CBC Season

[William H Kaempfer]

Tomorrow is the start of Christmas Bird Count season.  I hope that every CO-birder has selected a nearby CBC to join (or, if you’re like me, nine nearby CBCs to join).  I participated in my first CBC 38 years ago in Longmont. I wish that I had kept track, but I’m sure that I am over 250 at this stage.  I had a blast on that first one, and while it sure seemed that I was a pain in the you know where as I kept asking my block leader to slow down and show me that Cedar Waxwing or Canyon Wren that he had called out, I now know that he probably really enjoyed it, too.

 

One of the real joys of Colorado is how varied the state is from place to place and CBCs give an opportunity to so many different facets of the early winter bird life of Colorado.  Tonight I’m staying in Sterling awaiting tomorrow’s count.  John Martin Reservoir is also tomorrow which is interesting as there are only three other counts in Colorado further east than Sterling and John Martin.  But here I am in the Quality Inn right off I-76.  Oh, by the way, there are a total of 7 of us counters in the hotel which means that we are having an nice little impact on the Sterling tourist economy.  Add to that the 14 or so of us at lunch tomorrow at the Sterling Wonderful House (a Chinese restaurant that seems to be present in lots of Colorado’s little eastern plains towns) and I think we are making an impact.

 

So tomorrow will be windy, but I’m happy to report that with 14 or so participants, Sterling will be at the second highest participant count every, and this is the 16^th year in a row for the count and 19^th overall.  We average about 68 species, but I saw thousands and thousands of  waterfowl on the grossly underbirded North Sterling Reservoir at sundown tonight, including 4 American White Pelicans. 

 

Will they be there tomorrow?  I hope so, but I sure want to get out really early before the winds start building to 25+ MPH by late morning.   I hope we don’t get blown away, but with 14 counters in 6 teams and all this warm weather, I hoping for a record number of species, which would be 75.  I’ll let you know how we do tomorrow night.  I’ll still be in Sterling as it’s not too far away from Weldona/Ft. Morgan that I’ll be doing on Friday.

 

Bill Kaempfer

Boulder (usually, but Sterling right now)

 

 

[Ted Floyd]

Hey, everybody. I enjoyed Bill Kaempfer's earlier musings on Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs). Bill mentioned that his first CBC was 38 years ago. Mine was 35 years ago, although not in Colorado. I also note that my first Colorado CBC was 15 years ago yesterday, Sun., Dec. 15, 2002. The venue was Boulder, and the compiler was none less than Bill Kaempfer. This birding universe of ours is full of harmonic convergences.

Yesterday, Fri., Dec. 15, Andrew Floyd and Andrés Salata and I celebrated my 15 years of Colorado CBC'ing by participating in the Fountain Creek Christmas Bird Count, El Paso County. No real rarities for Andrew and Andrés and me, but we but we did haul in such goodies as 1 Virginia rail, 1 marsh wren, Myrtle and Audubon warblers, 3 swamp sparrows, and 3 lesser goldfinches. Back on that Dec. 15, 2002, Boulder CBC, I was terribly distressed not to find any bushtits, a species that was beginning its northward spread into Boulder County and beyond; well, Bill, I don't know if this gets me off the hook, but, 15 years later, I can report that there were bushtits down at Fountain Creek:

Also this Prairie Falcon:

And here are my field companions (Andrew, left, Andrés, right):

Alrighty, gotta sign off now, 'cause I have another CBC to get ready for--the Boulder CBC! Tomorrow, Sun., Dec., 17. See you at the compilation!

Ted Floyd

Lafayette, Boulder County

P.s. For those of you who are wondering about Andrew and Andrés's truancy (yes, the Boulder Valley School district is still in session), Fountain Creek CBC compiler Dan Maynard stated succinctly, "I approve."