COLORADO & WYOMING 
Fortunate birders caught a glimpse of this lurking Least Bittern 25 July 2009 in the vast 
marshes of Fort Lyons State Wildlife Area in Bent County, Colorado. Photograph by 
Lawrence S. Semo. 
Canyon of the Gunnison N.M., 
Gunnison 9 Jun (ph. AB), and the 
last was at Pueblo West, Pueblo 16 
Jun (BKP). The three singing Red- 
eyed Vireos found across Front 
Range counties was a typical count. 
Late spring/early summer snows 
across montane areas of Colorado 
often result in some montane- 
breeding individuals temporarily 
dispersing downslope to more hos- 
pitable climes. Such was the case 2 
Jun when Percival counted roughly 
800 Violet-green Swallows below 
Pueblo Res., Pueblo. 
WRENS THROUGH FINCHES 
Carolina Wren is a rare and very lo- 
cal denizen near the e. border of 
Colorado, and the report of one vis- 
iting Two Buttes Res., Baca 31 Jul 
(T. Barksdale) provides more sup- 
port for that status. Eastern Blue- 
birds nest in various plains loca- 
tions of extreme e. Colorado, and 
small numbers wander westward to 
the foothills during fall and winter. 
A territorial male was at Eldorado 
Mountain 7 Jul (CN), a location 
where the species nested out of 
range last year, while another male 
was at Genesee Park, Jefferson 6-10 Jul (M. 
Henwood). Late for the e. plains, a Mountain 
Bluebird was in n. Weld 1 Jun (D. Leather- 
man). Establishing a first for Montezuma and a 
very rare record for sw. Colorado, a Brown 
Thrasher was photographed w. of U.S. 491 on 
16 Jun (M. & D. Hill). Individual “eastern” 
warblers regularly show up in e. Colorado dur- 
ing the season; some attempt to establish terri- 
tories. This summer, 3 singing Northern Paru- 
las were observed: singles were in rural Boulder 
10 Jun (CN), Gregory Canyon, Boulder 11 Jul 
(M. Peterson), and Cherry Creek S.P., Arapa- 
hoe 28 Jul (K. Shipe). A singing male Chest- 
nut-sided Warbler was at Skunk Canyon, Boul- 
der 1 Jun (DW), while a male Black-and-white 
Warbler was seen at Last Chance, Washington 5 
Jun (GW, J. Kellner). The warbler highlight of 
the season, however, was the territorial male 
Kentucky Warbler that set up camp in Grego- 
ry Canyon, where present 6 Jun+ (NP, m.ob.); 
there are 35 previous state records. Single male 
Hooded Warblers were noted this summer, 
with a returning bird at Eldorado Mountain 22 
Jun-3 Jul (CN) and another at nearby Gregory 
Canyon 26Jun-ll Jul (E. DeEonso). 
Good spring/summer rains greened up the 
grasses of the Plains, and some prairie bird 
species responded dramatically. Cassin’s Spar- 
rows were noted as being common across the 
plains, with a few birds even found singing 
along the Front Range in Boulder, which is w. 
of usual. Black-throated Sparrows nest in se. 
Colorado as well as in many areas across the 
west. Northwest of usual for the se. popula- 
tion, nesting was confirmed at Fort Carson, 
Pueblo, where males were found singing and 
young were discovered 21 May-11 Jun (R. 
Clawges), A second-year male Summer Tanag- 
er made an appearance at Crow Valley Camp- 
ground, Weld 6 Jun (TF); presumably it was 
the last of the spring migrants. The returning 
male Scarlet Tanager was present for its 3rd 
summer at Gregory Canyon 6 Jun-20 Jul (NP). 
Northern Cardinals breed in a few locations 
across extreme e. Colorado. Well w. of normal, 
a singing male was at Rock Canyon, Pueblo 13 
Jun (BKP). Dickcissels arrived on the e. plains 
en masse, with individuals seemingly present 
in all suitable habitats across the e. portion of 
the state, including some w. to the foothill 
edge. Very far w., a male was photographed in 
rural La Plata 28 Jun (R. Donley), establishing 
a county first and the first for sw. Colorado. 
Westerly was the Baltimore Oriole at Chat- 
field S.R, Douglas 1 Jun (D. Shoffner). A pair of 
Scott’s Orioles was at Little Gypsum Valley, San 
Miguel 8 Jun (G. Steele, CD) for a very rare lo- 
cal record; the species is known to breed in lo- 
calized areas across portions of extreme w. Col- 
orado and very locally in the se. Al- 
though located in sw. Colorado, San 
Miguel has little habitat (sparse 
pinon-juniper woodlands) to sup- 
port Scott’s Orioles. Fledgling 
White-winged Crossbills were 
found in Dillon, Summit 26 Jun 
(M.J. Black); the species breeds er- 
ratically across high-elevation areas. 
Low in elevation for the season, an 
Evening Grosbeak graced Chatfield 
S.R, Jefferson 11 Jul (ph. D. 
Vogel). 
Undocumented rarities; We do not 
include in the above report undoc- 
umented Colorado reports of 
C.B.R.C. review species; such re- 
ports this season included; Red- 
throated Loon in Denver; Neotrop- 
ic Cormorant in Bent; Yellow- 
crowned Night-Heron in Bent; 
Glossy Ibis in Fremont; a potential- 
ly different Black Vulture in Dou- 
glas, Lesser Nighthawk in Montrose 
and La Plata, Ruby-throated Hum- 
mingbird in Boulder; Acorn Wood- 
pecker at a different site in La Pla- 
ta; Yellow-bellied Flycatcher in 
Larimer; Alder Flycatcher in Gun- 
nison; Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in 
Kiowa; Eastern Towhee in Weld; Vermilion 
Flycatcher in Fremont and Pueblo; Scissor- 
tailed Flycatcher in Las Animas; Hepatic Tan- 
ager in Pueblo; and Eastern Meadowlark in 
Larimer. 
Cited observers (subregional editors in bold- 
face); Jason Reason (JBn), Jim Beatty OBy; sw. 
Colorado), Coen Dexter (w.-cen. Colorado), 
Doug W. Faulkner (Wyoming), Ted Floyd, 
Hugh & Urling Kingery, Gloria & Jim 
Lawrence (statewide RBA, Wyoming), For- 
rest Luke (nw. Colorado), Terry McEneaney 
(Yellowstone), Suzy Meyer, Chris Michelson 
(Casper, WY), Rich Miller, Christian Nunes, 
Susan Patla Qackson, WY), Brandon K. Per- 
cival (se. Colorado), Nathan Pieplow, Bert 
Raynes O^ckson, WY), Bill Schmoker (Col- 
orado Front Range), Larry Semo (ne. Col- 
orado), Glenn Walbek (n.-cen. Colorado), 
David Waltman. Many other individual ob- 
servers contributed information to this report 
but could not be acknowledged here. O 
Lawrence S. Semo, 9054 Dover Street 
Westminster, Colorado 80021, (lsemo@swca.com) 
Tony Leukering, 102A Delaware Avenue 
Villas, New Jersey 08251, (greatgrayowl@aol.com) 
Bill Schmoker, 3381 Larkspur Drive 
Longmont, Colorado 80503, (bili.sdimoker@gmail.com) 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
