COLORADO & WYOMING 
May (B. Gibbons). Quite early were the 3 Cliff 
Swallows at Pueblo’s Valeo Ponds, Pueblo 14 
Mar (D. Chartier). The 8 Winter Wrens re- 
ported this season, mostly from foothill loca- 
tions along the e. edge of the Rockies, made an 
above-average number. One Gray-cheeked 
Thrush was documented, a bird at Greenlee 
Preserve, Boulder 11 May (TF). Northeast of 
usual haunts, a Curve-billed Thrasher was at 
Thompson Ranch, Lincoln 15 May (GW et 
al.). Bohemian Waxwings put on a pitiful per- 
formance in Colorado during winter and 
spring 2009. The only report we received was 
of a flock of at least 150 birds at L. Catamount, 
Routt 15-16 Mar (TL, C. Dodson). 
WARBLERS THROUGH FINCHES 
Colorado birders look forward to finding stray 
e. warblers in spring and fall. Unfortunately, 
the spring of 2009 was somewhat lackluster in 
the diversity of such, but numbers of some 
species were greater than typical. A single 
Blue-winged Warbler was on the West Slope at 
Hotchkiss 16 May (A. Robinsong) and estab- 
lished a first for Delta. A male Golden-winged 
Warbler was at L.C.C. 6-7 May (B. Shade). 
The most notable parulid, however, was a 
Brewster’s Warbler documented from Col- 
orado Springs, El Paso 13 May (M. C. Lee), 
only the 2nd accepted record for the state. The 
9 Nashville Warblers reported was about aver- 
age. Lucy’s Warblers continue to breed at Yel- 
lowjacket Canyon, Montezuma, where 4 were 
noted 25 Apr Qb, TD, T. Wilberding); this 
small population, the only known in the state, 
was first discovered in 2004. Thirty Northern 
Parulas reported made for an outstanding in- 
flux, with the most notable report being of one 
in the San Luis Valley at the Medano-Zapata 
Ranch, Alamosa 22 May (m.ob.). Nine Chest- 
nut-sided Warblers were seen in e. Colorado, 
an average showing, while the 13 Magnolia 
Warblers in the same area was a bit high. The 
5 Black-throated Blue Warblers reported were 
nice finds; one wonders where these birds end 
up in the summer, considering their 
Caribbean wintering grounds and relatively 
northeasterly breeding range. A Black-throat- 
ed Green Warbler was at Twin Lakes, Boulder 
10 May (WS) and provided the sole report of 
the species this spring. A male Blackburnian 
Warbler sang at Chico, Pueblo 23 May (BM), 
while a Yellow-throated Warbler brightened 
Bonny 11 Apr (CLW et al.). Away from its nor- 
mal sw. Colorado range, a male Grace’s War- 
bler was far n. at Estes Park, Larimer 5-7 May 
(B. Chase, GM). 
The 36 Blackpoll Warblers seen across the 
state made for an excellent count, though mi- 
nuscule compared to last spring’s record show- 
ing. Two Prothonotary Warblers were seen, 
one at Thompson Ranch, Lincoln 1 May (KM- 
D), the other at Belmar Park in Lakewood, Je/- 
ferson 1 May (M. Chavez). Eastern Colorado 
birders reported 7 Worm-eating Warblers in 
Colorado and one in Wyoming, at a ranch in 
Cheyenne 1 May 0- Roller, LK). Although 
Ovenbirds are regular migrants in e. Colorado 
and localized breeders along the Front Range 
foothills, records for w. Colorado are few. Es- 
tablishing a first for La Plata was one at Pasto- 
rius 30-31 May (HM). A first for Chico, a Ken- 
tucky Warbler was on the Pueblo side of the 
ranch 1 May (BM). An amazing 24 Hooded 
Warblers were reported in e. Colorado. 
At least 19 Summer Tanagers were seen in 
the state, all but 3 from the e. side. Record 
early for the West Slope was one at Highline 
Res. 24 Apr Q- Cooper). Just a day later, an 
apparent returning bird was found at Yellow- 
jacket Canyon QB, TD), where the species has 
lately been present all summer and is suspect- 
ed of breeding. Finally, a male was reported 
from Conejos 9 May QS). The territorial male 
Scarlet Tanager at Gregory Canyon, Boulder 
returned for its 3rd year, first seen 28 May 
(KM-D). The wintering female Eastern 
Towhee at Eort Eyon State Wildlife Area, Bent 
remained through at least 8 Mar (MM). Very 
rare in sw. Colorado, a Clay-colored Sparrow 
was at Navajo State Wildlife Area, Archuleta 4 
May (SA), and a Black-throated Sparrow was 
northerly at Chatfield S.P., Douglas 17 Apr 
(GW, LK). Out-of-range Sage Sparrows in- 
cluded one in Salida, Chaffee 1 Mar (RM), one 
at Walden Ponds 8 Apr (WS), and another at 
Estes Park 22 Apr (GM, S. Rashid). The win- 
tering Fremont Golden-crowned Sparrow re- 
mained at that location until at least 31 Mar, 
although no details on the spring sighting 
were provided. Four Rusty Blackbirds were 
seen across e. Colorado. Away from its mon- 
tane habitat, a female-plumaged Pine Gros- 
beak was reported without details on the e. 
plains at Bonny, where seen 8 Mar (MP et al). 
