Joe Roller Memorial Green Big Year

Chris Rurik, a long time friend of Joe Roller, and I are going to embark on a green big day on Friday, May 7. We will start from my house in Littleton and work our way around town to see as many species as possible! I'd prefer to do our big day on Saturday, May 8 to be a part of the Colorado Birding Challenge ( https://cobirds.org/CFO/COBC/ ), but I need to be dad on the 8th. We are dedicating this Big Day to Joe Roller (of course) and supporting the new Joe Roller Research Grant, which will fund bird research in Colorado.  Please consider a  pledge  to our big day. Your pledge can be a flat amount or, if you want to have more fun with it, a per-species pledge. For example, if you pledge $.50 per species and we see 90 species (which would be a solid total), you will be contributing $45 to the new fund. If you're interested in supporting our big day, please contact me at ssomershoe AT gmail.com with your pledge  and after the big day we will coordinate fulfillment. Thanks! Scott

 29 April 2021 Time is short, birds are a plenty. So just a quick post. I decided to ride to Chatfield State Park and scope Plum Creek Delta for shorebirds. I wasn't chasing any birds, just going out to see what I could find. I chose wisely. The weather was perfect. The wind was calm. The birds showed up. I got lucky. I ended up seeing 11 species of shorebird at Plum Creek, 3 were birds I needed for the year (Western Sandpiper, Wilson's Phalarope, and Semipalmated Plover, which is a favorite of mine). While I was standing there watching as birds were coming and going, 7 White-faced Ibis flew in. This was a big target for me as they show up regularly, but don't stick around. Later an 8th flew around over the woods to the south (upstream) and the 7 took off and disappeared down into the woods in the delta. My eBird list:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S86649037 I slowly birded around Chatfield and didn't come up with much. I headed home but decided I felt good, so I went in

   17 April 2021 Before the crazy and fun of the birding, please consider a pledge or donation  support the Joe Roller Memorial Research Grant!  Click the link (scroll to the bottom). Thank you! https://cobirds.org/CFO/Grants/ Green Big Year species list: 152 (as of Apr 17) Miles ridden: 746 miles (as of Apr 17) # of rides with a frozen water bottle and broken shifter: 1  # of dropped water bottles at stop lights: 1 2021 Joe Roller Memorial Green Big Year Species List Now on with the fun! With recent snows, my daughter’s soccer game this morning had been cancelled. I touched base with a few friends about joining me at Chatfield State Park, which is that place I might as well set up camp in (and stash some tripods for later use)! A Black Phoebe had been refound and a Burrowing Owl was found the day before in the same place I was looking for one just three days earlier. It was flat out cold, but the roads were ok, so why not, right? It’s cold. It’s probably 30 degrees F when I depart

  14 April 2021 Today should have again been another rest day since I had 4 rides in the previous 3 days and I’m tired.   I need to make sure I manage my physical efforts so I don’t overdo it, don’t burn out, don’t hurt myself, etc., because I’m not as young as I think I am! But sometimes you gotta chase good birds.  I got a message from my friend Myron G that he had a Marbled Godwit at Chatfield State Park, which is one place I’m going to end up riding to a LOT this year.   I waffled. I should stay home and rest and do work. I should go.   Godwits come through and I could get them again, but they don’t linger long (usually) and could be tough to get later. I decide to go for a ride. I hit the road and get not even a half mile from my house and my phone is ringing. All the birds flushed and didn’t come back. Sigh. I pondered going home for about 1 second and rode on to Chatfield.   I get to the park and call Myron to see if he’s relocated the bird.   No dice. Another deep breath.

13 April 2021 One the hardest things about doing a Green Big Year is not just riding everywhere birding, and managing work and family, but finding time to write blog posts to tell the stories! Frustratingly, I get some of my greatest ideas while riding and then I forget them by the time I get home. Of course, they don’t come back to me when I sit down at the computer. I have been drafting a post about the challenges of a green year which doesn’t have any bird stories, but it is not writing itself. However, this adventure/misadventure is one for the story books! About noon, I see a report of a Burrowing Owl at Bear Creek Lake Park, which is about 7-8 miles away as the cyclist rides.   Burrowing Owl is a tough bird for me to get. They drop in now and again, but this is one I should chase. I really didn’t have the time to go, but I could get there and back before a critical meeting. I decide to go. I told a couple friends about it, hoping to spread word fast. I’m about to leave and se