Saturday, February 28, 2015 
Bright and cold. 10°F. 0-4 mph. 1 participant.
binoculars and child
NOTE: After 26 years as a Wild Bird Center franchisee, we are now Wild Bird Company of Boulder - fully independent and still family-owned and operated by Steve and Julie Frye. With our new name and branding, we will continue to offer you even more choices of quality backyard bird seed & suet, equipment, optics, and supplies. And, of course, the same friendly and knowledgeable staff.

Look for an Announcement of our New Wild Bird Company Website and Online Shopping Cart - Coming Soon!

In the meantime our store and current Website remain open as usual, so visit us soon at the same location with the same phone (303) 442-1322 and email address steve@wbcboulder.com.

Thanks for all of your support!  We look forward to seeing you and hearing about your latest birding experiences.     --Steve
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Saturday, February 28, 2015 Bird Walk
Such a gorgeous morning. If you could get by the first chilly hour of the walk, the rest of the time was really quite pleasant. Happily, the Colorado sun can make even a cold day seem balmy. Our high humidity and cold temperatures last night made for terrific hoar frost on all surfaces. Some of the larger crystals looked like leaves. You will see on the slide show that I couldn't help taking pictures of the frost.

Note: The slideshow this week contains some images of a sharp-shinned hawk which had just taken a European Starling. The images are not gory, but some may find them disturbing.

View our Regular Saturday, February 28 , 2015 Bird Walk 

Walden Ponds Wildlife Habitat--Cottonwood Marsh and Wally Tove's Pond, Boulder, US-CO:  
Feb 28, 2015 7:45 AM - 8:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.25 mile(s)
11 species

Canada Goose  30
Gadwall  10
American Wigeon  20
Mallard  10
Redhead  80
Ring-necked Duck  40
Common Goldeneye  20
Ring-billed Gull  100, forming a large "island" on ice-covered Cottonwood Marsh. They flew up and settled down twice during the time I was there.
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  100, forming an "island" to themselves like the gulls
Common Raven  1
Red-winged Blackbird  3

Boulder Creek--75th St., Boulder, US-CO: 
Feb 28, 2015 8:05 AM - 9:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
14 species

American Wigeon  1
Mallard  10
Common Goldeneye  3
Sharp-shinned Hawk  1, see Bird of the Day    
Eurasian Collared-Dove  18
Great Horned Owl  1
Downy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  1
Blue Jay  3
Black-billed Magpie  2
American Crow  1
American Robin  1
European Starling  20
Red-winged Blackbird  2

Teller Farm & Lakes, Boulder, US-CO: 
Feb 28, 2015 9:10 AM - 10:10 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.3 mile(s)
15 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose  20
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Ring-billed Gull  60
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  20
American Kestrel  1
Blue Jay  1
Common Raven  2
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
European Starling  40
Song Sparrow  3
White-crowned Sparrow  2
Golden-crowned Sparrow  1  
Dark-eyed Junco  2
    Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)  2
Red-winged Blackbird  20
House Sparrow  3  

 

Total species seen:  30
 Note: Species in bold are birds that were special on the walk for
 reasons like a great view, out-of-season, great numbers, or rarity.
birders
Every Saturday Morning

  - From 7:30 a.m. (promptly) to 10 am -

    Meet at Wild Bird Center of Boulder

      1641 - 28th St., Boulder, CO 80301 

       (303) 442-1322   

 

Every Saturday year-round. No reservations required.  Every last Saturday of the month we travel further afield than normal and return a little later.  Bird Walk locations are determined on the morning of the walk. All ages and birding abilities are welcome!

 

To Sign Up for our "Saturday Bird Walks List" or "Boulder Backyards" periodic eNewsletter, simply Click Here. Note: The "Saturday Bird Walks List"
is a separate email from our "Boulder Backyards" eNewsletters. You can update your preference to receive one or both.
--Thanks, Steve


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Product Discount Coupon
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15% Off Bluebird-Sized 
Bird Houses 
 
Call and mention this Coupon
or visit our store  to redeem.
(303) 442-1322
Not to be combined with other offers.  Expires 4/15/15 
Wild Bird Company     
February 28, 2014
Wild Bird Company
Quick Links

Bird of the Day
February 28, 2014
Saturday Bird Walk
 
Sharp Shinned Hawk  
©Steve Frye
  Sharp Shinned Hawk     

This female sharp-shinned hawk was not going to budge when I came across her. She was perched on the ground on top of what looked like a stick, but I knew that a sharpie would not remain on the ground with me so close unless it had a prey item. That stick turned out to be a European Starling which she must have just caught. After sharp-shinned hawks catch their prey, they begin to pluck most of the feathers off before consuming it. They will often remove the legs and beak as well. There were not a lot of feathers plucked on this starling so that is why I think this bird was just caught.          

  

Cornell Lab of Ornithology,
All About Birds 
Birdfellow  
 
Youtube by cobrrdrr
(Note: this video is little gory, but it does show a sharp-shinned hawk with a European Staling in winter in Longmont, CO. Filmed by local expert birder and friend of the Wild Bird Company Bill Schmoker.)      
 

Dark-Eyed Junco     
©Steve Frye

Wally Tove's Pond
©Steve Frye  
Click to Enlarge


Ring-Billed Gulls   
©Steve Frye     
Click to Enlarge   


Song Sparrow
©Steve Frye
Click to Enlarge


White-Crowned Sparrow
©Steve Frye