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 <[email protected]> wrote: > 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. > > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Colorado Birds" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAJpZcUCCrzbFK2%3DwxbJbET3yVRcKC-DV%3D9uFCs2aCCqDa0%3DNJw%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAJpZcUCCrzbFK2%3DwxbJbET3yVRcKC-DV%3D9uFCs2aCCqDa0%3DNJw%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAHkHN6QFLK9pPXEj9CEAW-qE9Rwuvs118RLc0Sskkbjn-fgNKw%40mail.gmail.com.
