Birding by ear

It was a chill, foggy morning, the sort that tempts you to curl up with a hot cup of tea and a good book. But here we were, not long after dawn, on a bird walk at Walden Ponds Wildlife Habitat in Boulder County.

The misty air made birding a challenge. Even up close, the view was hazy. Colors were muted. Binoculars fogged. Fingertips tingled with cold.

Instead of speeding up to keep warm, walk leader Peter Ruprecht urged us to slow down and listen. We started birding “ears first.”

And with that, the landscape changed. A raucous chorus announced the presence of red-winged blackbirds hidden deep in the cattails. The rattle of a belted kingfisher drew our eyes to a stubby silhouette hunting from a perch over the water.

Quacking mallards caught our attention, and we saw wigeons paddling silently among them near the shore. Two great blue herons appeared out of the mist, croaking as they glided across the pond.

As daylight strengthened, we continued to listen. Blue jays squawked and screamed in the cottonwoods. House finches chirped as they flew overhead. American goldfinches twittered in a patch of thistles.

The “chip, chip” call of a sparrow brought us to a halt, and Peter shared tips for identifying the three species we spotted: white-crowned, Lincoln’s, and song sparrows. For a few minutes, they shared a small grove with a noisy flock of black-capped chickadees and a tiny marsh wren.

Walden (and the neighboring Sawhill Ponds) was once a gravel mining operation. The land has been thoughtfully reclaimed, and its numerous ponds and wetlands now are home to hundreds of bird and animal species. Broad swaths of native plants – food for birds and pollinators – are being installed along several of the well-marked trails.

It’s a place worth visiting at every season.

This morning’s walk yielded few surprises, but we all learned an important lesson: When it looks like there’s not much to see, let your ears take the lead. Sometimes, there’s more to the natural world than meets the eye.

Post and photos by Christine Kindl