Re: [cobirds] Top Ten Most Difficult to Add to North American Life List

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Jessi Oberbeck

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Apr 3, 2024, 4:14:19 PM4/3/24

to mvjo...@gmail.com, Colorado Birds

I was born and raised in Colorado. I went looking for white-tailed Ptarmigan, somewhere in the neighborhood of, 150+ times before finally seeing some. Hike all over RMNP, Mt. Audubon, Loveland Pass, you name it.

I finally saw some because I'd pulled over to the side of the road at the top of Loveland pass, and watched one jump away from a snowboard.

I'm sure people in at least 5 other states heard my celebration scream.

Jessi Oberbeck

Westminster, Co

On Mon, Apr 1, 2024, 3:39 PM mvjo...@gmail.com <mvjo...@gmail.com> wrote:

I am in the process of writing a memoir. Some chapters will pertain to birding and life listing. I know we all have our personal lists that include those nemesis birds. But does anyone know of an "official" Audubon or ABA list that shows the most difficult to find species in North America? If so, please send me a website and I will pursue it.

But why limit the fun. If you want to share your personal hardest or nemesis birds, go right ahead. I suspect that some on the list will be Colorado birds, just to keep our connection to our state. Thanks.

John Rawinski
Monte Vista, CO

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DuWayne Worthington

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Apr 3, 2024, 4:14:19 PM4/3/24

to mvjo...@gmail.com, Colorado Birds

For a long time, my nemesis bird was a three-toed woodpecker. I had looked for it for over 14 years here in Colorado, both going to appropriate habitats, and chasing other records that people had seen. At one point, I thought I had seen one in a transition area between forest and a large burned out area on the way to Colorado Springs from Denver using the road on the backside of the mountains. I could hear it ripping bark off of a tree just 10 feet in front of me, but before I could visually see and confirm it, it saw me and took off. The problem was there was also a hairy woodpecker in the area, and I didn't know if they sometimes did that behavior as well. The unidentified bird mingled a short distance away with the hairy, so I couldn't tell who was who. I never did get a good look at the other bird, although I tried to follow it.

It wasn't until I was looking for Cassia crossbills here in Colorado at the Alfred Bailey Bird Nesting Area that I ran into a three-toed woodpecker. It was actually quite by accident, because I was in the wrong place to see the crossbills at a lower campground called Rock Creek campground. I birded there for about an hour and a half, before realizing I was in the wrong place. Right before leaving there though, I heard, then saw, the three-toed woodpecker. Just after confirming it, it took off for the other side of the forest. I haven't seen another one since!