Just some thoughts before I get into the birds. It's now 10 October (as I write this). I messaged with a buddy today about how far behind I am on the blog. I started some writing tonight and looked at my species list and realized that I don't have much to write about. I have not gotten a new bird in THREE WEEKS. It's fall migration and I've gotten nothing new since Common Tern on 20 Sept 2021. I don't know if this is attributed to how successful my spring effort was or the dearth of new and interesting birds this fall. Probably both. I guess the recent drought in birds was not unexpected as it's been unusually warm, dry, and has had consistent southerly winds. None of these are conducive to bringing good birds. On the bright side, I guess, it's been a good time to forced off the bike while rehabbing an injury. I haven't been able to ride for over a week, but I'll be back soon. I guess it's good that there's not really much going on right now!
14 September 2021
Yesterday, I picked up my first of many Sabine's Gulls (#259) of the year. Of course I went back to Chatfield to see what else I could find. There was nothing new on the reservoir and I couldn't turn any of the Sabine's into a Little Gull.
I was out on the sand spit chatting with a local birder/photographer and had been saying that you have to go out a lot and find your own birds during these big years. You cna't just chase others birds. Plus it is way more fun to find your own goodies. Not 10 min later I hear a flight call that I recognized but couldn't pin down. It called again and was flying by the sand spit going south. CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR! I heard it call 5 times and that was more than enough to confirm a Chestnut-collared Longspur (#260). That was fantastic!! It kept going and likely dropped in the grassy/weedy areas south around the parking lots. I looked around a little and didn't find it again.
I spend quite a bit of time with longspurs in eastern Montana each June, so I am intimately familiar with the call note. There's nothing like it! Luckily, my prairie birding ear paid off!
A few days later, Joey Kellner finds a Chestnut-collared Longspur in that area by the parking lot! Yes!! It could be a different bird, but it was likely the same one that hung tight with some Vesper and Savannah Sparrows.
https://ebird.org/checklist/S94655587
Now in a VERY strange turn of event, on 4 October, I was riding slowly on Chatfield dam thinking about longspurs, wagtails, and turnstones. Ok, mostly just longspurs. I got to the northeast corner of the reservoir where the paved path has a nice little circle, before going south on gravel. For no reason but for fun, I slowly rode around the outside of the circle, which I haven't done all year. I flushed FIVE Chestnut-collared Longspurs! I stopped fast as I saw where they dropped down. I thought that I really should attempt to get some documentation of these birds.
I get off the bike and get the audio recording feature of my phone ready. I got crummy looks at the birds flying around after flushing them a couple times, mostly by accident. One bird took off down the dam and I never saw it again. Four returned and dropped down in the middle of the circle where I originally saw them. I got some audio before I departed to not find anything interesting the rest of the morning. The longspurs stuck around at least SIX days (as of the time of writing), which was awesome for those willing to huff it across the dam.
https://ebird.org/checklist/S95585460
The flat grassy area atop Chatfield dam where the longspurs were hanging out. PERFECT habitat for them to stopover in for a few days.
What boggles me is that this is the fifth time I have found Chestnut-collared Longspurs in the west Denver Metro in two years and a day. My first was a flyover calling in Lakewood on 3 Oct 2019. Considering how few reports there have ever been in the area, I chalk it up not as luck but that I just have a lot of experience with the species and have that flight call down (plus a lot of time in the field). I'd wager the majority of birders just don't get to spend enough time with these beauties and simply aren't familiar with their calls. Many people have enjoyed these birds and heard them, so maybe a few more folks will have that call and search image in their minds down the road.
Photo by Kevin WIlliams
Photo by Rob Raker
Totals:
Green Big Year species list: 260 (as of Sept 14)
2021 Joe Roller Memorial Green Big Year Species List
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