Finally, White-winged Crossbills remain in 
mountainous areas of Colorado, with small 
groups being observed in Conejos (S. 
Fullingim), Mesa (CD), Delta (CD), and Hins- 
dale (MP et al.). 
Undocumented rarities: We do not include 
undocumented Colorado reports of C.B.R.C. 
review species in the main text; such reports 
this season included: Red-throated Loon in 
Fremont; Neotropic Cormorant in Weld; Least 
Bittern in Jefferson; Tricolored Heron in Logan; 
Glossy Ibis in Arapahoe, Bent, Boulder, Dou- 
glas (two reports). La Plata, and Weld; Glossy 
Ibis X White-faced Ibis hybrid in Boulder; 
Swallow-tailed Kite in Douglas; Hudsonian 
Godwit in Weld; Short-billed Dowitcher in 
Arapahoe, Bent, and Lincoln; Laughing Gull in 
Douglas; Mew Gull in Boulder; Glaucous- 
winged Gull in Mesa; Lesser Nighthawk in 
Montrose; Ruby-throated Hummingbird in 
Prowers; Eastern Wood-Pewee in Pueblo; Alder 
Elycatcher in El Paso and Weld; Vermilion Ply- 
catcher in Fremont and Pueblo; Scissor-tailed 
Elycatcher in Las Animas; Blue-headed Vireo 
in Prowers (two reports) and Weld; Philadel- 
phia Vireo in Arapahoe; Gray-cheeked Thrush 
in Broomfield; Wood Thrush in Bent; Varied 
Thrush in Arapahoe; Lucy’s Warbler in Mesa; 
Blackburnian Warbler in Jefferson; Pine War- 
bler in Boulder and Prowers; Kentucky War- 
bler in Custer; Mourning Warbler in Larimer; 
Hepatic Tanager in Huerfano; Baird’s Sparrow 
in Bent; Red Fox Sparrow in Delta. 
Cited observers (subregional editors in bold- 
face): Susan Allerton, Robert Andrews, Jim 
Beatty QBy; sw. Colorado), Todd Deininger, 
Coen Dexter (w.-cen. Colorado), Doug W. 
Faulkner (Wyoming), Ted Floyd, Joey Kell- 
ner, Loch Kilpatrick, Gloria 6ar Jim Lawrence 
(statewide Rare Bird Alert for Wyoming) , Tom 
Litteral, Mark Lockwood, Forrest Luke (nw. 
Colorado), Gary Matthews, Bill Maynard, Ter- 
ry McEneaney (Yellowstone), Chris Michel- 
son (Casper, WY), Kathy Mihm-Dunning, 
Mark Miller, Rich Miller, Heather Morris, Su- 
san Patla Qaekson, WY), Brandon K. Percival 
(se. Colorado), Mark Peterson, Bert Raynes 
Oackson, WY), Bill Schmoker (Colorado 
Pront Range), Larry Semo (ne. Colorado), 
Dave Silverman, Steve Stachowiak, John 
Stump, Walter Szeliga, Glenn Walbek (n.- 
cen. Colorado), Cole Wild. Many other indi- 
vidual observers contributed information to 
this report but could not be acknowledged 
here; all have our gratitude. O 
Lawrence S. Semo, 9054 Dover Street 
Westminster, Colorado 80021, (lsemo(S)swca.com) 
Tony Leukering, 102A Delaware Avenue 
Villas, New Jersey 08251, (greatgrayowl@aol.com) 
Bill Schmoker, 3381 Larkspur Drive 
Longmont, Colorado 80503, (bill.sdimoker@gmail.com) 
Q A A male Bay-breasted Warbler was at L. Beckwith, Pueblo 22 May (OS). Colorado has 40 accepted records of the species, 
JiA with 21 of those garnered during the spruce budworm outbreak in e. Canada in the 1970s. Only one record was ob- 
tained during the 1 980s, but a moderate rebound of vagrant reports came during the 1 990s, when 8 were seen. As we near 
the end of the first decade of this millennium, the CB.R.C. has accepted 10 records of the species for that period. One wonders 
if populations are increasing or if the increased number of records is a result of increased birding effort and/or acumen. 
VOLUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 3 
471 
