It is difficult to say whether this spring migration seemed lackluster because of a lack of exciting birds or because of a lack of excited birders. Certainly the lack of any concerted birding effort, apart from the Indian Peaks Spring Count (IP), – such as a Birdathon or Big Day – must have contributed towards this. Coverage was spotty, and many species which were surely present were not reported. Altogether 147 bird species were seen in April and 183 in May. This is the lowest May total for fifteen years. It will be interesting to see whether the year can recover from such a poor May – my guess would be that the annual number of species recorded will be significantly down on previous years.

Shorebird migration was well under way by the last week of April. The most unusual sighting was a group of six Long-billed Curlews, a  Whimbrel, several Willet, and a group of White-faced Ibis with one or two possible Glossy Ibis all inhabiting the fields approaching Stearn’s Lake. Glossy Ibis is always a difficult bird to identify and it was thought that these might be a crossbreed of Glossy and White-faced Ibis. Black-necked Stilt were reported both months, but reports of sandpipers were sadly lacking. A late Sandhill Crane was seen at Marshall Reservoir at the beginning of May.

Warbler migration was generally slower than normal. This may have been due to the fine weather which caused many birds to go straight to higher elevations. Boulder Creek at the university campus was once again a hot spot for warblers with a Black-throated Green Warbler  (last seen in 2005) probably being the most unusual sighting. A Worm-eating Warbler  and at least one Chestnut-sided Warbler  were also seen on campus. An Ovenbird  was found a little further upstream outside the Boulder Public Library. A  Tennessee Warbler  was found at Sawhill Ponds; this species was last seen in 2003. Perhaps, even more notable than the warblers that were seen were those that were absent. Only a single Orange-crowned Warbler and two Wilson’s Warblers were reported. Numbers of Yellow-rumped Warblers in the plains and foothills seemed very low as well. Several observers commented on how quiet Gregory Canyon, a former favored hot spot, seemed.

Lewis’ Woodpecker was reported for the first time since 2004. This is a bird which used to regularly breed in the county  and is now a species of some concern. Chimney Swifts  were reported in several urban locations from the center of Boulder, Longmont and Lyons. This is a bird that frequently gets missed. Least Flycatcher  and Gray Flycatcher were two of our less usual flycatchers that were reported. Empidonax flycatchers are notoriously difficult to distinguish, although easier in spring plumage than in fall, and there were several observers who wanted to know how abundant Gray Flycatchers are in Boulder County. For Gray Flycatcher, identification by call is the most reliable method. Since our records began in 1979 we have had eight sightings in spring and two in fall. This is the third consecutive spring that Gray Flycatcher has been reported. An Orchard Oriole was reported after a gap of one year. Dickcissel was one of our less usual sightings. White-winged Crossbill were seen in the mountains for the first time since 2004.

A good selection of owls were reported with no fewer than six Flammulated Owls  in four different locations. A Short-eared Owl  was reported at Union Reservoir; this has been a species that has become increasingly difficult to find. Hawk migration was strong with six Broad-winged Hawks reported in April, as well as many accipiters. Osprey and Bald Eagle continue to nest in the county, and were well reported. Gulls were very poorly reported with a single Bonaparte’s Gull being the only gull sighting in May. However, Common Tern, Forster’s Tern, Caspian Tern and Black Tern were all reported. TOP