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Black-legged kittiwake!

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 prefer. I had to go, just because.

I arrive and slowly cruise my favorite spots for longspurs and see little to nothing on the reservoir. Pretty slow birding overall. I cruised around Plum Creek Nature Area and found a couple birds and didn't even bother with an eBird list. I decided to check out the reservoir east of the marina sand spit. I arrive and see a lot of gulls in a feeding frenzy. It's quite breezy down there and chilly! I have to look at the gulls, because I have to. 

         

Dreary and calm conditions over Chatfield Reservoir

I get out my binoculars and the first bird I focus on has a large bold M on the leading edge of the wings and it was only a little smaller than the Ring-billed Gulls. BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE! I was shocked. I knew what that bird was immediately. I dropped my bag and got my scope up in record time. I refound the bird in flight and on the water, but it was constantly moving. I saw the black tipped tail, thicker bill than on a Bonaparte's Gull, black smudge behind the eye, and most importantly, the black neck collar. I'm stunned. I'm also freezing. I check my Sibley and Merlin apps to make sure my brain isn't frozen too. 

I text a couple friends after I'm certain of the identification. This is a big rarity for the area! The last record for Chatfield was in 2004, by who else but Joey Kellner.

I HAVE to get some photos for documenting this bird as who knows how long it'll be here (fortunately a couple days, at least). The conditions were miserable. The water was choppy, the heat shimmer was terrible, 30 degree F wind was blowing in my face, and I was shivering. I could barely get the bird in my scope, let alone get a hand held digiscope photo. I moved my gear into the woods for some sort of shelter. I was hunkered behind a tree, trying to stay out of the wind a little, and get photos of the bird. Amazingly I managed to get documentation of the bird and sent a couple photos around. I literally sat on the sand, behind a tree (mostly out of the wind), shivering to the core while trying to post on our bird listserv and get the word out. I kept an eye on the bird as a couple friends were nearby. I got them on the bird when they arrived, I ate the chocolate chip cookies that I brought (in case I find something really good, which I rarely have on hand!), did some first bumps, and left. I rode to the bathroom at the campground and warmed up for a few minutes in the common area, snacked, and headed for home.

 
"Sheltered" from the wind. It doesn't look choppy or nasty, but it was rough!

The winds died right after I left, of course. There was also a bit of a headwind the whole way home and there was a little sleet/snow falling. I wasn't cold anymore, not even my frozen hands. That's what a GREAT bird will do for you! This is green big year bird #269 and it is a code 5 on my list (mega rare and would need to chase it, or find my own). WHAT A BIRD!

Luckily the bird has stuck around, weather was much more pleasant than the miserable conditions that I experienced when I found the bird. What a morning. What a morning! It was downright miserable, but it was awesome.

Let's all remember that I should have been working all day instead of birding, but work is overrated sometimes. Sometimes you just have to get out. And always take some homemade chocolate chip cookies to fuel up with after finding a good bird. 

                                 Digiscope photos of the Black-legged Kittiwake!





I got some better photos (with my real camera) on Thursday, Nov 4, when 2 kittiwakes were in Jefferson Co, and were quite cooperative.



Totals:
Green Big Year species list: 269 (as of Nov 1)
Miles ridden 2450:  miles (as of Nov 1)
Elevation gain in 2021: 102,000 ft
# of trips to Chatfield State Park: 41
# of Rock Wrens hopping around on my bike: 1
2021 Joe Roller Memorial Green Big Year Species List

Pledge or donate here. Thank you.
https://cobirds.org/CFO/Grants/

Thanks for reading!
Scott














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