Polly Wren Neldner's Blog (10)

I have been trying to update my profile photo. I enter settings, browse for a photo, open it...and it just sits there telling me it is browsing. I am very bad at this whole computer thing and would appreciate any help anyone cares to send my way. Polly Neldner Continue

Hi Colorado Birders, Although this does not have to do with birding in Colorado, hope it is ok to ask for help! We are trying to plan a birding adventure to Peru next year. We cannot afford the "big guns" such as Field Guides, Wings, or VENT...so are trying an agency called Tropical Nature. Has anyone out there got any suggestions? Our proposed itinerary is as follows: Cusco overnight, Cock of the Rock Lodge for 2 nights Amazonia Lodge 1 night Manu Wildlife Center4 nights this ends the fully… Continue

My husband Paul came home from work last night and said he had seen an all white bird at the entrance to Cuchara Mountain Resort...So we just had to go investigate this morning. Our reward was our first ever look at a truly albino bird! We are assuming Chipping Sparrow...as the bird interacting with it is a Chipping Sparrow. May add more photos later! Continue

Hi Gary, This morning we spotted a Burrowing Owl on Hwy 160, at the Valley Road cutoff to La Veta. When we returned from Lathrop State Park 2 hours later he was still there...appeared to be all by himself...not much prairie dog activity...a newer "town"...although we have heard of these little guys being out by the airstrip near Walsenburg...that is almost 20 miles away...is it unusual for them to be this high...about 7,000 feet? Would appreciate your input. Polly Neldner Continue

As I stepped out the door to take our dog for his late night stroll, I was delightfully surprised by calm...for the first time in nearly two weeks the wind was not howling! Then I heard 2 Great Horned Owls calling close...they seemed to be calling in tandem...one right after the other...then from farther away I heard another...then finally from a different direction and even further away I heard yet another! 4 at one time is a record for me...I lingered just a while longer that I needed to just… Continue

Today we went up to Pueblo Reservoir, and while we did not see a great deal...what we did see was special! We stopped below the dam and Paul started scanning with the scope...and the first things he focused on were 3 Long-tailed Ducks (1 Male, 2 female)! Only the second time we have seen this species. The first time was in Alaska...so this was a first for the lower 48 for both of us. At Valco Ponds in amongst the Common Mergansers was a single male Red-breasted merganser. That was a lifer for P… Continue

Hey Everybody, The activity in our yard has increased so much that we have re-hung some of the feeders we had taken down several weeks ago when it seemed all we had was Grackles, Brown Cowbirds, and Red-winged Blackbirds. So far we have the following fledglings in our yard: Pine Siskins, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Lesser and American Goldfinches, Gray Catbirds, Rufous, Broad-tailed and Calliope Hummingbirds, Yellow Warblers ( we actually saw a Yellow Warbler feeding and Brown Cowbird fledgling the… Continue

My husband and I went out to Lathrop State Park this morning and aside from the Coots (lots of babies right now) Western Grebes, Red-winged and Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Cedar Waxwings, Cinnamon, Blue-winged and Green-winged Teals, and Great Blue Herons we saw a first for Paul in Colorado and the best look I have had of a Green Heron. The Green Heron was at the duck pond on the Wetlands Trail! Have fun out there, Polly Continue

Gary, Beverly and all: The following is the list of birds my husband Paul and I compiled. Beverly, please let me know of any corrections you may have, they are not in the order seen or separated by location: Pie-billed Grebe Great Blue Heron Turkey Vulture Red-tailed Hawk American Coot Rock Pigeon Eurasian Collared-dove Mourning Dove Broad-tailed Hummingbrd Lewis' Woodpecker (always a treat) Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Cordilleron Flycatcher Warbling Vireo Clark's Nutcra… Continue

For anyone who was on the AVAS birdwalk today in and around La Veta. Paul and I just took a look at our photos of the day...and we have a photo of a male Red Crossbill at the beginning of the walk at Up Top. Don't know how many others saw the bird that had a lot of red on it and then the other yellowish (not bright yellow) that joined it, but those were definitely a pair of Red Crossbills...a new life bird for us! Continue