Can you identify this bird? The photo was taken in Colorado during the month of January. The answer will appear next week.
Tag: bird
A Murder of Crows
I know a lot of people don’t like crows. There’s something sort of spooky about them. Maybe that’s because they’re black, and black birds seem to encourage superstition. Why else would a flock of crows be called a “murder”? It’s true that they’re not as colorful as most songbirds, and they do make pigs of themselves at feeders, but crows are fascinating. With Halloween fast approaching, this seems an appropriate time to take another look at these very common and highly intelligent birds.
You can learn all about the taxonomy and biology of crows from a variety of websites. I recommend The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Geographic, and Audubon for starters. It’s interesting information, but crows are more than a list of facts—much more. They are now considered one of the smartest animals in the world! Want proof?
October’s Bird Quiz
Can you identify this bird? The photo was taken in Colorado during the month of October. The answer will appear next week.
Fall Birding, Part 3
Last Chance. It sounds as if it’s a small town in the middle of nowhere, and that’s about right. Situated at the intersection of Colorado Highways 71 and 36 (the same road that goes to Boulder, some hundred miles to the west) we found several houses, a fire station, and a church, along with some abandoned buildings piled with broken furniture and other castoffs.
The big draw is a small roadside rest (complete with portable “facilities”) right next to a small pond surrounded by green shrubs and some trees. It’s a birder’s dream. Surrounded as it is by miles of dry fields, the tiny riparian area at Last Chance is a migrant trap.
Fall Birding, Part 2
(Continued from last week’s post about the Colorado Field Ornithologists’ (CFO) 2014 convention.)
Leading up to the CFO convention, which happened over Labor Day weekend, forecasters were calling for weather in the high 90s. It was a delightful surprise to discover that their predictions were wrong. Instead of sweltering under the hot prairie sun, we enjoyed days in the low 80s, with scattered clouds (and one rapidly-moving thunderstorm). What a relief to be focused on the birds instead of the heat!
September Quiz: Answer
To refresh your memory, here is the photo from September’s Bird Quiz. It was taken in Oregon during the month of September. Don’t read any further if you want one last chance to identify this bird.
September’s Bird Quiz
Can you identify this bird? The photo was taken in Oregon during the month of September. The answer will appear next week.
August Quiz: Answer
To refresh your memory, here is the photo from August’s Bird Quiz. It was taken in Colorado during the month of October. Don’t read any further if you want one last chance to identify this bird. 
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August’s Bird Quiz
Can you identify this bird? The photo was taken in Colorado during the month of October. The answer will appear next week.
July Quiz: Answer
To refresh your memory, here is the photo from July’s Bird Quiz. It was taken in Colorado during the month of May. Don’t read any further if you want one last chance to identify these birds.
Mountain Plover 