A lot of male bird hormones out there today at Grandview Cemetery, Fort Collins (Larimer).
Foremost was the flat out murder of one male Northern Flicker by another male Northern Flicker. Brutal to watch but involved one bird holding down another by a well-placed, firm foot grip on the upper back and repeated pecking on the rear of the victim's skull until it died. No blood involved, just blunt trauma.
Male robins were skirmishing with other male robins who dared to enter established territories.
House Finch males chasing off other House Finch males.
Eurasian Collared-Doves courting, cooing, chasing females.
In addition to murder, male Northern Flickers engaged in cavity excavation, crazed drumming on anything with resonance, chasing both males and females of their species.
Elaborate, lengthy singing by American Goldfinch, presumably a male but still in winter garb.
Singing by new-arrived Western Meadowlark in the vacant field north of the cemetery, presumably a male.
Cooing by newly-arrived Mourning Dove, presumably a male.
Hole excavation in a silver maple by a male Downy Woodpecker.
Evidence of pigeon predation by the male Great Horned Owl, who is now having to feed himself, his mate, and newly-hatched young.
Many, many starlings "singing" near tree holes, exhibitions of their best mimicry, foraging by presumed male-female pairs on the ground.
Lot of shrieking by new-arrived male Common Grackles.
Singing by three different types (O, s-c, and p-s) of Dark-eyed Juncos.
Major ruckus centered around a migrant immature male Sharp-shinned Hawk (primary combatants were Pine Siskins, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Mountain Chickadee, Black-capped Chickadees, and House Finches).
[A Sarah Brightman CD would have been a nice for the ride home, before turning on the TV to watch 5 hours of basketball gladiators.]
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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