The Green Big Year fall strategy, or lack there of

Ok, so I started this a month ago with some ideas. I have barely had time to chase birds, feed the kids, be dad/husband, work, and sleep, so the blog is behind. I'm scribbling a lot of notes so I can flesh this whole year out more sometime down the road. I guess I better type those scribbles because they are hardly legible now!

Anyway, here is my strategy in bullet fashion. It's all I have right now :)

I may need to let some birds go. I have already sort of given up on a couple birds that were just too much time/physical commitment or at a busy time of the year and I simply can't do it all. I can't just get in the car and drive 30 min for a bird. I have to consider time commitment, whether it's a work day or weekend (when I need to be dad), and other factors when jumping on a big chase or ride.
I'm considering riding into the foothills again for a bird or two bird, but that'll be a major time commitment. I could be sore and tired for a week. Last time I rode up into the hills, my back hurt for a month. Sigh. I also need some birds sort of staked out. I can't push limits for a whole day for nothing.
Marsh Wren - find one! I found one! Success!
There is a balance of scanning Chatfield State Park or other places for shorebirds/gulls/jaegers vs. working the woods for passerines. This is tough and tricky! Basically I just need to make a decision, go with it, and have no regrets!
I am thinking about a couple Big Sits at the Chatfield Marina Sand Spit. Birds come and go all day, so a couple mornings camped out there may be good. It could also be a total bust. These need to be planned, but you can only plan too much since success may be more weather dependent. I thought today (13 Sept) would be good and it was largely a bust and too windy. I got Sabine's Gull for #259, but that was expected and my last code 1 in the bag!
Always eat breakfast like you're going for a 30 miler, even if you're not planning on riding. Or better yet, eat like you're planning for a 50 miler as I wasn't quite prepared for the day that Joey Kellner found the Long-tailed Jaeger and I was 18 miles east of Chatfield. That'll be an amusing blog spot.
Maybe missed the boat on Northern Waterthrush, oh wait, I got one! Success!
I'm giving the monthly talk to Denver Field Ornithologists in 2 weeks. I better get started on that presentation!
Always keep the bike and gear ready to go. A quick chase may need to happen and I can't spend 20 min finding my binoculars and Clif Bars.
Stretch more. Do more core work.
Finally, just follow Joey Kellner around. Duh. This will make more sense when I write up my jaeger day.

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Introducing the 2021 Joe Roller Memorial Green Big Year

Welcome to the 2021 Joe Roller Memorial Green Big Year Blog! The Colorado birding community lost one of its pillars when Joe Roller passed away in November 2020. Joe was a fountain of birding lore and loved people as much as birds. Many considered him a beloved friend. To honor Joe's legacy, I've partnered with Colorado Field Ornithologists (CFO) and created the Joe Roller Memorial Grant to support bird research in Colorado. The grant will be initially funded by pledges raised through my 2021 Green Big Year, a green (carbon-free) birding initiative. I will be walking or riding my bike from my house in Littleton, Colorado to see as many species as possible in 2021. My 2020 green list is currently 244 species, but I am aiming for at least 250 bird species in 2021! I'll update this blog with adventures, birds, and photos throughout the year. We are taking per-species pledges and flat tax-deductible donations towards the Grant online at https://Cobirds.org/CFO/Grants . (Scr

The bird that topped the Colorado Green Big Year record

17 December 2021 On Tuesday, December 14th, Steve Barlow found a female Black-and-white Warbler at Wheat Ridge Greenbelt in well, Wheat Ridge. Of course I had three full days of meetings and calls and there was no way I could go for the bird until Friday the 17th. I saw regular reports of the bird in the same area, and a little to the west over those 3 days. It turns out there is a second Black-and-white, a boldly marked male, to the west of the female most of us were chasing. Anyway, I was hopeful it'd stick another day in spite of some chilly night time temperatures. I got up on Friday and it was about 16 degrees. I decided to wait until it was in the mid-20's before I headed out. As I'm hoping to get word about the bird being present, I get a text from none other than Thomas Heinrich with a message about the bird being there and "where are YOU?!" Thomas knew I was going for it on Friday morning, but he didn't tell me he was going to leave at 4:15 am on his

Big ride for big time green year birds.

First and foremost, thank you for all the pledges and donations! The total pledges so far have been astonishing! Between donations and pledges per species (assuming I hit 250 species), we are about 70% of the way to our $20,000 target! I think Joe would probably roll his eyes and tell a joke about the time we chased what would be his first Arapahoe county Brown Thrasher at Cherry Creek State Park. We saw the thrasher fly away and vanish and then Joe gave me slack for not getting him better looks! Please consider a tax-deductible donation or pledge per species (pledges do not need to be paid until the 2021 green year ends). The pledges and donations are motivating me to get out and get birds. I'm truly humbled. Thank you. This is going to be such a fun year! Click the link (scroll to the bottom) to pledge or donate! https://cobirds.org/CFO/Grants/ January 2021 overview (and then the birds!). I thought I'd start off with a little overview of my general strategy for this green

Joe Roller Memorial Green Big Year

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