Birds chirping in the rain

[CheyenneWills]

There is a lot of vocal bird activity tonight. I thought maybe there was a nest with young birds in the gutters, went out to check and but the chirps we're coming from all over. Hopefully they are happy songs due to the rain.

[Rose H-H]

Wow, they are really vocalizing a lot!  At almost 12:30 in the morning. . .Thanks for your post, Cheyenne.

Michelle, any enlightening words?

[Steven B in PV]

The prominent singers lately have been Robin, Townsend's Solitaire, Pine Grosbeak, Gray-headed Junco, White-crowned Sparrow, Mountain and Back-capped Chickadee.  Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers are drumming.  Ravens, Crows and Clark's Nutcrackers have been carrying nest material.  

Our first male Broad-tailed Hummingbird made an appearance on April 26.  A few more males and a female came in until the snow on Monday.  I think they move down canyon where there's milder weather and more frequent insect hatches.  A couple hardy males made appearances today with 5" of fresh snow.

On May Day a pair of American Dippers began carrying nest material to the dipper nest box in the stream by the cabin.  It's a little early for this elevation of 8525'.  They sing throughout the day but have been most active building the nest in early morning.

Today, had another sighting of a mink running up river over the snow.

[Steven B in PV]

I will be interested to know if Michelle or anyone has yet seen dippers active at the nest box in Jamestown this spring.

A few minutes ago I heard another songster in the yard with the arrival of three Brown-capped Rosy Finches.  This is only the second time we've ever seen them come to our feeders.  As we've removed hundreds of spruce and fir from the around the cabin it is now more attractive to open country birds like Rosy Finch, Red Crossbill and Horned Lark.

Brown-capped Rosy Finches nest in the rocky cliffs and tundra along the top of the Continental Divide in Colorado.  Like other finches they're sometimes seen along roadsides consuming sand and salt which helps them digest seeds and insects.  But the salts can slow their metabolism and reaction time making them more vulnerable to being hit by passing vehicles.  Last January and February I watched large flocks of Brown-capped and Gray-crowned Rosy Finches flying and feeding along the Overland Road switchbacks.  When you see them on the road it's important to slow and give them time to move.

Here are Brown-capped and Gray-crowned Rosy Finches that visited our feeders a year ago.


Steve

[John Hardman]

Steven B in PV  ~   Thanks again for filling in the blanks.  Lots of birds.  I have seen Dippers along Jim Creek this spring, don't know if they are nesting though.   The Brown Cap Finches I always see in numbers (they are fed seed) at the Ski Patrol Station at the top of the Elk Camp Lift @ Snowmass.  Did not realize they came down this low.  Sounds like Spring is in the air.  And much needed moisture.  Doesn't seem to faze the birds much.  Busy, busy, busy!

[Nancy Farmer]

There is a lot of vocal bird activity tonight. I thought maybe there was a nest with young birds in the gutters, went out to check and but the chirps we're coming from all over. Hopefully they are happy songs due to the rain.

That was fantastic! I had to take my dog out late and I thought I heard birdsong in the woods, so I stopped and listened closely to make sure I wasn't imagining it - I don't know that I've ever heard the birds singing at night like that - what a treat!

[CheyenneWills]

I didn't hear the bird choir last night. What i heard Tuesday night was really different/unusual then the normal bird songs.

What i initially thought was that there was a nest with small birds in a gutter. The sound was the high pitched chirping associated with hungry chicks. I went outside to investigate, and could hear the same chirping coming from many directions.