It was the pick me up I didn’t know I needed. A New Bird. (Capitalization on purpose.
) I’m not sure why, but spotting a species I’ve never encountered is like manna from the universe. And if I can figure out how to identify it? That’s a slice of ecstasy cake right there. In the last six weeks, I’ve seen about a baker’s dozen of dinosaur relatives that are new to me, the most recent of which were at Bluestem Prairie Open Space, south of the Colorado Springs Airport.
It was my first visit to the 650 acres of prairie grassland that’s home to more than 200 bird species and several mammal species, according to the city’s website. That includes a thriving town of delightful, scampering, gossiping black-tailed prairie dogs. I started down the trail and what to my wandering eye did appear but three or four pelicans on the shore of Big Johnson Reservoir.
I did the whole rubbing of my eyes, cartoon-style, because I was pretty confused. The only place I’ve ever seen a pelican was Florida. I could have pretty much called it a day with that felicitous bird sighting, but I kept trucking.
While watching Days of Our Prairie Dogs I noticed a movement nearby in the grass. Something with a yellow chest and a pointy beak. I don’t know how other bird watchers attempt to identify birds, but here’s my process: “OK,” I say to myself, “yellow breast, yellow breast, yellow breast.
Pointy beak, pointy beak, pointy beak.” And then I dig around in my bag for my phone to hit .
