Denver Audubon

How often do you remember to look up? ⭐️

Seeing the first American White Pelicans of the season is always a magical experience! This time of year, they will start to waft in, giant white wings with black tips coasting across a vast blue! They feel ethereal and powerful, riding thermals in wide, spiraling circles 🌀

Sometimes they ride the upwelling so high, thousands of feet, that they even become invisible to the naked eye. But, if you do catch a glimpse of them up close, you might notice the interesting growths on their beaks!

During breeding season, both males and females grow these bony protrusions, or caruncles, that are believed to be an ornament to attract their Pelican partner! After the eggs are laid, these magnificent Birds shed this seasonal expression!

Thank you to for these gorgeous photos!!

Say's Pheobes are often some of the earliest spring migrants! Which means we're already seeing them around Denver and at the Nature Center! 🐦‍⬛

As they often return to the same nest spots for years in a row, we're enjoying observing them in the familiar, yet interesting spaces they like to nest, like under the eaves of buildings or roofs of outdoor bathrooms! From the nest, these Flycatchers flit to perch among branches, bobbing their tails as both balance and communication, and awaiting the perfect, precise moment to skillfully catch insects midair!