More trips to Chatfield State Park, but BIRDS!!!

23 August 2021
Many of you have probably caught on that I end up at Chatfield State Park a lot. It's true! Chatfield is a great place for birds, especially if you know where and when to bird there. I have recently started just birding there a lot in search of green year birds. I have targets in mind and I need to put in the time to try to find them. I made a couple trips in the last week or so, which has been a lot of fun. Ok, one trip was hot and not birdy at all, but I had some great mornings.  

Quick summary:
14 Aug 2021
I rode to the sand spit at sunrise, which can be a hit or miss venture. I lucked out and found a Long-billed Curlew! Amazingly I already have one for the big year. A stunning and fun find regardless! There was also an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull with a juvenile, which is early and odd. Photos of both and audio of the curlew in my list.
https://ebird.org/checklist/S93204483

I rolled over to the west side of the park to scan the South Platte Delta from one of my favorite spots. Nothing new or especially exciting, but finding 4 Forster's Tern's was a nice treat.
https://ebird.org/checklist/S93204515

18 Aug 2021
Chatfield was hot and not very birdy. Always good for a 25 mile ride, but nothing remarkable to mention here :) Only memorable part was unknowingly hitting raccoon poop with my rear wheel on a dirt road in the Plum Creek area and later finding poop stuck in my rear brake. I did not need that to happen. Turns out the nice new bathroom at the marina doesn't have soap. Sigh. At least I carry hand sanitizer with me everywhere. Lesson learned.

Time for the shameless plug for pledges or donations to the Joe Roller Memorial Research Grant. Click the link (scroll to the bottom). All funds support bird research in Colorado. We are getting closer to raising $30,000 to support the next generation of ornithologists (once I get to 265 species). Thank you!
https://cobirds.org/CFO/Grants/

21 Aug 2021
I went to Chatfield this morning because the winds were pretty good the previous night and I just knew something fun would be there. The birding was really great. I stopped on the dam to count Snowy Egrets lined up feeding on the north side of the reservoir. I counted 58! 

I went to the trusty sand spit, arriving at 7am, later than planned. I was pleased to meet Crystal Wilson there and to see 18 American Avocets hanging out. We chatted a while and I kept scanning in the distance. I eventually see Black Terns! I counted 18 in one flock. I got a Black Tern in May, but they are one of my favorite birds, so I was thrilled. It was only the second time Crystal had seen them, so even better yet!
https://ebird.org/checklist/S93526904

The sand spit.

American Avocets, digiscope photo.

I rode to a vantage to the west that gives a good view of the northwest side of the reservoir and found the tern flock winging it around effortlessly. This time I counted 22! I enjoyed them for a couple minutes, also seeing them fly across the invisible county line into Jefferson Co (my home county) for a nice green county year bird. I just love watching Black Terns fly around, almost like swallows, taking quick unexpected dips to the surface of the water to grab a snack, and twist and turn around with such ease. 

I rolled down to my favorite vantage point and didn't find anything too remarkable. A Forster's Tern was loafing here and was later flying around and calling. I try to be thorough when birding, so I scoped the 4 Western Grebes. That was a good thing since one was a Clark's Grebe! And it was in waters of my home county. Another nice green county year bird. I am not working to get green birds for my county year list, I can't possibly care about that, but it was a nice bird to get. Turns out one of the others that I didn't get a look at was also a Clark's too. Right before I left, I had a flock of ducks come zooming in. I assumed they would be Blue-winged Teal, but they were 3 Northern Shovelers and 6 Northern Pintail! These were fairly early birds. Nice surprise. 
https://ebird.org/checklist/S93535578

I waffled on what to do next. I had a couple options, but instead chose to go back to the sand spit. That was a good decision!  I rolled up and the avocets were still there and they were joined by 22 Black Terns loafing on the sand spit! What a great look at those beauties! I kept hanging out and scoping the reservoir. A bit later a Marbled Godwit dropped in! A Greater Yellowlegs was there upon arrival and 2 Lesser's made a flyby at one point. I heard a Semipalmated Plover calling and saw it land on the east side of the sand spit. It was there maybe a minute and vanished. I tallied a few other shorebirds, including a flock of Wilson's Phalaropes winging it around the Plum Creek area. 

Crummy digiscope photo of Black Terns. Many folks got to see the terns later this morning and over the next couple days. That's what it's about. Sharing birds.

                                    

When you realized Black Terns are loafing down below, you scatter your stuff everywhere. This seems to be a theme as I have previously posted photos of similar silliness. 

I finally had to throw in the towel and go home. As I was packing up, a Rock Wren came up to the edge of the big rocks and side of the path. I was surprised when it walked across to my bike and hopped on! It was likely looking for insects, but I couldn't help think it was looking to hitch a ride! It made my day!
https://ebird.org/checklist/S93535539

The cheeky Rock Wren is on my rear wheel.

Nothing to see here!

23 August 2021

Last but not least, a Caspian Tern was being reported off and on all day from Chatfield. Sigh. I'd ridden in some capacity the last 3 days, and it's hot today! I can't go. I shouldn't go. My left hamstring has been a little tight and it was 92 degrees F in the afternoon. I'd melt. I get word from Joey Kellner that it is still in S. Platte Delta at 3:20pm and throw in the towel and decide to chase. I get some eye rolls from family as I decide to go and roll out. This has to be a FAST trip. I take my least favorite, but most direct route, to Chatfield. I don't know which spot to scan from, but take a guess. I guessed well. I spot the bird almost immediately! I fire off a lot of shots with my phone through my binocs but am pretty sure none even got the bird thanks to distance to the bird and not having my readers so I can't actually see the screen on my phone at close range. With crazy good luck, the bird came right at me from the far side of the delta and circled right off shore. This time I managed some decent shots! 

I was there 7 minutes. Felt like a ridiculous bird chase, but this was a really nice bird to get. I could get one again, but this was definitely worth a chase. I took the least favorite, but direct, route home and was gone a total of 1:06 minutes. I had dinner on the table at 5:30, which appeased the eye rollers :) The boys didn't eat the shrimp and said I smelled bad, I mean, I did sweat a lot on that ride, but whatever. It all worked out and I got Big Year bird #247! This was also my 26th trip to Chatfield this year.....   I suspect there'll be many more before the year is out.

   Caspian Tern from the shoreline accessed from the Fox Run parking lot.

Totals:

Green Big Year species list: 247 (as of Aug 23)
Miles ridden: 1817 miles (as of August 23)
Elevation gain in 2021: ~78,000 ft
# of rides with a frozen water bottle and broken shifter: 1 
# of dropped water bottles at stop lights: 1
# of trips to Chatfield State Park: 26
# of Rock Wrens hopping around on my bike: 1
# of times I got raccoon poop packed into my rear brake: 1 

2021 Joe Roller Memorial Green Big Year Species List

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https://cobirds.org/CFO/Grants/

Thanks for reading!

Scott