Northern Waterthrush #250 and the emotional roller coaster of a big year

30 August 2021
There have been a few more regular and expected birds that I have been getting concerned about missing. The window has been closing for getting birds like Willow Flycatcher (I got one), Northern Waterthrush, and a couple others. That's the way it goes with a big year, especially when you work full time, have little kids, a wife, and ride your bike everywhere! You get some birds and you have some tough misses. You just can't get all the birds, in spite of effort trying for them. I held out hope for this group of species and I have been putting time into trying to find them. 

On 29 August, Julie Price posted a gorgeous photo of one of these missing birds: Northern Waterthrush, and at Chatfield State Park! We messaged and I got intel on the specific location of the bird. The habitat at this spot was perfect, but it was a little spot birders don't often hit because access isn't real easy. Further, Julie found the bird while kayaking! 

I headed out early on the 30th and hoped it would still be around. There's a lot of things that run through my mind while riding to chase a bird. First and foremost, is it still there? Is it gone? How hard will it be to find the bird? How much time can I commit to trying to find this bird? I have work to do today, oh, and I have to take the kids to swim lessons after work. What am I going to feed the kids for dinner? I have to be home by 1030 to go do this or that with the family. What did the kids have for breakfast? I'm hungry. I bet they had pancakes. I want pancakes. Would Joe tell me I was crazy for chasing this bird? Would Joe have brought me coffee and donuts and celebrated finding the bird? Now I really want coffee and donuts. Did anyone empty the dishwasher this morning? Watch out for that pothole! I may need to eat some donuts after this. So many random thoughts.

Anyway, I arrived at Chatfield on the bike path nearest the waterthrush spot. I change into tennis shoes and carry the bike across a weedy field for a couple minutes and start scanning the waters edge and listening for a waterthrush. I know waterthrush can hang out for a few days during migration, so I was hopeful it would stick especially as the winds the previous night were light and from the south. I was at the end of the little inlet where the bird had been seen the previous day and after only a couple minutes I HEARD IT CALLING! I have a lot of experience with NOWAs (short for Northern Waterthrush) and call notes for some species just stick with you. I know this one. I was completely comfortable calling this one by call, but you know I wanted a photo or audio. This bird is #250, so I wanted at least a poor phone-binoc photo.

I pished a little and didn't see it. It called off an on for about 5 minutes. I didn't get eyes o it. I very rarely use playback for a variety of reasons (this could be its own blog post), but I opted to play the NOWA call note a couple times and see if it would pop up. The bird flew in after only a couple calls notes played and landed in view and just watched me. I stopped playback immediately and it sat there for probably 4 minutes, bobbing its tail, calling, and just staring me down. Glorious! I managed some digibin photos and some Blair Witch Project quality handheld video. I also recorded the calls on the voice memo app on my phone. See/hear it all in my list. https://ebird.org/checklist/S93938577

It is hard to believe I hit my reasonable, yet, lofty species target of 250 species with FOUR months and a day left in the year! Amazing. Humbling. Unbelievable. I don't really have words for this yet. I've had amazing luck and so much fun doing this all year. We are doing it for Joe and for the future generation of ornithologists. What a blast this has been so far!

Northern Waterthrush!

Happy GREEN Big Year birder celebrating #250! Scene of the bird :) 

Carrying the bike cyclocross style.

The rank field that was between the bike path and #250.

In my elation of picking up a NOWA, I text a few friends to share the news and excitement. I've birded with Joey Kellner a lot this year, and he's at Chatfield a lot too, so I text him as well. Turns out Joey is at Chatfield! I ended up going to the sand spit, but Joey wasn't there anymore. I'm scanning the reservoir anyway, and after a few minutes I get a call from Joey and it went something like, " JAEGER, uh, it was being followed by a Ring-billed Gull. It went south into South Platte Delta. I lost it." Something like that anyway. WHAT? A Jaeger! It is time for a Long-tailed Jaeger though. I think to myself that there's NO way I could get so lucky and get a long-tailed today too. We coordinate scanning and after an hour we give up. It was definitely not hanging out in South Platte Delta as I spent nearly an hour scanning. BUMMER. I didn't get THAT lucky today. 

The emotional ups and downs of this big year are crazy! I was over the moon happy with the NOWA and hitting 250, then the thrill of a jaeger chase and the possibility of getting #251 so soon after #250, and then the sinking feeling when its gone and never seen again. It was a great morning regardless, and I ate a donut when I got home anyway. OK, we don't keep donuts at the house, but I'm certain I gorged on whatever I could find. If we kept donuts at the house, they wouldn't last long anyway between me and the kids!

Totals:
Green Big Year species list: 250 (as of Aug 30)
Miles ridden: 1850 miles (as of August 30)
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: 27
# of Rock Wrens hopping around on my bike: 1
2021 Joe Roller Memorial Green Big Year Species List

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Thanks for reading!

Scott