Fwd: The Big Sit!

[Hugh Kingery]

We enjoyed a balmy The Big Sit! last Sunday (a week before the official weekend because we have other commitments next weekend).

The International Big Sit! has exacting, loose, frivolous standards.  From a l7 ft. diameter circle, Sitters count any bird seen or heard, or that scouts and beaters identify, providing a Sitter sees/hears it from the circle.

This year, from the roof of our house, we counted 37 species - equal to our usual high count. We had three new ones - Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Say's Phoebe, and Western Meadowlark, the first two probably due to the early date. No particularly unusual species - a Sharp-shinned Hawk cruising over the cliff, 50 Red-winged Blackbirds, 29 robins, 28 Western Bluebirds, 24 Mallards (on the pond, counted by scouts), 18 Wild Turkeys. In 13 years, we have counted 81 different species. 

If The Big Sit!concept appeals to you, Joey Kellner will conduct one next Sunday, Oct 12. He usually counts twice as many species as we do. He says,

Come for an hour, the morning, or whatever.  Bring chairs, breakfast, lunch or dinner. 

Meeting Place: Heron Overlook, Chatfield State Park.  From Wadsworth Blvd. entrance, go right at the T and continue around the reservoir.  One half mile after you cross the South Platte, turn hard left into the large parking lot.  At the far right of the lot, a trail leads to the Heron Overlook (about l00 yards).

Hugh Kingery
Franktown, CO