In the pre-dawn light at Evergreen Lake on Sunday the House Finches, Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, and American Robins were singing up a storm, while a Great Horned Owl was hooting occasionally from up on the hill above the golf course. Out on the lake it was soon possible to discern some Canada Geese, Mallards, and Double-crested Cormorants along with a special treat of a few Blue-winged Teal. And then there were two Bald Eagles, an adult and an immature, followed up shortly by a pair of Osprey. This was all a quick fortuitous beginning to our Dawn Chorus, and things did not slow down one iota. Eventually, our group of 45 participants ended up with a spectacular variety of birds (48 species), while also getting to indulge in an equally diverse offering of palate-pleasing breakfast foods and coffee on a beautiful spring morning. Couldn’t ask for much better than that!
Though a bit chilly at the onset – the grass was frosty and crunchy underfoot – we were adequately bundled up and set off on the boardwalk to see what additional species we might come up with. Soon we had seen a few Song Sparrows, a Great Blue Heron, a Spotted Sandpiper, a Pied-billed Grebe, and a Belted Kingfisher. And it was here that we also got a delightfully long look at our “bird of the day” traversing between the Bear Creek willows – A Common Yellowthroat! These guys are fairly common out on the eastern plains as summer residents and migrants, but they are an uncommon breeder and migrant in the Evergreen area, so it was a great bird for us.
We had no swallows early on, as the insects were not active yet, but things did eventually warm up, as did the bird activity. More cormorants arrived from wherever they had spent the night, there were more Great Blue Herons and Spotted Sandpipers, and a trio of Red-tailed Hawks was observed soaring overhead. Then we had a few Broad-tailed Hummingbirds zipping around, and a Say’s Phoebe sallying out for breakfast from remnant cattail stalks.
All this activity was followed up by a time of renewed coffee with lots of delicious breakfast options, and many congenial conversations around a couple of picnic tables. Of course, we didn’t ignore the birds while enjoying ourselves, and there were a couple of nearby White-crowned Sparrows.
Having been rejuvenated by a bit of sustenance and the sun starting to warm things up, we made our way over to the south side of the lake, where we promptly held a swallow seminar with Barn, Tree, Violet-green, and Northern Rough-winged Swallows diving through the numerous airborne insects. We, also, got great looks at Mountain Chickadees, Pygmy Nuthatches, Western Bluebirds, Mountain Bluebirds, Chipping Sparrows, and a slew of Pine Siskins. Just a reminder that on this last Christmas Bird Count we recorded a record high 864 Pine Siskins, and they still seem to be hanging around in good numbers.
Absolutely, a most rewarding morning with so many familiar faces and several new faces to get to know. Yay, Dawn Chorus!
Evergreen Lake Dawn Chorus
May 3, 2026
48 species
45 participants
Canada Goose 16
Blue-winged Teal 8
Mallard 7
Eurasian Collared-Dove 3
Mourning Dove 1
Broad-tailed Hummingbird 6
Spotted Sandpiper 5
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Double-crested Cormorant 12
Great Blue Heron 3
Osprey 2
Bald Eagle 2
Red-tailed Hawk 3
Great Horned Owl 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 6
Say’s Phoebe 2
Steller’s Jay 2
Black-billed Magpie 2
American Crow 3
Common Raven 1
Mountain Chickadee 9
Tree Swallow 9
Violet-green Swallow 23
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2
Barn Swallow 10
Cliff Swallow 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Pygmy Nuthatch 15
European Starling 2
Western Bluebird 3
Mountain Bluebird 6
American Robin 18
American Pipit 1
Evening Grosbeak 2
House Finch 26
Pine Siskin 29
Chipping Sparrow 7
Dark-eyed Junco (Gray-headed) 4
White-crowned Sparrow 3
Song Sparrow 9
Red-winged Blackbird 82
Brown-headed Cowbird 7
Common Grackle 30
Common Yellowthroat 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1