[cobirds] Green big year is ON!

All, 

I'll update my blog soon (I hope) with photos and stories, but here is a little teaser of the start of my 2021 green year. 

I left my house in Littleton at 8am on New Year's Day on my bike. It was 25 degrees F! I got to the White-winged crossbill spot (Jefferson Co) about 9 and there was NO ONE THERE! My heart sank. Fortunately Brian Johnson showed up a couple minutes later and said a birder who was leaving said they'd seen it. Ten minutes later or so the bird shows. Yay! Huge start to the year!

I looked briefly for the winter wren and decided I was too cold and it was better to keep riding. I rode to the Barrow's goldeneye on the S Platte (Denver co). I had it before I even stopped the bike! I took some digibin photos of the Barrows and rolled down to chatfield. 

I picked up greater scaup by Reynold's Landing (Arapahoe county) nice to check the box on that one early) and rolled on. Then I saw a birder who looked familiar. It was Brian Johnson! This is when I decided I was doing this the hard way. Ha!

I picked up swamp sparrow and northern pintail (which are few and far between for me) below Chatfield Dam (Douglas Co) at the usual spots, but missed rusty blackbird and the long-tailed duck at S Platte Rez. I also scored a couple other nice birds on the way home and ended up with 51 species for the day. Not a bad start  Most importantly I got most of my big targets. Killer start to this thing!

Today (Jan 2), I got the long-talked duck (Arapahoe), albeit unsatisfying look, and Rusty blackbird (Douglas) at the usual beaver dam. Phew. I'm glad I can ride and be at 470 and the Platte in 18 minutes. 

Thank you for all the pledges so far! It is humbling, inspiring, and motivating! See link in my blog below for where to pledge or donate. As Dianna noted yesterday, a pledge doesn't need to be paid until I get my final species total in a year. 

If you're so inclined, bookmark my blog or subscribe to emails when I update the blog. 

https://jrmemorialgreenbigyear.blogspot.com/

Happy New Year and good birding!

Scott Somershoe 

Littleton CO

Sent from my iPhone