Saturday was a perfect day for a picnic, and over 30 people gathered at the historic Brunner Farmhouse for our club's annual spring affair. Under a blue Colorado sky, amidst gardens in full bloom, members and friends feasted on sack lunches and a cake provided by the club, while a panel of our favorite walk leaders fielded questions relating to birding, and tried to stump the audience with a few trivia questions of their own.
New this year, a swap table brought lots of interest, as one person's trash became another's treasure. We also had a chance to welcome Maylin Hewing, our 2025 "bird camp" scholarship winner, and to thank Ed Frazar for bringing his audio setup.
Questions for the experts ranged from topics including the smallest aviary species -- hummingbirds -- to the largest, birds of prey. Here are a few tips I came away with.
Pete Ruprecht gave us a short lesson on raptor identification, noting that often the behavior of a bird in flight is a good indicator of the species. He also talked about the downside of rodenticides. While they may solve an immediate pest problem, birds who feed on these rodents can die; the same birds would likely eliminate 1,000 in their lifetime by feeding on them naturally.
When putting out feeders for hummingbirds, Chris Petrizzo recommended hanging them as high as you can, as hummers can often be attracted from afar. He also reminded us to clean them often to prevent mold and bacteria that can harm the tiny birds.
Donna Stumpp provided helpful hints on backyard bird habitat and also a tip on how to prevent birds from flying into house windows: Use reflective stickers that birds can see, but that don't detract from your view looking out the window.
A lively discussion ensued about the changes we're seeing in bird populations. Trends include more eastern species visiting Colorado as a result of population growth in our state and increased vegetation, especially trees, in our communities. That has been one factor in the growing bald eagle population in the past 50 years -- but other birds of prey who rely on the same food sources have decreased.
Here's a trivia question that stumped the audience. Other than wood ducks, what are two types of ducks in Colorado that nest in trees? Do you know?
Another fun fact: House wrens are extremely territorial, so if you have a pair nesting in your backyard, chances are other birds will not be nesting nearby.
Check out the bird walks page on our website for field trips -- coming soon! -- led by Donna, Pete and Chris.
And tree-nesting ducks in Colorado? Those would be mergansers and Buffleheads. The latter will often use abandoned Northern Flicker nests, which are just the right size for this diminutive breed of water fowl.
Post and photos by Karen Clark
