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I finally snagged a Short-billed Gull

30 November 2021

Short-billed Gull has been target this "winter". They have been photo'd at Cherry Creek State Park several times in the last month or so. I've ridden over there 3 times chasing other targets and looking intently for the gull to no avail. 

Tuesday morning I get text from Glenn Walbek about a Barrow's Goldeneye when he mentioned having 1 or 2 Short-billed Gulls (SBIG, I think that's the abbreviation anyway). I was tired and had a planned rest day, but a SBIG was there now and my afternoon was free. I decided I had to go. I was out the door fairly quickly after a few minutes of contemplating whether I should go nor stay. In the end, I felt good riding considering I was tired and legs ached. Adrenaline :)

I was only a couple miles from Cherry Creek when another cyclist caught up to me. He saw my tripod and asked if I was a photographer. He got the quick version of my big year as I huffed and puffed while trying to keep up with him. He said he'd never met an actual birder before, but he used to duck hunt when he was younger and he knew all the ducks by shape and flight pattern. Birding by impression! That's me! Anyway, he eased up on the long hill by the Cherry Creek High School and asked my chances of finding the gull. I said pretty slim as I've looked a few times. He wished me luck and we went different directions.

As a result of hammering up a long hill, I set some personal records on my way to the park. I also set my fastest time from my house to the west entrance of the state park by 5 minutes (57:30 ride time)!

I got to the Prairie Loop and there were 1000 some gulls mostly tucked in tight and sleeping. Glenn said the bird was an adult with a nearly white head, which helps my search image. I spent 20 min and couldn't find it. Something flushed all the gulls from the mud flats (I failed to take a photo of the scene) and they bolted out onto the reservoir. I thought my chance was over and it'd be another miss, but they settled pretty quick and slowly swam back to shore. I quickly started scanning the flock, checking every darned ring-billed gull, and I found it! I couldn't believe it. What luck! I got some poor digiscope photos from 200 yards or so, and then it tucked in to sleep on the water. I was thinking this was not helpful for confirming the ID and photos, but it was perfect because I was able to get shots clearly showing the pale crescents of the terts and secondaries and the scaps. Yes! A few minutes later a Bald Eagle flew over and all the gulls went way out onto the reservoir. The birds were gone for good.
https://ebird.org/checklist/S98292985


The short-billed is the bird in top right, facing to the right. Note the almost clean white head, dark eye, thin yellow bill with almost no markings, and the pale crescent on the secondaries and terts (end of inner flight feathers).

Sleeping Short-billed Gull is dead center. You can see the pale crescents of the terts/secondaries and the scapulars (2/3 of the way down the back). Distinctly indistinct compared to the Ring-billed Gulls.

A huge thanks to Glenn for the heads up and I had some luck today! The Short-billed Gull was Green Big Year bird #280 and my 300th all time Denver area green bird! What a sweet bird and experience for such milestones.

Thomas Heinrich, based in Boulder, had 281 species green last year. I didn't think getting close to 280 was possible, but here I am. Quite a feat considering all the juggling in my life and a really poor passerine migration. I told Thomas that I joined the 280+ club. This is really pretty crazy for a green year with the rules we impose on ourselves. We live in different towns and have different ease of access to specific habitats and birds, so it's not totally comparing apples and apples. However, it's pretty good and it's been a blast motivating each other this year. Thomas is has over 260 species green this year too!

We'll see where things end. I have one more month to try to find birds. We definitely need more COLD weather to push down more goodies. We've had 70+ degree F days to start December. I'm not complaining about not freezing on rides, but this is not good for so many reasons.

Stay tuned for the last month of this amazing big year. 

Totals:
Green Big Year species list: 280 (as of Nov 30)
Miles ridden: 2847 (as of Nov 30)
Elevation gain in 2021: 115,000 ft
# of trips to Chatfield State Park: 45
2021 Joe Roller Memorial Green Big Year Species List

Pledge or donate here to the new Joe Roller Memorial Grant. Thank you.

Thanks for reading!
Scott



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