February 28, 2017
Richard Stevens:
The day was cold; temperatures only reached 34 degrees. Winds were 9 mph with gusts to 16 mph.
One of my favorite times of day is the hour before sunset. Birds seem to become more active, perhaps looking for the last meal of the day. Many sparrows end the day with song.
To keep my streak of birding everyday, I walked the county roads east of DIA (Denver International Airport). Birds were few; only a couple of American Tree Sparrows and a pair of Song Sparrows were found.
I was reminded of an April day in Arizona, 1995. I wandered around Marathon Park outside of Big Bend National Park waiting for the Elf Owls to come out at sunset.
Just before the Elf Owls were "scheduled" to emerge from their trees, a car stopped. A woman in a fancy gown and a man in a tuxedo exited. It was Bryan Kelly and his wife.
Bryan banded birds for over twenty years at a nearby Texas State Park. They were part of a wedding party taking place in an hour. Bryan said hi and explained that they had to get their birding fix for the day.
We watched the Elf Owls together. Bryan handed me an autographed copy of his book and they took off for their engagement. I was glad not to be the only birder focused on the sport. "Focused" I prefer that word over a few others!
Richard Stevens:
The day was cold; temperatures only reached 34 degrees. Winds were 9 mph with gusts to 16 mph.
One of my favorite times of day is the hour before sunset. Birds seem to become more active, perhaps looking for the last meal of the day. Many sparrows end the day with song.
To keep my streak of birding everyday, I walked the county roads east of DIA (Denver International Airport). Birds were few; only a couple of American Tree Sparrows and a pair of Song Sparrows were found.
I was reminded of an April day in Arizona, 1995. I wandered around Marathon Park outside of Big Bend National Park waiting for the Elf Owls to come out at sunset.
Just before the Elf Owls were "scheduled" to emerge from their trees, a car stopped. A woman in a fancy gown and a man in a tuxedo exited. It was Bryan Kelly and his wife.
Bryan banded birds for over twenty years at a nearby Texas State Park. They were part of a wedding party taking place in an hour. Bryan said hi and explained that they had to get their birding fix for the day.
We watched the Elf Owls together. Bryan handed me an autographed copy of his book and they took off for their engagement. I was glad not to be the only birder focused on the sport. "Focused" I prefer that word over a few others!
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