What's the deal on this rare Red-flanked Bluetail in nearby Wyoming?

[Joe Roller]

Several of you have asked me for information about this "way lost" bird, found 

yesterday by Cody Porter, a savvy birder in nearby Laramie, Wyoming. 

Kudos to Cody for getting "the word" out promptly!

That Bluetail has become known as the "Laramie Rarity". (Say in fast three times).

A few Colorado birders made it up to the Equality State yesterday, Nov 4, and many 

more are on the scene or en route at this very moment.

Honestly, I had never even heard of this species, so I studied up on it a bit, using

eBird maps and other on-line sources. Might as well share what I learned.

Any of this can be amended or corrected by more knowledgable birders or 

those who have actually seen the bird.

The Red-flanked Bluetail is an old world flycatcher (formerly thought to be

a kind of thrush) that breeds in cooler climates of Northern Europe and Asia, 

eg, Scandinavia, Russia, northern China and south into more temperate parts of 

southern China, Japan, etc.

The Scandinavian population migrates southwest to England, France, etc, with 

some straying further to Mediterranean countries, but NOT to the eastern US, as many

other "overshoot" species have done.

The Asiatic breeding Buetails migrate pretty much due south to spend the

winter in southern China and Japan, with records as far south as Vietnam.

And a few individuals, perhaps with a faulty GPS in their brains, migrate east and southeast,

showing up to winter in Alaska and the US west coast, as far south as Los Angeles. 

These vagrants have stayed for months, attracting hundreds of eager birders from all over the US. The

closest one ever got to Colorado was the Bluetail that spent the winter of 2016-17 in far western Idaho,

where some intrepid Colorado birders were able to see it.

BUT there are no US records of Red-flanked Bluetail for any points east of Idaho until yesterday, when 

the Laramie rarity (kind of rhymes) was found and photographed.

Why drive that far to see this Bluetail? Check out the airfare to other places you could find one, 

like Sweden,Finland or that other popular Bluetail breeding site near Lake Baikal, Дорога до Теплых озер (Tepli Ozera access track).

Will it survive the cool Wyoming winter? Only if it has a consistent food supply and is carrying

a lucky rabbit's foot, BUT the bird is sure to arrive in Colorado soon if it continues on its apparent southeasterwardly

journey.

So keep those mealworms handy, and watch your feeder continuously. You too could enjoy 500 birders crowding into

your kitchen for a glimpse of this year's rarity, Red-flanked Bluetail!

Thanks and good birding!

Joe Roller, Denver

PS

IF you plan to seek out the Bluetail, work up a carload, pack up, and go the alley near this address:

658 1/2 North 9th Street, Laramie, WY.    

The homeowner, Cody Porter, has welcomed birders so far, but of course that could change,

based on the historic observation that "life happens".

The exact site is pinpointed on the eBird hotspot map, labelled:

"stakeout Red-flanked Bluetail, Laramie, 2019"

That hotspot can be used even if the bird has moved a few blocks.

 

[DuWayne Worthington]

Has anyone seen the blue-tail today?

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DuWayne Worthington

Science Teaching Faculty

Valor Christian High School

Influence through Excellence

3775 Grace Blvd.

Highlands Ranch, CO  80126

303-471-3000 x 3278

www.govalor.com

[Joe Roller]

DuWayne,

FYI, four birders saw the Red-flanked Bluetail today in Laramie,

as recently as 12:12, and reported that to eBird at the stakeout hotspot.

So it is alive and well.

Joe Roller, Denver

[Brandon]

who saw it.  none of the ebird reports i have seen, have it on their list.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAJpZcUCDRnb1qft2PjMA33ntiVHM2giB%3DRWe8%2BUtyL1HYcCF%2Bw%40mail.gmail.com.

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Brandon K. Percival
Pueblo West, CO

Sent from my Phone

[Lisa Carp]

If anyone is going up on Thursday (if the bird is still there) I'd be happy to drive or ride with anyone.

Lisa Carp

On Tue, Nov 5, 2019 at 7:45 AM Joe Roller <jrol...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Ben S]

I went up to Laramie today to try for the Red-flanked Bluetail around 1 pm. No luck. While driving through the spot it was reported, I saw a couple of birders. Asked them if they had any luck, they hadn't. I went to look for a good parking spot. No luck on that. I am driving back through and I see police talking to some people. Now I don't know this for sure, but I assumed one of the neighbors was suspicious of all the people with binos and cameras and called the police. Not wanting to be part of whatever was going on, and since the bird was nowhere to be seen, I decided to accept my loss and head back toward Colorado. I stopped at Turtle Rock on my way back to Colorado. Most notable birds were eight Clark's Nutcrackers and a Golden crowned Kinglet. As for the Red-flanked Bluetail, I think it was a one day wonder. Apparently the Farralone Islands, California, had one on November 3rd. Probably not the same bird. This may be wishful thinking, but maybe we should keep an eye out for one here in Colorado for the next couple weeks!

Ben Sampson
CENTENNIAL, CO

[Ira Sanders]

Ben, et al, 

Cody Porter's neighbors were nothing but welcoming and friendly during the 2 days I was in Laramie looking for the bird. I am unaware of any conflict between the birders, quite a few of whom were local, and any of the neighbors. One neighbor invited me into his yard and made me feel very welcome.  I believe the officer was there enforcing some parking permit requirement as this neighborhood is just up the street from U of W and apparently the parking can be tight.  I didn't have any problems parking as I was just north of Cody's yard/area on a part of the street where there weren't any parking restrictions.

Ira Sanders

Golden

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Ira Sanders

Golden, CO

"My mind is a raging torrent flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives."