Spring Migration-2024-First Wave
First, a confession. And a shocking one at that. I love winter and I get disappointed when Spring comes. Yeah, that sort of makes me a “one percenter” but unfortunately not in the financial sense.
Sure, I love the migration of birds into Colorado that Spring brings, and I will excitedly rush out to photograph first sightings of returning summer birds or just the fleeting visitors. But being out in single-digit temps with finger-numbing wind chilling every bone in my body? SIGN. ME. UP!
OK, now that my secret is out, let’s get serious about the only reason I tolerate Spring besides blooming flowers, budding trees, and reasonable temperatures – prodigal birds return. This article is about the first wave of species to return here – three of them. One of my absolute favorites is the Mountain Bluebird. These stunning birds return in large flocks and I always first spot them in March at my local state park where even after a large snowstorm they seem to find food in abundance. Sometimes it’s spiders plucked from under the snow or sometimes it’s a grub just under the mud, but find them they do as you’ll see below. (As always, click on any image to enlarge)
Above - Notice how this Bluebird is about to catch a flying insect (and, no, I did not “photoshop” it in!)
Above - I really don’t know how this Mountain Bluebird found a spider in two feet of snow!
Above - these two appear to be saying “Now what?” through their looks
In the gallery below, these Bluebirds are picking worms and grubs out of the ground and then eating them where it’s more comfortable.
In the gallery below, these Bluebirds are sitting perched on various branches.
If you can’t get enough of Bluebird photos, check out my “hidden” gallery of them on my website by going to https://www.birdstreetphotography.com/bluebirds for more pics than here.
Pelicans, specifically American White Pelicans, seem to parallel the Bluebirds’ return and this year was no exception as I found them both for the first time on the same date and location. Returning from their “timeshares” in Mexico and on the Gulf of Mexico, these beauties fascinate me with their humorous behavior around fishing in a group as well as their striking white coats of fluffed white feathers.
Above - I found this American White Pelican floating in a small cove in the last possible light of the day
Above - Make sure you notice the fish in this Pelican’s pouch just before it swallowed it
Above - These two Pelicans had a territorial dispute
Above - This Pelican has really fancy feathers
Double-Crested Cormorants also make their way back from warmer, southern climes to set up rookeries (colonies of nests) or to just sit on large logs for hours on end to soak up the sun.
Above - Cormorants like to nest in colonies in trees
In the images below, these Cormorants find sticks in the water and then fly back to their nests to build the nests up.
Above - This Cormorant had just taken off and flew right by me
Sandhill Cranes and Wood Ducks both stop by for short periods of time before most of them head north for the summer. Last month’s newsletter article was about the Sandhill Cranes, and you can read that article here. And November’s article was about the Wood Ducks, and you can read that article here. Below are two images of returning Wood Ducks that I took recently.
Above - I found this male Wood Duck on the South Platte River. First one I had ever seen there and I was fortunate to get it flying back toward me.
Above - This male Wood Duck was floating in Sterne Park in Littleton recently. Sterne Park is where I typically find Wood Ducks in the fall.
Well, it’s an absolutely gorgeous day out today and I’m itching to get out and photograph the second incoming wave of these birds like egrets, night herons, hummingbirds, warblers, and many others so that’s it for now. What a great time of the year this is! Did I mention how much I love Spring?*
*On second thought, disregard my opening paragraph