I was just in Denver, and out at Dinosaur Ridge in Morrison CO (within sight of Denver). I saw this bird fly into a tree... there were two of them. The altitude is 5500 feet, climate very dry, scrub brush and a few dry bush/trees. I cannot figure out what bird this is, even the family. Maybe you know? It was a bit bigger than a song sparrow, maybe smaller than a robin, somewhat olivine (greenish), with a very pronounced white eye ring that I could see with my naked eye, and a clear black collar much like a killdeer. The bill is very sturdy and to an even point with a slight upturn - sharp as a pencil. I see the tail is something of a fork. This photo was taken with my little Lumix camera at 10x magnification, and this photo is magnified a bit so the resolution suffers slightly. But I think it should be identifiable by someone who knows the birds from the edge of the Rockies.
Picture is at: http://cid-e394af2aa556657e.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Denver%20bird/P1030795-3X4Zoom.JPG

Rebecca Laszlo
Seattle WA
Rebecca.laszlo at microsoft.com
425-466-0489