Joe Roller Memorial Green Big Year

26 November 2021 Two days earlier a pair of Tundra Swans were found at Standley Lake, in the north end of Jefferson Co. Any swan would be a great pick up for the big year. Of course I can't go the day they were found or on Thanksgiving, assuming they stuck around and swans often don't stick around long. I'd note to everyone that Thanksgiving (Nov 25) marked one year since we lost Joe Roller. Early Friday morning a friend went to check on the swans for me (Thank you!) and he said they had been joined by SEVEN more! I thought he was pulling my leg, but alas he wasn't. I hit the road on the bike about 7:40 am and told my family I'd be home ASAP (meaning probably 4 hours, ha!).  I'd never even been to Standley Lake, let alone ridden my bike there. There were lots of new roads, paths, a delay at a railroad crossing (which is a first), and a couple wrong turns. It took just a little over an hour and half of riding to get there and upon coming over a rise where I could...

1 November 2021 What a strange day this was. I should have worked all day as our nanny has been out for a week and is out this entire week as well, all unplanned. So I have largely been dad and have not been able to work let alone do much birding. I should have stayed home and worked, but I didn't. It was 37 degrees F and cloudy/dreary. These are the perfect types of conditions for good birds. The weather today reminded me of a great day late last October when I was chasing a Vermilion Flycatcher that Myron G had found, but while on the way there, I found a Thick-billed and a Lapland Longspur! I just had to go cruise around for longspurs and scope the reservoir. Chatfield State Park was calling and I listened.  However, as I was getting ready to ride, I found that my warm cycling tights were in the washer! I should have stayed home because I only had leg warmers. They are ok, but not THAT warm. I rode to Chatfield anyway and figured I'd just be a little colder than I'd pref...

12 Oct 2021 It's been three weeks and a day since I got my last new Green Big Year bird. I'll write up the Common Tern story soon, but that's a tough one for me personally. In the meantime, the three weeks leading up to getting Cattle Egret were rough. First, I birded a lot and found little to nothing of note. It's wild that there were few to no new or good birds reported around the area in late Sept and early to mid-October. I also have been suffering tendinitis in my left elbow for many months. It came to head during this period and I could barely open a water bottle, open the case for my contacts, let alone pick up a kid without excruciating pain. PT had helped, but not enough. I ended up getting a steroid shot to reduce the pain. Second, the nerve pain from the shingles, which I had at NEW YEARS, has been nagging and bothersome. I'm tired of taking pain meds, but they keep me from losing my mind. Third, I have arthritis in my big toes, and wearing cycling shoes ...