Stearn’s lake, Boulder Co- Brant

[Scott Somershoe]

I have to share a story from this mornings largely aborted birding. Forecast was 50% snow or rain showers so why not go. That’s decent weather.

I get to Stearn’s at 920 and almost nothing on the lake. I scanned the flocks of geese in fields to the north for a while and found an immature white-fronted (rare in eBird apparently), a likely snow x cackling hybrid and some other mutt goose I couldn’t figure out. At this point it’s dumping snow pretty hard. I give up and head back to Stearn’s to check my sanity.

Snow stopped and it was pleasant out so I walked around to the NE side of the lake where a huge red-winged blackbird flock was hanging out. Of course it was largely gone when I got there. I hung out for a while, dumping snow again, but after 20 min or so, hordes of geese were coming over the rise towards me in the corn stubble. I scanned a lot and found an adult white-fronted goose and saw likely the same snow x cackling. No brant. I gave up after 2 hours largely in the snow. Scope and tripod is covered in snow. My gloves are soaked but hey, this was fun. This was a neat place that I’d never been to, so it was a win.

I’m walking back to the car and I scan the 150 geese on the lake and there’s the BRANT! Maybe a phone scope photo came out but everything was covered in snow and I was cold. And then a harrier flies by within spitting distance! That was a real treat. Made up for the traffic and roads getting home. Oh well. Some forecast. Quite a lovely and memorable day in the field.

Cheers,
Scott Somershoe
Littleton CO

Sent from my iPhone