We have been very fortunate to live where we do this summer. Moisture has been adequate, wildflowers abundant and butterflies galore. The numbers of birds made a comeback from last year’s sparse showing. The murky, smoke-filled skies that have plagued us in past years have been sparse so far.

The Indian Peaks Bird Count ran its 41st breeding bird count during June and the first two weeks of July. A dedicated group of skilled volunteers hike and/or drive roads and trails within a specific area counting birds they see and hear. There are normally 30-40 participants - nine of them have been involved since the count started in 1982. This year approximately 150 hours were spent in the field covering 208 miles of road and trail. The counts are sponsored by the Boulder County Nature Association (bcna.org).

Just over 4,555 birds were counted, up from last year’s 3,800 but below the 40-year average of 5,150. Some of the most common (followed by number seen and general habitat) were Broad-tailed Hummingbird (429; almost all habitats), American Robin (311; almost all habitats), Ruby-crowned Kinglet (253; dense, closed-canopy forests), Gray-headed Junco (213; forest openings and edges), Mountain Chickadee (205; all forests), Lincoln’s Sparrow (165; willow shrub wetlands and riparian areas); Warbling Vireo (138; aspen groves), and American Crow (131; towns and surrounding environs).

Making a good showing this year were Red Crossbills - 178 were observed compared to eight last year. They are itinerant breeders, nesting wherever and whenever they find their food in abundance - seeds from conifer tree cones. They are very specialized feeders. Their beak is crossed at the tip so they can pry open the cone, insert their tongue and take out the seeds. Most conifers are cyclic in producing cones, doing so every couple of years, and this varies by tree species. The crossbills fly around in flocks searching out food. This year the Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir trees, which dominate the forest of the Indian Peaks, have better than average cone crops and the crossbills have found them. Their vocalizations indicate they will likely nest here, which they may do during the winter.

This year 112 species were seen. Some of the more unusual species observed were: Common Poorwill, giving their “poor- will” call while flying over the woodlands of Sugarloaf Road at dusk; Gray Catbird, giving its varied song from the willows on Mud Lake Open Space; and Ovenbird, shouting “teacher-teacher-teacher” in the forest near Lefthand Reservoir. The eight American White Pelicans seen flying over Arapaho Pass were a very stunning and unusual sighting..

We are beginning to see the presence of a suite of new species - Black-chinned Hummingbird, Bushtit and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - in the lower elevation portions of the count area. Their arrival is part of a slow movement north along the foothill habitats of the Front Range of Colorado. These species are more common to the south in New Mexico but continue to shift their range north.

What we are seeing, as we look at the numbers from 40 years of the count, is that the local bird community is dynamic and changing. The changes are brought by alterations to our local landscape as well as other broader-scale occurrences, like that can shift the location of a particular species.

There has been a change in our waterfowl community. During the first years of the count, the big three were Mallard, Green-winged Teal, and Ring- necked Duck. Until this year, we had not seen Green-winged Teal since 2014. Ring-necked Duck sightings have also decreased, being absent 2 of the last 4 counts. One possible explanation for the local decline of these two ducks is tied to the fact that we are on the southern edge of the continental distribution of both species. Climate change appears to be causing many avian species to shift their distribution north, so they start disappearing along their southern edge. So climate change may take away species like Green-winged Teal and Ring-necked Duck. It may also give us some new species, like Black-chinned Hummingbird, who are expanding their range north and just beginning to arrive.

Canada Goose has now become our most common nesting waterfowl. They were rarely found on the count until around 2003. They now outnumber Mallards. I wonder how much the goose hazing programs of golf courses and parks in the metro area have played into their increased presence here?

Our landscape has changed from one that was more agricultural in nature - cattle grazing and horse liveries - to exurban and residential with a few urban centers. Some species that appear to be declining are Brown-headed Cowbird, Brewer’s Blackbird, and Common Grackle, all associated with agricultural landscapes. Species increasing tend to be more residential/urban related - House Finch, House Sparrow, and the newly arrived exotic Eurasian-collared Dove. Cliff Swallows have also fared well with the increase in human structures that provide nesting substrate. Members of the Corvid family, jays, crows, ravens and magpies, have also taken advantage of the growing human presence on the landscape and are increasing numerically.

Our forests have changed a bit. There have been a few fires within the count circle and forest management has occurred. Insect infestations have been present over the 40 years, several types of insects attacking the different conifer tree species. The forests not impacted by a disturbance are now 40 years older. Birds that hunt and feed on insects in and under tree bark are numerically increasing to offer what they can to control the insect numbers. Hairy Woodpeckers and American Three-toed Woodpeckers are faring well, as are all three nuthatch species that reside here. These are resident species eating insects year-round.

Several species appear to be declining and the reasons are not clear. Belted Kingfishers reside along creeks and lakes. There is evidence they are declining throughout Colorado. We are detecting half as many as we once did and in fewer places within the count area. Evening Grosbeaks are feeder favorites, with their colorful yellow, black and white markings. Between 20 to 40 were seen in the 1980s but now we detect a handful or none. There has been a decline in portions of the state, including the northern Front Range (that’s us). Killdeer are shorebirds that utilize a wide variety of habitats, favoring areas devoid of vegetation. There is evidence that they are declining in Colorado. They have not been seen on our count since 2010, while generally a half dozen to a dozen were observed on 19 of the first 20 counts.

I want to thank the following people for participating in the Indian Peaks Bird Count: Linda Andes-Georges, Bev Baker, Maureen Blackford, Alex Brown, Diane Brown, Gillian Brown, George Coffee, Denver Field Ornithologists, Virginia Evans, Mike Figgs, Audrey Godell, Dave Hallock, Paula Hansley, Jim Holitza, Steve Jones, Kathryn Kay, Elena Klaver, Nan Lederer, Greg Massey, Holden Maxfield, Mary Maxfield, Lisa McCoy, Jan McHugh-Smith, Merle Miller, Sally Miller, Timo Mitzen, Naseem Munshi, Carol Newman-Holitza, Chris Petrizzo, Mark Pscheid, Jeannie Reynolds, Matt Reynolds, Dr. Scott Taylor, Cara Stiles, Lucy Stroock, Kenna Sue Trickey, Mike Tupper, and Jeff Yegian.