Canon City area birding 8-24-05-Black & Eastern Phoebes

I didn't go down to the Canon City Riverwalk until this evening as I was going to do my fitness walk that I do in the evening when there are usually fewer birds and thus fewer interruptions so I can get some aerobic effect. But at 6 pm I ran into several small active spots of birds including more movement of migrating Wilson's Warblers and several female hummingbirds. In one of these spots, near the irrigation gates, was a migrating Black Phoebe (during breeding season I do not give specific locations as these are still pretty unusual birds in Colo and breeding birds can abandon nests when disturbed). In that location an Eastern Phoebe flew over but I couldn't see it well enough to tell if it was an juvenile (with yellow belly).

A little further up the Riverwalk I heard burry call that reminded me of a wren but not quite. It was a Plumbeous Vireo, a species whose song I am much more familiar with than this call. I watched it for several minutes as it worked on devouring a grasshopper about a third of its own size. Then a second Plumbeous Vireo flew by with its own grasshopper. Such a good size meal will certainly fuel these birds for their continuing migration.

Today I also refound a juvenile Eastern Phoebe at my friend's farm near Canon City.

And saw this silhouetted Great Blue Heron across the river as pictured above.

SeEtta