020 has gone down in my personal record book as the birdiest month ever—186 different avian species enriched and enlivened my spring beyond the wildest expectations. This number included both resident as well as migratory birds, both birds previously known to me, as well as a few new ones—lifers, as we birders like … Continue reading Spring Migration
As this month is drawing to a close, I am, again, musing about its changeability. From record low to record high temperatures, from snow- and rainfalls to wind- and thunderstorms, Colorado Springs has seen it all. Whereas the first spring flowers were welcomed warmly, they paid for their precocity with their lives. Our daffodils and … Continue reading So This Was April
tanja britton 